#who mind you are his FRIENDS meaning zoro sees her as a friend an equal and a force to be reckoned with | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

gildedmuse · 1 year ago

Text

I want to reblog this, even if it's a bit of an old post, because I honestly believe that a work has so much value outside of the author and their intentions.

What Oda did with Kuina is very simple: she helps to give Zoro reason and drive, her death pushes him forward.

But Zoro was already working on becoming the best swordsmen alive.

He DID NOT NEED Kuina's death to "inspire" or "push" him. Zoro knew his path and her death DOES NOT CHANGE THAT.

So I think it's important that, as a fandom, we disregard what the author intended and instead look at Kuina as her own character. That's the point I was trying to make when I said she was NOT Zoro's backstory. Kuina did not exist just to inspire Zoro, she was her own person with her own dreams and her own goals.

And she was repeatedly told those things were impossible, not because she wasn't skilled enough, not because she wasn't trying hard enough. Because she was a girl.

And there is a difference in how we delineate characters in our minds. Vivi served a plot purpose, Ace served a plot purpose, but we see them as fully independent characters despite their main contributions being to fullfil a plot point. Instead of looking at Kuina as merely a plot point that is there for Zoro - and you know I love Zoro and am willing to turn most characters into mere plot points in the story that is his awesomeness - we should see her the way we see Ace. An independent character with a tragic story.

For Ace, it was being defined by his parentage, and his constant battle against that, to try and define himself yet he was always stuck searching for that approval he couldn't find from his father. He was always looking for that love.

For Kuina, her story isn't just about Zoro. It sets up the entirety of this world we're about to inhabit through these characters, and establishes that sexism is still a major force in the culture.

No, you can argue this is just Wano inspired culture where roles are DEFINITELY divided by sex, but it's something we see repeated again and again across various islands, not just on this single Wano immigrant community in the East. And since it's so early in the series, it's really establishing that sexism will play a major role throughout, and sure enough soon after we meet Sanji. A character whose entire thing can be summarized, if I'm being kind, as: Women are inherently precious and require protection from men.

Where as the lesson Zoro appears to learn is: I need to become the greatest swordsmen twice over, to carry Kuina's legacy with me.

But again, I don't care about author intent. I mean, I do care but it's not the end all, be all. No one can stop an audience member from bringing their own thoughts, experiences, opinions, etc to a reading of a work. It's simply impossible to fully remove yourself and consume a work entirely objectively with it being biased by the society they grew up in. I mean, language is part of culture so it's LITERALLY impossible, and I would love to see someone try and prove me wrong. You would have to start with the fact the characters are wearing clothes and again, like language, that is cultural. So you'd already be watching a show trying to ignore all the dialogue, and then questioning why they are wearing what they're wearing. And that's just two of the bigger thing. Point is, it is impossible to remove a work from the culture it was created in. It is equally impossible to separate it from the culture of THE AUDIENCE.

I understand this seems to have gone off topic but it's important. It's about how we see Kuina's character. Because her purpose within the narrative is fairly simple and straightforward, but that's not to say that is all we can see in her.

I would advocate Kuina is one of the most important non-main characters we meet in Romance Dawn not because of Zoro's backstory, which, to be honest while it might intensify his drive it was never the REASON. Zoro was already set on being the best, Kuina is just the friend who shared that goal. She didn't create it, he didn't take it on for her, she just helped stoke the fire that was already there.

And he did the same for her; he believed in her even when her own family, and likely the community around them, dismissed her.

That makes her more than a backstory character. That makes her someone with her own dreams and skills and even her own adversary to fight against. She isn't Zoro's backstory any more than you'd call Ace "just Luffy's backstory".

I want the fandom to reinvision Kuina, not as Zoro's childhood friend that informs his characterization because it doesn't. Zoro was gonna Zoro regardless. I want them to see her like they see Ace. Her own character, full of life and potential, and the chains in her case were not literally but worse: they're cultural. She was held back not by any physical force she could simply break through, but by the nigh unbreakable chains of social expectations.

With that in mind, as a fan, I have chosen to understand how Zoro takes her death in two ways. I do think it intensifies his drive, because he is now carrying her dreams as well. It doesn't create or change his goal, it just means that when he achieved it, that somewhere Kuina will know.... I once kicked the butt of the idiot who became the greatest swordsmen alive.

(Even though he dropped his elbow in that fight with King that one time. Sloppy work.)

But I've also seen another lesson he learned: People are people.

And sometimes that means the fighting girls, but if they can fight him then why wouldn't he fight back? It would be an insult not too.

Everyone knows it's a TV trope that when you have a girl villain, you have a girl hero fight them. Because it would look bad to have a guy just wailing on a girl. From what I've seen, Zoro and Usopp and surprisingly BROOK are the male Strawhats most likely to engage in combat with female enemies, and Brook is only making it on list because like Zoro he does a good amount of group work (ie: fighting whole groups) and also he took on Big Mom and that was awesome. Again, this may not have been the author intent but what I see is Zoro not taking Kuina as his backstory. He would not insult her in that way. To Zoro, she was a rival and a friend, and he would never just dismiss her as being just backstory. He would never dismiss her as "just a girl". And if Kuina could kick his ass, it just shows it's not about who you are or how you were born. It's about what you put in. And Zoro is willing to put in everything he is, regardless of his opponent.

But the biggest thing is Zoro doesn't make her his backstory. He thinks of her, because of course he does, they were friends. They were RIVALS. They were supposed to be doing this TOGETHER.

We, the fandom, need to do the same. We need to unite to give Kuina the respect she deserves. Not as a backstory, but as a young girl who was a victim of the patriarchy and the box it forced her into.

(In my fanfic All Hearts guess who lives and gets to be the Strawhat swordsmen?)

"Girls can beat boys, but no woman can defeat a man."

- Kuina, OPLA, EP 4

When I first started watching One Piece of was because all my siblings did, and while my siblings aren't really "fandom" types, my sister had exactly one non canon theory: that Kuina was killed by her father.

Now, that doesn't seem likely (at least in the sense she meant it) but this? This mindset that she could never TRULY be a great Kenshi?

That is entirely on her father

Listen, she is the best in the dojo, the best in ALL the dojos on the island based on what we know, and yet somehow she has been taught that girls cannot grew up to the best, that is a MAN'S place. And while I'm sure there is an element of all society pushing that narrative, as someone who grew up with parents who DIDN'T ever push those sort of gender limits while I had friends' whose parents did, I feel like at her young age the major influence would have been her father.

And, sure, it would be easy to come up with a headcanon where Kuina and her father end up in a fight because Kuina is training so hard with Zoro, and she is finally entering that point of adolescent where your friends often have more influence than parental figures, and how that could have resulted in an accident that ended with her falling down a flight of stairs. Its not a hard jump to make.

More importantly, this is about how Kuina could have been great but was told it was impossible. Because of her sex. And that attitude seemingly extends to most of the islands they visit. And how fucked up is that?

To be clear: Kuina isn't Zoro's tragic backstory

Kuina's is the tragic backstory of how the patriarch shapes the minds of young girls to believe they can't.

#the message brought to you by FEMINISM #Feminism: give it a try #death of the author #shimotsuki kuina #one piece #“ws a matter of media critique & the way we approach certain works I believe we need to reexamine our view on this character”#opla #roronoa zoro #me getting way too preachy #sometimes I have feelings #and those feelings are “oh my gd how hot was Law when he LOOKED at Zoro!!!!”#and sometimes they're #“as a matter of media critique and the way we approach certain works I believe we need to reexamine how we engage with this character”#both are equally valid #no shame in reblogging yourself #reblog and reply

211 notes · View notes

kenbunshokus · 3 years ago

Text

eggnemies to lovers

nami/vivi, zoro/sanji | 7k words (best viewed on: ao3)

My (20F) Date (21M) keeps getting into fights with a cook at Baratie. submitted 6 months ago by u/throwawaypinwheel

(Or, the one where Sanji is a diner cook, Vivi is their waitress, and Zoro and Nami accidentally became each other’s wingman.)

Zoro glares at his plate as if his omelette has just challenged him to a duel. Nami tries her best to focus on the map she’s working on—this one’s a particularly difficult homework from her Intro to Coastal Navigation class—and pointedly does not look up.

“Holy shit,” Zoro mutters under his breath, poking at the offending egg, “Nami, I swear—”

“We are not having this conversation again—”

“I told you,” Zoro plows on, “that fucking cook is doing this on purpose.”

Nami takes a deep breath. Cartography is a delicate art, and Nami aims to be a professional. She takes her favorite pencil and elegantly traces over the coastline of Cocoyashi Village, poised and collected and calm. She’s not going to take the bait and ruin her map, no matter how much Zoro is sulking over an egg—

She sighs. “Zoro, I’m pretty sure there’s just been some mix-up with the orders.”

Zoro huffs at that, clearly disbelieving. “For the third time this week?”

“This isn’t exactly a five-star establishment,” she points out, and adds, reasonably, calmly, in an attempt to find some semblance of peace, “I doubt the cook of some no-name diner even knows your name.”

The words seem to have brought about the opposite effect, because now there’s a dangerous glint in Zoro’s eyes as he mutters, “well, he’s about to find out,” before standing up and shamelessly yelling, “ OI! COOK! ”

Nami drives the pencil through her map.

r/relationship_advice

My (20F) Date (21M) keeps getting into fights with a cook at Baratie. submitted 6 months ago by u/throwawaypinwheel

1132 comments share save give award report

My (20F) Date (21M) keeps getting into fights with a cook at Baratie.

submitted 6 months ago by /u/throwawaypinwheel

I know this sounds really weird, but here it is:

This guy and I have been on a couple of dates. We’d been friends long before we started trying this going out thing, so he isn’t a total stranger to me, and I’ve long known him as a pretty calm guy. Chimes in once a week in the group chat, grunts a lot during conversations, you know — one of those quiet, meditating types. He’s only competitive when it comes to his favorite sport (he’s a professional kendo athlete), but other than that he tends not to care about what other people think about him. I’ve never seen him respond to anyone’s taunts or getting worked up by a stranger’s words.

Except at Baratie.

Any time we’re out he wants to go to this diner called Baratie down in Grand Line. I don’t really care about the food, but the tables there are big enough for me to do work (Maritime Science major here—lots of stationeries and large maps to work with). But that became impossible once he and this one cook started chirping at each other every time we went there. Date complained about his eggs one time, because he likes them a little runny and they were served hard. The cook responded by giving him scrambled eggs. When he brought it up again, the cook served him two hardboiled eggs. It was kind of funny to be honest, but my date wasn’t able to laugh it off. When we left, he was in a bad mood.

This is the crazy part: he keeps going back.

In fact, he keeps going back and ordering eggs and getting into fistfights with the same cook. It’s almost a ritual at this point. He orders runny eggs, the cook serves him some other version of eggs, and then they beat the shit out of each other. We never eat out at any other places now; it’s just Baratie every fucking week. Sometimes he even goes there without me.

I’ve tried to talk to him about it a few times, but he keeps saying it’s a matter of principle. I’ve told him to just talk to the manager, but he just waved me off. Apparently that cook hasn’t yet made him the correct runny eggs, but it’s like he spends the week learning new ways of preparing eggs to piss my date off.

My question is — this is weird, right? Like, I’m not really concerned about the fighting part — he’s never been physical with me and I never once felt threatened by him — but what’s with the obsession ? They’re just eggs, aren’t they?

Is this indicative of something deeper? Should I reconsider going exclusive with this guy?

When Nami looks up from her map this time, Zoro has already stalked off to the kitchen. This isn’t new or remarkable in any way, except the fact that he almost ran into one of the waitresses, who immediately clutched her tray against her chest and watched his retreating back warily.

Zoro didn’t even spare her a glance. What a brute. Nami’s going to add to his debt later for that.

“Hey,” Nami calls out towards the waitress, waving at her to come by her table, “I’m sorry, uh…”

“Vivi,” the waitress fills in with a polite smile.

“Right, Vivi—I’m Nami,” Nami replies, finding herself nervous all of a sudden, because up close like this, holy fuck is the waitress so pretty, with long blue hair and silver-sharp eyes. Nami clears her throat. “Uh, I just want to say sorry about his—his whole deal with your Cook. Zoro—that’s his name—he’s usually really chill, so I don’t know what’s happening here.”

Vivi thankfully chuckles at that, seemingly finding the situation more hilarious than threatening. Good. There’s also something about that laughter that makes Nami feel like she’s fourteen again, full of butterflies and all too small for everything, but she tries not to think too hard about that yet.

“In your friend’s defense,” Vivi says, “Sanji is usually really good with memorizing orders, so he’s totally messing with your friend on purpose.”

As if on cue, the cook’s voice—Sanji’s—rings out from the kitchen. “YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE, MOSSHEAD, I TOLD YOU THE KITCHEN’S OFF LIMITS FOR CUSTOMERS —”

Nami finds herself laughing with Vivi. “You know, it’s actually impressive that Zoro doesn’t get lost on his way to the kitchen anymore.”

Vivi raises her eyebrow. “Nami, the kitchen door is right there.”

“It’s Zoro,” Nami presses, because it’s always fun to see strangers learn about Zoro’s disastrous relationship with directions and maps for the first time. “One time, during our junior high sports festival, he got lost on the running track. For a hundred-meter race .”

That earns her another laugh from Vivi as she takes a seat beside Nami, body leaning forward in curiosity, “really? Is he short-sighted or something? Can’t he just—I don’t know, literally see the finish line?”

“Here’s the thing you need to know about Zoro,” Nami begins, and watching the way Vivi’s soft hair falls over the slope of her shoulder, bright blue and blinding despite the dim lighting of the diner, Nami somehow can’t find it in herself to be mad at Zoro anymore.

u/salveshine • 492 points 6 months ago

This seems like an obvious question, but I have to ask: have you considered going somewhere else for your dates? Most people don’t go to a diner for dates in the first place.

/u/throwawaypinwheel • 23 points 6 months ago

Well, as I said on the original post, it’s downright an obsession at this point. Asking him to go somewhere else doesn’t solve the problem since he’d just go there on his own on a different day.

Also, the waitress there is nice. She’s been keeping me company throughout this whole thing. She’s a godsend.

Vivi appears by her table as soon as Zoro disappears into the kitchen.

“Again?” Vivi asks by way of greeting.

“Again,” Nami agrees, scooting to the side of her bench to give Vivi space to sit. “It’s eggs benedict this time. Perfectly poached. I went to this fancy restaurant a few weeks ago, and they didn’t even make it this good.”

Somewhere from what presumably is the kitchen, Zoro’s frustrated voice echoes throughout the whole diner. “Now you’re not even serving me eggs anymore!”

“What are you—“ there is a moment of stunned silence before Sanji‘s reply comes, equally loud, dripped with utter disbelief. “Are you fucking serious? You thought this wasn’t made of—you’ve never seen scotch eggs before?”

“SHUT UP,” Zoro yells back.

Nami cranes her neck out of instinct, wishing to catch a glimpse of the scene from the window behind the counter—she’s never heard Zoro sounding so flustered before—but Vivi’s voice, small and low and far from the confident tone Nami has started to get used to, pulls her attention back.

“I’m sorry.”

It takes another moment before the words fully register in her brain. “Wh—for what?”

“I mean,” Vivi says, twiddling with her fingers as she mumbles, “this is supposed to be your date.”

“My date?” The question already falls out of her mouth before she realizes, oh. Oh. This is supposed to be a date, because her and Zoro are…well. Sometimes she doesn’t even remember that part—they’re certainly not acting the part, considering they’re hanging out with other people during these ‘dates’. Nami understands, rationally, that she should be mad about this; and yet— “It’s fine. I’m not that bothered.”

Vivi blinks. “You’re not?”

“Nah,” Nami says, waving her hand dismissively, feeling as surprised as Vivi looks. “Well, when it comes down to it, it’s still free food, you know? Could’ve been better—no offense, but a family diner isn’t exactly date material—but considering the menu and ingredients you guys have to work with? Sanji’s practically been making feasts fit for royalty here.”

“Well, I still think you deserve to be treated better during a date,” Vivi crosses her arms and—is that a pout on her face? “Don’t you feel a bit lonely?”

“No?” Nami replies, taken aback. That’s literally the furthest thing on her mind, because— “I have you, don’t I?”

Nami feels her face heat up as soon as the words left her mouth, because that sounded way more presumptuous than she intended. She meant to say, I have you to keep me company , like a friend , in a totally friend platonic way. Except they were talking about dates in a decidedly very romantic way and she should totally take it back—

Vivi beams at that, the kind that makes her look like she’s glowing inside her skin, and never mind, Nami’s not taking it back. Nope. She’s never taking it back even if someone’s paying her a million berries to take it back.

Vivi takes Nami’s hand from the table and holds it in both of her own, and Nami’s heart trips in her chest.

“Yeah,” Vivi says, the words sending a low hum under Nami’s ribcage. “Yeah, you have me.”

/u/mettlemental • 301 points 5 months ago

This is their ritual. Do not interfere.

/u/throwawaypinwheel • 279 points 5 months ago

You know what, I think you have a point. This thing between me and the waitress is also a ritual now, so we’re even.

“Shishishi!” Luffy laughs, eyes practically sparkling. “Sanji is so cool!”

“No he’s not!” Zoro pinches Luffy by the cheek to try to drag him away from Sanji. “I brought you here to defend me!”

“But Sanji’s the one making me delicious meat right now,” Luffy pouts, seemingly unperturbed by the potential disfigurement of his own face, gaze still rooted on Sanji—or, more specifically, the food Sanji is carrying on a tray. “What can you make, Zoro?”

Sanji lights up his cigarette, expression hidden behind his hands, but his whole body visibly puffs up like a peacock. Nami notices how the tips of his ears have turned red. “Finally, someone with taste.”

Zoro tries to grab the tray away from Sanji’s hand, and Nami watches Vivi masterfully maneuver between the messy cacophony of the trio, placing a tall stack of waffles in front of Chopper.

“This doesn’t make me happy at all!” Chopper says, his words nowhere near convincing, considering he’s saying it with the largest grin Nami has ever seen on a fourteen-year-old. “Did Sanji make this one, too?”

“He did,” Vivi says as she takes a seat beside Nami, as she always does. The table settles into a comfortable silence as Chopper digs into his waffles and Vivi absentmindedly plays with the salt shaker, observing the idiot trio from a distance.

“They sure get along fast,” Nami says as she takes out her cartography tools, and Vivi’s gaze sweeps between Luffy, Chopper, and the maps on the table.

“You’re not even trying to have a date anymore, aren’t you,” she points out.

“Nope,” Nami agrees, gesturing to Chopper with her pencil. “Chopper here wanted to try the waffle for a long time ever since I told him all about Sanji.”

“Please tell Sanji I love it!” Chopper adds around a mouthful of sugar.

“And Luffy’s been really curious about you two anyways.”

One table away, Luffy took the last bite of whatever meal Sanji just served, and dramatically announces, “this one’s better than the last one!”

“You always say that after every plate,” Sanji mumbles, but shoves another plate towards the kid anyways, clearly preening from the praises.

“It wasn’t even that good,” Zoro adds desperately, and scowls when Sanji chooses to watch Luffy eat another serving with the same gusto like he did the first one. “Oi—don’t ignore me, Shit Cook!”

It’s...fascinating. Nami never had a habit of watching Zoro—those activities are reserved for those fangirls in their university who barely know him—but she finds herself unable to look away whenever they’re at the Baratie. Whenever he’s with Sanji, to be precise. The chef seems to have brought out so many different sides of Zoro she’s never seen before in all the years she’s known him, and that’s saying a lot, considering she’s known Zoro for a decade.

Zoro has always been a steady presence in her and Luffy’s life ever since he moved into their neighborhood when she was shy of turning ten; he is strong-willed and loyal and eternally dependable, like a safe place they can always come back to. He can be a little hard to read, quiet and reserved as he is, but these days Nami knows where to look, the telltales hidden in the way he straightens his back and carries himself.

But with Sanji, Zoro is—he’s all those things still, sure. But he’s also— so much more. There’s suddenly this— kid, lively and boyish and so, so easy to read. Open book, heart on his sleeve. He grins and yells and throws his punches, and Sanji would take them in stride and return them as easily. This Zoro pouts when Sanji doesn’t pay him attention, and scowls when he does; and when Sanji makes him laugh, it’s a loud, open thing.

Sometimes it feels as if the Zoro she knew was an impostor all along. As if there was a pale imitation of Roronoa Zoro with a ghost of a smile, and he’d only come alive in the middle of a fucking diner.

And the worst part of it all is—

“You two?” Vivi suddenly mumbles, seemingly to herself.

Nami tilts her head. “Yeah?”

“You were saying something about Luffy being curious about… us two ,” Vivi says. There’s an odd, pensive look on her face. “Are you talking about Sanji and…”

“You, of course!” Nami cuts in, perplexed.

“You told your friends about me?” Vivi wonders, and it’s baffling. Of course Nami told her friends about Vivi. Sometimes Nami thinks Vivi is all she could talk about. She’s hilarious and smart and a thousand times more interesting to talk about than Sanji and Zoro combined.

That’s a really weird thing to suddenly spring on someone though, so Nami instead says, “Vivi, you’re the best thing about these weekly visits, because that sure as hell isn’t.”

She’s pointing at the dumbass trio; somewhere along the way, Luffy has seemed to fall asleep, and Sanji is smiling at the boy’s sleeping form, looking very pleased with himself. Zoro is fuming behind him, arms crossed and chest puffed, like a child being forced to share his favorite toy.

Vivi laughs at the sight, shaking her head. “Well, boys will be boys.”

The words bury itself uncomfortably in the pit of Nami’s stomach.

Boys will be boys—which is why sometimes (oftentimes, many times, always) Nami thinks she’s much more easily enamored with girls. Nami supposes there is a certain charm in Zoro’s brutish ways, but she’s beginning to learn that it may not be for her—Nami appreciates people who can hold their own in a fistfight, but there is also strength in reigning yourself in despite the circumstances, the way she’s seen Vivi handle difficult customers with a firm tone, graceful and dangerous at the same time.

(What could this mean, then? For her, for them—)

Zoro and Sanji have started fighting animatedly again. Roronoa Zoro, his heart on his sleeve.

And the worst part is that Nami doesn’t even care.

/u/sorcatarius • 334 points 4 months ago

I usually appreciate it when OP updates their posts with recent developments because I’m one of those people who get easily invested in a stranger’s life story, but is it just me or do all of these updates seem irrelevant? Most of them are about the waitress. I feel like I’m learning nothing about the actual date here. Who’s dating who again?

/u/NeonRain15• 137 points 4 months ago

OP is clearly a troll lol.

They are sitting at a corner table in front of the door to the kitchen, because Franky and Robin aren’t even pretending they’re here for the food instead of a show. Usopp told them he would rather ��see where the danger is coming from ’, but Nami suspects the real reason is something closer to morbid curiosity.

Nami doesn’t fault them. It certainly is hard to look away from what those two clowns are currently doing: Zoro is waving a spatula and a frying pan like he would his kendo swords, clearly breaking several kitchen-related OSHA rules in the process; Sanji puts out his cigarette against the counter—seriously, has nobody here heard of proper kitchen etiquette—and swings his leg in a drop kick.

There’s a loud CLANK as his shoe comes into contact with the pan.

Franky whistles. “That’s super awesome, bro!” He cheers, before turning back to the table with a lower voice, “Seriously, how have they not fired Sanji-bro already?”

“Other than the fact that he’s overqualified as hell?” Usopp asks in between spoonfuls of Sanji’s fried rice.

“Well, they do provide a wonderful source of entertainment for us customers,” Robin observes.

“Sure thing,” Franky replies, “but they’re totally destroying kitchen appliances right now, I mean, look at that roller. There’s no way any normal wood could withstand that —there it goes.”

“Let them be—what’s the worst that could happen?” Robin muses. “Other than a kitchen accident that leads to a gas explosion and the restaurant burning down to the ground, obliterating all of us in the process, of course.”

“Robin,” Usopp squeaks.

Inside the kitchen, the tables have turned—Sanji has somehow regained possession of his kitchen appliances, and he’s now teaching Zoro how to cook. They’re standing shoulder-to-shoulder, heads bent over the stove, and Sanji would occasionally wrap his hand around Zoro’s wrist to instruct him.

Zoro looks like he’s going to spontaneously combust. His eyes are darting between Sanji’s hands (still lightly gripping Zoro’s wrist), Sanji’s face (dangerously close to Zoro’s own), and Sanji’s lips (there’s something there, something he wants to do and Nami knows if she thinks hard enough she can put a name on it) —anywhere but the food they’re actually cooking. Zoro’s own face is now redder than the tomatoes lining up the kitchen counter.

Heart on his sleeve, Nami thinks. Open book, open book.

“I’m going to get some refills,” she announces, suddenly feeling like she’s intruding on something private and practically leaps towards the soda station. She could feel a pair of curious eyes on her back—Robin’s, no doubt—but she’s more distracted by another presence currently standing beside her.

“Hey,” Vivi says, voice light, teasing. She’s carrying a lot of cups on her, presumably the others’, and she bumps her shoulder against Nami’s playfully. Nami could feel the touch fizzle against her skin.

“Hey,” Nami replies, trying to pretend that the close proximity doesn’t bother her at all. “‘Sup?”

Vivi wordlessly helps her with the drinks, and they easily fall into comfortable silence, filling cups after cups, until Vivi nudges her again. “You know, Usopp was right about Sanji being overqualified.”

Nami fills Franky’s cup slower, wondering where the conversation is going. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. You know, I have a secret,” Vivi says, tone playful, but when Nami looks up there’s something in her eyes. “Actually, I own this place.”

Nami stops filling the cup. “What?”

“I mean, it’s mostly on loan, and I’m not halfway done with the payments, but technically, yeah,” Vivi says, tucking her hair to the back of her ear in a nervous gesture. “I didn’t really want to tell anyone because it’s not like I wanted a special treatment from the patrons. And I am effectively a waitress here.”

Nami is suddenly reminded of all the instances when she called Baratie a no-name diner right to Vivi’s face, and feels her stomach sink. Holy shit, she called it a dumpster fire just last week.

Vivi must have noticed Nami’s mental breakdown, because she quickly waves her hand and laughs. “No, no, don’t worry about it—I know we’re still a work in progress. Especially ever since—”

Vivi trails off at that, suddenly looking unsure. She starts collecting all the cups, like she’s giving Nami a reason to back out of the conversation. “It’s kind of a boring life story, actually, I’m sorry for dumping that all to you out of the blue—”

“Vivi,” Nami says, placing a calming hand on her shoulder. She doesn’t usually do this; she knows, better than most, how heavy one’s past could be, and she hates it when people try to pry into hers. But Vivi is looking at her with sad eyes and unsteady hands, and suddenly Nami wants nothing other than to tell her, “I’ll drop this if you don’t want to talk about it, but remember this: I will always want to know more about you.”

She places her hand on Vivi's arm, for emphasis. “I will always want to support you.”

It takes a moment before her words sink in, and Nami could see the moment it does, Vivi’s eyes widening in surprise as her face breaks into a slow-starting smile. “Thank you, Nami,” she whispers, and it’s almost reverent.

Nami’s gaze falls onto Vivi’s lips, and suddenly it’s become very difficult to maintain a conversation.

She wonders how she’d look now, to an outsider. Flushed face and a stupid smile on her face, hands fidgeting with her own hair. Open book, open book . Could they hear, she wonders, the way her heart is hammering against her ribcage—would they find out—

Robin claps her hands together, snapping Nami out of her reverie. The whole group is already standing by the door, waiting for her, and god, how long have they been talking by the soda station again?

“Perhaps we can take the drinks another day. Time to go home, don’t you think?” Robin suggests. Her tone is light, but her gaze is heavy, and Nami has to resist the urge to curl into herself.

Zoro still stares at the kitchen, oblivious to the tension. “Yeah,” he says, almost in a daze. “ Shit — yeah.”

Shit, indeed.

/u/Lanzifer• 975 points 5 months ago

This is a love story.

/u/nashdezus • 307 points 3 months ago

I hate to break it to you but I think your boyfriend is in love with the cook. If this is fake you have written one of the greatest gay romances of this generation, if this isn’t fake I dunno what.

/u/ParkNight • 399 points 3 months ago

Your BF needs to cut to the chase and invite the cook over to your place for some eggs and rough sex.

/u/Cod3Man • 760 points 4 months ago

He has a crush on the cook & vice versa but they’re both living a lie so they fight because it’s the only way to release the sexual tension. Every different way of cooking an egg represents a different sex act.

/u/jakubada • 523 points 3 months ago

Girl, not to wish ill will on your relationship, but you should bang that waitress instead.

“Have you ever heard of Baroque Works?”

Nami pauses. She places her pencil away, knowing that Vivi deserves nothing less than her full attention.

It’s only been a couple of days since the conversation she had with Vivi, but Nami can’t get her mind off of it. She’s been coming to Baratie every single day now after college, and it’s just so convenient that Zoro suddenly refuses to go. It’s simply harder to have Vivi open up when someone else is around, and not because there are other reasons. Like wanting Vivi all to herself. No sire.

She shakes herself out of the dangerous train of thoughts. “Baroque Works? Isn’t that the new restaurant chain down the block? It’s the one that’s taken over that other chain, right? Uh, what was it called—”

“Alabasta,” Vivi supplies, before sighing. “That’s the chain my family used to own.”

Nami blinks. “Wait, you used to own Alabasta?”

Running a diner on her own at her age is already an impressive feat in and of itself, but Alabasta is a whole different beast. It’s a nation-wide chain with dozens of restaurants, and owning the chain is probably equivalent to owning a small empire.

“Oh, no, I mean, my family did,” Vivi quickly adds, ever humble. “It’s not exactly anything impressive. My grandfather ran the business before my father did, and his father was the one who started it—it was passed down the generations, and I was simply born into it.

“As you said, Alabasta went down a few years ago because my father struck a bad deal with a ruthless businessman. It is clear now, in hindsight, that Crocodile was tricking us, but we were naive and perhaps a little too eager to expand. Baroque Works took over, and we were left with the only branch they deemed the least profitable—here.”

“And you renamed it to Baratie?”

“That was Sanji’s idea,” she says, a small smile playing on her lips; it is clearly a much fonder memory than what that businessman—Crocodile—did to her and her family. “At the time, Sanji just moved to Grand Line. His father had a restaurant back in East Blue with the same name, and he told me he would help me build everything back from the ground up. We would borrow the name, acting like we’re a branch of Baratie, and I can rename it back to Alabasta once I can settle all the legalities with Baroque Works.”

Everything slowly falls into place now—the way Sanji is clearly trained to cook dishes much more sophisticated than waffles and scrambled eggs, the freedom he gets to be able to mess around with Zoro, and his close camaraderie with Vivi.

Nami feels a pang of—god, jealousy, if she dares to put a name on it—towards Sanji; for being able to stand by Vivi’s side when she needed it the most. It’s silly, because Sanji has always been kind to her, and it’s not like it was Sanji’s fault that Nami didn’t know Vivi until recently, but the feeling gripped her like a vice anyway, heavy and suffocating.

Vivi seems to have taken her silence wrongly, though, because she looks away, almost shamefully. “You must think this is all stupid.”

“Of course not,” Nami immediately retorts without missing a beat. She thinks of Bellemere, holding her head high despite the judgments from the neighbors. She was alone and penniless, countless doors slammed close in her face just because she was a single mother; but none of that stopped Bellemere from sending Nojiko and Nami to the best school in the neighborhood

So Nami tells Vivi what she has always wanted to tell Bellemere, and what she knows to be true of Vivi, of any women in her life who has never backed down from adversity— “You’re amazing.”

Vivi blinks, cheeks coloring at the words. It takes her a moment before she can reply with a shaky, “Yeah?”

“Yeah? Vivi, you’re—” Nami turns her body to face Vivi fully, grabbing her by the arms, “—you’re the strongest, most hard-working person I’ve ever known. Most people in your shes would’ve turned tails and run.”

Vivi flushes further. It’s the first time Nami has seen her flustered, really cute, actually. And the fact that Nami is the one who put that expression on her face —

“Are we intruding on something?”

Nami almost jumps from her seat, suddenly feeling like she’s five again, getting caught with her hand halfway into the cookie jar. Vivi is scrambling to her feet from her side, cleaning imaginary dust from her uniform as she stammers, “no, of course not! I’m sorry, sir—sirs , can I take your order?”

Nami looks up to see Jinbe laugh and wave at her, signaling her to calm down. Brook is standing right behind him, giving Nami a small wave. “What do you serve?”

Nami tries to return to her map as Vivi starts rattling off the menu, but Brook—wise, old Brook, with his soft voice and observing eyes, goes, “No Zoro this time around, hm?”

Her pen stills. There’s nothing accusatory in Brook’s voice—he would never, none of their friends would never. But she waits for Vivi to be off with their orders still before replying, arms crossed across her chest almost defensively. “What is it to you, old man?”

She realizes a little too late that it’s an awfully rude response, but Jinbe simply laughs. “Old men, aren’t we, Brook?”

“Certainly older than most,” Brook agrees, eyes shining in mirth, not offended the least. “Hopefully wiser, too.”

“Well, sometimes,” Jinbe says, turning to Nami, “old men like us have the fortune—or the misfortune, some may say—to have loved and lost.”

Nami isn’t quite sure where the conversation is going, but there’s grief carried by Jinbe’s voice, and what comes out is, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s all long past, miss,” Jinbe dismisses, not unkindly. “More importantly, what I’m trying to ay is, you and Zoro might have been looking at the wrong places. Love, that is. But there is time to rectify this—isn’t that what you young people have? Time”

Nami sits still, stupefied.

She has the suspicion that Robin knows, but Robin has always had her ways. For Jinbe to notice? Jinbe, who would rather talk about his fishing trips than to gossip? How obvious has she been?

(Open book, the thought resurfaces, unbidden. Heart on her sleeve—)

“Though, Nami?” Brook suddenly says, snapping Nami out of her own reverie.

She suddenly realizes that it’s just the two of them on the table, Jinbe already wandering around after imparting her with some advices. She clears her throat, trying to get her bearings. “Yeah?”

“I have to disagree with our dear Jinbe, I must say. We have loved and lost, but,” he takes her hand and guides it to rest on her heart.

“To love,” Brook says, voice steady, sure as a day. “Is never a misfortune.”

r/AmITheAsshole

Realizing I am a lesbian while dating a guy. AITA? submitted 2 months ago by u/throwawaypinwheel

257 comments share save give award report

Realizing I am a lesbian while dating a guy. AITA?

submitted 2 months ago by /u/throwawaypinwheel

I’m a girl who has gone through a couple of dates with a dude, but I’m falling in love with another girl. Like, I’m having a gay crisis right now. I’m not actually cheating since we haven’t decided to be exclusive yet, but he’s also a childhood friend, so it makes me wonder if this is a dick move?

To make matters more complicated: my date? Friend? Sort of boyfriend? He seems to have fallen in love with someone else too, and it’s another guy, so he might be gay, too.

Yes, I know bisexuality exists. Can’t exactly speak about him but I think I’m not that, so it’s not like I can suck it up and date him instead. AITA?

[deleted] • 725 points 2 months ago

Aren’t you the OP of that one viral post from r/relationship_advice about the Baratie cook?

/u/throwawaypinwheel • 2324 points 2 months ago

Yes, and that’s relevant, how?

/u/alohci • -20 points 2 months ago

LOL you’re clearly a troll. This isn’t r/CreativeWriting, go write your romance novel somewhere else. I’m reporting you to the mods.

/u/cheesus32 • 1739 points 2 months ago

This is better than most shit on Netflix right now

/u/veloace • 1641 points 2 months ago

Communication is key, OP. Sexualities aside—which is a topic for another day—isn’t this essentially a case of the two of you wanting different things from the relationship?

Nami takes a deep breath and checks her phone for the time.

She sees the 1:00 displayed on the screen. Her appointment with Zoro is supposed to be on twelve thirty, which means she’ll have another 30 minutes as Zoro gets lost on the way to Baratie as usual. One hour was his record.

She takes another deep breath and sighs.

This is it. She’s going to tell Zoro the truth.

It’s rare for her, to be so nervous around Zoro, but in her defense, it’s not like there’s an easy way to say, “hey, sorry, this may come out of nowhere but I’m breaking things off between us. Apparently I’m a lesbian and I’m also in love with the waitress at the place where we’re supposed to be going on dates in. It’s not you, it’s me.”

...Nami really needs to work on her delivery.

Her heart stutters in her chest as the automatic door slides open and Zoro walks in with the grim determination of a soldier going into battle. Perhaps Zoro is more perceptive than she’s giving him credit for. She hopes so—it surely will make this whole sort of-break up easier for the both of them.

She has run her line over and over again in her head, but nothing has prepared her to see Zoro sit down across the table, bow down, and says, “I’m sory, but I don’t think this is working out for us.”

She blinks. Wait. Wait—“ You're breaking up with me?”

“Luffy thinks we’re having a fight because we’ve been acting weird around each other ever since we tried out this whole dating thing, and hell, Nami, he’s right—I’ve seen you less now,” Zoro plows on, oblivious to her shock. “And don’t get me wrong, you’re my best friend, and you’re still my best friend, and I want us back. The us that’s, you know, normal. Alsoimightbeinlovewiththecook .”

Oh.

That’s—oh.

Nami is pretty sure her mouth is hanging open stupidly now, but she can’t bring herself to care. “Holy shit,” she breathes, perplexed. “Reddit was right.”

Zoro finally looks up at that. “What’s red—” he seems to take in her expression for the first time since the conversation started, eyebrows furrowing. ‘Wait. You’re not mad?”

“Mad? No, Zoro, god—how could I be when you’re right?” She feels her body slumping into the chair, the weight she didn’t know she’d been carrying has suddenly been lifted. “We are terrible for each other. I have no idea what got us to agree to this.”

Zoro visibly relaxes. There’s amusement in his tone as he suggests, “the copious amount of alcohol?”

Right. They were in the middle of a drinking competition when the idea of a date came up. “You know what, in hindsight, it’s kind of crazy that we got this far with such a stupid idea.”

“I think I was running away,” Zoro admits, eyes unwittingly darting towards the kitchen. “I couldn’t—I had this thing, for the Cook, but I couldn’t bring myself to admit it. So I tried to make you an excuse for my cowardice.” He bows again. “I’m sorry.”

“No, no, dummy, don’t—” she kicks him on the shin, forcing him to stop bowing. “Stop being all bushido on me. I wasn’t any better. I’m—in love with Vivi.”

It’s Zoro’s turn to look at her in surprise. “What, really?”

It’s comforting, in a way, that at least she isn’t so obvious that Zoro would notice. “Yeah. You’re probably too preoccupied with your pretty blond to notice, but I’ve been pretty smitten myself. And I guess I have you and your little crush to thank for dragging me here in the first place.”

Zoro blushes at that, and it’s cute—not in a way that makes her want to kiss him, but definitely in a way that makes her want to tease him until the end days. God, how did it take her so long to realize she never loved him that way?

“‘Dragging” you, huh?” Zoro seems to decide to hone in on that, probably because he could burn himself alive from embarrassment if he keeps talking about Sanji. “This place is that bad for a date?”

Nami throws her head back and laughs. “You’re the worst date ever, Zoro,” she says, in between peals of laughter. “But you’re the best wingman I’ve ever had.”

“Going on a date again this time?” Vivi asks.

Nami looks at her—really takes her in, her smooth long hair and bright smile and long eyelashes. Holy shit, she’s staring at her eyelashes. She is so fucking gay.

She clears her throat. Focus, Nami. “No, actually, uh, can we talk? Like, super serious.”

Vivi immediately straightens up at that. “Of course. Give me a moment."

She rushes towards the kitchen, probably to tell Sanji that she’ll be occupied for a moment; something pulls inside Nami’s chest at the sight, knowing that Vivi would drop everything to be by Nami’s side.

When Vivi reemerges from the kitchen, she’s no longer carrying the tray and the menu. She takes a seat beside Nami and takes her hand. “Is everything all right?”

“Yeah, kind of, uh,” here goes nothing. “Zoro and I broke up.”

Vivi’s free hand shot up to cover her mouth in surprise. “Oh my god, Nami, I’m so sorry.”

“No, no, don’t be,” she rushes to clarify, before Vivi gets the wrong idea, “I did say we broke up, but that isn’t exactly right—I mean, we were never exclusive, Vivi. And I don’t think we were ever dating for real. Like, we’re gay.”

There’s a beat. “What?”

Okay, so Nami could have broken the news much more smoothly than that.

“Zoro and I, uh—I’m gay. And Zoro never exactly put a label, but I’m pretty sure he never even dreamed of banging a chick, and—” she squeezes Vivi’s hand. She isn’t sure she’s doing it for Vivi or herself. “I know this is a lot, but I just—I think we were just very comfortable with each other, and since we are man and woman, we somehow thought we should date. Which is dumb, looking back at it, but we’d never fallen in love before.”

She thinks of Vivi—beautiful, fierce, kind Vivi, who carries the world on her shoulders. Vivi, whose smile lights up the whole room. “We didn’t know how different it was going to be, when it’s the real thing.”

Somewhere behind them, she can hear something heavy hit the floor in the kitchen, which means Zoro must have confessed right about now and Sanji must have dropped something from the shock.

Well, at least Vivi hasn’t dropped anything yet.

“What I’m trying to say is,” she continues, finding newfound courage from the way Vivi looks at her—is that hope in her eyes? “Vivi, you’re the most wonderful, amazing person I’ve ever met, and you’re beautiful and pretty but I like you more than just that.” She takes Vivi’s hand in both of hers now. “Would you go out with me?”

There’s a moment as her words seem to sink in, and Nami feels her blood run cold—what if she read this whole thing wrongly? What if Vivi was straight? What if she was just trying to help out a friend, being the nice person she is?

But then Vivi’s face splits into a smile, soft and golden-warm, the white light of the overhead fluorescence illuminating her almost ethereal-like. “Yes, Nami,” she says, lacing their fingers together, “I would love to go out with you. But only on one condition.”

“Anything,” Nami says without thinking, because it’s true.

Vivi grins, and there’s a teasing edge on her voice as she says, “If you’re asking me on a date in a diner, count me out.”

“Oh my god,” Nami says, finally, finally pulling Vivi in for a kiss, “never again.”

UPDATE: My (20F) Date (21M) has left me for a Baratie cook (21M)

submitted 3 days ago by /u/throwawaypinwheel

It’s fine though, I have a girlfriend (18F, beautiful, amazing, doesn’t get into fights with random cooks) now. Yes, it’s the waitress. Yes, you guys have told me so. I’d love to take the L, but I’m the one with a hot girlfriend here, so am I really losing in this scenario?

#namivivi #zosan #nami #roronoa zoro #sanji #nefertari vivi #one piece #my writing #//#vivi #zoro #op

188 notes · View notes

namiikawaii · 4 years ago

Text

Luffy x Nami: A thread Part 1

Disclaimer: This is very long so be prepared to take some time & also if you haven't watched/read One Piece at all then don't read this if you don't want to read spoilers. Firstly I'd like to adress all the people who dont believe in a love romance in One Piece aswell as those who are against this ship or do ship Luffy and Nami with different characters: Please read the thread thoughoutly and don't jump to conclusions before you read everything. I will try to mention all of the issues that are underlying in regards to general things like love romance in One Piece and I want to consider counter arguments and create hypotheses in sight of other pairings like Luffy x Boa and Sanji x Nami (which I think are the other main ships when it comes to Luffy and Nami). So it is important to be a little patient through all of this thread.

Let's start off with the question about love romance in One Piece... ''D: Doesn't anyone on Luffy's crew fall in love? Will there never be a tale of on-board romance? (Sanji is an exception in this case) I'm just wondering. -From Naoko- O: But they do... They're all in love...WITH ADVENTURE. (← good one)'' This is exactly the part of the SBS where Oda answered the question about romantic love in the Strawhat Crew. Firstly, this is obviously meant as a silly statement. It is definetly no confirmation but to see this as a serious statement is overexagerrating. Secondly, Oda wanted to answer this question by dodging it without nullifying it. What does that mean? He could have just simply said, there is no romance in One Piece and there never will be (this wouldn't be the first time that he would have answered a question in a direct and serious way). But no, he wanted to make sure that the audience understands that there is a difference between romantic love and romance (in an adventure) and that the Strawhats are on a journey of a romantic adventure which has nothing to do with loving each other in a romantic way. There are two reasons for that: -One Piece is a pure shonen/action Manga and it's target audience are teenage boys (at least this was the case when he made that statement, i don't know how that might have changed by now maybe) -For the other reason just imagine One Piece if there was active love romance going on...we wouldn't be near the story that we are now. Let's just say it would add so much more complications, to put it very simple (I don't want to go into that deep now). But now here comes the clue: All of this doesn't mean that Oda completely lefts love romance out. Because despite of all the points that I just mentioned there are pairings and there is also subtle (no explicite) love romance. Lets just look at the pairings, these are all pairings that I think the majorty of people wouldn't question: -Kaya and Usopp -Sabo and Koala -Shanks and Makino -Shakky and Rayleigh -Roger and Rouge -Oden and Toki

And yes none of these cases showed the love story between those people (maybe Kaya and Usopp if you really want) but THAT IS THE POINT! Only because Oda doesn't let the characters speak out ''i love you'' or makes them kiss all of the time doesn't mean there isn't any kind of romantic love connection between characters in One Piece (the kiss on WCI was an exeption though). This also doesn't mean that there is no possibilty of romance between the Strawhats. I get it that people see them as a familiy, and they truly are one. If there was romance between two of them during the story of One Piece the dynamic wouldn't be the same anymore, especially if there was a canon relationship between Luffy as the captain/ main protagonist and another crewmember. I mean we don't want to see Luffy prefering one nakama over the other. If he calls for his friends, he calls for everyone and not firstly for the person he's in love with. They are all equally as important as the others. But you have to remeber that they aren't blood-related and it wouldn't be weird at all if some of them are ending up together after the adventure of the One Piece. That's the reason why the hints that are given by Oda are really hints, not just merely coincidence.

And i wouldn't be here if Oda didn't hint Luffy and Nami in the past and he will hint them in the future or even more. Let's beginn chronologically with the bond-forming between Luffy and Nami and why their relationship is special EAST BLUE SAGA -Nami was intended as a crew-member from the very beginning, even before One Piece was existing. That's the reason why Luffy and Nami saw each other in the first episode of One Piece. It was to pay hommage to Silk/Ann the heroines of the Romance Dawn Manga. (Just read into it if you want to know more) But what's important is that they were the inspiration for Nami as a character/ as the heroine.

-Orange Town: Luffy and Nami meet for the first time in the Manga Nami reveals her goal to Luffy - which is ''to buy a certain village'' (keep this in mind) Luffy tells Nami why the strawhat is so dear to him - he won't be telling anyone afterwards these details again -Nami tricks Luffy. Buggy captures him but when Nami is forced to fire a canon ball at Luffy she refuses, starts a fight against all the Buggy-Pirates and finally at the risk of her own life she burns her hands facing the pirates with her back in order to prevent the canonball to blow up Luffy (she does quite much for this pirate guy she just met) - you see that at this point Luffy did touch something in Nami's heart because when they have to escape she literally instantly fires the canonball at Buggy without hesitation. -Nami sewing Luffy's damaged hat. Since then it's always her who takes care of it if it takes any damage/ if there is something to sew in it like Ace's Vivre Card. Now I want to put in here my first hypothetical compairison for the LuBoa and SaNa shippers. Just imaging now this same situation happening between Luffy and Boa. Luffys hat is ripped apart - maybe she knows that Luffys hat is his treasure maybe not but lets imagine she does know. She will of course sew it, would probably blush and say something romantic about her doing this for him. And as a shipper this would be the most romantic thing for you wouldn't it? In reality it is Nami who precisely watches Luffy and understands the importance of his hat to him, she goes up to him and fixes his strawhat, with the only difference that it is just more natural and less lovey-dovey from Nami's part (because of course she would never act like that if she was in love with someone). I am already asking you now, which lovestory sounds more believable? -Syrupp Village: There are a few cute moments (Nami catches Luffy and cheers on him and so on...) but i wanted to especially point out that these two are are sitting/lying on the ground after the fight and Nami playes with the Strawhat, Luffy is of course unbothered. But this already shows how comfortable these two are at this point, they know each other only for a few days now. And also this image of them two talking and sitting together is a theme that continues throughout One Piece. -Namis leaves with the Going Merry, looking devestated that she has to leave ''Luffy and the others'', and Luffys reaction after Zoro says to just leave her: ''I want her to by our navigator no matter what'' (These words are enough, no comment needed and also look at Zoro's face as Luffy is stating these words) -Kokoyashi Village: Luffy already trusts and knows Nami so well that he is enraged to hear that she allegedly killed Usopp - the others are sure that she did it but Luffy insists, and even when Nami confirmes to him that she indeed sent Usopp to the ocean's ground Luffy refuses to accept it and immediatly goes to sleep. (I'm sure it's because he knew that something was wrong but he knew he had to wait for Nami to come up to him)

-The famous moment hits different (for shippers and non-shippers): Luffy giving Nami his precious strawhat! He wants to show her how much she is dear to him, his gives her his treasure because now she's his treasure too (and you can see this in a romantic way or in a platonic way but just remember that Luffy never did this ever to anybody in the past or in the future) Now i want to mention something that i said earlier: people often say that Luffy didn't care about Namis story but let me tell you something different. Luffy already knew what Nami's obejectif was (to buy a certain village) now Luffy also knows that there is a pirate called Arlong and when Nami is stabbing herself she shouts his name in devastion. Luffy is not dumb, he understood already some parts of Nami's history - later when he is in Nami's room he understands the impact even more. It is so far from truth that Luffy doesn't know Namis story, he may not know some details, but he could conntect enough points to understand Nami's pain. And my personal theory is that he didn't wanted to hear Nojikto telling Nami's story because maybe Nami wouldn't have wanted him to hear it and it could certainly be that he knew that maybe he couldn't hold himself back and intervene before Nami asked him to do so and finally rely on him! -Genzo and Luffy's conversation: just read/watch it - it is a father to boyfriend conversation (i thought so even before i shipped LuNa) So far these are the most important moments for the East Blue Saga, and of course there are other things you could mention but i just wanted to point out the key moments that really built their relationship and created the whole fundament. Since I don't know when I can continue writing on this, I am just going to show some colourspreads which contain hints in my opinion. (Like Nami being represented as a queen, or Nami holding and wearing Luffy’s hat)

#onepiece #luffyxnami #luffy x nami #luffy #nami #luna #lunami

153 notes · View notes

z3llous · 3 years ago

Text

Look at Me

( Nov 10, 2020 )

Sanji x fem reader Platonic Ace x fem reader

Two. It had always been just the two of them. They only had eachother.

He was bruised and she was alone. His brothers hated him and her parents died. They were both separated from the other children.

She never felt more alone than amidst the group. Boisterous voices echoed from a distance, never truly entering her mind. The floor was far more fascinating and rather open minded compared to her peers.

A flash of gold passed her peripheral vision. She looked up to see a bandaged blond boy hiding behind the birch tree next to the swing set. She'd seen him in class before; he was always covered in some form of bandage or bruise. He was the only one, other than her, that wasn't part of the group.

It was now or never to make a friend. Small town mentality meant few moved away and those who did never left alone.

"Hi?" She said approaching the small boy cautiously.

"Um, hello." He answered avoiding her gaze.

"Would you like to sit with me at lunch? My grandma made me some cookies." She asked, offering a small bribe.

"Yes! I mean, yes please." He said lighting up with excitement immediately.

They'd unknowingly made their first and soon to be best friend that day.

---

Blue. His eye color and the hue of the bracelets she made for them. His had a sun pendant and hers had a moon.

"Sanji! I have a present for you!" Y/n yelled as she ran toward him.

"Really?!" He never got a present from anyone other than his mother, who had passed a few years ago.

"Yeah, hold out your hand for me and close your eyes ok?" She said happily.

"Ok!" He said quickly obeying.

He felt something cold and oddly shaped slide over his hand and onto his wrist.

"Open!" Y/n exclaimed.

He looked to see the ocean blue bracelet wrapped around his wrist. It was a little big, but nothing he couldn't grow into.

"I have one too!" She held out her arm for him to see.

"We match!" He said grabbing her hand to admire her work better.

"Yup! It means we'll be together forever!" She tangled her fingers with his.

"Seriously?!" His voice raised in pitch.

"Yeah, promise?" Y/n pulled him closer leaning her forehead against his.

"Promise!" He said happily flush faced as he leaned against her in return.

---

She sat across from him focusing desperately on the homework before her. It was becoming more difficult by the second to keep a neutral expression.

He wouldn't shut up about the lovely ladies in their school, especially the new red headed girl.

A new girl named Nami had moved in recently. New people were rare. Nami girl could be nice when she wanted to be, but otherwise Y/n didn't see much to like about her. She had nothing against Nami, she wasn't a horrible person, but she couldn't see what was so special about her. Nothing really stood out other than her hair. Maybe it was the hair.

Regardless, Sanji kept talking about how beautiful she was, "A radiant jewel" as he put it. It wasn't uncommon for him to go off about women, but the fact the fresh blood set him off to a whole new level.

"Nami's hair is such a beautiful shade of citrine! I simply can't imagine how one could obtain such a hue!"

"Genetics."

"I wonder what she thinks of when her mind wanders off away from the cruel clutches of reality."

"Money, probably."

"Her eyes often gaze at our lovely teacher's necklace. Does she desire such extravagance to decorate herself with?"

"Plotting how to steal it."

"She must-"

"Sanji! This is our last assignment for the year and it's due tomorrow. Focus or at least do something beside ponder Nami's existence."

"But-"

"I will steal every fork you own. Now focus on something else, please. Your tangerine obsession is distracting."

"Alright..." Finally he left the subject behind and looked to his paper.

This was just sad. He couldn't understand any of the problems.

"Y/n?"

"Yes?"

"How do I find X?"

She looked up from her final question and decided it could wait.

Getting up from her side of the table she slid beside him and began explaining.

He always smelled of whatever delicious thing he cooked that day. Today it had definitely been a pasta.

Leaning against him to see better was possibly a bad idea. She always wanted more. Being physically close wasn't rare for them, but as time passed it became difficult not to desire going a little further.

She couldn't help but slowly rest her head on his shoulder as she helped him.

---

Luffy messed up the decorations again, for the third time. Robin simply laughed it off and began again.

"Luffy, go wash off all that red paint, please." Mrs. Makino said with a smile as she walked in to see his little murder scene.

"Shi shi shi. Yes, Mrs. Makino!" Luffy quickly left to wash up with a skip in his step.

"Don't worry, Robin, I'll assign him a different project." Mrs. Makino said as she sat at her desk.

"Thank you, Mrs. Makino." Robin answered sweetly before returning to making decorations.

"Namiiii-swaaa- Oh, hello Mrs. Makino! You look lovely, can't even tell you're five months along." Sanji burst into the room.

"Thank you, Sanji. That's very kind of you. Only four to go!"

"You can do it, Mrs. Makino!" Everyone in the classroom cheered.

"Enough about me, get back to work everyone!" She laughed.

"Nami-swaaaan!"

"Sanji, I'm busy. These stars aren't going to finish themselves." She didn't look up.

"Lovely stars, only angel could create!" He dreamily spouted.

"That's nice. What do you want." Nami grumbled struggling to focus.

"Be my date for the festival!"

Y/n's head shot up, surprising Ace next to her.

"I don't know..." Nami drawled.

"Please, I'll pay!"

"Fine."

"Yes!"

Y/n slid down in her seat and gazed hazily at the ceiling.

"You alright?" Ace poked her cheek.

"Sanji and I go together every year. Now, what am I gonna do?"

The tiles above became more appealing the longer Sanji bothered Nami with date plans. This detail didn't pass by Ace.

"Why don't we go together?" He said temporarily abandoning the project.

"Yeah?" She turned to him.

"Yeah, Can't have you binge watching Fullmetal Alchemist in the dark with a tub of ice cream again." He joked.

"Aaaaw, why not? It's green mint chip and fudge this time."

"Fine, but not without me, after the festival, and you have to share."

"Deal." She shook his outstretched hand humorously.

---

Wooly clouds grazed in the chilly blue above. Her sweater was enough to shield from the cold.

"Yo! Y/n!" The distant voice of Ace running her way reached her ears.

"Hey, Ace!" She ran to meet him and they began to walk to school together.

Students, stalls, and colorful decorations filled the campus.

"Cmon, Ace! Let's get food!" She grabbed his sleeve and pointed to the food stalls.

"Alright, Alright, hungry much?"

"Always."

They laughed and ran to get in line.

---

He was holding at least twelve bags as he tiredly trailed behind Nami. Sanji wasn't going to be able to afford basics at this rate. He might have to stay with Y/n for a bit, not that she ever minded. When he said he'd pay he didn't expect to pay with all he had.

Y/n always split the bill with him on everything. They often carried their things in a large bag and each held a handle as they walked side by side. Y/n always made the effort to make everything equal between them.

"Oh, I like your bracelet." Nami noticed the ocean colored beads.

A dull ache had begun to claw at his heart.

---

"and then he panicked and threw it at Zoro. His hair went from mossy green to shitty green."

"Oh my-*wheeze*" Ace struggled to breath and wiped away tears of laughter.

"That's not even the best part." Y/n said with a smirk.

"How?!" he sat up regaining his composure slightly.

"Picture day!" She burst out laughing.

Ace fell off the bench.

"Please, tell me you have the yearbook." He managed to say between laughs.

"I do."

They headed toward the theater room and continued to tell hilarious stories along the way.

---

Luffy and Shanks, the sex Ed teacher, were dramaticly reenacting a fighting scene on stage. Luffy's stance and acting was so awful it became a comedy.

"Why is he a main character, this is just sad." Nami was one of the few not amused with the "new" version of the play.

Sanji desperately held in his laughter to avoid her wrath. He found Shanks completely in character and Luffy dancing around moronically far too humorous.

Y/n's joyful laugh echoed throughout the room amongst the others. He wanted to join her.

---

"My brother looked like such a dumb ass prancing around like that." Ace said as they grew closer to her home.

"Yeah, but I loved it."

"Agreed."

She unlocked the door and bowed sarcastically for him.

"Oh, why thank you peasant." He said walking in.

"Hey!" Y/n stood up and playfully slapped his shoulder.

---

His sore arms were finally relieved of their burden. The last bag had been placed in Nami's car.

He'd be lying if he said it was the best festival day he'd had. It was actually at the bottom of the list.

He had little money left. She'd rung him dry. He'd have to stay at Y/n's.

He pulled out his sunflower case covered phone and texted Y/n.

---

Enthralled was the only way to describe them as they watched Edward fight on screen. Unfortunately it had to be interrupted by the buzzing of her phone.

"Something going on?" Ace paused the anime.

"Sanji's staying the night and the week too, apparently."

"Wonder what happened. He doesn't normally stay the week." He said confusedly.

"Nami probably spent all his money."

"Ooooh. That makes sense. I should call pops to pick me up. You don't have enough room for both of us staying."

"Thanks, Ace."

"No problem."

---

Shortly after she finished cleaning up a familiar car pulled into her driveway.

She open the door to an exhausted Sanji. Poor boy looked ready to collapse.

"Oh dear, Sanji, please sit down. I'll make some tea." She guided him to the couch.

He flopped down shamelessly and let himself be absorbed into its soft embrace.

"How hard did she work you?" She asked from the kitchen.

"I carried her bags all day, some were heavy even for me, and I have to carry large flour bags around all the time. I counted fifteen when I put them in her car. I paid for everything in those bags. I can barely a buy box of chicken nuggets now."

"Damn." She walked in with the tea and sat down next to him.

He took a sip and sighed. It was perfect, the right temperature, sugar, and milk. She knew him too well.

He set it down and leaned against her.

"I don't know if I can do it again." He sighed.

"Then don't." She stated wrapping an arm around him.

"Wha-" He titled his head up surprised.

"You don't have to do anything."

"But-"

"No, you are far too important to be treated so poorly. You deserve better." She began to rub his back comfortingly.

"She's the only one to actually go out with me. All the others rejected me without hesitation."

"Not all."

"Then who? I'm so lonely every morning and night waking up and falling asleep in an empty home."

"Why not m-" She noticed his empty wrist.

"What?"

She gently grasped his arm and held it up.

"Where's your bracelet? Did you lose it?" She asked in calm yet concerned tone.

"Nami kept bothering me about how much she liked it until I gave it up." He sadly sighed.

"Sanji, you can't just give in to her every whim and want." She flopped onto her side, covering her face. Y/n didn't want him to see how upset she was.

"I'll get it back." He reached out to brush her hands away from her face.

"I gave it to you as a pledge that we'd be together forever." She whispered beginning to sob.

Y/n rolled onto her back and curled up in a ball.

"I'm so sorry. Y/n, please look at me. I'll get it back, promise." He pleaded.

"Promise?" She sniffled peeking out.

"I promise." He held out his pinky.

She laughed a bit and wiped some tears away before intertwining her finger with his.

"Now, that's settled. I could've sworn you were going to say something." He thought aloud.

"No!" Heat began to rise from within her.

"It was something like, 'why not m-', what's that supposed to mean. Why not what?" Curiosity dripped from every word and pooled onto the wooden floor.

"It's nothing." Y/n tried avoiding it. She couldn't look at him. It would give her away.

"You never mean nothing. What-" It clicked and his eyes widened with excitement.

She meant to say "Why not me?". She loves him. SHE LOVES HIM. She'd never rejected him in anyway. He'd jokingly flirt with her from time to time and she never turned him down. How had he not noticed. Such a dream seemed too far out of his reach to even consider.

"Y/n, why didn't you say so~"

Sanji's sudden elation and playfulness made something plummet from within. Had he figured it out?

"Say what?" She hoped she was wrong. Her heart trembled.

"You love me!~" He plopped onto her and nuzzled affectionately into her stomach. He made sure to entangled her in his grasp.

"Aaah, nooooo! You weren't supposed to guess it." The temperature rose to an unbearable level.

"My Y/n-Chwaan loves me!~" He chanted tightening his grip and burying face further into the folds of her shirt.

"I love you too." He stated looking up to her vermilion flustered expression.

"Yeah, yeah, love you." She looked away unable bear the cuteness of his puppy eye and started petting him.

Y/n was fawned over and teased relentlessly all night. She couldn't escape his endless adoration.

22 notes · View notes

madlymiho · 4 years ago

Note

Hello Miho! I hope I got the time right. Could you please write some headcanons for Sanji, Mihawk and Crocodile with a small female s/o who likes to wear their coats or blazers, but they’re way too big for her? Thank you, happy writing!

Hello there! ☺️ You were in time yes! I find this headcanon particularly adorable 💜

I hope this will suit you!

this request has been requested as f/m

Sanji:

• For Sanji, she better be certain that his wardrobe is hers, and he doesn’t mind at all if she ever wishes to borrow anything from him. He doesn’t believe it’s a problem for sure, and he hopes she would be comfortable enough to reach that point in their relationship

• Frankly, Sanji has always been utterly romantic in the first place, wrapping his jackets around her shoulders whenever she was a bit cold. It’s natural with him, he wants her to feel at ease, and he would be terribly upset if she ever catch a cold because he hasn’t been cautious enough to protect her

• So yes, Sanji is definitely in the old fashion league, where he wants his girlfriend to be cherished, loved and protected, even if he clearly knows she’s able to take care of herself. Not that he wants to muffle her freedom, nor control her, it’s just his way to express his love and he can’t help himself but surrender to his deepest instincts ; a lady needs him!

• If he notices that she begins to steal his jacket, his shirt or anything, Sanji would make sure to always have them clean, so she wouldn’t suffer from a nasty smell, sometimes even spreading a bit of his cologne so she has the pleasure to wear a bit of himself on her as well

• He finds it utterly adorable, and expresses it loudly, heart eyes and compliments leaving his throat as soon as he sees her all wrapped and cosy into one of his piece of clothes. For sure he also suffers from massive nosebleeds because his pervert mind couldn’t help but think about her entirely naked under his vest... Surely this is a sight he would never get tired off, and he doesn’t care about the snaps and remarks from his fellow masculine friends (aka Zoro)

• He appreciates the fact that she looks so small in his clothes, not even tryin to adjust her collar or the sleeves, enjoying the vision of her little body safe and sound, that soft smile floating on her lips while she seems to be at ease. It’s something he will always cherish, and encourage, most of the time he’s even the one who will suggest her to borrow his jacket and such in the first place

• Through these little gestures, Sanji feels deeply loved himself, finding some peace in the fact that there’s a woman in this world who appreciates his passion and his love... the most wanted and wonderful feeling in the universe

Mihawk:

• If Mihawk is someone who’s utterly observant, and attentive, he’s not the one who will express his romantic feelings the most easily. He has this barrier whenever he’s engaged in a relationship, and it’s quite difficult to know if he’s content or not, piercing golden eyes almost unreadable most of the time

• For sure he’s someone who has a thin patience but who manages to control it whenever she’s around. He appreciates her for many reasons, and she became her partner for all of them. He accepts her ways, mores and habits, but it doesn’t mean though, that he would approve all of them

• Mihawk is definitely attached to traditional values, and if he can expose a more tender and attentive side, he treats his girlfriend, fiancée or wife as his equal, and doesn’t fully believe that chivalrous attitude should be always applied in a balanced relationship. After all, she’s strong and independent (she better be with a man like him), so he doesn’t really believe that having childish behavior could be a way between the two of them

• So definitely, it’s quite a surprise for him when he notices that she’s casually wearing his long coat, or his shirts from time to time, rather than her own dresses, tops and what not. He wonders silently if she’s trying to send some sort of hidden messages through her attitude, and tries his best to understand if there’s something to fix between the two of them, because this is what two adults are expected to do if they encounter some issues

• Though, it doesn’t seem that she has something special to reproach him, her face expressing nothing but a real content whenever she’s all wrapped into his clothes. He often judges her, because surely, it doesn’t suit her height not her weight, his coat hanging down to the ground, emphasizing her petite silhouette in the oddest way, even if he has to admit that she looks adorable

• At some point Mihawk finds necessary to have a talk about this strange habit of hers, not that he cares she’s borrowing his clothes when he doesn’t need them (he feels only irritated when he has to go somewhere and he can’t find his clothes anymore), and casually asks questions about her attitude, somehow to properly understand the purpose of this silly game, and why is she seems to be acting so childishly

• Even if doesn’t approve the whole thing, and might click his tongue sometimes, Mihawk wouldn’t stop her from stealing his clothes, sometimes even offering a quick smile when she plays with his coat, even joking with his eternal serious features by calling her Mihawk whenever she enters the room... a cute way for him to express his love, and the fact that despite this odd habit, he still appreciates all of her sides and surprising faces

Crocodile:

• Crocodile is a man who answers to his own codes, and sharing his life is already a silent contract, almost like a business thing between two partners. He doesn’t have time to play around, he doesn’t have the patience to deal with a brat, so he’s not amused whenever she doesn’t have a pleasant behavior

• He’s a partner who appreciates to spoil the lucky one who has the privilege to know a more intimate Crocodile, and he tends to treat her like a little baby doll. Fancy dresses, coats, jewels and lingeries, everything is perfect to make her feel special, unique, and please his ego because she’s definitely her best asset whenever they go outside

• So when she’s breaking the codes, throwing away his habits and stepping on a field he doesn’t even know about, Crocodile doesn’t feel at ease, and it irritates him almost immediately... there’s absolutely no in-between with a man like this, and his thin patience is easy to scratch whenever he doesn’t have a proper control on the persons surrounding him

• Seeing her with his fur coat on sounds probably like a little amusing game for her, but she’s only welcomed with the darkest look she would ever have to witness, his teeth clenched on his cigar while he doesn’t bit around the bush and straightforwardly ask what’s wrong with her own wardrobe

• He really doesn’t find it cute, nor lovable, it’s completely ridiculous and she’s making a fool of herself when she’s walking in the corridors with his coat on, the train ruined on the floor. He hates it severely and will definitely scold her about her attitude, harsh and cold as always, reminding her that he doesn’t need to have a child around, and that she looks like shit into those unfitting clothes

• He immediately sends her in town with enough money to buy dozen and dozen of new elements for her wardrobe, as long as she stop borrowing what doesn’t belong to her, hoping that it would be enough for her to understand the message ; there are limits, and she should respect them, he’s not here to play, he’s a businessman and he doesn’t want to have his reputation soiled with some squabbles and other unpleasant attitudes

• Though, if she’s stubborn enough, and continues to do what please her mind, Crocodile will slowly lower his guard, and only giving her desperate sighs and side looks whenever she wraps herself into his shirts and coat. Maybe it’s her way to prove that she loves him enough to challenge his authority, and somehow, he appreciates that wild fire within her guts, while she seems so happy to wear his clothes, smelling his collar with those lidded eyes he enjoys so much

• He would never say that he approves her attitude, but from time to time, rather than scolding her, he would simply pat the top of her hair whenever she’s laid somewhere with his coat around her shoulders, pretending that he doesn’t see what she’s doing anymore... but beware, little one, it can only be tolerated in your intimacy! He wouldn’t let her wear his clothes if he knows they are guests around, and hopefully, she understands it as well

292 notes · View notes

bubbly-bungee-may · 4 years ago

Text

ZoNa Valentine’s Week: Day 5 Why I Ship ZoNa: Part 2

A continuation of why I ship the marimo and the cat burglar together

3. Saving each other

This isn’t necessarily a legit reason to ship them as a couple; saving each other doesn’t always mean they like each other, but I personally love whenever the guy saves the girl. Also equally love when the girl saves the guy which Nami does too (just not to the extent that Zoro does)!

Nami saves Zoro, or maybe “helps” would be a better word? Regardless, Nami saves Zoro by giving his swords back to him because she knows he is much stronger with three swords than one. (Ep 14)

Another example would be when Zoro is trying to fight and Nami chips in with her badass self. (Ep 942)

And I think when Zoro saves Nami he is usually desperate to do so. I don’t think he ever wants to see her hurt or in pain.

Firstly, I mean just look at the smirk... he’s like “yeah, I got you. don’t worry” (Ep 116)

And the touching. The protecting. I need more. (Ep 160)

Bruh Zoro was SO DONE with these things that kept coming after his girl. Like he punched it HAHA (Ep 161)

Okay this is the continuation of the gif from the last post. It’s one of my favorite episodes because Zoro saves her and is with her a lot in this episode. This is the first time he saves her by, maybe not so gently, pushing her down the stairs. Now look, you can’t save everyone safely when it’s a life or death matter. He saw a weapon and was more concerned about protecting Nami than her getting hurt. Remember what I said about him being desperate when it comes to saving Nami? Yeah... there you go. (Ep 225)

“I did it to save her! Got a problem with that?!” AHHH I LOVE IT honestly I don’t think Zoro minds saving Nami. Like the moment in Dressrosa when he wants to go and save Nami on the ship, but Sanji interjects. Like I think Zoro always has Nami’s safety in mind. And look, yeah he sometimes saves her in not the safest of ways, but he still saves her. Can you imagine Zoro and Sanji fighting over Nami OH MY GOOOOODNESS. Sorry, but Zoro would win.

Like here he ran to his girl SO FAST. Also Zoro may not be the brightest when it comes to a lot of things, but here he noticed that the beam would go towards Nami, something that Sanji didn’t think of. AND the fact that it was Zoro saving her instead of Sanji, the one who usually would rush to her side.... max blush

Desperation 2.0. Zoro was about to jump in and save her, but the frog did instead (sigh) Also we only saw Zoro get ready to save her, not Sanji or Chopper or anyone else! (Ep 272)

Zoro looking hella mad that this bird lady is trying to hurt his girl. (Ep 612)

4. These two can think so similarly. (Ep 585 and OP Strong World)

Both are the only ones who have commented on Chopper’s fur like this. It’s nice to see them think similarly even though most of the time they have differing points of view (as stated in the last post). And I love all the interactions between Nami/Zoro/Chopper. They’re such parents and I love it. Like can you imagine Zoro and Nami and Chopper as a happy family, because I can.

Okay next moment, “ Leave it all to.... luck.” (Ep 267 & 297)

Maybe Nami was inspired by Zoro’s successful entering of Eneis Lobby through his “luck” and decided to test her own, or maybe they are just on the same wavelength that day. Either way, they both decided to leave everything to luck.

Hatchin, the fishman. (Ep 386)

This is another one of my favorite moments between the two. These are at two different times with Zoro hearing about it later. They both feel uncomfortable after hearing that the person they are rescuing is a fishman named Hatchin/Hachi. Now it’d probably mean nothing IF Zoro wasn’t the only one concerned, but he is. Everyone else on the ship (Sanji, Usopp, and Luffy) was there at Nami’s island and all fought fishman, but none really remembered the name Hatchin. I think the reason Zoro remembers so clearly is that he was the one who fought Hatchin directly. But isn’t it kind of suspicious that Zoro is the only one specifically tied to this event?

And I love this part because Zoro is concerned and wants to know how Nami feels. (Ep 387)

And they knew it... they knew it so well. Their faces, the sighs, the words, its all the same (Ep 387)

Now this part was most likely added for humor’s sake, but I still love the fact that Zoro got angry when asked if they were friends. I like to think he got angry for Nami’s sake. (Ep 387)

And for the finale, their mutual hatred for Buggy. Again, their faces, and even the tone of their voice, its all the same (Ep 400)

Final part will be up tomorrow!

#zona #zonami #zoro x nami #nami x zoro #the true otp #one piece #one piece anime #nami one piece #zoro one piece #roronoa zoro

68 notes · View notes

olivereactsaboutgarbage · 2 years ago

Text

One Piece Chapters 139-147

Ah... it’s December 3rd... and 3 plus... Piece... equals... 3 Piece... Cool

Chapter 139 - Enter Tony Tony Chopper

Oh, it appears the princess is also doing an escort mission. Usopp is who she’s escorting. But it’s okay, because he gets better by getting worse.

Nearby, Zoro’s shirt is off again. Man... Zoro’s shirt really does play by its own rules, huh? What a pesky shirt.

Zoro replaces his shirt with some mook’s shirt. Now Zoro won’t die! Hooray for mooks!

Nami’s New Friend Is... A Little Freaking Guy!

Reverse Santa!Carmen P. Sandiego’s reindeer!

Reverse Santa!Carmen P. Sandiego is there too.

It turns out

Ach...! This... accursed... curse!

That’s better.

Anyway, as I was saying, Nami’s shirt getting burned off in the specific place it did was actually the cause of her near-death experience that happened just now. Wild! Next we’ll find out that the fact that the princess’s shirt DIDN’T burn means, um... something. And the fact that Lufpy’s shirt ALSO burned means... something else! And... well, Zoro’s shirt is already clearly very meaningful, so that wouldn’t be a reveal as much as it would just be a statement of fact.

Man... Reverse Santa!Carmen P. Sandiego is just so pleasant to look at. Unlike Sanji, I enjoy her face. By which I obviously mean Sanji doesn’t enjoy her face.

If Reverse Santa!Carmen P. Sandiego joined Lufpy’s crew, she would automatically be the best member. She would be better than Nami. She would be better than Lufpy. I would think better of her than I do of Usopp. She would have more Sanji Points than Sanji. Zoro would be there.

...Can she please?

Can I keep her?

Chapter 140 - The Castle of Snow

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Wait, maybe she’s just being a Zoro. ...Although, if she’s a Zoro, I hope she doesn’t get killed by a rich person.

Wait, cyborg Tarrare is a rich person.

Uh oh.

...Oh, and on that note:

It turns out

Gyaaaaaaark!!!

...what...

...was I...

...doing...?

I remember when Nami never would have said that. I guess that was under false pretenses though. Ah, nostalgia...

Legendary panel.

wait is this guy’s tragic backstory just the song

it’s just the song

“rudolf the red-nosed reindeer”

but with red replaced with blue

i dunno lady have you tried asking him to guide your sleigh? maybe he’ll feel better then

...wait i think you literally have tried that. never freaking mind

There are some birds, so the house everyone is in has to be cold, because there are some birds.

Oh, right... I was so ecstatic to be spending time with these two weirdos that I forgot cyborg Tarrare was actively right behind Lufpy at this very moment.

Chapter 141 - Quack Doctor

They’re dead...! They’re all dead...!!!

...

hehe... Reverse Santa!Carmen P. Sandiego... beloved woman... greatest woman of all time... only good anime girl ever...

...

He’s dead...! He’s all dead...!!!

...

the world’s best woman’s MALE COUNTERPART FROM THE PAST... is he bad...? well yes he is, but also they are friends... why have these two specific characters made one piece character designs three million times gooder...

...

Chapter 142 - Skull and Cherry Blossoms

omg... BABY princess... this is just like mario kart...

Chapter 143 - Clumsy

...

badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger

Chapter 144 - Snowy Tale

ah fuck okay I’ve reached the end of yet another chapter and STILL there hasn’t been a third Death Event

You see... the reason I’ve barely been commenting on the last few chapters is not because I haven’t been enjoying them. No no. These last few chapters have been freaking great. No... the reason why I’ve barely been commenting on the last few chapters is because... I got to say “They’re dead...! They’re all dead...!!!” and then shortly afterwards I got to say “He’s dead...! He’s all dead...!!!”

I didn’t want to commentate too much prior to a third Death Event, because I figured I could reuse the syntax and then I would have used the syntax three times in quick succession, but I guess my attempt at pulling that off was a complete failure.

Anyway... I’m afraid Reverse Santa!Carmen P. Sandiego may not be destined for Lufpy’s journey. It seems she may be the Chef to Tony Tony Chopper’s Sanji, with her male counterpart being the palindrome girl to his Zoro. I... don’t want to say goodbye to her... but... I sense it... on the breeze...

It’s interesting, assuming that Tony Tony Chopper is indeed The New Crewmate From This Arc... that the easiest two crewmates to compare him to are Sanji and Zoro, my bottom two crewmates. The thing is, there’s nothing really wrong with Zoro. The only thing that really damns him is... a certain blandness-of-concept within a fun cast. Sanji on the other hand, has reached some high highs in terms of how enjoyable his character is, but his lows are even lower than Zoro’s lows, which causes him to lose Sanji Points and drags down his Sanji Score significantly.

Lufpy, Zoro, Nami and Usopp aren’t Freaks from Lands of Freaks. They’re just characters.

Sanji is a Freak from a Land of Freaks.

Tony Tony Chopper is a Freak from a Land of Freaks... and he lacks Sanji’s character flaws.

If I’m right.

And Lufpy is gonna end up bringing Tony Tony Chopper on his journey while Reverse Santa!Carmen P. Sandiego stays behind...

Then I don’t know if I can be objective right now about where I would rank Tony Tony Chopper on my list of crewmates. Because saying goodbye to Reverse Santa!Carmen P. Sandiego would be such a huge loss that the only thing I would be able to taste would be bitterness.

But once that loss has passed and I’ve gone through the five stages of grief...

Being a Freak from a Land of Freaks without Sanji’s flaws does result in Tony Tony Chopper having a lot of Tony Tony Chopper Points.

Chapter 145 - Carrying on His Will

Oh... “Soon, a monster will appear. He’s my son. Don’t hurt him.” That’s the other One Piece line everyone always talks about, besides “Of course I will!!!”

That means I’ve now encountered both of the only two lines from One Piece that are any good at all. It’s all downhill from here. Ah well! There are other mangas.

...Someone just died. I wish I had a quirky way of talking about that, perhaps with a certain combination of words and punctuation, but alas, I do not.

This is the story of how the guy who didn’t want to be president didn’t want cyborg Tarrare to be king. That story’s over now though.

Cyborg Tarrare gets hit by Lufpy’s fist. Well, that’s a little out of left field. This moment really could have used some clearer foreshadowing if it’s actually something the author was planning in advance. Well, whatever.

Chapter 146 - Battle to Defend the Kingdom

Aww... Lufpy loves violence so much! That’s cute. <3

Oh man, that’s storytelling with just enough nuance that it’s completely hilarious... Sanji probably means this as a bad thing, but to Tony Tony Chopper, it would most likely sound warm and inviting... like a place to finally belong at long last.

If I’m right.

Oops, Reverse Santa!Carmen P. Sandiego was just on-panel again, and that means my brain will once again be incapable of processing any coherent thoughts other than that I love her.

Anyway, what happens to Sanji next is the same thing that happens to Mr. Incredible in that one Pixar movie, The Incredibles.

Lufpy cruelly robs Nami of a chance to be relevant, but what else is new. Getting cruelly robbed of her chance to be relevant is Nami’s whole deal. Besides, she needs rest.

Lufpy truly does have a foot fetish... I knew it...

Chapter 147 - Frauds

Oh, the White Mages had human faces... they had humanity... all they needed to do was to become anti-maskers. That’s heartwarming.

Hee hee hee... this is the funniest instance yet of me taking speech bubbles out of context to make it look like this arc is about cannibalism!

...Oh, right. This arc had Usopp, Zoro, and the princess in it.

Oh, and a guy who didn’t want to be president. Him too.

Yep.

And now... Usopp and the guy who doesn’t want to be president will go to this arc’s actually-important location.

Zoro and the princess will hang out I guess. Maybe a Zoro ex Machina will happen later.

Oh... something bad happened to the symbol that represented Tony Tony Chopper’s love of palindromes... they really went there...

Oh yay, Lufpy’s a nice guy and will fix it! :)

#one piece #is what i'm consuming #IT TURNS OUT

0 notes

pingo1387 · 7 years ago

Text

Duplication Disaster

Another 24-hour fic, written hastily and heavily based on a subplot from Paper Mario TTYD.

Read it on FFN

“And that’s the situation,” the village elder finished. He bowed his head. “You look very strong. Won’t you help us?”

“So, some kind of monster lives in the steeple on the hill,” Nami said.

“And villagers here are being turned one by one into pigs,” Zoro said.

“And you think it’s the work of the monster,” Usopp said.

“And you want us to help?” Luffy finished.

“Yes!” the village elder exclaimed. “It won’t be long before every one of us is rolling in the mud!”

“I mean, I’m sorry about that,” Luffy said. “But what’s in it for us?”

“We have a bit of gold we could offer you,” the village elder said, taken aback. “And perhaps some food, or other supplies, free of charge?”

“That sounds good,” Nami agreed, eyes already gleaming at the mention of money. “Luffy, go beat up this monster quick!”

“Come with me!” Luffy said indignantly. “You’re the one who wants the money! I’m just doing it for the food!”

“Do I have to come?” Usopp asked. “I mean, free supplies would be nice, but a monster sounds—”

“There you guys are!”

Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp looked up as Chopper burst into the tiny room.

“I was with Franky on the ship,” he cried, “and all of a sudden he turned into a pig!”

The Strawhats stood.

“That settles it,” Zoro said. “Let’s go get that monster.”

“Chopper, do you know where the others are, besides Franky?” Nami asked.

“Sanji’s with Franky, and Brook and Robin are in a bookstore,” Chopper said, catching his breath.

“Let’s go get the others, for backup,” Usopp said, gulping. “Chopper, we’ll explain on the way!”

“Thank you!” the village elder exclaimed, just before there was a puff of smoke, leaving behind a pink, squealing pig.

“So I’ll stay on the ship with Franky,” Chopper said when everyone had gathered at Sunny, Franky the blue pig snorting at their heels, “and you guys go take care of that monster!”

Everyone nodded. Luffy gave the signal and they ran for the hill where the steeple rested.

“Um,” Chopper said, sitting by Franky. “Can you understand me?”

Franky ignored him. Chopper sighed and patted his head.

The journey to the steeple was tough—the forest was thick and untraversed, not to mention chilly, and it was uphill the entire way. Usopp jumped at every clawlike branch and clung to Zoro the whole time.

But at last, the group stood in front of the door to the old steeple, a sign hanging above it.

“To enter, one must have their name written upon their body,” Robin read aloud.

“What kind of rule is that?” Zoro said, raising an eyebrow.

Nami took out a pen and wrote her name on her palm. “There’s mine,” she said. She handed the pen to Usopp. “Hurry up.”

“Um...”

They turned to Robin, who had entered the building with no problems.

“I think whoever made that rule did it as a prank,” she announced.

Nami blushed and took the pen back from Usopp. Luffy just laughed and hurried inside. “Come on, then!”

They walked down an eerie corridor, the building dank and dark and rank with mold.

“Or, perhaps,” Robin said, “whoever doesn’t have their name written on them will perish from a curse.”

“Nami, if I die, make sure everyone knows how brave I was,” Usopp wailed, clinging to her arm as Brook screamed.

“Well, if we all die except Nami, that’s just fate,” Zoro said.

“Zoro-san, please,” Brook exclaimed.

“I’m sure we’ll all be fine,” Sanji said. “But, Nami-san, you’re so wise, taking every possible precau—”

“Hey, what if this monster turns us all into pigs when we’re fighting it?” Luffy wondered aloud as the group started walking up spiral stairs. “What then?”

“Guess we’ll bite it?” Zoro said. “What do pigs do?”

“I don’t want to be a pig!” Nami exclaimed, clinging to Usopp. “Be my shield!”

“How can I shield you from a curse?!” he cried. “Curses go around and through things! Wasn’t Franky inside when he got transformed?!”

“The door’s locked,” Luffy said. Usopp and Nami bumped into Zoro and everyone looked up at the tall door. They had reached the end of the spiral staircase.

“Could we need this?” Zoro asked, pulling out a key.

“Where’d you get that?” Robin asked, taking it from him and inserting it into the lock.

“Saw it on the floor earlier.”

“Good eye.”

The door swung open, and they came face-to-face with a very strange being.

“Visitors?” it (or he, judging by the voice, high-pitched as it was) exclaimed, leaping from a cushy armchair. His body was covered by a white sheet with a silly face drawn on the front like a Halloween costume, and oddly a conical hat rested on his head.

Nami, Usopp, and Brook shrieked.

“A ghost!” Brook cried, backing up.

“It’s gonna eat us!” Usopp wailed.

“That’s not what ghosts do!” Nami snapped. ��He’s gonna curse us!”

“Say, all of you, just get to the point!” the thing said impatiently. “I was resting!”

“Is this your bedroom?” Sanji asked. The room did indeed look very cozy.

“Never mind that,” Luffy said. “Are you the guy who’s been turning everyone into pigs?”

“Yep,” the thing said. He giggled. “It’s just for fun, you know?”

“Turn everyone back right now and maybe we won’t beat you up,” Zoro said, drawing a sword.

The thing looked around at them. “Hm... nope. Don’t feel like it.”

“Then we’re fighting,” Luffy announced, and everyone dove in, taking it in turns to attack the monster. The ghost thing had some good kicks and punches, but soon he was reeling where he stood.

“Now, now, just wait,” he said, wheezing. “I have a trick up my sleeve!”

He waggled his arms under the sheet, and with a puff of smoke, transformed into—

“Nami-san!” Sanji exclaimed. He looked at their own Nami, staring at the creature in disgust. “Two Nami-sans! My day is made!”

“How about that?” the creature said proudly, still in his own voice. “Duplication! Ever seen that before?”

“Yeah,” Zoro said. “And if you think taking on the appearance of a friend is gonna stop us, you’re sadly mistaken.”

“We do know you’re not our Nami-san,” Brook added, gesturing to the real Nami behind him. “That’s an interesting ability, but it won’t stop us from defeating you.”

“You don’t understand,” the creature insisted. “When I do this, I get all the person’s fighting ability!”

It drew out the Clima Tact and spun it. “Now, come at me!”

But with expert speed and agility, thunderous attacks were dodged and the creature, once more, was left swaying where he stood.

“This... isn’t over,” he gasped. He fell to his knees. “Or... maybe it is!”

The figure of Nami dissolved, leaving behind a barely discernable shadow figure lying on the floor. The Nami among the Strawhats jumped in surprise.

“We did it?” Sanji said, coming forward (for he had refused to fight the creature).

“We did,” Usopp said, throwing him an annoyed glance. “Geez, did that thing really think taking on Nami’s looks would stop us?”

“I hope you don’t take offense, Nami,” Robin said with a smile.

“None at all,” Nami said firmly. She put away her Clima Tact.

“Well, come on, let’s see if the curse is gone,” Luffy said, turning around. “And if it is, we get food!”

The others cheered and followed him out.

Several minutes passed before Nami woke up.

She pushed herself up from the floor of the cozy room where they had found the creature. She looked around, confused, and shook her head. Standing, she looked at her hands and flinched—they were mere shadows, and if they hadn’t been attached to her equally shadowy body, she wouldn’t have known they were hers.

Nami gulped and hurried out of the room. She had to find the others.

“Thanks so much, old guy!” Luffy said through another mouthful of food.

“Oh, no, thank you for saving us,” the village elder insisted. He looked around at the Strawhats munching down on the small feast. “This is the least we can do...”

“I still dunno what happened,” Franky said, scratching his head.

“I told you—never mind,” Chopper said. “Where’d Nami go?”

“Bathroom,” Usopp said, tearing into a spicy chicken wing.

“Hey, little lady!”

Nami froze and drew out her smoky Clima Tact, giving a hostile glare (though her shadowy features were invisible against the rest of her face) to her own body approaching her with a smirk. No one was in the alleyway but them.

“Have you figured it out yet?” her body, her own voice, went on. “As soon as you and your friends defeated me, I stole your body. Normally I can just replicate someone... but to really be someone, I have to take their body and name! Good girl, listening to that sign outside the door.”

Nami tried to yell, but found she could not speak.

“Oh, and since I have your body, I have your voice,” the creature added. “The best part? If your friends see you like that, they won’t know you at all! Can’t use your name if you don’t have one, right?”

Nami came at the creature with the Clima Tact, but though her strike was head-on, the shadow version went right through her body’s head.

“No, no, no,” the creature said, shaking its (Nami’s) head. “You can’t hurt me when I’m this powerful, and when you’re like that. But this doesn’t seem very fair to you. I’ll give you a sporting chance, little lady. If you guess my real name and tell me—oh, you can’t use your voice—well, write it down three times on a piece of paper and give it to me. If you can do that, maybe you’ll have a chance at beating me!”

The creature turned around. “So long, little lady, I have a party to get back to.”

Nami stared after it and fell to her knees. Something had to be done. Something...

In her shadowy body, Nami did not feel much, and that night she was able to sleep outside in the town without catching cold. She woke the next morning and crept to the edge of a house, peering around the corner to the Sunny. The crew was waking, too, and soon enough several dispersed throughout the town, including Nami’s imposter. Judging by that, the only ones still on the ship were Robin, Chopper, Zoro, and Sanji.

Then, her only chance would be...

Nami pressed herself low to the ground and crawled to the ship stealthily. She leapt onto the railing, landing lightly, and tiptoed around walls to the door she sought. Sanji, who rested against the opposite railing, looking out to sea, thankfully heard nothing.

Chopper, in his office, heard a soft knock, and went to answer it. When he saw the shadowy figure before him, he screamed, and Nami tumbled inside and pressed a hand to his mouth. As his eyes filled with fearful tears, she pressed a finger to her lips and slowly removed her hand.

“Wh—What do you want?” Chopper whimpered.

Nami gestured to her throat.

“You can’t talk?”

Nami nodded and pointed to the desk. Chopper, staring at her warily the whole time, jumped up to his chair and grabbed a pen and paper, setting them out. Nami straightened up and began to write.

I need your help.

“Help with what?” Chopper whispered. “Who are you?”

I’m

Nami frowned and tried to make her hand write the characters she needed.

My name is

She sighed.

My name and body were stolen from me, she wrote. My voice, too. I’m a friend, Chopper. Please help.

“Your name and body?!” Chopper exclaimed. “How does that happen?!”

I don’t know, but I need your help. And don’t tell anyone else.

“I... okay, I’ll help,” Chopper said bravely. “Why can’t I tell anyone?”

They’ll think I’m an enemy because I look like this.

“Oh, you do look scary,” Chopper agreed. “Got it. Okay. What do we do?”

The one who stole my identity told me that if I can find out his real name and write it three times, I can defeat him. I don’t have any idea where to start.

“Hm... I’ll ask Robin, she might know,” Chopper said. He nodded at Nami’s gesturing. “I won’t tell her! I promise! It’s our secret, mystery person!”

Nami clasped her hands together in thanks and sat on the bed, waiting as Chopper hurried out the door.

“Robin?”

“Yes?” Robin said, looking up from her writings.

“Um...” Chopper shifted. “How do you find out someone’s name if they won’t tell you what it is?”

Robin smiled. “I suppose... that depends. You could start by looking at their possessions or where they live. People often put their name on their things, or have it on their door.”

“Oh! Good idea, thanks!”

Chopper ran up the ladder. Robin stared after him, amused, before returning to her studies.

“So do you know where to go?” Chopper finished.

I have an idea. Follow me. We’ll sneak away.

“Okay!” Chopper said, eyes shining at the prospect of having a secret adventure.

Nami led Chopper away from the ship, keeping a lookout for wandering eyes. When they were out of sight, she broke into a brisk walk, leading him up the shady hill she had traversed with the others yesterday.

“Um,” Chopper whispered, shying away from the eerie flora. “Are you sure we’re going the right way?”

Nami nodded and picked him up, holding him close to her in comfort.

“You feel familiar,” Chopper said, leaning against her shoulder. “Who are you?”

Nami rested her head on his and continued walking. It wasn’t long before they stood in front of the steeple.

“‘Must have their name written on’ ...should I do that?” Chopper asked. Nami shook her head and set him down, leading him inside. She brought him up to the still-unlocked door, letting him stick close to her legs, and pushed it open.

The room was empty. Nami and Chopper looked at each other and moved to different corners, searching for something, anything with any clue to the monster’s name—but even after turning the room upside-down, their efforts were fruitless.

“Maybe somewhere else in this building?” Chopper suggested. Nami nodded and they left the room, heading down the staircase. As they went back down the corridor, Chopper tripped. Nami hurried back to help him up, and he looked back at where he’d fallen.

“Is this... ?” He knelt and scrabbled at the floor. With Nami helping, they uncovered a trapdoor with a ladder going into the darkness. Chopper gulped and reached out for Nami again; she held him with one arm as she dropped onto the ladder, climbing oh-so-carefully.

By feeling around, she found a short hallway, and was forced to crawl forward with Chopper. They came upon a tiny room, barely lit by light filtering in from a grate above them. The room had nothing in it but a parrot resting on a perch and a tiny box.

Nami and Chopper glanced at each other.

“Um, excuse me,” Chopper said to the parrot. “We’re looking for the name of someone who lives here. Can you help us?”

“Polly wanna cracker!” the parrot squawked. “Good girl? Polly wanna cracker!”

Nami tapped Chopper’s shoulder, waved goodbye to the bird, and crawled back into the short hallway, hiding Chopper behind her shadowy body.

And when a minute had passed, the bird spoke again.

“They’re gone... I guess,” she sighed. “So they want to know Rumpel’s name? Good luck! He told me he cursed the thing in this box, so if he ever took anyone’s body, they wouldn’t be able to write his name unless they touched this! I just wish I had a better job than guarding this...”

Nami and Chopper tumbled out of the hallway. Nami tackled the bird while Chopper seized the box and threw it to the floor, breaking it open without need for a key. Nami pushed the grate in the ceiling open and let the bird fly out.

“Thank you!” the bird cried, flying away.

“Here,” Chopper said, handing Nami a scrap of paper. Nami felt a shiver run through her and studied it: The letter L, written hastily.

“So the thing’s name is Rumpel?” Chopper said. Nami nodded. “Great! Then all we have to do is find him and you can defeat him!”

Nami nodded. She gave Chopper a boost up through the grate and then leapt up herself, accepting his helping hand. They were outside behind the steeple and hurried back down the hill.

No sooner had they agreed to split up in town to look for the monster (Nami could not describe the appearance, of course) when a familiar voice behind Nami said, “Hey, little lady!”

Nami whipped around to see her imposter approaching again.

“Your friends all seem convinced I’m you,” he said, smiling. “Maybe I’ll just take your place entirely and leave you here. Then again, if you’ve guessed my name, there’s nothing I can do!”

Mocking her, he drew out a pen and paper with a flourish and presented them. “Go on! Write it!”

Nami glared at her body and wrote Rumpel, Rumpel, Rumpel with such ferocity the paper nearly ripped. The moment she showed the name to its namesake, the color in his cheeks drained.

“No... no,” Rumpel whispered. “No, no, no, no! How?! You shouldn’t have been able to—! No!”

Nami whipped out her Clima Tact and smacked Rumpel in the shoulder. This time it connected, and Rumpel stumbled. But the look of horror on his (Nami’s) face was quickly replaced by one of cunning. He screamed and turned heel, running in the direction of the harbor.

“What happened?” Chopper exclaimed, running up a moment later. “Did you find him?”

Nami nodded and pointed. Chopper followed her.

“Guys!” Rumpel exclaimed, bursting in on lunchtime. “That guy from the steeple’s back!”

“What?!” Luffy exclaimed, jumping up.

Rumpel nodded fearfully. “I’m sorry I didn’t fight him, he startled me!”

“Is he coming here?” Zoro asked. Rumpel nodded again and led everyone outside, where Nami and Chopper had just boarded the ship.

“You wanna fight again?” Sanji said. “Chopper, why are you with that guy?”

“It’s okay,” Chopper said as Nami glared at Rumpel. “They’re friendly! I’m helping them!”

“Chopper, that’s the thing we fought in the steeple,” Robin said. “The one who cast the pig curse.”

“What?” Chopper whispered, looking at Nami, who shook her head.

“This is the guy?” Franky said, confused.

“It is indeed,” Brook said, drawing his sword. “Chopper-san, I’m afraid you were duped.”

Chopper backed away from Nami, who knelt, reaching out to him. “You tricked me?! After you were so nice and everything!” His eyes filled with tears. “You jerk!”

“It’s okay,” Rumpel said, throwing a sneaky smile to Nami. “Come here before he does anything to you.”

Chopper ran to the Strawhats, clinging to Robin and glaring at Nami. Nami balled her fists and stood, facing the group.

“Either leave or we’ll fight,” Zoro threatened, readying his swords.

Nami shook her head and drew out her weapon, charging for Rumpel, but Sanji blocked her, kicking away her weapon so it skittered across the deck.

“Why would you go straight for her?” he snapped. “Some man you are. And you still have that weird shadow form instead of your usual weird self?”

Nami shoved him aside and went for Rumpel again, who blocked her with her own Clima Tact. Nami seized it and used it to push Rumpel to the deck, but this time it was Luffy who blocked her.

“Why are you going after me?” Rumpel cried, frowning. “I didn’t do anything to you! No more than anyone else here, anyway!”

“Hey, Sanji,” Chopper said, still hiding behind Robin as Luffy kept Nami away from Rumpel. “What do you mean, weird shadow form?”

“The guy was a freak-in-a-sheet in the beginning of the fight,” Sanji explained, helping Rumpel up from the deck. “And then he made himself look like Nami-san to try to stop us from fighting.”

“Yeah, and the only one he stopped was the cook,” Zoro added, grabbing Nami in a headlock. She struggled and slapped and pinched him but he wouldn’t let go.

“Anyway, after we beat him up, he changed into this shadow form here,” Sanji finished, gesturing to Nami.

Chopper frowned. “He... made himself look like Nami,” he repeated. “And... did you ever find out the enemy’s name?”

“No,” Usopp said. “Why? Hey, ghost man, what is your name?”

Nami pointed to Rumpel.

“Are you still pretending to be me?” Rumpel exclaimed, indignant. “Of all the—!”

“Chopper,” Robin said. “You said you were helping him. What did he need help with?”

“They said they were a friend,” Chopper said, staring pensively at Nami. “And they couldn’t tell me their name, because their name and body were stolen from them.”

“Some kind of elaborate trick,” Rumpel interrupted even as Zoro, Robin, and Franky stared at him with suspicion. “I guess he thought the raccoon out of everyone would be the most trusting. He used you, Chopper.”

Zoro released Nami from the headlock and she looked at him in surprise.

“Go get him,” he said, gesturing to Rumpel.

“Excuse me—hey!” Rumpel exclaimed indignantly. “Zoro, why—?!”

“Hey, fake Nami?” Luffy said. “Chopper’s a reindeer.”

Sanji backed away from Rumpel as he looked around sheepishly. “Oh... slip of the tongue. Sorry—”

Nami tackled him. Everyone backed off, wincing, as she pummelled her own body over and over, held down by her weight and Robin’s helping hands.

At last, when her body was covered in bruises and lying still, the true form of Rumpel in the sheet reappeared beneath her. She stood, puffs of smoke covering her until her own body was hers once more, still bruised and bleeding in places.

“It was just a prank, little lady,” Rumpel whispered from the deck. “Just a prank. I promise. Please leave me alone.”

“My name is Nami,” Nami hissed. “Go to hell.”

She ripped away his sheet. To her shock, there was nothing beneath, and the sheet fell limply to the deck.

“That was weird,” Zoro said at last.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, my dear,” Sanji cried. “How could I ever mistake you for another?”

Nami pushed him away and knelt to hug Chopper. “Thanks for listening.”

“You’re back!” he exclaimed, beginning to cry again.

“Are you okay?” Luffy asked. “Sorry we didn’t know.”

“I’m fine,” Nami said. “I just wish he hadn’t given me back these injuries, too.”

“I’ll give you some ointment,” Chopper offered. She nodded and stood, following him to his office.

“That was a clever trick,” Zoro remarked, picking up the sheet and throwing it overboard.

“Wait!” Usopp exclaimed. “So, when did he switch himself with Nami? When he turned into the shadow version?”

“Probably, yes,” Brook said thoughtfully.

“And what was he?!”

“A demon,” Robin said.

“A kitsune,” Zoro suggested.

“No, he would’ve turned into a fox,” Sanji argued. “Whatever he was, he’s gone. If you’ll excuse me, I need to make my Nami-san some snacks.”

“Get me some, too,” Luffy called after him.

“Nami-san comes first!”

#one piece #opfanfic #writing adventures #nami #chopper

3 notes · View notes