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Nami had never been particularly interested in food, so when Luffy’s nose guided them through the dense fog following the scent of meat, she had no idea what the hell the place they found was supposed to be. She had expected to come up on an island but instead they found a big ship, shaped like a fish, with an extensive floating dock, in the middle of the ocean. Not only was the concept somewhat preposterous to her, it also looked ridiculous. But she couldn’t deny that the scent coming from the “Baratie” was enticing and a quick scan of the ships that were docked revealed predominantly civilian ships. This place was most likely a restaurant for people rich enough to afford a trip to the middle of nowhere, East Blue just for a bite to eat.
This was not an opportunity that she could pass up, but stealing was probably all they were going to do at this place. She threw Luffy a look.
“This is clearly out of our budget-“ she started but Luffy was already jumping off the ship. Usopp, who scrambled after Luffy at once, was evidently also way too excited to think twice about it. She turned her exasperated look towards Zoro, but he only shrugged. Yeah sure, because who even bothered to look at the finances of this idiotic crew? Well, it was not her problem. She had enough to spare for a decent meal and maybe there was some idiot who would offer her a drink if she smiled at him the right way.
She left the ship once the dock staff had secured it properly and followed the others into the restaurant. Nami’s assumption that this was a high-class establishment was confirmed once she stepped through the doors. Not only was the entrance displaying carved dark paneling, stained glass, and expensive fixtures, but they also found a very expected obstacle.
“What do you mean a reservation?” Usopp asked as the host smiled at them apologetically. Nami craned her neck a bit to look down into the proper restaurant on the level below. Oh, how many shiny diamond necklaces were just waiting there for her! “Luffy! Do you have a reservation?” she heard Usopp ask uselessly.
“I did not know we had to have a reservation,” the wanna-be captain admitted with a laugh. “Can’t you let us in anyway? Or we order and eat on our ship! It smells amazing in here!” The host started an apology but Zoro interrupted before Nami could resorts to bribery.
“Hey,” he said, which had Luffy first look at him and then at where Zoro was nodding. The clack of heels made Nami turn her head towards the stairs as well. A man with wild, dark hair was approaching, a wide grin on his face. He was wearing what appeared to be a dark red captain’s coat, with polished gold buttons and trim. Once he had joined them in the entrance Nami realized how tall he was, towering over all of them, but there was still plenty of space between the tip of his spiky hair and the chandelier glimmering above them. A shiver went down Nami’s spine as she looked at him. There was almost a sense of recognition, but that made no sense to her.
“Rocks!” Luffy beamed and, bouncy as a rubber ball, threw himself at the guy who caught him with ease, letting Luffy wrap his arms and legs around him. “I didn’t know you’d be here!” Having said that, Luffy drew back at once, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why are you here? Have you been following me?” The man’s grin widened and Luffy let go to drop down to the floor. Luffy just about reached the guys’ middle. Nami looked him up and down. Was the guy wearing high heels on top of being well over two meters tall?
“Who do you take me for? Not at all,” the man said, which had Luffy relax his stance. “I’m meeting your uncle here but it seems work is delaying him.” Nami noticed the slight curl of his lip, as if he disapproved of the line of work but not enough to outright show disgust on his face. But this was the first time she heard of an uncle. Luffy was about as willing to talk about his family as a pirate was to part with his treasure. In the three months that they had sailed together, Luffy had received regular letter correspondence but all he had been prepared to do was confirm that he had living family. Family who – judged by the quality of the gifts and the wide variety of it – was probably both rich and located on the Grandline.
“Mr. Edward?” The host prompted politely. “Am I to add more chairs to your table?” The guy turned to the waiter at once and reached into his coat.
“Yes,” he said and unceremoniously handed the waiter a wad of beri and while Nami breathed in sharply at the very generous tip, Usopp couldn’t keep a gasp to himself. Edward then looked at them, his purple eyes passing over all of them with amused curiosity. When his eyes met Nami’s they widened slightly, but nothing else about his face changed and he then moved on to grin at Zoro. That was weird? But not necessarily something to worry about. That was just how men responded to her and Edward at least had the decency to not ogle or offer an inappropriate comment. She tilted her head and studied him. He was good-looking, a bit bulky in that huge coat of his, but his face was pretty enough, despite his eccentric hair. She assumed he was in his mid-30s, definitely a lot more grown up than this sorry crew was. “You’re joining me, right?” Edward spread his hands wide in invitation. “My treat!”
“Sure!! We’re low on money anyway!” Luffy instantly agreed. Edward blinked at him, then he laughed.
“Oh, granule. How? Didn’t your father teach you to budget?” Luffy snorted.
“He did, but there was this stupid clown who destroyed a whole town and they had to rebuild somehow! So now we’re basically broke!” Nami had to snort at Luffy’s pleased grin. It had been a nice gesture, even though completely preposterous for a pirate. Edward shook his head at him but it was Usopp who caught his attention with a somewhat hesitant “uhm” which had Edward look down at him at once.
“Do you know how much this guy eats?” Usopp asked, clearly worried that the invitation to dinner might be rescinded. Edward just laughed and nodded. That seemed to be enough for Usopp. “Well then! The great captain Usopp is happy to take you up on your offer! Lead the way, Mr. Edward!”
“Call me Rocks,” he offered with a grin and put his hand on Luffy’s head, guiding him forward. Nami observed that even though Rocks was touching Luffy’s treasured hat, Luffy let it happen which suggested to Nami that they must be rather close.
Nami knew not to let her guard down as she followed the group to an alcove where their table was, because there was always a chance that there was a reason for the way he had looked at her. They might have met before. Had she robbed him at one point? She had broken into many places and relieved quite a few rich idiots of their collections. The name Edward Rocks didn’t mean anything to her, so she assumed that he wasn’t some well-known person in the East Blue. She didn’t quite trust this situation but the prospect of a free meal enticed her and maybe… well, he was rich. He was as a good target as any.
She had the money now, finally, but it wouldn’t hurt to have a bit left over for… for after. Rebuilding. Not only did buying freedom require money, maintaining it did too. It was a perpetual investment.
Luffy sat down next to Rocks and the man could only get “so what have you been up to?” out before Usopp launched into an exaggerated tale of how they saved Kaya from her evil butler. Nami watched the expression on Rocks’ face, who was indulging Usopp with the appropriate awed reactions. Clearly, the guy enjoyed a good story, whether it was true or not.
“Have you met before?” Nami asked Zoro when Luffy wasn’t bothering to offer any introductions. Zoro seemed at ease, as always, but he kept a hold on his swords and there was some tension in his posture that was slow to lift, even though Luffy seemed to be very familiar with this Rocks guy. But Luffy was just like that. He bonded with people they had just met and the fact that Rocks knew Luffy’s uncle didn’t really mean much.
“No, I just noticed him approach,” Zoro said and almost like he just now realized, he leaned forward on the table, trying to catch Luffy’s attention. “Hey! Care to offer introductions?” Luffy instantly looked reluctant, casting his eyes up at Rocks. Usopp’s tale must have wound down because he looked interested too. Rocks took mercy on Luffy, pinching the guy’s cheek affectionately.
“Luffy and I are family, on the maternal side. The only side that matters,” he said with a wink.
“What do you mean the only side that matters? You like dad!” Luffy protested but he was laughing and picked up the glass that was clearly Rocks’, taking a sip.
“I don’t dislike your dad, let’s leave it at that,” Rocks said and while he grinned, the grin was a bit too wide, a bit too sharp, his eyes too cold. Nami could tell that Usopp wanted to ask further questions but this was the moment a waiter chose to make an appearance.
“Hi! Welcome to the shitty restaurant, where the only thing worse than the ambience is-“ he trailed off when his eyes landed on Nami and his whole bored demeanor shifted. “Well, hello there,” he said, voice nearly a purr. “I’m Sanji and I will be your personal waiter today. I will make you any drink you want. On me.” Nami grinned. There he was, the idiot willing to pay for her drink.
“How come she gets a free drink?” Usopp complained when Nami picked something expensive sounding from the menu and Luffy took this as an invitation to start the lengthy process of ordering.
“Who wants a free drink from some waiter with curly eyebrows,” Zoro commented which had the waiter throw a glare at Zoro. “Besides, we’re getting free drinks too.” Usopp pursed his lips and then looked up at Rocks for confirmation.
“Order anything you want,” Rocks said with a nod. Usopp balled his hand into a fist, hissed a “yesssss!” under his breath and then he grabbed the menu with the same excitement as Luffy, yelling random orders at Sanji while Luffy continued to ramble off his food order.
“So who are you?” Rocks asked after they had all ordered, tilting his head, which had the earring he wore catch the light. It was quite big, a golden half-moon maybe. Surprisingly delicate. Nami wondered what he did and where his money came from. Was the captain’s coat just a fashion statement? Did he order a trade ship? She knew Goa, where Luffy was from, derived some of its riches by managing some lucrative trade routes in the East. She studied his hands that were now wrapping around his tall glass he had taken back from Luffy. He had long black nails that looked too sharp to be useful for any sort of manual labor and while he wore some gold rings, none of them appeared particularly valuable.
“This is my crew!” Luffy announced. “Zoro is my sword guy. He’s super strong!”
“Sword guy,” Rocks repeated in amusement though Zoro just shrugged it off.
“I’m Captain Usopp, you have heard of my exploits! I’m the man you want if you need things done right,” Usopp said and brought out his slingshot, pulling it back and faked taking a shot. “Pssht! Never missed a mark!” Rocks grinned but then Luffy wrapped his arm around Rocks’ shoulder and pointed at Nami. Nami found herself the object of Rocks’ attention again, the strange purple eyes, framed by long lashes, unblinking. His focus felt like the changing pressure announcing a storm. Just because Luffy was hanging off his neck didn’t seem to make him any less intimidating.
“And this is our navigator, Nami! She’s brilliant!” Rocks nodded in acknowledgement. Nami was glad when he looked away because a commotion at another table had Sanji jump in and quickly take care of unpleasant customers. Luffy, as expected, looked interested right away. He did seem to gravitate towards trouble makers.
“I do still need a cook,” Luffy mused. “A strong one!”
“He’s a waiter, dummy,” Usopp told him and then turned to Rocks. “Hey! Do you want to hear the story of how I single-handedly defeated a ghost princess?!” Whether Rocks wanted to or not, Luffy did and Usopp started another one of his tall tales.
Nami couldn’t hold back a small, wistful smile. Ridiculous as they all were, she would miss them.
Nami pulled out another drawer, but found it stocked with nothing but loose paper. She wrinkled her nose and shoved it shut again.
She had slipped away once the group had relocated to the bar, but there was only so much time she got before the guys might wonder how long a pee break would take and came looking for her. Not that she really worried, none of them seemed to be that attentive. She had been looking for a good opportunity to part ways and even though she felt reluctant to leave, she couldn’t back down now. She had relieved some of the customers of their valuables and now she just needed a ship. And a bit more money couldn’t hurt either.
She had found Rocks’ vessel easily enough after she had casually steered the conversation towards ships. It was a small ship, a type of xebec if Nami had to guess, which was highly unusual in these parts of the East Blue. It would be fast, possible to steer on her own. She could take this ship. She owed Rocks nothing just because he was related to Luffy and had paid for her food. He was just some rich guy.
Some rich guy who surely must have something of value on his damn ship!
The light of her lamp flickered and a second later it felt like a weight was settling on her, slipping past her skin, nestling into her chest. She stood frozen, trying to breathe around the feeling, her hand going to the staff at her hip.
She heard the clack of heels and then turned around. Rocks was standing in the door way, hair even more in disarray than before. It was dark in the cabin, now that the sun was setting and the little light from the dock only illuminated Rocks’ outline, casting most of him into shadow. For a moment his eyes seemed to gleam gold but when Nami blinked they were just regular eyes again.
The thought went through her head that maybe Rocks wasn’t human. But that was ridiculous. He was just a man and this wasn’t the time for fancy. Nami had been caught before and so far, she had always been able to box herself out.
“It is dangerous to steal from pirates, Nami,” Rocks said and of course, she should have known! Luffy was a pirate, it stood to reason that he wasn’t the only one in his family. But Nami doubted that Rocks was as easy-going as Luffy was. No pirate was like Luffy after all.
“Best to steal from scum,” she answered without missing a beat. To her surprise Rocks laughed.
“You sound like a Marine I have the misfortune of knowing,” he said and stepped closer. Nami brought out her staff. Rocks didn’t even react, passing her to walk to a chest in the corner. He pulled off his coat and hung it up on a hook. Either he didn’t take her combat skills seriously, or he knew that she was no match for him. She gripped her staff tighter. “Careful. You would not stand a chance and I’m not one to leave a challenge unanswered,” he explained and used his hand to comb through his hair. Even after he had flattened it down, it sprung up again. “It’s prudent to know who your target is.” Rocks turned his face to her, his expression amused. Curious rather than angry. As if her attempt at stealing from him meant nothing to him. “Good job in getting me to reveal my ship. If I hadn’t come here to change, maybe you would have figured out that the image of the crocodile hides a compartment.” Nami was reluctant to take her eyes off him, but she did look to the side and saw the picture of a Bananawani on the wall. She used her staff to tap the picture and it promptly swung open to reveal a stack of beri notes. Damn, there it was. Right in front of her! If she had just taken the ship and looked for money later! But she had hesitated. “It is yours to take,” Rocks said, taking her by surprise. Nami wrinkled her nose and turned back - to find that Rocks had taken off his vest and shirt. She knew she was staring but she couldn’t help it. Rocks eyed her, then looked down at his chest, before he grabbed a new shirt out of his trunk.
“I see it surprises you that I’m a woman. At least most of the time.” He stopped to ponder. “Or some of the time. Depends on my mood. Don’t worry about it,” Rocks said with a wink, then pulled on the new shirt. This one was a lot tighter, hugging her body in all the right places. She wore high waisted, tight pants, with a gold seam running down the side. And then the high boots with stiletto heels. Nami wondered how the hell she had not realized that Rocks was a woman. A hot one on top of that. But this wasn’t the time for that!! Nami’s head was reeling. Rocks crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall.
“I have never heard of a pirate by the name of Edward Rocks,” Nami said, even though it was probably prudent to not provide any sort of reason to annoy Rocks. She should just leave, but a part of her was… curious. Somehow. “Especially not a female one.”
“I’m not using my real name in a public establishment. But you will hear of me in time,” Rocks said with a grin, the same absolute confidence that Luffy had when he said he’d be pirate king. Maybe delusion ran through the maternal side of Luffy’s family. Who was she anyway? His aunt? “It is peculiar how few women there are sailing the seas. I thought things would change as the tides shift into a new era. But no, Roger’s era was disappointingly male dominated. And this new age of piracy is just the same. It’s our time to rule, isn’t it?” Rocks asked, grinning brightly.
“Don’t count me in,” Nami said with a scoff. “I’m not a pirate. I only sailed with Luffy because it was convenient.”
“Luffy isn’t the sort of man you follow for convenience,” Rocks observed without missing a beat. “You follow him because he offers you something you desire. But there is something keeping you from allowing yourself to go for it, Nami.” She rolled her eyes, because it was easier than meeting Rocks’ intense gaze. “Luffy would help you if you asked.”
“No!” Nami snapped, letting anger replace the instant surge of panic at the idea. “This is solely my business!” Nami insisted, then reached into the compartment and took the money. Rocks watched her wordlessly, still with that smile on her lips.
“Sure. I wouldn’t do it any other way either. On the sea you make your choice and you learn and live. Or not,” Rocks said with a shrug. “I’ll let go off the hook for stealing from me,” she said, then she took one step forward and was suddenly in Nami’s personal space, bending down towards her, her eyes gleaming. She didn’t touch her, not physically at least, but Nami still felt like she was held in the maw of a great beast. “But I will come after you if you take my ship,” Rocks warned with a sharp grin.
“Fine.” Nami said, forcing herself to relax and that feeling of terror passed. Rocks straightened back up and stepped out of the way. Nami stuffed the money in her pocket and crossed the cabin.
“If you leave, Luffy will come after you. He’s stubborn and he doesn’t like to lose things he cares about,” Rocks told her. Nami stopped at the door, tensing at Rocks’ words.
“That’s his problem,” she eventually said, trying to keep her voice steady, to fool herself into thinking she meant her words. “I never agreed to be part of his crew, he knows that. And if he does come, he’ll learn and live. Or not,” she mimicked what Rocks had said, which made the pirate laugh.
“That he will. I’ll see you around, Nami,” Rocks said, tilting her head and there was a genuine smile on her lips. It sounded like a promise, but a binding one, and Nami wasn’t sure she liked it. So she didn’t commit to a nod.
“Thanks for the support,” she said instead, tapping her pocket with the money, then she walked away and off the ship. She didn’t hear the sound of Rocks’ heels following and after a while she turned around. It seemed that Rocks was really going to let her take off. Nami stood on the dock. The night was falling now, slowly. There was music coming from the Baratie’s bar and she could hear Luffy and Usopps’ laughter. A pang of longing pierced her.
But there was a price for freedom and she would do anything to pay it. Would it be easier to ask her friends to come and take care of Arlong? Of course, but what were a couple of rookies going to do against someone like Arlong? No. This was her burden to bear and she was so close to ending it. Maybe one day she would cross paths with Luffy again and then…
She took a deep breath, steeled herself and walked away. She had to find a ship to steal.
In the fog she passed a dark shape, faint flames flickering seemingly on the surface of the water. A will of the wisp? Surely not. She leaned over the railing, felt the welcoming ruffle of wind in her hair, a light spray of the waves on her face.
She saw a ship pass by her, a low one, it looked more like a raft. Someone was sitting on it though and the person turned his eyes towards her. A jolt went through her when the blood red eyes met hers.
She had only ever seen his face in the newspaper but there was no doubt that this was Hawk-Eyes, one of the Warlords. He watched her calmly, his focus intense, not allowing her to look away. After a long moment, he nodded, tapped his hat in acknowledgement and then he turned his head away.
Like a rubber band, the tension snapped and she could breathe freely again. She watched him drift away, in the direction of the Baratie.
She hoped that the guys wouldn’t get themselves into any danger. But it was not her problem, not anymore. She turned her eyes north. If the wind and waves were favourable, she would be home soon.
It was like Rocks had predicted. Luffy did come after her and when she asked, he put Arlong into the ground. Just like that, Luffy had granted not only her island but also herself the freedom she had longer for, all these years. The things that Nami learnt about Luffy as they continued their journey towards the Grandline were so insane (“what do you mean Hawk-Eyes not only nearly killed Zoro but he’s also your uncle!”, “what do you mean the Hero of the Marines, Vice-Admiral Garp is your grandfather?! Do you have any normal family members?!”) that Rocks had completely slipped her mind.
But as they made their way to Reverse Mountain, during a surprise storm that came with very favorable wind for them, the familiar small ship was back, idle in the water, out of the way of the current that led to the Red Line.
“Rocks!” Luffy yelled, waving his hands in the air so hard he almost fell off the slippery railing. Zoro was there to grab him and pull him back. “We’re off to the Grandline!”
“Rocks-chan!” Sanji called in his sing-song voice. “Why don’t you come with us?”
“Sorry, I just came to see you off,” Rocks yelled, his voice carrying loudly despite the roar of wind and rush of rain. “I still have business here in the East Blue!”
“Eh, why?” Luffy asked, sounding petulant. “Everyone’s in the Grandline now! How exciting can the East Blue be?” Rocks laughed. Luffy put his hands to his mouth, just to be sure Rocks really heard him: “You should join my crew!” Rocks’ laughter was as loud as the clap of thunder.
“Oh, granule, I don’t follow anyone’s orders, not even yours. And there’ll be time for a proper storm.” As if Rocks had conjured it, a gust of wind caught their sails and gently pushed them into the current leading to Reverse Mountain. “Have fun! Davy Jones be with you!” Nami held on to the railing and watched Rocks, the sharp grin, the bright eyes.
“See you around, Rocks!” she called. It was a promise that Rocks picked up right away.
“You will, Little Wave!” Rocks answered and then the current carried them away towards their great adventure.