One Piece Fan Fiction ❯ Sitting on the Waves ❯ Nami at Thirteen ( Chapter 5 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

ONE PIECE
SITTING ON THE WAVES
CHAPTER 5
BY
Sgamer82

     They had been on Redisca Island for just shy of a week. In that time, their navigator’s pinwheel / tangerine tattoo had morphed itself back into her old Arlong tattoo. She had gradually shrunk down several inches and, in the last few short hours, she had turned into a girl barely starting puberty. The Straw Hat Pirate Crew was only sure of one thing right now.

     At age thirteen, Nami was a real smartass.

     “Lemme go! Ya stretching freak! I swear I’ll kick you where it really hurts if you don’t!” she shouted as Luffy carried her into the kitchen where the crew’s dinner was sitting half-eaten. She was kicking and hitting at him as he carried her under his arm. Luffy set down Nami, who immediately retreated to a corner and started yelling various obscenities at them. The crew mostly just sat back down and continued eating.

     “So what’re you gonna do now?!” the young Nami shouted out daringly, “You gonna force me to be a cabin girl! Gonna sell me off somewhere…” she realized the others were just eating dinner, “Hey! Don’t just ignore me!”

     They did.

     With a huff, Nami sat in the corner, a ticked off look on her face. The crew had found her trying to sneak off the ship. If Luffy hadn’t shot his arm out to grab her she might’ve done it, too. She didn’t know what was going on or why she was on this strange pirate ship.

     Her thoughts were interrupted by a man wearing a black suit. She couldn’t see his left eye behind his blonde hair. Nami didn’t like that. She didn’t trust anybody she couldn’t look in both eyes. He held out a plate of food.

     “I prepared you a plate, why don’t you come join us.”

     “Yeah!” said the man in the straw hat between mouthfuls of food, “It’s good stuff!”

     Nami, despite being rather hungry and the food looking rather delicious, slapped the plate out of the chef’s hand and sent it crashing to the floor.

     Sanji was doing his best to keep his temper. Only the facts that this was both a child and Nami were keeping him from completely blowing his stack at the blatant waste of good food. But he was in no mood to keep trying. His usual kiss-up attitude wherever Nami was involved currently not present with her in this little body. He simply sat back down and waited for Luffy to pick up the food and eat it himself, which he did rather quickly. * * * * *

     The meal ended fast, and the crew was in quiet discussion about what was going on with Nami. They had estimated her age at about twelve or thirteen. Nami remained sitting in the corner trying to listen in, but finding it difficult with their voices being kept low.

     Luffy, not a big fan of quiet talking, stepped out of the conversation and squatted down next to Nami. The rest of the crew stopped their conversation and watched, curious to see if Luffy would have any better luck with Nami than Sanji had.

     “Hey.” he said, as if trying to share a secret. Nami looked up at him, her expression as angry as it had been. The crew continued to watch as Luffy held out his hand.

     “Pull my finger!”

     The crew stifled a groan. Nami slapped his hand away, blushing a little.

     “Don’t be stupid! I know how that joke works!”

     “You do? That’s good.” Luffy laughed as he pulled his finger himself and stretched it out. “That means you must still remember a little bit!”

     Nami just stared at Luffy’s hand as he laughed at his own stunt.

     How is he stretching like that? she wondered What am I supposed to be remembering?

     “What are you talking about? You’re supposed to do something else with that joke!”

     “I am?” asked Luffy. Completely oblivious to Nami’s attitude, “How’s it supposed to go?”

     “Well… um…” her anger was starting to disappear under the slight embarrassment of having to explain this to an adult. “So, um… how ‘bout that dinner?”

     “Sounds good! Hey, Sanji, three plates!”

     “Why three?”

     “Well, I’m hungry too!”

     “That doesn’t explain why you need three plates.”

     “I said! I’m hungry! Two!” he held up two of his fingers.

     “Luffy, I’ll make you one plate and one for Miss Nami and that is it.”

     Nami blushed a bit more. She’d never remembered anybody calling her ‘miss’ before. Before she could do anything else, the guy the cook called Luffy grabbed her hand and pulled off the floor. She sat at the table and, this time, was unable to resist her appetite. Neither was Luffy, who had eaten more than most people and still seemed to have room.

     Distracted by the tasty food and ravenous hunger, she didn’t notice most of the crew watching her. Wondering just what had happened to make her so young so suddenly. And why she seemed to have no recollection of any of them.

* * * * *

     Later that evening, the crew had turned in for the night. Nami wasn’t too tired, having slept for quite a while just recently. So she just went with the older woman to a different room than the men were sleeping in. The woman, who introduced herself as Robin, displayed her abilities to Nami as soon as they were in the quarters. Out of the table, an arm appeared, struck a match, and lit a lantern on it. Nami was amazed. She had heard of Fruits of the Devil, but never believed it. Robin told her that the captain and the reindeer were both eaters of Devil Fruit as well.

     As Robin went behind a screen to change into some sleepwear, Nami explored the room. She found a large collection of books, including what looked like a log book. She read a journal of this ship’s journey written in what looked a lot like Nami’s own handwriting. Only more refined.

     “Year of the Sea…” Nami read aloud, but stopped there. “Wait… this year isn’t right! It’s about five years too far.”

     Robin stepped out from behind the screen in a set of pajamas and looked at Nami.

     “That so? What year is it?”

     Nami answered, and Robin looked at her for a moment, considering something. What Nami didn’t realize was that her answer was the incorrect one.

     The Year of the Sea Nami had told Robin was five years ago. Robin knew now. Her suspicious were confirmed.

     “Pardon me.” Robin said as she excused herself and left Nami in the room. Nami didn’t get what was going on. But her suspicions were starting up again. She explored the room a bit more, until she stumbled on a framed photograph on a coffee table. She picked it up and looked, and could believe what she saw.

     This picture!! It’s… it’s… It was a picture of her with her sister and mother. Back when she was ten.

     Not just that! This is the picture at our house! Nami couldn’t understand. How did this picture get here. Had those pirates been to Cocoyashi? She started to worry again. She explored the room further and found a box containing several wallets and purses. Many of which she recognized as belong to citizens of Cocoyashi Village. Who were these pirates? What had they done in Cocoyashi? Why had she allowed herself to get sucked in by their kind demeanor?

     God, I’m an idiot! She had to get out of here now.