Categories > Anime/Manga > One Piece > Sitting on the Waves

04 : At Thirteen

by Sgamer82 0 reviews

To the point that the Straw Hats can be sure of only one thing...

Category: One Piece - Rating: PG - Genres: Drama - Warnings: [!] - Published: 2007-06-16 - Updated: 2007-06-17 - 1288 words

0Unrated
ONE PIECE
SITTING ON THE WAVES

CHAPTER 4: AT THIRTEEN

BY
Sgamer82

The Straw Hat pirates had been in Redisca for just shy of a week. In that time, their navigator's pinwheel-tangerine tattoo had morphed itself back into her old Arlong tattoo. Furthermore, she had gradually shrunk several centimeters and, in the last few short hours, she had transformed into a girl barely into puberty. The Straw Hats were sure of only one ting right now.

At age thirteen, Nami was a real smartass.

"Lemme go you stretching freak!" she screamed as Luffy carried her inside, "I swear I'll kick you where it really hurts if you don't!"

Nami was kicking and hitting at Luffy the entire time he carried her under his arm. When he finally set her down, she immediately retreated to a corner of the room and started yelling various obscenities at them. The crew just sat back down and continued their half-eaten dinner.

"So what're you gonna do now?" the young Nami shouted defiantly, "Gonna make me a 'cabin girl?' Sell me somewhere..." she realized the others were just eating their dinner, "Hey! Don't 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 the man in the hat hadn't shot his arm out to grab her she might've managed it, too. She didn't know what was going on or why she was on this bizarre 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 not come join us?"

"Yeah!" said the man in the straw hat between mouthfuls, "It's good stuff!"

Nami, despite her hunger and the delicious looking food, slapped the plate out of the chef's hand and sent it crashing to the floor.

Sanji tried to keep his temper in check. Anyone else, and Sanji would have completely blown his stack. Only the facts that he was dealing a child, and also Nami, were keeping him from doing so. But he was in no mood to keep trying. His usual kiss-up attitude was absent with Nami in her small body. He simply sat back down and waited for Luffy to pick up the food and eat it himself; which he did so rather quickly.

The meal ended fast, and the crew went into 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 so low.

Luffy, not a big fan of quiet talking, stepped out of the conversation and kneeled 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 angry as it had been since she had entered the room. The crew continued to watch as Luffy held out his hand.

"Pull my finger!"

The crew stifled a groan. Nami slapped Luffy's 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 the 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?" Luffy asked, completely oblivious to Nami's attitude, "How's it supposed to go?"

"Well... um..." her anger was starting to fade with 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 helpings."

"I just said! I'm hungry! Two!" he held up two of his fingers.

"Luffy, I'll make one plate for you and one for Miss Nami and that is it."

Nami blushed a bit more. She couldn't remember anyone calling her "Miss" like that. Before she could do anything else, the guy the cook called Luffy grabbed her hand and pulled her off the floor. She sat at the table and, this time, was unable to resist her appetite. Neither was Luffy, who had already eaten more than most people and still seemed to have room.

Distracted by the tasty food and ravenous hunger, she didn't notice the rest of the crew was watching her. They were wondering just what had happened to make her so young so suddenly. And why she seemed to have no recollection of any of them.

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Later that evening, the crew had turned in for the night. Nami wasn't tired yet, having slept for quite a while just recently. So she wandered the ship. She considered running again, but knew this time the pirates were ready and would be on the lookout for her to do just that. So instead she eventually joined the older woman in her quarters, a different room than the one the men were sleeping in. The woman, who had introduced herself as Robin, displayed her abilities to Nami soon after she entered. An arm appeared out of the table and struck a match, using it to light a lantern. Nami was amazed. She had heard of the Fruits of the Devil, but never believed in them. Robin told her that the captain and the reindeer were also eaters of the Devil Fruit.

As Robin went behind a screen to change for bed, Nami explored the room. She found a large collection of books, including what looked like a traveler's log. She read a journal of this ship's journey written in what looked a lot like her own handwriting. Only more refined.

"Hang on," Nami said as she read, "The date in this book. It's five years off."

Robin, stepping out from behind the screen in a set of pajamas, looked at Nami.

"Oh? What year is it?"

Nami answered, and Robin looked at her oddly for a moment. As if considering something. Nami didn't realize that her answer was incorrect. The number she had given Robin was five years ago. Robin knew now. Her suspicions were confirmed.

"Pardon me." Robin said a she excused herself and left Nami alone in the room. Nami didn't know what was going on, but her suspicions were starting up again. She explored the room, searching for anything hidden or valuable, until she stumbled on a framed photograph hidden in a desk drawer. She picked it up and looked, and couldn't believe what she saw.

This picture! It's... it's... It was a picture of Nami with her sister and mother from back when she was ten.

Not just that! This picture is the picture at our house/!/ Nami didn't understand. How did this photo get here? Had those pirates been to Cocoyashi? She started to worry. She continued exploring the room and found a box containing several wallets and purses. Many of which she recognized as belonging 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 there right now.
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