People's Dream:

-x-

"What do you think?" Robin asked as she stepped out of the fitting room and showed off her new outfit for Y/N. She was now wearing a white blouse underneath a short long-sleeved purple jacket that revealed her midsection and a pair of tight-fitting matching purple pants. On her head she wore a purple cowgirl hat and on her feet were a pair of comfortable black shoes.

"It's fine," Y/N replied, he was currently holding the other outfits that Robin had chosen for herself as well as a pair of other shopping bags from another store. "Are we done now?"

Robin shook her head, "The correct answer is: 'you look gorgeous'," she informed him. "You may be smart but it's clear to me that you don't know very much about women."

"Uh... well..." Y/N said.

-Spade Pirates Flashback-

Ace, Y/N, Han, and Ollie were sitting on the deck of their small ship casually eating lunch as they sailed away from Ollie's island.

BUURP! Ace let out a loud burp which caused the fifteen year old two-eyed Y/N to flinch.

"Ace," Y/N hissed, "Did you forget all those manners that Aunt Makino drilled into your head? There's a lady present now I don't—"

Buuuurrrrpp... Y/N was cut off by another loud burp, this one came from Ollie herself. While it wasn't as loud as Ace's it was certainly longer.

"Don't sweat it kid," she reassured him, "I used to live alone in a forest, a guy burping isn't gonna bother me."

"Great, then I can stop holding mine in," Han realized. BUUURP!

"Good effort," Ace told him, "but I can top it." He took a deep breath and then... FWUUURRP! A torrent of flames shot out of Ace's mouth adding an extra level of flare to his loud belch.

"Ha ha!" Ollie laughed and applauded, "Good one!"

-End Flashback-

"Yeah, not much," Y/N admitted.

"It's simple really," Robin explained, "When you're going shopping with a woman, say... Miss. Navigator for example, your job is to tell her how she looks in the outfits she picks out. If you can't convince her that you think she looks absolutely perfect then she's going to go find a new one and you'll never get to leave."

"Oh, okay," Y/N said, "Is that all we're getting here?"

"I have all the clothes I'll need," Robin answered, "but you still need to get Miss. Navigator an 'I'm Sorry' present."

"Wait... I have to get her an 'I'm Sorry' present?" Y/N repeated.

"That's what I said," Robin confirmed.

"But I didn't do anything!" he exclaimed.

"But you're the man in the relationship," Robin pointed out, "That means it's your job to apologize." Y/N opened his mouth to protest but Robin continued before he could say anything. "Even if it isn't your fault, when you make the first effort to apologize it shows her that you care about her and your relationship with her. If all goes well, then she'll apologize too."

"Alright then what am I supposed to get her?" Y/N asked.

Robin smiled and grabbed him by the wrist, "Come with me," she instructed as she pulled him deeper into the store, "Fortunately for you, I learned Miss. Navigator's shoe size while I was sharing a room with her."

-x-

This was easily the worst bar trip that Nami had ever been on. And that included the one where she'd almost lost to Y/N in a drinking contest after being drugged by bounty hunters. First she'd been humiliated when the entire bar laughed at her when she asked about the Sky Island, then that Bellamy-jerk started mocking them and their big dreams, and now he was attacking Luffy and Zoro while the two of them refused to fight back.

"HAHAHA!" one of the Bellamy Pirates laughed, "Look at 'em! How are they still standing?"

"YEAH BELLAMY!" another pirate cheered, "Wipe the floor with that green haired freak!"

"This town ain't for no dreamin' cowards!" another pirate added, "Show that pansy the meaning of pain!"

KRESH! A liquor bottle was smashed over Zoro's head. WHOMP! A wooden chair was broken on Luffy's back.

-x-

"What's all the commotion?" a man asked outside the bar.

"I heard the Bellamy Pirates are holding a lynching in there," another man replied.

-x-

"LUFFY! ZORO!" Nami shouted. "WHY'RE YOU LETTING HIM BEAT YOU LIKE THAT? GO AHEAD AND FIGHT BACK! YOU GUYS CAN TAKE 'EM NO PROBLEM!"

"..." But Luffy and Zoro both stood there silently with raising a hand or even saying a word in their defense. Blood was dripping out of their mouths and out of gashes around their eyes and on their faces but still they wouldn't fight back.

"PAHAHAHAHA!" Sarquiss laughed, he, Rivers, and Ross had taken over the one-sided beating while Bellamy took a break. "It's no use lady! They're too smart for that! They've obviously come to the realization that they're way out of their league! Refusing to fight a stronger opponent, it's disgraceful, but it is smart."

"Heh ha ha!" Rivers chuckled, "Clearly the runt lacks any dignity as a Captain."

"The Marines sure are generous these days," Sarquiss scoffed, "To think they're willing to fork over thirty million for a worthless, smart-mouthed child!"

Nami clutched Luffy's straw hat which she had picked up off of the ground when the beating had started. Luffy's words echoed in her mind. "Zoro, no matter what happens... don't fight back."

"Come on..." Nami urged them, "Fight back..."

"Sounds nice, huh?" Bellamy questioned as he sat casually at the bar, taking a break from his assault. "The doctrine of nonresistance..." Bellamy quickly knocked back his drink, "AHH! So, you're weak and you have no pride, you refuse to get into a fight, and your head is swimming with silly daydreams. Heh heh ha! They sound like children!"

"HAHAHAHAHA!" the still seated Bellamy Pirates laughed, "MORE LIKE LITTLE GIRLS!"

"My work here is done," Bellamy announced as he grabbed a bottle of rum and got off his barstool and headed to the middle of the bar where Luffy and Zoro were standing. "When I heard a bounty worth thirty million was in town, I wondered what kind of a bad-ass crook came with it. Heh heh heh ha! Needless to say, I'm more than a little let down. I'm bored with these cowards!" Bellamy took a long swig of his drink then spat it out all over Luffy's face. PTOOOOOSSHH!

"..." Still Luffy remained silent and refused to fight back. The alcohol had washed some of the blood off of his face but now it was burning in his still opened wounds.

"QUICK! Get them out of my face!" Bellamy commanded his crew. "Hee hee! Bye ladies!"

THWAK! Rivers lashed out and kneed Zoro in the face, sending him tumbling across the bar.

Whup! Ross grabbed Luffy from behind and dragged him across the bar before smashing him face-first through a window. KREESSH! The glass window shattered and Ross dropped Luffy at his feet. THUD! Luffy's blood was left dripping off of the broken glass that still remained in the frame.

"Luffy! Zoro!" Nami cried as she rushed to their side.

"Hey! Sweet thing!" Sarquiss called across the bar to her, "If you keep hanging out with these losers, you're gonna get left behind, especially when the New Era rolls around. What if I bought you?" Nami's eyes went wide in shock. "You seem like a simple girl. You can't fetch too high of a price."

"Excuse me?" Nami hissed. "Did you say you want to... buy me?"

"That's right," Sarquiss answered with a cocky grin, "C'mon girl, join us."

There was only so much Nami was willing to take. And this was the final straw. Nami stood up and glared at him. "I'm not for sale," she stated, "And you're lucky my boyfriend isn't here. He wouldn't like hearing you talk to me like I'm some kind of whore."

"Boyfriend?" Sarquiss repeated. "Don't tell me he's like those two weaklings."

"He's nothing like them!" Nami retorted, "But if he were here, he'd kick that smug grin off of your stupid face!"

Lily shot to her feet and glared across the bar at Nami, "How dare you talk to Sarquiss like that!" she exclaimed. "He's twice the man you're pathetic boyfriend could ever be!"

"Oh please!" Nami scoffed, "My guy could buy a skank like you with his pocket change. Too bad you're so far beneath him."

"WHY YOU LITTLE—" Lily yelled only for Nami to cut her off.

"Careful," Nami warned her, "Unlike those two, I'll fight back if you attack me."

"Nami..." Luffy called out to her from the ground.

"You shut up!" Nami snapped at him. Her pride was hurt from seeing her crew's two top fighters take a savage beating without even raising a hand in defense. She wasn't going to stand for that, so she was picking a fight of her own.

"Get her Lily!" Sarquiss encouraged his girlfriend, "That bitch needs to be put back in her place! Go take her down a couple of pegs!"

The other Bellamy Pirates chimed in and encouraged Lily who looked very reluctant to actually have to fight Nami. "Get her Lily!" "Take out that trash!" "Teach her a lesson!"

"Lily, do it!" Bellamy ordered, "She's one of those fools that believe in the Sky Island! It's our duty as the real pirates to set an example! Make her rethink the company she keeps!"

Lily visibly paled, with the Captain ordering her to fight she had nowhere to run and she slowly approached Nami.

Nami took the time to eye her 'opponent'. Her long blonde hair was brushed so not a single strange was out of place. Her nails were perfectly manicured and her fancy clothes didn't have a speck of dirt on them. It was blatantly clear that this girl wasn't a fighter, only arm candy. And while Nami was easily the weakest of the Straw Hats, her rough upbringing as a pirate thief made her positive that she could take this chick.

Lily reached Nami and clenched her right hand then lashed out at Nami for a hard slap. SWIP! Nami saw it coming a mile away and ducked under it then slipped around behind Lily while she was off balance from her missed 'attack'.

Thwak! Nami lashed out and kicked Lily's leg from behind causing her to stumble forward then followed up with a hard shot. WHUMP! KRE-RASH! Lily crashed into a table and knocked it over, and while the drinks that were on it had been thrown at Luffy and Zoro, the food that was leftover spilled all over her.

"Now who looks like trash," Nami taunted. Luffy and Zoro had let themselves get bloodied and beaten without even defending themselves, but Nami had suffered as much humiliation as she was going to allow in that bar and showed that at least she knew how to fight back.

Instead of looking upset at Lily's loss, Bellamy burst out laughing, "HAAAA HAHAAHAAA!" The other Bellamy Pirates uneasily joined in to avoid facing the Captain's wrath and soon the entire crew was laughing at Lily's failure. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"HAAAAAHAHAHAHA!" Bellamy laughed, "You've got guts girl, I'll give you that. Listen, this is a genuine offer, ditch that trash and join a real pirate crew, my pirate crew."

Nami held back her immediate response of 'NEVER!' and her following response of 'Not if it was the last crew on Earth!' and even, her favorite, 'I'm too good to join a pirate like you. You're nothing but a small-time thug.'

Instead she simply folded her arms across her chest and said, "I'm spoken for."

"Fine, then get out of here while I'm still in a good mood," Bellamy ordered, "And take that trash with you."

Nami sent one last glare to the Bellamy Pirates then grabbed Luffy and Zoro and dragged them out of the bar.

"Sarquiss... help me..." Lily pleaded as she reached out to her boyfriend looking for him to help her up off of the toppled table.

"Not a chance," Sarquiss refused. He looked down at her with disdain even though he'd been the first to goad her into what should have been an obvious losing battle, "You embarrassed our crew by losing to that trash. We're over."

-x-

Nami scowled as she stalked away from the bar while dragging Luffy and Zoro behind her.

"The Sky Island does exist!" a voice called out. Nami turned to see the large man from before sitting in the middle of the road eating one of his fifty cherry pies. "Zehahahaha! That place really does make a killer cherry pie!"

"You got something you wanna say?" Nami challenged him as she dropped Luffy and Zoro on the ground. At this point, she wasn't going to take any more crap from anybody.

"Now what could you possibly be angry about?" the big man asked. "Your two friends won that fight without even throwing a punch."

At Nami's feet Luffy was starting to stir.

"Ha, you think you'll be better than me?" Shanks taunted him back when he was younger before he'd entrusted Luffy with his straw hat.

"When next we meet, we'll both be top pirates," Ace told him before they'd parted ways back in Alabasta.

"Listen to me Luffy," Y/N advised him back at the Going Merry, "If someone here gets in your face and starts making fun of you, I want you to think: What would Shanks do? Okay?"

Luffy had big dreams and had made big promises to be a great pirate. He didn't bother fighting Bellamy because it wasn't worth it. Just like Shanks hadn't bothered fighting Higuma in Makino's tavern ten years ago.

"And then you went and won a fight of your own," the big man continued, "You've got nerves of steel lady. Zehahahahaha!"

"Aah!" Nami gasped in surprise as Luffy and Zoro got back up to their feet. "Luffy..."

Luffy didn't respond and simply adjusted his straw hat as he turned to face the big man while Zoro simply began dusting himself off.

"Zehahaha!" the big man laughed. "This new era they keep rambling on and on about is a load of crap. THE ERA WHERE PIRATES DREAM OF TREASURE WILL COME TO AN END? YEAH RIGHT! ZEHAHAHA!"

"What's he talking about?" a passing civilian wondered, the big man was sitting in the middle of the street talking and laughing like a lunatic.

Thunk! The big man slammed his rum bottle down, "THE DREAMS OF PIRATES... WIILL NEEVEER EEND!"

"..." Luffy stared silently.

The big man grinned exposing the holes in his smile due to his missing teeth, "Am I, right?"

They finally registered the laughing crowd of civilians that had been drawn by the big man's loud shouts. "For someone shouting as loud as you are, you're certainly talking nonsense!" a passing man taunted.

"What're you talking about dreaming for?" another man questioned. But none of them paid the civilians any mind.

"ONE UPPING YOUR PEERS ISN'T EASY!" the big man exclaimed. "ZEHAHAHAHAHA!"

"HAHAHA!" the civilians laughed at the man like he was crazy. "What's with you, did you melt your brain?"

-x-

Back in the bar, Bellamy's crew heard the big man's laughter from outside.

"ZEHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"I wonder what all the commotion is about?" Sarquiss asked out loud as he sat as his table having a drink.

"Forget it," Bellamy told him from where he was sitting at the bar with Muret, "Those losers are probably taking out their frustrations. I guess the girl beating Lily wasn't enough for them."

Lily blushed in the corner where she was sitting alone struggling to get the bits of food out of her hair and off of her clothes.

-x-

"..." Luffy was still silent as the big man continued his speech.

"They can laugh at us all they want, cuz when you aim high you often come across fights that just aren't worth fighting, right? Zehahahahahahaha!"

"Let's go," Zoro prompted as he turned and walked off without another word.

"Yeah," Nami agreed as she turned to follow after him but found Luffy rooted in place. "Luffy?"

"..." Luffy and the big man were silently staring at each other, both uncaring of the looks they garnered from the passing people.

"Luffy!" Nami called out again.

"Oh, it looks like I interrupted you," the big man noted as he got back up to his feet and once again towered above Luffy. "Are you in a hurry, kid?" The man turned to leave, "One more thing! I hope you find your way to Sky Island." The man took a swig of rum and walked off. "ZEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Again, without saying anything, Luffy turned and followed after Zoro.

Nami quickly followed after him, "Maybe we should keep talking to him," she suggested, "He may know something about Sky Island. Who was he?"

"I don't know," Luffy admitted, finally breaking his silence. "But it's not he."

"Huh?" Nami questioned, "If it's not he then... what is it?"

"Probably they," Zoro answered. "Come on, let's go."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY?" Nami demanded. "Are you saying there were others with him? Where? I didn't see anyone! HEY! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING?"

"I did hear one thing," Zoro replied, "Or maybe it was just the blood in my ears, but did you refer to Y/N as your boyfriend back there?"

"Yeah, I did," Nami admitted, "I needed someone to threaten them with! You two idiots wouldn't do anything! What kind of man just standing there when someone's attacking him!" The big man's speech about not fighting battles that weren't worth fighting was forgotten as Nami started raging about the two of them not fighting back in the bar.

-x-

"Hmmm..." the big man said to himself as he walked away. Suddenly something the girl said in the bar came back to him.

"LUFFY! You promised, remember? Besides, we don't have enough money with us to buy dozens of steaks! Y/N's taking care of the shopping!"

"Why do those names sound familiar?" he wondered.

"The new generation of pirates... will be led by the next King of the Pirates... MONKEY D. LUFFY!"

"Could that have been..." the man questioned. "Naaah! It's probably just a coincidence. Zehahahahahaha!"

-x-

Bite the Bullet:

-x-

"Okay," Y/N said as he and Robin left the market stall that they'd stopped at to fill the refrigerator that was inside the large box that was strapped to Y/N's back. He also had a hole-covered box with a snail drawn on the side tucked under his right arm while a lone shopping bag dangled from his left hand. "Then since you're the expert on women maybe you can tell me something."

"I'm not an expert on women," Robin corrected him as she walked beside him carrying her collection of clothing bags, "I just am one."

"Then maybe you can make sense out of what's going on with Nami," Y/N reasoned.

"We were all wondering what happened inside that turtle," Robin admitted.

"I took Nami across the zip-line to the ship I stashed all the treasure on..." Y/N recounted as he began telling Robin what happened inside Sheldon's stomach.

-x-

On a rooftop at the other end of the street sat the strange sharpshooter as he finished cleaning out the barrel of his rifle. He calmly glanced down at the clock that was on a small tower in the middle of the street.

"Thirty seconds left," the sniper noted as he pointed his rifle out into the street, "Let's see who's fated to cross the path of my bullet today..."

-x-

"It sounds to me like she's scared," Robin commented when Y/N finished his story.

"But this is Nami," Y/N pointed out, "And it's not like she's dealing with a monster or a savage crew of pirates or even a crazy storm. It's just me."

"And that's what she's scared of," Robin explained, "She cares about you but before she takes the next step in your relationship together she wants to know that you care about her too. She's worried about how you see her and doesn't want to ruin your relationship by pushing it to the next level before its ready. So now she's picking fights with you to drive you away long enough for her to figure things out."

"So you think I should—" THUNK! Y/N was cut off by a bullet tore through the back of the refrigerator box and embedded in the door of the metal refrigerator. "What the hell? Someone just tried to shoot me!" He stared down the busy street but couldn't see anyone with a smoking gun barrel, "You see anything? I can't."

"Ojo Fleur!" Robin closed her eyes and crossed her arms as she sprouted hands with eyes on the palm on a series of rooftops. "There's a strange man sitting on a rooftop at the end of the street. He has a smoking rifle with him, a gun like that definitely has the range to hit you from there."

"I think I wanna have a word with this joker," Y/N growled as he started towards the house.

-x-

"Hm, that's odd," the sharpshooter observed still completely calm as he watched Y/N and Robin approach him. "Fate brought the boy into my bullet's path but it also protected him."

"What's your problem?" Y/N called up to the man from down in front of the house. "Why'd you just try to shoot me?"

"No problem," the sniper stated, "I just fired my gun and Fate just happened to bring you into the bullet's path."

"That's your excuse for trying to kill me?" Y/N demanded.

"But I didn't," the sniper pointed out, "Fate also protected you."

"I can't stand people like you!" Y/N growled while Robin and the sniper stared calmly. It was odd seeing Y/N as the most emotional person in a group. "You use 'Fate' as an excuse for not owning up to your own actions! 'Fate' didn't fire that gun of yours, you did. Take some responsibility! You could've killed someone!"

"But I didn't," the sniper countered, "I only hit you."

"Let's get out of here Robin," Y/N instructed, "I don't wanna risk this lunatic firing his gun at me again." Robin nodded and they walked off. The sniper simply watched them go.

"You seem upset," Robin noted, "Is there something you'd like to talk about?"

"Not now Robin," Y/N answered, "Let's get some information and get out of this damn town."

"I think we passed a promising bar before," Robin recalled, "Perhaps we could try there."

-x-

TONK! TONK! TONK! TONK!

Back at the Going Merry, Usopp and Chopper were down on the dock repairing some of the holes that had been made in the side of their beloved ship during the escape from Alabasta.

"Board!" Usopp requested.

"Board!" Chopper exclaimed as he handed one over.

TONK! TONK! TONK! TONK!

"Board!" Usopp called out again.

"Board!" Chopper chirped as he handed over another one.

TONK! TONK! TONK! TONK!

"Board!" Usopp said again.

"Board!" Chopper replied as he handed over another board.

Despite all the repetition they didn't lose enthusiasm and kept working. The sound of Usopp's hammer was the only noise to be heard in the mostly quiet harbor.

TUNK! Usopp missed the nail and brought the hammer down on his finger. "GAAAAAHHH!"

"Boarrr..." Chopper trailed off in handing over another board when he saw Usopp staring watery-eyed at his bright red finger. "Oh."

"Seriously, I know I say this all the time," Usopp admitted, "but one thing I am not, is a ship repairman."

"But you're really good at doing this sort of thing, Usopp," Chopper reassured him.

"I know!" Usopp boasted. "It's quite amazing! I'm incredibly versatile!"

"I say we trash this and buy a new ship instead," Sanji suggested from up on the deck where he'd been watching them.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" Usopp screamed at him. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WE GOT OUR HANDS ON THIS SHIP?"

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it a thousand times," Sanji replied, "It was given to you by the most gorgeous girl in your village, right? WHO CARES! It's just plain dangerous to keep relying on a ship in this condition!"

"THAT'S WHY I'M REPAIRING IT, IDIOT!" Usopp snapped. "NOW GET DOWN HERE AND GIVE US A HAND!"

"Repairs, huh?" Sanji questioned as he eyed the boards that covered the majority of the ship's side and a lot of the interior railings as well. There was also the metal plates wrapped around the main mast keeping it on and the figure head and the whipstaff had both been broken off and repaired at one point. It was true, the Going Merry had seen better days. "It won't hold."

"SHUT UP!" Usopp shrieked, his eyes bugged out, his lips puckered, and his body arched like a spastic dolphin standing on its tail.

"That face is hilarious Usopp!" Chopper exclaimed.

"Oh, you mean this one?" Usopp asked, slipping back into his usual silly demeanor as he spun around and struck the same pose, "SHUT UP!"

"TEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!" Chopper laughed hysterically.

"What a couple of idiots," Sanji grumbled, "Hey, do you guys have any ideas about dinner?"

"SHUUT UUP!" Usopp and Chopper cried as they both struck Usopp's silly pose.

"Fine, no food for you," Sanji decided.

"NOOO!" Usopp wailed, "WE STILL WANNA EAT!"

"I'm gonna check how that seagull soup is doing," Sanji stated as he headed back for the galley, "I wonder if I could use the feathers as a garnish... that could be interesting. I just hope Y/N and Miss. Robin come back with the food I requeste—" Sanji trailed off when he spotted a ship sailing passed off the side of the ship.

TWEEE! "SALVAGE!" KRASH! "SALVAGE THE SEA!" TWEEE! "SALVAGE!" KRASH! "SALVAGE THE SEA!"

It appeared that the Masira Pirates had managed to both find their lost Captain and make it back to Jaya without the use of the Eternal Pose that Robin had stolen.

TWEEE! "SALVAGE!" KRASH! "SALVAGE THE SEA!" TWEEE! "SALVAGE!" KRASH! "SALVAGE THE SEA!"

"Huh, there's something strange about that ship," Sanji remarked, having never actually taken Masira's salvage ship into consideration when he and Zoro had escaped from the turtle's mouth.

Usopp and Chopper on the other hand, paled and gaped in shock, "WE KNOW THAT SONG!"

-x-

Luffy, Zoro, and Nami slowly approached the Going Merry. Nami was inwardly seething about what happened at the bar and let out a low growl as she glared at her blood-covered companions.

"GAAAH!" Usopp shrieked in surprise when he saw them approaching, "LUFFY! ZORO! WHAT HAPPENED? WHY ARE YOU BLEEDING?"

"MISS. NAMI!" Sanji greeted her, quickly dismissing the bloody captain and swordsman. "Oh no! Are you alright?"

"DOOCTOOR!" Chopper wailed.

"YOU'RE THE DOCTOR!" Usopp reminded him. "GO CHECK THEM OUT ALREADY!"

"Right," Chopper agreed. The other three boarded the ship and Chopper began checking Luffy and Zoro's injuries.

"So... what happened to you guys?" Usopp inquired. "It looks like you were mauled by a pack of rapid wolves!"

"It was pirates," Luffy answered, Chopper had put a bandage over the still-bleeding gash on his face and was wrapped another one around his wrist. "But we're okay. Just some scratches."

"Yup," Zoro said, as he leaned casually back against the railing. Most of his injuries had healed.

"You guys seem to be okay with everything... but I'm not..." Nami growled from where she was sitting on the deck facing away from them. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU TWO? YOU ARE MEN, RIGHT? WHEN SOMEONE PROVOKES YOU THE ONLY LOGICAL RESPONSE WOULD BE TO PUMMEL THEIR FACES AND WIPE UP THE BLOOD WITH THEIR FRAG SPACES! OR BETTER YET, YOU SHOULD'VE JUST BLOWN UP THE ENTIRE ANNOYING TOWN!"

Zoro sweat-dropped at Nami's anger, "What happened to all that pacifist talk?" he wondered.

"GRAH!" Nami snarled as she turned to face him so she could take her frustrations out on him. "SHUT UP ZORO! PAST IS PAST! WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ANCIENT HISTORY HERE!"

"Why is she in such a bad mood?" Usopp questioned, "She didn't get a single scratch on her."

"Beats me," Luffy answered, "maybe it's because she got in that bar fight."

"Oh yeah!" Chopper chirped, "Did you get any information on Sky Island?"

Everything suddenly got dark as Nami suddenly turned her attention on him.

"Sky... Island..." Nami growled.

"AAAAHHH!" Chopper shrieked in terror.

"DOES IT EVEN MATTER ANYMORE?" Nami snapped. "All I did was say the words 'Sky Island' and they all laughed at me! WHAT THE HECK WAS SO FUNNY ABOUT ME SAYING THAT?" She turned back around and grumbled to herself, BUNCHA JERKS!"

Behind her, Usopp was playing dead in a puddle of ketchup blood and Chopper had eaten a Rumble Ball so he could go into Guard Point and protect himself from Nami's rage.

"Ketchup Star..." Usopp gasped.

"Guard Point..." Chopper cried.

"Oh, it looks like we missed some excitement here," Robin noted as she boarded the ship with Y/N walking up the ramp behind her. They were both were weighed down by their numerous purchases in town. "How's everyone doing?"

"Looks like Nami's freaking out," Y/N noted, "Told you."

"MISS. ROBIN!" Sanji cried out in greeting from the front deck with Luffy, "WELCOME BACK MY LOVE!"

Y/N and Robin boarded the ship and eyed the still fuming Nami with concern.

"Has she been like that long?" Y/N inquired.

"Ever since she got back," Sanji reported.

"I don't wanna go near her when she's in that state," Usopp confessed as he scrambled up onto the front deck and hid behind Luffy and Sanji. Meanwhile, Chopper was hiding behind Zoro on the main deck where Nami was still raging.

"You did say that you'd probably have to calm her down when you got back, Mr. One Eye," Robin reminded Y/N.

"Yeah, I guess I did," Y/N realized. He climbed up the stairs and slipped the refrigerator box off of his back and set it down outside the galley for Sanji. "There's a keypad combination lock on the door and all the food is stashed inside. It's made of hard steel and we also discovered that it's bulletproof."

"How'd you manage that?" Sanji inquired.

"Some freak shot me but hit the fridge instead," Y/N explained, "He claimed he just 'fired his gun' but whatever. I'm over it."

"We're still not sure if it will withstand the Captain though." Robin admitted.

"I'll try smashing it!" Luffy offered.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Sanji scolded him.

"Right, I guess I'll bite the bullet on this one and deal with Nami," Y/N resolved. He handed his snail box off to Robin and armed with just a lone shopping back he bravely strode across the deck towards Nami.

"I'll always remember you Y/N!" Usopp practically cried as he wiped a tear from his eyes, "whenever I tell people about this, I'll say you died with honor."

"He's heading right into a storm," Zoro noted while Chopper 'peeked' out behind him.

"Big Brother's so brave!" Chopper gushed, "He's facing off against her all alone... Maybe we should give him back up?"

"I'm not going in there," Zoro refused.

"Hey Nami..." Y/N greeted the fuming navigator.

Nami whirled around in search of someone else to vent her frustrations on. Beep-beep-beep! Target acquired! "YOOUU!" Nami snarled. He probably just imagined the aura of flames that flared up behind her. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT GOT US STARTED ON THIS STUPID SKY ISLAND THING! AS IF THIS FREAK-FILLED TOWN ISN'T ENOUGH! I TRIED ASKING FOR SOME INFORMATION AND THE WHOLE BAR LAUGHED AT ME! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HUMILIATING THAT WAS?"

"Now you know why I hate this town," Y/N stated as he calmly cleaned out his ear with his finger.

"THEN YOU SHOULD'VE SAID SOMETHING!" Nami yelled. "THOSE JERKS TREATED US LIKE WE WERE TRASH AND LAUGHED AT ME LIKE I WAS AN IDIOT!"

"I did say something," Y/N replied, "I warned Luffy and Zoro that the town was filled with assholes and told Luffy not to bother fighting anyone."

"THEN THAT'S YOUR FAULT TOO!" Nami shouted. "THOSE TWO IDIOTS JUST STOOD THERE AND LET THEMSELVES GET BEATEN UP! IT WAS PATHETIC! WHAT KIND OF MAN DOESN'T FIGHT BACK WHEN SOMEONE ATTACKS HIM? WHAT KIND OF MAN ENCOURAGES ANOTHER MAN TO DO THAT? I GOT IN A BAR FIGHT WITH SOME SKANK BECAUSE I WAS THE ONLY ONE WITH THE BALLS TO FIGHT BACK! AND I DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY! I'M JUST A GIRL!"

"I'm still waiting for conformation on that," Zoro muttered.

"She's a real female," Chopper confirmed, "I gave her a physical while Doctorine was looking after her back at Drum Kingdom."

"I was leaning more towards some kind of demon," Zoro admitted, "Or maybe the poor thing's trapped inside her."

With the way Nami was raging right now, she looked ready to spit fire. So Chopper could understand the demon comparison. "But then why does Big Brother like her?" he asked.

"Maybe he enjoys the abuse," Zoro suggested.

"YOU TWO SHUT UP!" Nami snapped.

"Nami," Y/N called out, bravely drawing her attention back to him. "There's no point in fighting people like them. They're dead-set in their beliefs and have forgotten how to dream. They look down on people like us for daring to believe that there's something more to life that what we're given. Really we should be looking down on them, or at least feel sorry for them."

"YEAH, THIS COMING FROM THE ATHIEST!" Nami retorted.

"That's not the point," Y/N told her, "Of course they laughed at you when you mentioned the Sky Island. They're so closed-minded that they could never believe in something so incredible. To them, people would have to be crazy to think that something like that could possibly exist. They're all cowards that don't dare to dream anymore so they focus on making themselves look impressive on this tiny island in the Grand Line. They're the losers, so why would you care what they think of you? You didn't care when you thought your whole village saw you as a treacherous witch. And you grew up with those people. Now you're suddenly concerned about what some cowards in a bar think of you? Come on Nami, you're better than that."

Nami glared at him and folded her arms across her chest. "I can handle being a witch. I don't like looking foolish. That Bellamy jerk said it was just a Knock-Up Stream that sent the ships flying up into the air. He thinks we're idiots for thinking it actually fell from an ocean in the sky. He said that people like us make the real pirates like him look like fools."

"I think its working!" Usopp whispered to Luffy, Sanji, and Robin.

"He wasn't there when the ship almost fell on us," Y/N reminded her, "Robin, when was the St. Briss launched?"

"Two hundred and eight years ago," the archeologist answered. "It was said to disappear only a few years later."

"There's your proof," Y/N said, "How could a stream of water blast a ship that size up into the air and keep it there for two centuries? The real pirates are the ones like Gold Roger that sail the seas in search of incredible adventure and treasures that no one had ever heard of before. That Bellamy guy isn't a real pirate, and he's not even all that strong. Chopper could beat him easy."

"Really?" Chopper asked in surprise.

"Of course," Y/N told him, "You're ten times the pirate Bellamy is and you only became one a couple weeks ago." Y/N turned back to Nami who had been progressively calmed down by Y/N's rationality. Now she was mostly back to normal. "Besides, the only reason no one's set Bellamy straight yet is because he works for one of the Seven Warlords."

"OOH! ANOTHER WARLORD!" Luffy cheered, "As long as he's better than that Bellamy guy I'll kick his ass like Crocodile."

"Hey, between Crocodile and Mihawk you, Y/N and Moss Ball all got to fight a Warlord already," Sanji protested, "I wanna chance to fight one."

"Well this one's a real nasty guy named Donquixote Doflamingo," Y/N explained, "He sponsors the Bellamy Pirates as well as a Slave Auction House. And back when he was a pirate with an active bounty it was an incredible three hundred forty million berries."

"THREE HUNDRED FORTY MILLION!" Usopp and Chopper exclaimed.

"THAT'S FOUR TIMES CROCODILE'S!" Nami shrieked. She was back to screaming again but now it was for a different reason.

"Isn't that was you said about Crocodile in comparison to Arlong?" Y/N inquired. "I've never met the guy though so I have no idea what he looks like."

"Crocodile has," Robin recounted thinking back to her time as the former warlord's partner, "he has some kind of grudge against him. I remember him once saying that Doflamingo was a 'flamboyant bastard that never took anything seriously'."

"Then let's just get out of this stupid place," Nami decided, "We can't get any information here and I don't wanna mess with another warlord."

"But Robin and I did get some information," Y/N informed her.

Nami blinked owlishly. "You did?"

"Yeah," Y/N confirmed, "That was the plan all along. Robin and I were going to get supplies and information while Luffy and Zoro went out to explore. We didn't get any actual information on the Sky Island but we did learn about a man who might know something about it." Y/N reached down into his bottom right pocket and pulled out a map. He unrolled it and showed it to Nami. "This is a map of Jaya, we're here on the west coast in Mock Town, we need to travel along the island to the northern shore and find a man named Montblanc Cricket. Apparently, he was exiled from Mock Town because he couldn't fit in. Everyone on the island thinks he's crazy because he talked about dreams."

"Crazy?" Nami repeated uncertainly.

"Usopp, what's my 'Ask the Creepy Outcast' Policy?" Y/N questioned.

Usopp thought back to when he went shopping with Y/N in Loguetown. "Normal people don't know about legendary treasures and call the people looking for them crazy. To get information about something legendary you have to ask a fellow crazy person."

"Basically, if I wanted to find information on a legendary treasure on or near Commi Island I'd use my Ask the Creepy Outcast Policy and ask you," Y/N explained.

"Did you just call me creepy?" Nami challenged him.

"No, I called you an outcast," Y/N corrected her, "Although, maybe your sister would be a better person to ask for information. You'd probably lie to me."

"Now you're calling my sister creepy?" Nami persisted.

"Can we get off the 'creepy' please?" Y/N requested, "The point is, we need to go and see this Montblanc Cricket guy. I'm also guessing he's the friend that the monkey mentioned."

"RIGHT!" Luffy cheered. "LET'S FIND THE CREEPY GUY!"

"Hold on," Robin advised, "The show's not over yet."

"Oh right," Y/N realized as he held up the shopping bag, "I got you a present."

Nami blinked, "You got me..."

"An 'I'm Sorry' Present," Y/N finished for her.

"But... you didn't do anything..." Nami reminded him, "I was the one who..."

"I know," Y/N admitted, "But I was told that making the first effort shows I care."

Nami blinked again. Then stared passed Y/N at Robin who winked at the other girl causing her to break out into a smile.

"So, what did you get me?" Nami inquired.

Y/N pulled a box out of the shopping bag and flipped it opened to reveal the black high heeled boots that were packed inside. They were both sleek and sturdy and were made so you could go for a hike and still look good doing it.

"I know you usually wear sandals and have your own signature style," Y/N stated, "But you've been in the Grand Line long enough now to know there are all kinds of crazy environments. I thought these would be useful to have for some of the tougher environments. Robin assures me they're both fashionable and functional."

"Oh Y/N," she sighed as pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry, I know I've been acting crazy lately. Thanks for sticking with me through it all." Nami turned her head and quickly pecked Y/N on the corner of his mouth resulting in kiss that was half on the lips and half on the cheek. Then she turned her head back and said in a stage whisper, "I would've done more but our audience is staring so intently it's starting to make me uncomfortable."

Y/N looked away from Nami and glanced around the deck at the other watching them.

"Uh, I was just getting ready to set up this new fridge," Sanji announced as he grabbed the large box and carried it towards the galley.

"And I was going to put my new clothes away," Robin quickly added as she headed for the storage room.

"If we're gonna find that Cricket Creep we'll have to get the ship ready to cast off," Zoro realized as he headed for the anchor room.

"Let us help too!" Usopp and Chopper quickly volunteered as they dashed after him.

"Where're all you guys going?" Luffy wondered, "Weren't we all watching Y/N and Nami?"

"Uggh, just go with them," Y/N groaned. Luffy shrugged and followed the others into the anchor room.

"Well they sure cleared out fast," Nami observed.

"Nah, they're just listening at the doors," Y/N informed her. Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! The galley, storage room, and anchor room doors all promptly closed. "Okay, now they're gone."

Nami grinned and quickly leaned in and planted a brief kiss on his lips then pulled back. "Thanks for cooling me down. Today was... a really bad day. You let me vent, then you used your usual calm rationality to make me realize that I was being silly. That's why I like you. You're always there for me and you're always doing whatever you need to do to make me feel better. And that's why I want this to work out. So let's just take things slow and not get too carried away. If we screw up we're still stuck on the same crew and it'll no doubt be really awkward."

"Alright," Y/N agreed.

"And would it kill you to show some initiative?" Nami asked. "What kind of pirate are you?"

"I wanted you to feel comfortable," Y/N told her. "After all you've been through, I don't want to force you into anything."

"Y/N, it'd be near impossible for you to find something you'd need to force me into," Nami informed him, "And if you did, I think we both know that I wouldn't hesitate to stop you."

"Fine then," Y/N resolved, "How's this?" He quickly pulled her to him and soundly kissed her, she eagerly kissed back but then he pulled away before it got too heated.

"That's better," Nami commented, slightly red-faced. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got the feeling that I have a few things to thank Robin for."

"And I should probably help Sanji with the lock," Y/N reasoned.

Nami smiled as she took the shopping bag with her new shoes from him but paused briefly to squeeze his hand. "Thanks again."

And as they parted ways, Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper finally pulled their ears off of the anchor room door.

"Who gets someone shoes as a present?" Luffy complained, "He should've gotten her meat."

"He did get meat," Zoro reminded him, "It's stashed in the fridge."

"OOOH!" Luffy cheered. WHUP! Zoro yanked him back by the scruff of his neck.

"Don't even think about it!" Zoro scolded him, "You're the reason we had to get a new one."

"So are they together now?" Chopper questioned.

"They never actually said it," Usopp admitted, "And no one has 'Thwarted Tantrum followed by Y/N giving her an 'I'm Sorry Present' in the pool. Let's wait until there's more proof."

"Something tells me they're about to get even more unbearable," Zoro grumbled. "Now are you three gonna help me with the anchor or not?"

-x-

But as the Going Merry cast off and the Straw Hats prepared for their journey along Jaya's coast, none of them realized that there was a pirate ship outside the harbor blocking their path.

-x-

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!!!