Work Text:
A supplement to the Atlas of the World by the World’s Greatest Cartographer and Meteorologist, Catburglar Nami.
It had always been a dream of mine to travel and gather stories from every island around the world. My work had kept me occupied for quite a while[1], but after the dissolution of the World Government, I have decided to join my brother[2] and his crew on their continued journey.
Luffy had been easy to convince, in that he required no convincing at all. The rest of the crew had seemed to take to my presence easily — most had already met me in the aftermath of Dressrossa[3], after I had obtained my brother’s fruit[4] — with the sole exception of the navigator and treasurer[5].
It had not occurred to me until much later that evening, that all the griping about the “cost of feeding another mouth” and other such concerns had been merely Nami-san’s version of bonding. The berry dropped, no pun intended, when I had offered to pay the difference and received a dismissive “I’ll just put it on your credit tab!” in response.
Luffy’s swordsman[6] had clasped me on the shoulder when she had said so, offering a commiserating look. “We’ve all been there,” he told me, and I have soon learned that his debt with Nami-san was larger than his current bounty[7].
I would like to say it had been smooth sailing from there. That would have been, however, a lie. I have known exactly what I was signing up for when tagging along with the Strawhats, and that was the wildest Adventure most people wouldn’t be even able to dream of.
The following stories are an account of said adventures, as accurate as my recollection allowed. They’re written down in chronological order, separated by the section of the Grand Line and the four Blues. It is with great pleasure that I present this collection to you, dear reader, and hope it offers you a glimpse of what we experienced!
Grand Line - Sphinx
Despite a fair number of islands separating Laughtale and Sphinx[8], Luffy had been insistent that it had to be the first stop after his metaphorical crowning. After achieving the dream he had been most vocal about, it had become a matter of utmost importance to share the news with our dearest brother, seeing as he had been the only one unable to watch Luffy become the Pirate King in person.
There had been, by necessity, some restocking trips in the meantime. One of such trips — visiting an island the crew had already been to on their way through the New World — was when I had approached the crew members for assistance. My first thought was to ask Luffy’s swordsman. Zoro however, after hearing my request, directed me towards the cook[9] who, with little hesitance, sent me out to talk with Nami-san.
I had approached her as she was putting the finishing touches on the budget for the day. “Loath as I am to ruin your work,” I said upon knocking at the open doors, announcing my presence. “I was wondering if I may request something specific.”
Nami-san sighed, although it had not escaped my notice that a small smile was dancing on her lips. Leaning on her hand, she turned towards me, her fiery locks cascading over her shoulder. “What do you need?” She asked.
“Sake,” I said simply. “It need not be expensive; rather, it needs to be palatable to Luffy.” She seemed surprised at the request. “Luffy doesn’t really like alcohol.” She straightened out, and it was only my noble upbringing that had stopped me from interrupting her. As Luffy’s older brother, I was well aware of his likes and dislikes. “Maybe it’d be better to get him some milk?”
“I’m afraid milk won’t quite cut it,” I inclined my head. “We had sworn our brotherhood, all those years ago, on sake. Swearing it again on anything else would be unlikely to bring forth the emotions I aim for.” It was then that she had grasped my intention, her plump lips falling open in understanding.
“I’ll make certain that we get something appropriate,” she assured, then winked. “And I’ll keep it out of Zoro’s greedy mouth, too, at no extra cost.” With a word of thanks, I had exited the room, leaving the matter in her capable hands.
North Blue - Flevance
Even with the leisurely rate of exploration due to the lack of any urgency whatsoever, the exploration and subsequent charting of the New World couldn’t take forever. And, once tasked with picking their next destination, Luffy’s answer was immediate: “Let’s visit Torao[10]!” With use of the shipwright’s[11] revolutionary inventions, we had crossed the Calm Belt in just a few Coup de Bursts, arriving in North Blue with a speed many would envy.
Trafalgar, as it turned out, had been hard at work ever since the change in the World order. He had claimed the corpse of Flevance[12] as his own, attempting to revitalize it to its former glory. Which, as he reluctantly accepted, the Strawhats could greatly assist with.
Nami-san, thanks to her experience with meteorology[13] and skill with her Clima-Tact, had been tasked with controlling the weather across the island. Curious about her talents and bereft of my own task, I had elected to come along, joining her upon Zeus[14], who expanded for the occasion.
It was quite fascinating to see Nami-san in her element: bringing forth the storms, calling up the winds, and directing sunshine towards wherever they were needed. She was clearly talented and took great joy in the task. A wide grin had never left her lips, and I found myself unable to look away from her radiant smile.
“What?” She had asked upon noticing my gaze, tilting her head towards me even as her hands never stopped operating her Clima-Tact in elegant arcs. “Have I got something on my face?” I wasn’t quite certain how to respond to that. It was quite silly to admit that I had been so entranced by a simple expression.
“We should spar sometime,” I had blurted out instead, mind latching onto the similarities between her tool and my weapon of choice. Thankfully, such an unusually weak distraction had still proven effective. Nami-san agreed eagerly, twirling her staff to the effect of a small vortex appearing behind her. The idea that she might be one of the few people capable of matching my skill filled me with excitement.
West Blue - Ohara
The crowning jewel of the West, Ohara[15], had been known for many things over the years. The reason for the Strawhats’ visit, however, was only one; It was the motherland of our dear archeologist[16].
There had been some rumors of attempts to rebuild the institute, supposedly conducted by the scarce few scientists who had been abroad during the Buster Call[17]. Confirming those rumours had been of great import to Nico-san, and the crew had not hesitated to make it a priority.
We had found the settlement instantly upon arriving on the island. The new Oharians were eager to host their symbol, calling for a feast which, of course, instantly enamoured Luffy towards them. The rest of the crew had a choice between attending and exploring the island.
I have chosen the exploration, as did Nami-san. She had elected to come along with me, venturing towards the lake beside the burned out husk of what used to be the main library. A great number of books and other items had been dropped in the lake to protect them from the fire. Efforts to rescue them had begun as soon as it was safe to do so, with a number of people working on the shore at all times.
It had taken us all but one look to decide we wanted to offer assistance. Nami-san joined those who were collecting the items from the bottom of the lake and carefully bringing it to the surface, whereas I joined the team who was carefully drying and preserving the items the moment they were out of the water. My Devil Fruit had not helped much in that endeavor, but it certainly kept me warm over the course of the day.
And, when the current shift ended and we were encouraged to return to the party, I was able to extend that same courtesy to Nami-san. Most everyone had their own towels and a change of clothes at hand, but there was no more pleasant way to dry oneself than using the Mera Mera no Mi.
Nami-san seemed to agree with me, sighing contently as I ran my hands over her arms, her sides, the length of her legs. She untied her hair and had me tangle my fingers in the fiery locks, carefully drying them without the smallest of flames in sight. The heat made her curls slightly more pronounced, bouncing delicately in the breeze and framing her face.
It was perhaps more a distracting sight than it should have been, leaving me staring in captivation for far longer than appropriate. Nami-san hardly seemed to mind; she merely laughed at my distraction and stepped away from my hold. Before I could regret the growing distance, she grabbed my hand. “Let’s go see if Luffy caused any chaos yet!” She said, and I followed easily.
South Blue - Baterilla
It was at Baterilla that I had left to explore the island without any Strawhat nor anyone else to keep myself company. It had taken a fair amount of effort and every bit of the charisma and skill that had seen me through my job as a Revolutionary to obtain the information I needed from the local populace, but obtain it I had.
The spot I had been looking for was one I had naught but hope that it even existed: The final resting place of one Portgas D Rouge. Considering the circumstances of her death, it was a miracle she had been granted a grave marker at all, let alone one placed on its lonesome on a hill far from town.
Taking my tophat in hand, I had bowed before it, offering my thanks for her efforts. Ace had spent a long time learning manners in order to thank Shanks for saving Luffy’s life [18]; it was only fair that I thanked Rouge for the miracle of giving Ace a chance to survive and meet us.
“Someone you know?” Nami-san’s voice drifted from behind me as I straightened. “Not as such,” I responded, wiping at the tears that welled up in my undamaged eye. “She had died months before I was even born. She had sacrificed herself for my brother and for that, she will have my undying gratitude.”
Nami-san stood silently by my side as she took that in, the profile of her face illuminated by the sun approaching the horizon. It was only because I had already been looking that I noticed her determination settling on a goal. “Then I offer my thanks as well,” she said as she bowed abruptly, keeping the pose for a moment. “I may have only met Ace once, and for a short moment at that, but it was clear to anyone with eyes that Luffy loved him to bits.”
I stood there for a moment longer, not quite ready to leave. Nami-san seemed happy to wait with me, threading our fingers together and resting her head on my shoulder. “Our crew doesn’t have much luck with mothers,” she said softly. “Or families in general[19]. Sometimes, I like to imagine they all got to meet in the afterlife. Watch us achieve our dreams…” Her voice lowered to a whisper as she said, “I hope Bell-Mere[20] is proud of me.”
Even knowing as little as I did, relaying on public information and the stories shared over meals, I had no doubt that she was.
East Blue - Cocoyashi
Warned in advance, the populace of Cocoyashi had a feast prepared and ready to begin the moment Thousand Sunny had anchored in the port. The villagers had swarmed the crew as soon as we stepped foot on the island, although the attention was heavier on Nami-san, as was typical for Strawhat motherlands. That wasn’t to say they held no interest in Luffy; he had earned their gratitude early on in his journey[21].
It was only because of my attention being so primed to focus on Nami-san (I had paid her almost as much mind as I did my brother) that I noticed when she had skillfully extracted herself from the party. Moments like these showed without a shadow of a doubt that she had earned her early moniker of Catburglar[22].
Acting on an impulse, I followed after her. She had noticed me instantly, of course, seeing how I made no effort to hide. Looking back, Nami-san tilted her head, wordlessly asking my reasoning. It was hard to verbalise, even in the confines of my own mind.
She had come to comfort me when I needed it on Baterilla. I had an open invitation to work on this journal in her study, but she was the one who suggested I write a similar collection of stories about Ace, helping me find people who met him in our journeys. She’d often sit with me, when melancholy became too much; didn’t she deserve comfort in her moment of need, too?
Catching up with her, I extended my hand, palm up. If Nami-san had chosen to carry on alone, I would have of course respected that choice. But I didn’t think it fair to leave her without the option, at the very least. And when, after a fortifying breath, she accepted my hand, clutching at it with all her might, I was glad to have offered.
We walked the path through the forest, passing by an old farmhouse and crossing through an orchard in order to reach a cliff with a singular grave resting atop it. It seemed to be a popular location for graves, from what I’ve seen. Even my empty grave, Luffy had told me once, was placed on the cliff where we had declared our dreams.
As we sat before the grave, Nami had recounted her achievements, choking through her tears. There were many of those to recount, the biggest being the completion of her map of the world. The sun began to set before she was finished, and I had draped my coat over her shoulders to keep the chill at bay.
“She’d be proud of you,” I told her once she finished, absolutely certain of that fact. And, as Nami-san burrowed into my arms, I was hit with a long-coming realization. All those times I found myself unable to look away, entranced by her very being led to this moment; and I wanted to keep supporting her for the rest of our lives[23].
———
[1] Sabo the Storywright had spent his early life as a Revolutionary; he had reached the position of Chief of Staff (effectively the second-in-command to Dragon the Revolutionary). [return to text]
[2] The Second Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy, biological son of Dragon the Revolutionary. [return to text]
[3] Referencing the 1524 conflict between then-Warlord Doflamingo and allied forces of Monkey D. Luffy and then-Warlord Trafalgar D. Law. [return to text]
[4] Mera Mera no Mi, previously belonging to Portgas D. “Fire Fist” Ace, famously executed in 1522 due to being the biological son of the First Pirate King, Gold Roger. [return to text]
[5] The first person to map out the entire world and World’s Greatest Cartographer, Catburglar Nami herself. [return to text]
[6] The Greatest Swordsman in the World, Roronoa Zoro. [return to text]
[7] At the time of writing, it had been 1,111,000,000 berries. [return to text]
8 Homeisland and the resting place of Edward “Whitebeard” Newgate, as well as where Firefist Ace had been buried. [return to text]
9 Blackleg Sanji, also known as the third prince of Germa under the name of Vinsmoke which he had disowned. [return to text]
[10] The Surgeon of Death, Trafalgar D. Water Law. He had entered an alliance with the Strawhats back in 1524, and had failed to successfully dissolve it afterwards. [return to text]
11 Cyborg Franky, the builder of the Thousand Sunny. [return to text]
12 Island primarily known for its export of White Lead, the mining of which created poisonous deposits in the bodies of the population. Believing it to be contagious, the World Government had called for an extermination back in 1508. Trafalgar is the only known survivor. [return to text]
13 Nami-san had spent the years 1522-1524 on Weatheria, where she attained her mastery of weather control. [return to text]
14 Zeus used to be one of Charlotte “Big Mom” LinLin’s homies, created from a fragment of her soul. Nami-san had stolen him during the Wano Liberation. [return to text]
15 Known in scientific circles for its scholars; mostly forgotten by the general populace. [return to text]
16 Nico Robin, also known as the Devil Child. One of the few people alive capable of reading the language used on the Poneglyphs. [return to text]
17 The Ohara Incident, also known as the Annihilation of Ohara; Carried out in 1502 by government forces. [return to text]
18 Saving Luffy from a Sea King in his youth had been the reason for Red Hair Shanks’ loss of arm. [return to text]
19 Referencing the fact that, between all twelve members of the Strawhat crew, there were four absent parents, five sets of dead parents, four dead mothers, three dead adoptive parents, and three abusive parents. [return to text]
20 Bell-Mere was a Marine who left the Navy in order to take in the orphans she found on a battlefield, Nojiko and Nami. [return to text]
21 Referencing Luffy’s defeat of Arlong in 1522, ending the pirate’s 8 years long dictatorship over Cocoyashi. [return to text]
22 Nami had originally earned the title of Catburglar while gathering 1,000,000 berries, a challenge given to her by Arlong in order to buy out and free the people of Cocoyashi. [return to text]
23 Nami and Sabo had gotten married shortly before the public release of the world’s atlas, and lived happily ever after. [return to text]