Chapter Text
When Nami first heard the name 'Nika', uttered by an astonished Jinbe in the face of their captain's new form, she didn't think much of it. Yeah, it was a shock to know the Devil Fruit Luffy ate isn't the Gum Gum Fruit, but the Human Human Fruit mythical type model Nika. The Sun God. Warrior of Liberation. Joyboy. But this is Luffy they're talking about! He's still the same rubber idiot they've come to know. Nothing has changed.
Still so many names are suddenly popping up along her captain's own epithet of 'Strawhat', are used as substitution for it. It's confusing and it doesn't make sense. He's not a god. Says so himself with a frown adorning his usually happy face, as he reads the articles. 'Earlobe-guy called himself god. I'm not him.' The others try to explain the difference, but she just nods, understands. He's right. He's no god, or a reincarnation of a long gone figure of the lost century. He's Luffy. That's all that counts.
Problem is, the world doesn't get that. They call him Nika and Joyboy and Saviour and Hero. All things that make the corners of his mouth pull down. Make him yell at them that he's not any of that and he won't share his meat with them. Make the smile they all yearn for, live for, disappear. She doesn't want to see him like this. So she takes a page out of his book.
The next time he just used Gear 5, just returns to them, still a bit of that carefree, bouncy energy left with him, she says: “You know, you do look like the incarnation of the Sun like that.”
He pouts. Of course he does, but there's also that smile hidden underneath. The one that tells her, he doesn't hate it when his Nakama do it, because they don't mean it like that. Not like the ones who don't know him. Who just heard of the things he did and jump to the conclusions of greatness and divinity.
Which is why he doesn't mind Usopp's comparison of their deeds as fellow 'God's. Laughs with Chopper, when Brook complains about him shining so bright, he'll lose his eyesight... if he had any. Hides at Sanji's raised voice adding 'Nika' in between his names just to lengthen it, when he finds their supplies raided again. Loves the stories Robin tells him about the one everyone called 'Joyboy' before him and their similarities. Smiles when he hears Jinbe tell everyone, he finally found the sun he'd been looking for. It's different. It's fun.
They tease him at every opportunity, until he only laughs and smiles when others call him the names. They don't get the joke, but he does. Only he and his Nakama.
It makes Nami happy to have taken a burden off his shoulders, like he did so many times for them. A little thing she can repay him with, for the life he saved her from and the one he gave her instead. One at his side, with friends as close as family. Her dream of a world map on the way of being fulfilled.
She just wishes it was the only one he has.
It started after the fight with Kaido, she just didn't notice it yet. None of them did. With all the commotion around a freed Wano, the party right after, Luffy never sitting still for a second, the reveal he was a Yonko now and their abrupt departure, which of course had to be down the waterfall. It was all a mess, but she is used to that with a captain heading into every danger he can find. It was just a little bit more of a mess than usual, so when they finally had a moment of peace on the Sunny, all of them returning to their little routine, they noticed.
...well, Robin did. Nami was more interested in making sure they stayed on course, than watching Luffy play catch with Usopp and Chopper. Later, the archaeologist told them it was the way the sun caught on their captain windswept locks, that attracted her attention.
“They appeared to be just a shade lighter than usual.” She explained later. “Not much, but noticeable.”
It wasn't something you could see, if you aren't looking for it, but Robin has always been the most observant of the Strawhats, so she had to be the first. After, Nami began to look, to search for that subtle change, only revealed on the brightest of days. And she wondered if it always has been, or if it was a recent thing.
The next time Luffy went into Gear 5, it was to get used to the new form. ...or so he said. Nami's pretty sure he just wanted to play around with it. And why shouldn't he? It's his power! He can do whatever he wants with it.
What worried her was what came after. Because when his hair turned from white to black, it was wrong. Not the raven she was used to, but a brighter onyx, almost like the colour washed out. It didn't make sense. It's always been black! Since way back the first time she's seen him, dropping out of the sky in that boat. (She's pretty sure he doesn't even know what hair-dye is, which means it has to be natural.) So why should it change now?
It's when his eyes started to change too, went from the beautiful earth brown she's always loved, to a dark bloody red and then over to pink, while his hair continued to brighten, that Robin (again!) had the answer.
“I'm not a hundred percent positive.” She said, when they were all sitting around the campfire. Their location the shore of an uninhabited island the Log Pose had pointed to. Perfect for a barbecue! And a major reveal, apparently. “I've only heard rumours about this and never found a confirmation of any kind. But it is said that those people pray to in their needs, can gain the powers of the gods. There are no specifics to what kind of powers this entails, or the process of it happening, but I believe this is what is happening to our Captain.”
“I'm not a god.” It wasn't exclaimed in the usual defiant way he would use with the people calling him such. Because this was Robin saying it. Robin is smart and she's Nakama. She'd never lie to him if she could help it. His startling pink eyes roamed around, pleading for someone to stand up and prove he isn't. Or to say it was a joke. No one could. It pulled on Nami's heartstrings to see him like this.
“People believe you to be the Sun God, Luffy-kun.” Jinbe finally says. “You've freed so many islands from oppressive leaders, or the threads of pirates. They spread the word about your doings and now those in slavery, who've heard about them or the legend of Nika through the tales of other slaves, pray to you to free them. And every time you use that form, more are added to the count. If what Robin says is true, I don't doubt this is what's happening.”
Rubber hands tightened around a piece of meat. Hunger forgotten in the face of undeniable facts. “...but I don't want to be a god.”
“Is there no way to prevent it?” Sanji looked angry, the way he was biting down on the bud of his cigarette, his foot repeatedly tapping on the ground. He clenched and unclenched his fist, like he wanted to punch something really hard. Like those putting his captain into this situation.
“If there is, I don't know it. As I said, I only heard rumours about this. I could even be wrong with my conclusion. I hope I am.” She wouldn't have mentioned it, if she wasn't sure enough. If all her research hadn't pointed in this direction. She would never put the crew, never put her captain through this, if there was no real reason to.
So Luffy was becoming a god and they couldn't change it, unless they made everyone forget about what happened. About how Luffy saved them, freed them from oppression. ...there was no way they could do it.
It made Nami angry, made her hate everyone creating this picture of him. They made him something he wasn't. Caged him in responsibilities he doesn't want. Wrapped him in chains of names and put him behind bars of promises once made. He's not the original Joyboy, nor a reincarnation of him. They shouldn't put their expectations on him, just cause he has the same fruit, the same power, the same appearance.
They turned him into a god. A divine being, far above humans, even though the only thing he wanted was to be free. For everyone around him to be free. Free to fulfil their dreams, to live, to be happy. Why does he have to pay the price?
When she looks at him now, white hair floating in the wind, completely bleached by peoples believes, she's proud. He's still standing strong. Still moves forward, with his dreams and believes. Doesn't falter even for a single moment, even while the world tries to decide his life for him. But she's also so sad, because if he's becoming a god like the ones in the textbooks, he'll live for a very long time. Much longer then any of them could. He'll have to watch them leave his side one by one unable to do anything and in the end, he'll be all alone.
She knows he hates nothing more than being alone.
...and she can't do anything to help.