11 Chapter 10 (1/2)

While I was thinking about how to start the conversation with Nami,I made a clone and made him go lay the oil that Ussop brought. Where did he get two barrels worth of oil? He even said he's going use the rest for the other slope.

I still wasn't really sure how to start the conversation, but at least I had to try ”How long will you keep trying to avoid me?”, my voice slightly trembled at the end. She didn't respond, so I continued ”We can't continue like this if you are going to be a part of my crew.”

She didn't seem to get angry at me saying that she is part of my crew, but she still denied it ”I never said I will join your crew.” She didn't say anything else after this, but I saw her trembling. Did telling me this made her sad? Or is it the fact that is past midnight and it might be getting slightly chilly. Not that I really feel it, the temperature seems perfectly fine to me.

”You could have easily left already by now. It wouldn't be hard for you to make up an excuse, in order to be left alone for a bit and leave us. You know where the boat is and you could navigate it alone, yet here you are, preparing to face off against a pirate crew with us.” I'm sure she enjoyed the little time she spent with us.

She was silent for a few seconds, but asked me ”Why?” I didn't know what exactly she meant, but I didn't get the chance to respond as she continued ”Why are you like this? You are the first person that has been so kind to me in the past 10 years and yet you are a pirate. I despise pirates,they took away someone important to me, they took away my village and they took away my freedom and yet you, someone who has been nothing but nice to me, are a stupid pirate. Despite that, I figured, you are a nice guy, you could probably help me with gathering enough Berri to buy my village and then you tell me you are the son of the most dangerous man alive.”

She was slightly starting to tear up at this point ”Do you know that I was thinking of contacting the marines and inform them about you? The past couple of days, I was thinking of much money I could get of you, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. You are the first person that has done something for me numerous times, without me tricking him to do so.”

Nami was crying at this point and it really hurt me seeing her like this. I wasn't sure what exactly I should do in these situations, so I went and hugged her and rubbed her back comfortingly. This always helped to calm down Damien, when we were on the run the first few months before he got used to it.

She started hitting me with her right hand, however, she was holding my vest with her left one. I'm no masochist, but since I don't feel anything from blunt attacks and this is what she wants to do, I will let her beat me for a bit.

Nami stopped beating me shortly and was now holding my vest with both hands and silently sobbing. she calmed down at some point, as I no longer hear her sob.

Thinking she is better now,I was about to break the hug. Before I managed to do so, she hugged me back and said: ”Don't let go, please.” So I continued hugging her and rubbing her back.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, but at some point, I heard her whisper ”Thank you” and she broke apart the hug. I flashed her my signature grin and said ”Änytime for you”. I blushed after the statement and I saw her blushing as well.

There was an awkward silence between us after that. She didn't say anything but she grabbed my hand and brought me to a cliff, where we had a view towards the sea. We sat down and watched the sea, not a word was spoken between us until she broke the silence and started telling me about her life until now.

She told me, how Arlong and his Fishman pirates came one day to her village. How they took away her mother from her. How they took over her village and are charging the villagers a tremendous amount of money, for keeping them alive. How they found out about how talented she is in drawing maps and forced her to draw maps for them. She told me how they offered her a deal, to buy off her village from them for the price of a hundred million Berri.