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itsthemoofacewriting · 2 years

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A taste of freedom

I’m so excited to be able to share this! I had a lot of fun on this incredible zine, @opnamizine, and everyone’s work was truly amazing.

This is actually the piece that got me to finish ‘It’s heaven in your arms’ and add Zoro into the mix with Luffy and Nami.

Summary: They made her feel free. Two absolute strangers that had somehow wormed their way past her defences. Two absolute strangers she was starting to call friends in her head. Two absolute strangers that could give her everything she wanted.

Except, she wasn’t free and that made it all the crueller.

Rating: K

You can also find this on AO3 and FFN.

Enjoy!

Nami had to question the kind of luck she had.

She was currently stood on a tiny dinghy strapped to another equally unimpressive dinghy, riding the choppy waves with two of the most reckless people she’d ever met.

“Let me get this straight, you have no food on board apart from what I have with me?” She had some cheese and dried meats. Hardly enough for three people.

“Looks that way,” Luffy said, shrugging with his arms crossed. He was the picture of nonchalance.

She was in complete disbelief at the sheer idiocy of the person in front of her and looked toward Zoro, hoping he would share her sentiment, only to find him asleep. Sure, he needed rest because of the wounds he’d received recently, but a person could also die from starvation too and by the look of it, he was just as unbothered.

What idiots.

“You’d die without me!” It was the only thing she could think to say, just something to hopefully bring the message home. But instead of looking concerned or subdued from being scolded, he smiled.

“That’s why it’s so good that we have you!” He said cheerfully, smile blinding as his whole face lit up and Nami couldn’t bear the brunt of such open affection directed towards her. It wasn’t something she was used to receiving anymore.

So instead, she turned around and ordered, “Turn the ship around. We need more supplies.”

What had she got herself into?

Being stuck on a dinghy came with its fair share of problems. One of them being that it was hard to keep her distance and that was just with normal people, not someone like Monkey D. Luffy, who was full of energy. All the time.

Like right now. She was currently cutting apples for him because there were only so many times she could watch him choke on the core because he tried to eat it whole before it started to become annoying. And, in true Luffy fashion, he couldn’t just be passed the pieces either, so she would throw them, and he’d stretch his neck to catch them in his mouth, looking pleased every time.

Except she’d misjudged him.

It was easy to see an idiot sailing around the seas, with no real plan in mind and an empty head. Especially when he almost fell off the dinghy today- again. Don’t get her wrong, he was still an idiot, but he was so much more than that. He was kind, funny and very perceptive around people. Through their limited time together, she’d seen him help people and make friends just because that was who he was, no other ulterior motive in sight.

At first, she’d thought it foolish for him to trust her so easily, especially when she’d so openly stated that she hated exactly what he was- a pirate. Looking at it now though, she was the foolish one as it was clear as day that he’d seen straight through it. He’d seen her, which was slightly unnerving.

Seemingly bored of their game now, Luffy’s eyes took on a mischievous glint as he eyed the piece of apple in his hand and the sleeping Zoro. Whipping his hand back he pelted the piece straight towards an unaware Zoro’s face only for the other man to catch the piece of fruit just before it hit him.

Then, on the other end of the spectrum, there was Zoro, who was now cockily eating the apple slice and nodding to go again.

Someone who had been more than happy to keep to himself and briefly, she’d wondered how he’d been dragged into Luffy’s mess, but it was clear shortly after just how loyal he was. Clear in the way she’d catch him eyeing her like a hawk, for even the slightest giveaway, like he was trying to look through her.

She was being assessed; she’d realised after only a day on board.

He hadn’t trusted her one bit, which had been fine and something she’d much preferred because she hadn’t wanted him too. She’d needed him in the sweet spot to avoid any complications. But in the following days together, she saw that distrust melt away, could see it in the way his frame relaxed and how his eyes weren’t tight or judgemental. Saw the way he relaxed around her like Luffy always had.

And for the first time ever, she didn’t like it.

Didn’t like that she was cheating them.

Which was ridiculous, because she was cool, calculated and didn’t get easily attached, but how could she call herself any better than them with the burn marks currently adorning her hands. She was the real fool here. All this time she’d been trying to keep her distance, but she’d been the one that’d offered the olive branch and the evidence of that was on her hands as the marred skin stared back up at her.

Yet she couldn’t take that step back, put that distance back between her and them, because now they took it with her.

She didn’t know whether to frown or smile as Zoro chased Luffy, the dinghies rocking from side to side as they jumped between them with little caution because Luffy had caught Zoro off guard as he’d thrown a whole apple at the other man’s face. Luffy manically laughed as he dodged around Zoro, and she knew Luffy would fall off the dinghy any second now, it was almost like clockwork.

She rolled her eyes instead, grinning to herself in amusement but choosing to ignore it for the time being.

On the other hand, looking at it financially, she’d never been richer.

As much as she tried to not think about it, the three of them were good together. Those two were all action, whereas she was logical. She’d come up with the plan and they had the muscle to carry it through.

But even though they had the muscle, they weren’t invincible, something they had no qualms about. Where one of them lacked, the other picked up the slack, constantly passing the baton until the job was done.

There was no ego with those two and they readily relied on her when they weren’t enough.

In some cases, it was infuriating, because who didn’t know basic first aid on the sea? Whenever she tried to beat it into them, Luffy would laugh and remind her that was why she was part of the crew and Zoro would nod along with him, like it made perfect sense. In other cases, it reminded her of how valued she was (Yeah, okay, even when they annoyed her) and it was so different to what she was used to.

Arlong used her. She knew that. He was cold and calculated, if she couldn’t draw maps, she would’ve been left in the dirt long ago. And in the darkest moments, no matter how happy navigation made her, she selfishly wondered what her life would have been like if she hadn’t known how to draw maps.

Regardless, it was different with Luffy and Zoro. They had no master plan for her, no ill intentions, no threat looming over her and upon getting to know them, she could have no idea about navigation, and they’d still call her their friend, she’d still have value to them. They were good people, they-

A shift in the weather caught her attention, the pressure suddenly dropping, and it meant they only had minutes to get moving. She stood abruptly and barked her orders, reeling off everything they needed to do because not only was the weather dangerous, but they only had two measly dinghies that definitely couldn’t take the brunt of it.

She watched them scramble around, all joking and messing around gone in an instant as they diligently followed her orders and it reaffirmed everything she’d been thinking-

They were a team.

“You lose,” Nami sang, laying her winning hand on the deck for them both to see.

Between fishing, cooking, and sleeping, they played a lot of cards, of course they were her cards because those two couldn’t plan ahead even if they tried. But there was hardly anything else to do on two very empty dinghies and it kept Luffy from getting into trouble, which would then inevitably drag Zoro and herself into his mess too.

What was amusing was how atrocious they both were at it. Luffy had an awful face for lying, which wasn’t a big surprise to her, and he’d positively beam when he had an amazing hand. Zoro was a tiny bit tougher, but not by much. A vein on his forehead would pop up whenever he was frustrated, or he’d try too hard to look nonchalant when he had a good hand but there would be a hint of smugness in his expression that gave it all away.

Needless to say, she wiped the floor with them. A lot.

Oh, and there was Zoro’s forehead vein again.

“You have to be cheating!” Zoro accused, leaning towards her with furrowed eyebrows.

“I’ve seen first-hand how poor you both are, so I’ll allow you to open a tab with me,” she cheeked, ignoring his accusation and laughing when Zoro grimaced at her.

But then she caught herself.

They wouldn’t be able to pay her back because soon, she’d be long gone, nothing more than just a nasty smear in their life. Yet it flowed so naturally off her tongue. For a while, she’d completely forgotten about Arlong and the weight of the responsibility on her shoulders pulling her back home.

Those two were dangerous, not because of their strength, but because of the pull they both had on her. How easy they made it feel like she belonged with them and that she had no other care in the world as they laughed and joked around with her.

They made her feel at home, something she hadn’t had since Bell-mère died

When she did leave, she wondered idly how they’d take it. Would they be hurt? It was hard to imagine Luffy’s reaction, he was quite unpredictable when he wanted to be, but she knew what Zoro’s would be. She could almost see it in her head, how he’d sneer, face turning back to stone, and his walls would go back up, the very walls she’d managed to jump over through travelling together and that would be because she’d betrayed them.

The most disgusting part was that they made it so easy to let her guard down. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d cried with laughter, the last time she’d spoken so much, so freely, but mostly she couldn’t remember ever having friends.

A small part of her wanted to cry. The last few weeks were everything she’d ever wanted, to navigate the open seas, the wind in her hair and sun on her face as she followed wherever the log post took her. Freedom. It was almost cruel, that she’d had a taste of it, only for it to be ripped away. It was crueller still that she’d found people that were hers at the same time.

She’d told herself not to get attached. Told herself they were just two idiots, like all the rest she’d stumbled across and taken advantage of. Told herself this wasn’t forever and yet there she was.

She wanted her forever with them.

That made it hurt all the more, knowing that as they got closer and closer to Arlong Park in the next few days, she would have to leave them.

And she would miss them.

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If you missed a chance to get the zine, I believe there’s going to be an after sale at the end of January/ early February.

As always, please excuse any errors.

Thanks for reading.

#zoluna #opfanfic #opwriting #one piece #Luffy #Zoro #Nami

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chenziee · 3 years

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Six: The Celebration

Day 6: BBQ/Movie night for @opnamizine‘s Tangerine Summer :D Barely grazed the prompts this time but in my defence, making up a video dial and coming up with some way for them to find one that made sense would be too complicated so you get an alternative xD

Heads up for minor LawLu again because I have no self-control.

[Read on AO3 | Read from day 1]

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“Here you go, Nami-san.”

The navigator smiled as she accepted the plate that was handed to her. “Thank you, Sanji,” she said, admiring the smell of perfectly cooked meat.

Honestly, Sanji had them all so spoiled, like dining at a 5 star restaurant three times a day plus snacks. And yet, he always outdid himself. Apparently, even something as simple as a barbecue could be made into a work of art, even when making it for all the people who had survived their raid of Onigashima—and not just their crew, Torao’s crew, the samurai, and the minks. No, it was for everyone they had picked up along the way as well. Including the Kid pirates, the rebels, the prisoners and the yakuza, and even some of the Beast pirates that were now somehow Tama’s pets, it was hundreds, thousands of people.

Even with help of many other cooks, Sanji still had more than enough work on his hands but… he looked like he was enjoying himself immensely and Nami was glad. When she remembered how sad, cold and unhappy he was when they had finally found him on Whole Cake Island, it was like he was a different person. Like he was alive.

“You don’t forget to eat, too,” Nami teased, chuckling when Sanji froze and blinked at her owlishly, eyes wide with shock.

“I— Thank you, Nami-san,” he said after a moment, looking away, and Nami was pretty sure that was a blush on his face.

It was cute how he always got caught off guard when someone looked out for him for a change. If this was a few weeks ago, Nami could just hear the ‘Aww, Nami-swan, you’re so beautiful when you’re kind!’ and see his dramatic, love-struck flailing. He always did that when trying to deflect and brush off things that might affect him but at last, it looked like he was putting in an effort to get used to it; slowly learning to accept the care and love his friends were giving him.

Nami smiled, a genuine, happy smile, as she nodded and turned away. They would teach Sanji to be kind to himself yet. After all, the Straw Hats were nothing if not stubborn.

That was a problem for later, however.

Tonight, they were celebrating.

The trip back towards the stage was short but given how the Komurasaki was one of the performing geishas and dancers, it was no surprise that the area beneath was packed. And with a plate overflowing with food, it was almost a miracle that she managed to make her way through the crowd and back to her friends without any incident.

When she finally sat down on the ground in between Robin and Luffy, she let out a relieved sigh. “Here, Sanji’s special barbecue,” she announced.

Immediately, everyone cheered quietly as to not interrupt the music and dancing too much before grabbing for the plate, in a hurry to steal some for themselves before Luffy could get to it.

But then… Luffy didn’t.

Exchanging a worried glance with the rest of the crew, Nami went to ask what was wrong but before she could so much as open her mouth, Tama spoke up instead. “Mm this is so tasty!” she said, the happiness in her voice almost tangible.

“I know, right?” Luffy grinned proudly. “Sanji’s cooking is amazing.”

“Aren’t you going to eat, big bro?” she asked then, her cheeks puffed up with all the food in her mouth.

Luffy shook his head, petting Tama’s head where she sat in between his legs and looked back at him questioningly. With a soft smile, Luffy finally replied, “Nope, I’m stuffed. You can have my portion if you want.”

Tama’s face split up in a blinding smile, nodding enthusiastically before she turned her focus back on the pile of meat in front of her. Luffy simply watched her, that soft expression still on her face and Nami… felt like the whole world turned upside down. Luffy letting someone else have all his food. Luffy. Unbelievable.

Blinking a few times, Nami noticed everyone else was staring at the scene with an open mouth, obviously just as shocked as she felt. It was only a long while later that slowly, she turned to her other side to exchange a look with Robin. The other woman was covering her mouth to hide a smile—or likely muffle her laughter, judging by the way her eyes danced with joy—and, guessing easily that they were thinking the same thing, Nami, too, had to laugh.

Shaking her head, she followed Robin’s example to look at Torao, who was sitting on Luffy’s other side. “I think your boyfriend just adopted your first child. Congratulations,” she told him sincerely, biting at her bottom lip to try and keep her expression at least remotely straight at the face Law made.

"I did not consent to this," Torao replied, frowning deeply as he glared at Luffy, then Tama, then Luffy again.

"I honestly don't think anyone ever consented to anything with Luffy," Usopp noted helpfully.

A large pout appeared on Luffy's face as he crossed his arms over his chest. "But you're fine with it!"

"Again, Straw Hat-ya. That's not the point." Law let go of a long-suffering sigh, looking so incredibly tired. Nami wondered how many years of his life this poor man had lost over the last two, maybe three months since they had run into him.

But well, that was just a part of the course with Luffy—or their crew as a whole, really. And even if everyone complained about it, no one could deny the post-victory celebrations were well worth all the stress and… adjusted plans.

Nami, for one, certainly couldn't.

Ignoring the bickering couple and laughing friends, Nami turned her attention to the entertainment. She had to admit, it was pretty obvious why Hiyori became the oiran; she was beautiful up there, even without full make up or her hair styled the elaborate way she used to wear before. It was as if she was born for the stage. And the happiness radiating off of her, the relief from Wano's hard-fought, finally achieved freedom, was only making her more mesmerizing. Just looking at her move gracefully as she played on her shamisen, full of energy and not fighting her wide smile, it made Nami so incredibly happy as well.

Ever since she had set sail with Luffy, Nami had witnessed several times the pure joy of a country being rid of their tyrants, thanks to Luffy. She had been one of the people he had saved this way. But seeing it, hearing it, being at the centre of it… it never got old.

And if the celebration came with amazing food and plenty of booze, friends and laughter, and gifts of golden dragon statues from the shogun's castle, who was she to turn away?

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