NAMI'S POV
(Third Person)

The ship flag snaps back from the force of the sea's violent winds. The crew huddles on deck despite the cold air, surrounding a map placed upon a table.

Nami shivers, pulling her coat close, arms crossed. The weather out at sea is always fluctuating. Even though she'd predicted it'd become cold soon, she hadn't expected it to be this cold.

She tries to focus upon the map in front of her, but the frigid wind keeps her mind stuck on the biting cold.

"We're almost there," she notifies the crew. "Let me know when you catch sight of the shore."

Yearning for warmth, she pulls back from the group as they continue to discuss the matters at hand without paying heed to the terrible weather. Robin had already made her way to the bedroom she and Nami share long before. Nami shakes her head in frustration, her thoughts unclear as she makes her way into the kitchen, shivering.

Nami sighs in relief as she enters the warm room, seating herself at the table with her head resting daintily upon her palms. Her mind can't stop whirling over endless possibilities.

Since (Y/N) disappeared, Nami's been unable to keep back the stinging tears along with an overwhelming sense of betrayal and guilt.

How could I not have seen it coming?

In the weeks before (Y/N)'s departure, Nami had noticed how the girl had begun to distance herself. She had merely brushed it off as (Y/N)'s old instincts to not trust anyone kicking in. She didn't think much of it since (Y/N)'s mood tended to shift at times. Expecting her to go back to normal, Nami continued enjoying the time she spent with (Y/N) and the rest of the crew without a second thought.

And now she's gone.

Silent tears streak down Nami's face as her mind keeps going back to last time she saw her dear friend.

It was warm, summer day. The cool ocean breeze was blissfully soothing as the hot sun was scalding the deck of the ship.

(Y/N) sat on the railing, overlooking the vast, blue waters. She had a soft smile on her face and was kicking her legs back and forth absentmindedly. Atop her head was Luffy's straw hat. The two had been playing freeze tag earlier with Usopp, Chopper, and Brook. The winner was to get anything they requested from the losers. The intense heat of the day led (Y/N) to request to have Luffy's hat for a day since she'd won. She'd been smug about it while Luffy continued to complain about the heat.

I stood beside (Y/N), arms folded atop the railing. I was laughing at Luffy and the others who'd lost the game of tag. They all lay atop the grass of the deck as Franky was repairing the air conditioning that had broken when Luffy had tried to turn it on without knowing what he was doing.

(Y/N) wasn't looking in their direction. Her eyes held a faraway look as she continued to stare at the ocean. I caught a glimpse of her lips twitching downwards as if she was on the verge of tears. I opened my mouth to say something when she turned her head toward me, that smile of hers back on her face.

"Hey, Nami," (Y/N) began, "how long do you think we're going to be together as a crew?"

The question threw me off guard. I laughed at the question, but I thought about it a bit before answering. She stared at me with her lips pursed, eyes expectant with a small frown on her face.

"Forever," I finally said with a bright smile on my face. "Even when we scatter, years from now, we'll always be a crew no matter what."

This seemed to put her a bit at ease and she relaxed her tense stance. She let out a light laugh that somehow sounded choked and difficult for her to pass. I spotted her eyes moist with tears which she rapidly blinked back.

"Of course," she whispered softly. "Together, forever and always. No matter what."

I furrowed my brows. "Why do you ask?" When she didn't respond, I continued. "I understand if you still doubt your place as a crew member, especially seeing all that you've gone through, but you should really accept the fact that your place here isn't temporary."

She looked at me, eyes tearful as a smile broke out across her face. "I'm lucky to have you all as my nakama," she cried, hastily wiping tears from her eyes.

I shook my head at her, smiling softly. "You can be pretty clueless like the others sometimes, you know."

She nodded her head, sniffling and rubbing the tears off her face. "Oh god, what an emotional mess I've become. I never want us to be separated." There was a tinge of bitterness in her voice.

I turned my attention to the peaceful waters, deep in thought. (Y/N) finally composed herself and I spoke. "(Y/N)...your vulnerability isn't something for you to be ashamed of." Her eyes widened as I twisted to look at her in the eyes.

"You make it seem like being an empathetic person is wrong, but it's not. In fact, empathy makes you a better person." I smiled widely at her. "Be proud of the person you've become rather than who you used to be."

She gave me sad smile. "Thank you, Nami."

Nami sighs as she finishes recalling the memory. How could she have brushed off (Y/N)'s concerns? Why didn't she push (Y/N) to spill all of her dark thoughts that day?

She knew she would be leaving soon.

Why had (Y/N) left if merely the thought of leaving upset her so much?

Nami is still lost in thought when Ussop bursts through the kitchen doors, his eyes wide.

"Nami, Marine ships are approaching!" Ussop yells.

Nami scrambles up from her seat and rushes outside. Kid's ship is sailing right beside Thousand Sunny and Law's submarine is slowly resurfacing. In the distance, a dozen Marine ships can be seen approaching.

Nami sighs and grabs her Clima Tact as the enemy ships starts firing bombs in their direction. She expected them to show up soon, but the number of ships is unexpectedly large.

"Why are there so many?" Ussop cries out, voicing Nami's thoughts, as a bomb splashes into the sea beside the ship. He readies his sling shot and fires in the direction of the Marines. The others begin fighting as well, working to deflect the bombs and attack the enemies.

Nami summons a lighting storm and strikes it down upon one of the ships. She leaves the Marines on its deck electrocuted and watches as they fall unconscious.

As the other Marine ships sail closer, Nami's eyes catch hold of some of the soldiers attempting to clamber onto Thousand Sunny. Zoro and Sanji work at cutting and kicked them down before they can even stand a chance at fighting back.

As the others continue to battle, Nami sees that a soldier has managed to get past the others and is heading straight for Luffy, who is too consumed in his own battle to notice.

Nami rushes forward to intercept the incredibly fast Marine when she notices that it's not just any ordinary soldier. The clothing signifies that it's a fairly high ranking official — a fleet captain.

The soldier brings up his sword to attack Luffy from the back, but Nami blocks him, her Clima Tact clashing against the metal of the sword.

Nami grits her teeth from the force and looks up at the captain. She isn't able to catch a clear glimpse of his shadowed face, before the force of their collision throws her back a few steps.

Nami gasps for breath, but holds her Clima Tact in a defensive position, ready to strike down the captain. The captain lunges for her, his sword clasped deftly in his hands. He continues to swing his sword while Nami attempts to deflect the blows to the best of her ability.

My Clima Tact isn't meant to be used as a shield. Nami thinks, irritated.

As the captain brings his sword above her head, Nami quickly drops and moves to the side, using her Clima Tact to sweep the captain off his feet.

Nami smiles victoriously as the man slams against the ground, but she freezes as his cap tumbles off his head.

Nami's heart stops when she sees the familiar, angry face staring back at her. Her Clima Tact slowly slips out of her grasp and clanks against the floor.

"(Y/N)?" Nami breathes, her voice soft.

The girl glares at Nami, deep hatred in her eyes.

"Who?"

- - - -

A/N

Oh man, it's been forever, huh? I hope you all are doing well during this pandemic. Stay safe, wash your hands frequently, and practice social distancing!

I'm also happy to let you all know that I've graduated high school and have more free time to continue writing this summer! I'm setting a deadline for myself to upload another chapter within the next two weeks. I'll do my best! ∩^ω^∩

Btw, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

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~ mwzxxx

NEXT UPDATE: June 22, 2020