Chapter 14: True Freedom

She felt like her world was ending.

Minutes blended into hours, and hours melted into what felt like a cruel eternity.

Nami lay curled up in a corner on her bed, in the same spot Usopp had consoled her not even a week ago. He had been full of life then, smiling and telling another one of his far-fetched stories to try and make her feel better.

Now he was lying on an operating table, bleeding to death and fighting for his life, just so she could live.

His mask was still pressed against her forehead; she hadn't bothered moving it since she'd crawled onto her bed. Her eyes were swollen and puffy, and she smelt like sweat and dirt. She knew she should shower, but she felt like all of her energy had been sucked away.

Robin came in once, announcing that a meal had been prepared for her, but Nami felt so upset and nauseated that the mere thought of food had bile threatening to rise up in her throat. It was only after the Archaeologist pointed out that Usopp wouldn't want to see Nami so sick and upset that she agreed to finally crawl out of bed and take a shower.

When Robin left the room, Nami begrudgingly set the mask down on her and Robin's dresser and dragged herself into the bathroom. She stripped off her dirtied clothes and stood looking at herself in the mirror.

She looked like a disaster.

Her hair was spread out in multiple directions, and she was entirely caked in a thick layer of soot. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and even through the grime she could see lavender and green bruises spotted across her front and back.

With a deep breath she tore her eyes away from the looking glass and stepped beneath the shower head. Her fingers shakily turned the knobs, releasing hot water that quickly steamed the small room. She rested her forehead against the cool wall and watched as streams of dirt ran off of her bruised body.

Only two days ago she'd danced with Usopp. She'd felt so much happiness, especially when he had flown with her across the late night sky. He'd made her heart soar, and now it was crumbling into a million pieces.

Slowly, she sank down until she was seated with her knees pulled up to her chest. She heaved and sobbed for almost ten minutes, wailing as she poured out her grief and fear. Her skin was turning red from the scalding heat of the shower, but she couldn't find it in herself to care.

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She emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later feeling clean and miserable. She winced while dressing herself, slipping into a cerulean dress that had a black line around the waist. Her shoulders and legs were left bare, revealing some of the bruises.

With a sad glance at the mask, Nami decided to leave the room and see if she could find out any news about Usopp. She slowly walked up the stairs until she was on the lawn that carpeted Sunny's main deck. The only ones around were Luffy, Franky, Robin, Brook, and Zoro. All of them looked deep in thought, except for Zoro, who was sleeping against the middle mast.

"Nami," Robin greeted with a nod of her head. The older woman stood up from her lawn chair and walked over to the navigator. Upon hearing Nami's name, Luffy jumped off of his spot on the railing and joined the archaeologist. Brook stopped his singing and looked over in their direction from the port side of the ship, while Franky remained in his spot at the helm.

"Hey Nami-sis, you feeling a little better?" the cyborg asked.

"Yeah, you even missed lunch," Luffy pointed out with a frown. "Eat some meat; it'll make you feel better."

Nami cast her eyes downward, as if she was ashamed. She remembered how Usopp had told her she wasn't alone, so she decided to not wear a false mask to cover her emotions up any longer. "I shouldn't have been down there so long. I'm just…scared and worried."

Robin sighed and glanced out at the ocean. "We all are. Chopper hasn't left the infirmary yet, so we honestly have no idea how things are going."

"He'll be okay."

The two girls looked at their captain, who had lowered his head so that his hat cast a shadow over his eyes. When he lifted his gaze up and met Nami's, there was a look of determination glinting in his irises. "I only pick the best for my crew, so I know he'll be okay. He's an amazing person who has proven many times that he can win his battles."

Nami nodded her head, knowing that what Luffy spoke was the truth. Robin and Luffy parted for her as she walked past them and made her way to the infirmary, only to stop once more as Brook placed a skeletal hand on an unbruised part of her shoulder.

"He will not lose this fight," the skeleton reassured in a soothing voice. He gave her shoulder a squeeze and walked away, humming an unfamiliar song. Nami observed him for a moment before she continued on her way and eventually reached the medical room's door.

She stood and listened, but could only hear the sound of medical tools being picked up and dropped onto a tray, along with the faint beep of a heart monitor. Her lower lip trembled, but no tears came to her eyes, for there were none left she could cry. "He's still alive." She walked over to the other side of the hallway and sat on the ground with her back against the wall and bare feet spread out across the floor. She sat there waiting for three hours, her eyelids growing weary and heavy. Eventually her head tilted to the side, and she fell asleep.

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When Nami woke up she was lying on the couch in front of the enormous fish tank that was placed near their kitchen. She slowly sat up and was greeted by a plate of steaming warm food on the coffee table. Her stomach gurgled a little, so she decided that she needed to at least eat something. Picking up a fork near the plate, she cut off a piece of grilled fish and bit into it, enjoying the mouth-watering taste it left on her tongue.

"Glad to see you're finally up."

Sanji sat down next to her and lay an arm over the top of the couch while he puffed on his cigarette. "You've been out for almost twelve hours. It's a good thing I went to check on you, or you might've slept in that hallway all night."

Nami's eyes widened. "Twelve hours?"

The chef nodded. "Yeah. You must have been pretty exhausted."

She took a deep breath, bracing herself for the worst. "Have you heard any news?"

Sanji took his cigarette out of his mouth, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and then looked into her eyes. "Chopper came out of the room about an hour ago."

Her heart thumped wildly against her chest. "And?!"

The blonde smiled. "He survived."

A wave of relief washed over Nami. She bent over, smiling and laughing as tears poured down her cheeks and her hands covered her eyes. Her shoulders shook as she happily cried, knowing that Usopp was going to continue to live and tell his ridiculous stories.

Sanji reached over and gently rubbed her shoulder while she sobbed and laughed. "See, that bastard is too stubborn to die."

Nami looked up and suddenly threw her arms around Sanji's neck. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she repeatedly whispered in his ear.

Usually he would've had a nose bleed or turned beet red, but he knew that the moment wasn't appropriate. Sanji smiled, pleased at how happy she was. "The one you should be thanking is Chopper, but maybe you should wait for him to wake up first. He operated nonstop for almost twenty four hours."

"Of course," Nami responded as she pulled away and hastily wiped away the tears from her face while still smiling. The chef stood up and began leaving the room so she could finish eating her meal, but stopped when he reached the side of the couch.

"You love him, don't you?"

Surprised, the navigator looked up at the blonde, who was staring straight ahead and waiting for her answer. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she decided to be honest with him. "Yes, I do."

Sanji nodded and looked her, the corners of his lips slightly upturned. "Then I wish you two the best, but he better take care of you, or my foot will be so far up his ass that he'll have to go back into surgery."

Nami chuckled. "Thank you Sanji. It's a deal."

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Two days passed before Chopper let Nami into the infirmary. When Nami had seen the little reindeer she hugged and even kissed him on the cheek, much to his embarrassment. Her thanking him led him to wiggling his arms around and calling her a bastard, but he was clearly pleased with her gratitude towards him.

The Straw Hats were all eager to see their recovering friend, but Chopper stated that only one or two at a time was a good idea, just so the atmosphere wasn't overwhelming. They all decided that Nami should be the first to see him, so she stood in front of the door alone, unsure of what to expect. With a deep breath, she twisted the knob and entered the medical bay.

Usopp was lying on a bed, almost completely wrapped in bandages, and with breathing tubes in his nostrils. The room echoed with the beeping of his heart monitor as he slept.

She grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it up next to his bed so she could sit beside him. She placed her hand over his and rubbed her thumb along the back of his hand.

"Hey Usopp, it's me." She waited for him to move, or even twitch at the sound of her voice, but he only continued to slumber. "I just want you to know that I'm so proud of you-"a knot constructed itself in her throat, "- and I owe you my life. I'm here right now because of you, and that is something I will never forget. You've shown me how to live again." A tear slid down her face. "You will always be my hero. You're a true warrior of the sea Usopp." She took a deep breath and smiled. "I have something important to tell you, so you have to wake up soon, okay? I'll tell you then."

She sat there for a little bit longer before the door opened behind her and Luffy entered. "My turn!" he announced cheerfully, only to whimper as she punched him on the back of his head.

"Keep your voice down, you idiot!" she hissed. Her captain only laughed while she rolled her eyes and gave up her seat for him. As she exited the room, she turned back around and looked at her sleeping friend again.

"Soon," she whispered, and then closed the door behind her.

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Nami leaned over the railing at the front of the ship, watching the sun set.

Five days had passed by since she'd first been allowed to see Usopp, and he'd only woken up a few times, but not around her. It was usually only when Chopper managed to have the sharpshooter eat something, or if bandages needed to be changed, but she hadn't been around for that. Most of the time she was sitting by him and holding his hand while she talked about some of the things the rest of the crew did.

She explained how Luffy had caught a giant fish and was so proud of himself until he realized Usopp wasn't awake to see it, and Franky had invented a new lock on the fridge that would prick Luffy if he tried to sneak food out in the middle of the night again. She told him how they'd come across only two storms, and that she had a feeling they would be landing at a new island pretty soon. She urged him to get better, stating that Biri was anxious to see him and they should all go flying again sometime.

On and on she talked while he lay asleep. The only response she'd managed to get out of him was when she reminisced about the night of the ball and how great it was to fly with him. He'd gently squeezed her hand for a moment before it went limp again, but it was enough to make her heart race.

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She was wearing the same blue dress she'd worn after showering on her first day back on the ship. She liked how the breeze would gently ruffle it and cause the soft fabric to caress her legs. The bruises were nearly gone now, and the tears she'd constantly shed since Usopp's life threatening experience had stopped after her visit with him. She felt better, but she also felt sad over how long it had been since she'd been able to talk and laugh with him.

As she continued to watch the sun sink below the horizon, a figure emerged from within the ship. He smiled, admiring the way the last rays of sunlight caused her face to glow, and how the wind blew through her hair. He carefully walked forward, and began to approach her.

[One Piece Strong World-Itsumo no fuukei~Shinrai no dengon~]

Out of the corner of her eye, Nami saw somebody walking towards her. She glanced over, and her face lit up as her hands flew to her mouth.

Usopp stood nearby, with only a few bandages wrapped around his stomach and upper arms. He wore a dark green shirt that hung open and unbuttoned, revealing a little scar that ran down the center of his chest. His free ebony curls swayed along with the wind as he carefully climbed the stairs towards her level. When he reached the top, Nami ran towards him and threw her arms over his shoulders while she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

He smiled and placed a hand on the back of her head. "I guess you missed me, huh?"

"You're an idiot! A real idiot!" she hissed into his skin before pulling away and looking into his surprised eyes. "You had me worried sick! You just had to be Mr. Hero, didn't you?!

"Hey, I was only trying to look out for you!" he argued. "And you know what, I would do it again!"

Her face grew red. "You better not! Why would you even say that?!"

His cheeks turned pink. "Well, because I…I..." He stopped. "Hey didn't you have something to tell me?"

Her mouth dropped open. "You heard that?"

"Hey Usopp! Let's go fishing!" Luffy yelled as he ran towards his two friends. He yelped when a wall of hands blossomed right before him. He looked over at Robin with a quizzical expression. She merely smiled and shook her head.

"Now isn't the time, Luffy-bro," Franky said with a smirk as he placed a large hand on his captain's shoulder. Luffy whined in protest as the cyborg began pulling him away.

Sanji stood in the frame of the kitchen door, trying not to grind his cigarette in half. "If he hurts her-"

"You'll do what, cook?" Zoro asked as he emerged from behind with a bottle of booze. The chef sent a kick flying towards the swordsman's face.

"I'll kick your ass, you shitty bastard! I thought I told you to stay away from the alcohol!"

The two began their usual fighting while Brook stood nearby laughing and Chopper tried to break them up.

Usopp smirked at the familiar atmosphere before turning around to face Nami again. "So what were you-"

"Just shut up." Before he could even protest, Nami pressed her lips against his. He felt surprised, nervous, and yet also ecstatic, knowing that she returned his feelings, because he truly loved her. Their hearts pounded, and their stomachs felt a pleasant sort of nerves as they shared their first kiss. Usopp slowly reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close as soft lips melted against each other. She encircled her arms around the back of his neck so their bodies were pressed against together.

The other Straw Hats watched with smiles, except for Luffy, who couldn't understand the point of kissing and why would anybody want to kiss Usopp or Nami in the first place?

Biri flew from his spot on the crow's nest and landed on the railing next to Chopper.

"Ka! Ka ka!"

The little reindeer cutely giggled in delight. "Yeah, I'm happy for them too!"

When the new couple pulled away from each other to catch their breaths, their faces were scarlet red, and Usopp's nose accidentally poked her in the eye.

"Way to ruin the moment!" Nami teased before sticking her tongue out.

He rubbed his nose in embarrassment before he smirked. "I love you too, you know."

Her heart pounded as an overwhelming feeling of happiness flooded through her. She grinned devilishly. "You know, I really should charge you for that."

"Put it on my tab," he whispered, and used his new courage to lean in and kiss her again.

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