"Nami, let me go right now!"
"What's the big deal? You're pretty cute like this, all small." Nami laughed happily.
The moment she saw Luffy's side effect, she had already made a decision and wouldn't dwell on it anymore.
It was indeed too risky to ask Luffy and the others for help. Given the cruelty of the Arlong Pirates, they wouldn't show any mercy.
The slightest misstep could mean death.
After this job, she would have gathered the full 100 million Berries to buy Cocoyasi Village back from Arlong.
When the time came, she would come back to be their navigator... consider it an advance on her salary.
"Nami, you're going to regret this." Luffy gave her a dead-fish stare.
Did she have any idea how precious his rare break time was? And here she was playing 'lift-the-captain-high'.
Besides, Luffy had just gained that passive ability; this shrinking side effect would wear off soon.
Don't blame me for not warning you.
"Giggle, I won't regret it. Whoever regrets it is a little dog."
"Are you worried about losing your dignity as captain? Don't worry."
Not that he had much to begin with.
Finally seizing a chance to mess with Luffy, Nami's mood brightened considerably.
Just as she was about to put Luffy down.
Suddenly.
Little Luffy grew big.
Nami didn't have time to react, her pupils constricting sharply.
"Luffy?!"
A scream escaped her. Flustered, she didn't know where to grab him, and his full weight came crashing down on top of her.
Instinctively, like a cornered cat, her hands clawed wildly.
Despite Luffy's body not looking overly muscular, his muscle density was similar to Zoro's, both honed since childhood. For Nami, this weight was impossible to push off.
"Mmph!"
When Nami opened her eyes, Luffy was already lying on top of her.
It wasn't one of those cliché scenarios where their lips met perfectly, but Luffy's head was resting right near her neck, and she could feel his warm breaths.
"Not there! This is bad!"
Feeling the warm puffs of air on her neck, Nami's face instantly turned bright red.
It was a tingling, numbing sensation.
This was the first time she had been this close to a member of the opposite sex.
Especially being pinned down and unable to move, the feeling was even more intense.
"Luffy! Get off me right now!" Nami shouted, her face flushed.
This feeling, it's really...
"See, I told you you'd regret it," Luffy said.
"Fine, I regret it, okay!"
"Then do the doggy sound?" Luffy sounded a bit too pleased with himself.
Nami gritted her teeth, her hand grabbing onto something and squeezing hard, making Luffy yelp in pain.
"Sorry, sorry!"
"But I really can't move. The side effects are still there. My body's back to normal, but I'm paralyzed. Get Usopp to help." Luffy behaved a little more honestly after that.
So bizarre!
If she didn't know Luffy was so single-minded, Nami would seriously suspect he was taking advantage of her on purpose.
And she couldn't even find a good excuse, because she was the one who wanted to lift him up, and Luffy had warned her.
Nami: "..."
Sometimes, when you're utterly speechless, you just have to laugh.
"Zoro, Usopp, come help me out here." Nami looked to the side, only to find the two who were just there a moment ago had vanished.
"Pirates, show yourselves!"
From Luffy's perspective, he could see what was happening.
A man with glasses, a large '海' (Kai ) character tattooed on his left arm, wielding a cutlass, had appeared on the deck.
"Are you the ones trying to kill my partner? Mere pirates?"
"Hey, Johnny, what are you doing here?!" Zoro looked shocked.
"Big Bro Zoro?!"
Johnny, as if finding his pillar of support, ran crying to Zoro to complain.
He and Yosaku were known as the 'Sword God' and 'Sword Saint'!
But because of a damned illness, Yosaku was on the verge of leaving him. They were recuperating on a rocky outcrop when a cannonball suddenly flew over.
He and Zoro had worked together to carry the severely injured Yosaku onto the ship.
"Holy crap?" Luffy exclaimed.
Usopp was also terrified.
Luffy had deflected a cannonball, and he had fired one too. Who knew whose fault it was now?
Hearing Luffy's exclamation, Nami shivered all over, genuinely thinking he was about to do something.
Then, listening carefully to Johnny's description of the symptoms, she managed to speak up: "I say... that sounds like a common case of scurvy. Go get some limes and have him eat them!"
Usopp scrambled away. After downing several limes, the previously lifeless Yosaku immediately revived.
H-he's alive! Thank goodness!
[Warning. It is now mealtime. Please commence half-hour of food replenishment immediately...]
Luffy had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the voice. Finally snapping back to reality, he yelled loudly, "Someone help me up! Go get me some food, now!"
Nami was stunned, not even sure what was happening now, when she suddenly felt something. A blush dotted her cheeks like fine rain on pear blossoms.
Summoning who knows how much strength, she shoved Luffy off her.
...
In the dining room.
Nami wiped the corner of her mouth, glaring at Luffy, who was wolfing down his food.
"You! Remember what you did today!"
"Huh? I didn't do anything." Luffy didn't even look up, shoveling food into his mouth.
The anger above Nami's head was almost visible. Her fists were clenched tight.
Deep breaths. Deep breaths.
At least she made some more money just now, right?
Johnny and Yosaku, like Zoro before, were bounty hunters and were very grateful to Nami.
"You can just give her the money," Luffy said between mouthfuls, not forgetting to put in a word for Nami.
This guy talks like he knows me so well.
Nami muttered under her breath.
But, Luffy wasn't wrong!
"But, Big Bro Luffy, isn't he eating a bit too much?"
Johnny couldn't help but say, "Will there be enough food left on the ship?"
It was his first time seeing a man who could stuff his stomach to such an exaggerated degree.
As expected of Big Bro Zoro's captain!
"Long voyages require paying attention to food and nutritional balance. If you binge eat like this, Luffy, we'll be broke in no time," Nami said helplessly.
She felt that if she left, Luffy would probably starve to death.
"...We'll just take some more when the time comes. I have to eat for half an hour!" Luffy said to Nami with a stubborn look. "Otherwise, something really bad will happen!"
'Really bad'... like what you just did to me?
The pen Nami was using to write the ship's log nearly snapped.
"We really need a cook, don't we?"
Johnny leaned in and said, "If you're looking for that kind of guy, I know a pretty good place."
"Where?" Zoro asked.
"It's close to the Grand Line. They also have rumors there about that 'Hawk-Eyes' man you're always looking for, Big Bro Zoro."
The sea restaurant, Baratie!
Zoro excitedly gripped the swords in his hands.
Just then, Luffy, full and satisfied, grabbed Zoro's shoulder. "Let's have another round!"