Stolen

You Are Someone Else

XXX

In the distance lurked the island.

It felt like this every time she returned.

It wasn't even the same island every time, but, remembering what was waiting for her, Nami always hesitated.

Was it fair to him? She could bring him back to his home at any given moment, and yet there she was again. Nami would take him away from any chance of return.

Yet, he never questioned, and hadn't asked to be taken home since that day so very long ago. Just a few years ago, he had run away from his own grandfather.

She hadn't asked him why. Back then, she had felt justified in keeping him to herself. He had wanted to stay after all.

However, now she was advancing on the island again.

And every time she returned, the pit of her stomach lurched.

She gripped the railing like she had done so many times before, and contemplated leaving him on the island.

After all, Nami had done it before.

If he knew, Luffy had never complained, but Nami knew, and her stomach complained.

Sometimes, the reason was a good one. She hadn't wanted to keep Arlong waiting long between trips. That was a good reason, she figured. Other times, Nami would reason that she might be stuck on the island too long due to weather, and she couldn't risk the chance of losing any money to such a wait. This, she thought, was a bad reason. Especially since she was lying to herself.

Nami was afraid of staying.

The boy was quickly becoming a young man. The young man that had said nothing, but implied everything, and she was weakening.

Leaving him there - even if only for another day or even a whole month - let her feel in control.

She hated it.

Again, she watched as the waves hitting the beach became clearer. They sparkled temptingly. She had never disembarked. She couldn't when she harbored such thoughts. Staying would kill her village, and she knew that Arlong would just hunt her down eventually.

In her mind, the island - this island, the last one, the one before that, or even the very first one - had been too enticing.

More so now than ever before, Nami dared not leave the ship.

He was too tempting.

And so there she was again, drifting lazily back to the island, and debating whether or not she would leave him on it.

XXX

Luffy frowned softly, tilting his head back and forth as he looked over his collection. It had been difficult, but ever since he had learned what the prices were, Luffy had been putting away every tiny scrap he could.

Was a hundred thousand berries enough?

Was it good enough?

That was about how much they had been when he had last looked, but he didn't know quality from quantity. So he figured that the most expensive one had to be the best. He couldn't go wrong with the most expensive.

He started packing it all up into his satchel.

It was time, after all, to leave.

Tossing his bag over his shoulder, Luffy went to the beach, and stretched his arm out to grab the railing, and flung himself aboard.

XXX

Luffy ignored the dirty look the shop owner gave him when he walked in. He was following Nami's usual advice to dress like a street urchin. As such, people had been shooting worse expressions his way all day, so he wasn't really concerned.

This owner, however, headed straight in his direction. She said quite snappishly, "And just what is your business here, young man?"

"Uh, your business," he said, scratching his head before he moved to try to find the rings again.

She stood in his way, "Just what does that mean? Looking like that, I don't think you've the coin for even a trinket!"

Luffy deflated a bit, "Really? Not even a hundred thousand berries is good enough?"

The jewelry store owner hesitated just long enough for Luffy to start turning away, but she grasped his shoulder with a soft laugh, "Oh, I mistook you for some common rabble, sir pirate. Excuse me, please." Luffy was about to protest that he wasn't a pirate yet, but the woman kept talking, "Just what exactly were you looking for, sir?"

"A wedding ring."

Her eyes seemed to widen in some surprise before she turned, and guided him to a display case, "This way, sir. We have quite the selection for you!"

Luffy looked in only to inspect in awe the reflection of himself in the glass. His chest was a lot broader than he remembered. Perhaps that was why the woman had called him a pirate. It seemed that he wouldn't pass as a street urchin for much longer. With a smile growing, he tried to look through the rings to find something suitable for Nami.

"Is it for your lady love? It must be so hard to leave your woman behind on long voyages, after all."

"Nah, I travel with her," he said, frowning to himself. "Usually." When she stared a bit blankly at him in incomprehension, he said, "I hitched a ride. These're supposed to be secret surprises, right?"

"Ah ... hahaha ..." she twitched her lips up in a smile, "Yes, right. Traditionally, yes."

Nodding, Luffy tilted his head back and forth over the display before pouting, "Mmn, how will I know if Nami likes it?"

"Nami?"

"Yeah, she's my girl."

"Ah ..." the woman gaped at him a bit too long, and he pouted which made her shake herself out of whatever trance she had been in. "I - I'm sure that ... Nami would like whatever you gave her, sir ..." She began to wring her hands then, staring through him.

Luffy hesitated due to the odd behavior. After so long with Nami badgering what sense she could into him, he was beginning to feel the alarm pouring out of the woman. She had said Nami's name with a rather familiar tone as well, and he simply watched her, no longer considering the rings.

The longer he stared, the tenser the woman became until her knuckles were a snowy white from how much she twisted and wrung at her fingers.

When Luffy raised a brow, she blurted out, "So you must be a friend of Arlong then? I - I suppose you must be if you're ... friendly with Nami ..."

Even with all of Nami's help, Luffy still couldn't lie well, so his lips twisted oddly as he tried to conjure a straight face. She had told him that his eyes and lips kept going in opposite directions whenever he attempted the feat, and trying to keep both straight was his form of practice.

The woman, however, kept babbling, apparently taking his silence as confirmation, "Silly me. Just listen to me go on! Let's - let's find you a ring for the lucky lady!" Stepping around him, she began to open the ring cabinet, and Luffy saw her hands tremble.

"Oh, you're scared ..." she froze in mid-motion. "Am I scaring you ...?" Luffy couldn't think of anyone that had ever been afraid of him - afraid and having not been beaten first.

Her hand tightened on the latch slightly, and he heard her manage to whisper, "No, no, of course not ..."

He heard a bit of a lie, but a bit of the truth in what she had said. Lowering his head in a bit of thought, he eyed her tightening hand before he clenched a fist for her, "No ... you're angry."

XXX

Nami stared at Arlong as he frowned across the table at her. She hadn't seen such a black look from him in ages, and she tried to remember anything she might have done to deserve it. Nami hadn't drawn incorrect sea charts in years after all.

Frowning softly, she said, "Just what kind of look is that for your returning crewmate?"

"No ... I just thought that Hachi would have returned before you did."

"Hachi?" This time her frown became a bit concerned, "What's Hachi out sailing for?"

"Just a small task," Arlong said, but his look didn't change much, and she felt her lips straighten into a thin line.

That was all she was likely to get out of him, and he didn't seem like he was about to share. She wasn't like a real crewmate.

All she did was draw their charts.

"Arlong-san!"

As one of his actual crew members ran into the dining hall, Nami began to leave, no longer feeling hungry.

"What's wrong?"

"Hachi's ship is in Cocoyashi's docks!"

Shoving aside his plate, Arlong stood up, and began to head out, "Nami! Come with us."

She pursed her lips as her shoulders hunched in confusion. Just what was so important about her arriving before Hachi, and why was he in Cocoyashi? As she turned to follow Arlong and his men, she rolled the questions through her head

"Any idea why he's in Cocoyashi village? Huh, Nami?"

Frowning anew, she said, "How should I know what he's thinking? Besides, I docked here."

He snorted, "Oh, you did, huh?"

"What is this? Why are you doubting me now?"

Arlong snickered, "I don't doubt you, Nami. I don't doubt what you're capable of."

XXX

This is shorter than I would like it to be, but I must cut short due to reasons.

But since it's been so damn long since I last updated, and people have actually asked, and shown interest rather than just bitch as a guest, I will tell my readers what's been going on.

I work at night five days out of the week - this is my best time and place to write for me. I can focus enough at work - after certain duties are finished - to just sit and write. However.

Since last November, I've had to train FIVE people to do the other two nights so I don't have to, and so other people who are daytime workers don't have to. The fifth person just quit last week.

I will have to train a SIXTH one now.

So yeah, there'll be another delay again. Joy.

Also, due to the guest posts that bitch like babies about how I work for a fucking living, I'm now managing reviews from guests. All bitching about delays will be deleted. So maybe don't fucking bother.