Romance Dawn (ON HOLD)

CHAPTER FORTY THREE

"NAMI? WHAT'S WRONG?"

Franky asked as he noticed their navigator sweating. At first he thought she was just sick but when he touched her forehead, she wasn't even hot. Chopper also did a check up on her but he found nothing. Sanji was watching by the corner, worried about her while Luffy was tilting his head at what was happening. He was simply confused, that's all.

"Hey Torao?" Nami started, making Law turn to her direction. "Do you have an apple?"

He blinked, puzzled. "An apple?"

"And a spinning wheel,"

Usopp blurted out, "What would you need a spinning wheel for?"

She couldn't just tell them about her vision from earlier; an image of a weird looking apple and a glowing spinning wheel suddenly popped inside her head, as if marking their territory out of the blue. Everybody would think she's going mad, which a bit true, but for the situation they had right now, it's best if she didn't add herself to the alliance's worries.

Strong gusts of wind blew the sails and the Thousand Sunny was already on the surface of the water, its people scattered all over the deck. The only who remained under the mast was the sleeping Zoro. Luffy was on his usual spot, with his brother leaning against the rail nearby.

"I figured that you were the one responsible for enraging the queen," the freckled Ace started, glancing over his shoulder.

"Not my fault. She was not letting have Nami the freedom she deserves,"

Ace whistled, "Nami, huh?"

Luffy turned around, his eyes meeting Ace's. "Huh?"

"Do you know that 'only an act of true love will thaw a frozen heart'?"

"Sounds stolen,"

"What do you mean 'stolen'? It's a general truth so you should now about it,"

"...sounds dumb."

"Well, it's not exactly dumb. You see, Luffy, you didn't rescue Nami from her tower just because."

"What? I wanted to and she wanted to get out of there, as well."

Ace chuckled and looked at his brother who was still confused at what he was trying to say. "But you wouldn't do it if you don't love her."

"Of course I love her!" the other exclaimed. "She's my friend! I love you too Ace because you're my brother, and Sabo too, and..." he started reciting the name of everyone in the ship with them.

"My poor brother still doesn't have a clue about love..." he sulked. "say, did you make a promise with anybody? Because it's kind of the same thing."

"How is that...oh, I think I did." Luffy replied after a short pause. "I promised Nami I'll not let her die without getting kissed."

Ace's eyes widened, "What kind of promise is that?!"

His noise was loud enough to be heard by the polar bear by the stairs. Ace apologised once he saw him. Bepo simply nodded with a soft smile. The brother turned to Luffy once more and grabbed his sunflower printed shirt, with his both hands.

"What's wrong with that? I remembered you and Sabo talking about the same stuff when we were kids and it came across my mind when Nami and I were talking the other day."

"Clearly you don't get it,"

"I do! And we have Sanji who's a prince charming so he could go kiss Nami when she's in the verge of death,"

Ace's expression dimmed in disappointment. "Luffy..."

Luffy just chuckled, creating a series of 'shi' sounds, before looking in front of the ship. Ace wondered if his brother actually know a thing or two about the kind of love he was talking about. Well, if Luffy did, he didn't look like it.

What he didn't know was that Luffy was in deep thought right now. Of course he loves Nami, Luff thought. She's his friend! It would make no sense to not love his friends even though they get to pointless arguments at times. Then he thought, maybe Nami does love him! If she didn't, she wouldn't bought him a new shirt. He looked down at his clothes and saw his muscular front between the fabric of his shirt. He liked the fact that she bought him new clothes; Nami wouldn't let money run out for useless things.

"Luffy!" the orange haired girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere, standing beside Ace who muttered.

"Speak of the devil..."

She turned to him, "What was that?"

"Oh, nothing!"

Nami pouted and Ace rubbed his nape. He chuckled nervously and glanced to Luffy once more. "Well then, bro, I think your combatant is in need of a training partner."

Of course Zoro didn't. He was asleep.

"Hey! Don't just walk..." Nami called as Ace quickly disappeared from her sight. "...away."

"What's wrong, Nami?" Luffy asked.

"Nothing, just bored." she replied. "So, were you talking about me?"

"Yeah, Ace was spatting stuff about love and whatnot. I didn't understand a single thing, though."

Nami felt her cheeks warm up. "E-Excuse me?"

"Oh!" he got up from his seat and spun, his face now facing hers. "Why don't you tell me about your insights about love?"

Insights? Nami thought that Luffy didn't even know what that word meant. "W-Well...I think love is doing...things that you won't normally do? Like..I don't know...when you're doing things that you won't usually do." she mumbled, "I just said the same thing..."

"You mean like when you bought me this shirt?" he pointed to the garment he was wearing. "I know you won't buy me useless stuff...I mean, I know how much you drool over money."

"I don't drool over money, you moron!" the navigator exclaimed. "And besides, I bought you that shirt because you were mad...at...me the..other day."

Luffy blinked, obliging Nami to speak more. "Say, why were you mad...when I didn't have your clothes that time?"

He remembered that he became upset at one point when Nami gave Zoro the paperbag, and the fact that she didn't have his. He swore he felt something cruel stirring up inside him at that time which he never felt before. It was almost a thump sound in his heart, enough to accelerate his blood pumping across his body.

"Sorry about that," he chuckled. "I don't have an idea why."

"It's okay,"

They remained silent until Nami felt her head spin. She grabbed onto the rails nearby, where Ace was once leaning against. Luffy noticed this so he jumped down from the Sunny's head and rushed towards Nami's rescue.

"Oi what's wrong?"

But she couldn't hear him. All she could see was the glimmering images of the apple and spinning wheel from earlier, vibrating as if they were going to explode any time soon. Seconds passed by and her head ached once more, making her grab hold of whatever's nearby. Luffy didn't waste time to help her but instead of leaving her alone to call Chopper, his instincts told him to scoop her up in his arms gently and rush off to the infirmary.