Chapter 5. Ambition

"What reasons?" She asked, almost pleading.

"Some sail for worldly treasure, some for lust, some for fame... but there are also those that are searching for an adventure, friendship... family... and freedom." Ace said as he thought about Luffy, the pirate king, whitebeard and Sabo.

"Nakama... freedom." Nami whispered as she reflected on these words.

"What's your ambition?" Ace suddenly turned towards her and asked forcefully.

Seeing the expectant look on his face, she felt like she had to give an answer.

"I wish to accumulate a certain amount of berries..." She said.

"Don't lie, what is your real dream." Ace saw through her fake answer instantly.

"I.. I don't have a dream." She said as she turned around and walked towards one of the rooms she had occupied.

She couldn't help but to think back to her youth when she was only a child and how she used to dream about mapping out the world.

As she reached her room and closed the door, she couldn't help but to wonder what he meant with "I haven't found nakama until now"? did he get a new crew member?

Ace looked at her and felt that this Nami is still less mature than the one in the anime and manga as she is a few years younger and still sheltering her true self.

"Don't worry little Nami, I'll make sushi out of Arlong and make you part of my own crew." He said in a whisper with a grin on his face.

He wasn't planning on chasing down the original straw hats, but meeting Nami made him realise why Luffy was so persistent in making them stay, at least for Nami, she was truly a good person on the inside. Ace could feel it with his Haki.

She also had lots of potential.

Although they learnt of each others names, they barely got any closer, yet, Nami felt very weirded out by the fact that Ace seemed so... nice, for a pirate.

Her image of a pirate was a stinky, hedonistic, selfloving piece of garbage.

Three days later, after sailing together for 9 days, Nami finally saw the Conomi Islands, her home that had been corrupted by Arlong and his crew.

She always felt mixed emotions whenever the returned. One of relief and one of anxiety. Had someone else she cared about died while she was gone?

Looking at the Captain of the "flaming pirates" the "flame emperor" as he called himself, she couldn't help herself but to chuckle at him as he was sleeping again, with food in his hands

"WE'RE THERE!" She shouted to wake him up.

Ace opened his eyes and stretched.

"What a nice nap!" He said as he walked towards her.

"Which island is Arlong in?" Ace asked as he looked at all the small islands near each other.

"We'll depart from eachother and pretend that we don't know eachother after we land!" She said as she pointed toward the biggest island.

"Huh, Why?" Ace asked as he tilted his head in confusion.

"Huh, what do you mean why! I belong to... Arlongs crew... and I don't..." She said in a sad tone.

"Pffts, are you dumb or what." Ace said as he laughed at her.

"YOURE THE DUMB ONE!" She got angry and ready to punch him, but she rembered that he is made of fire she she retreated her fist.

"No you're the dumb one, why would you say you belong to Arlong's crew when you're a flaming pirate?" Ace said in a mock tone.

"Flaming pirate?? I never joined your crew!" She retorted.

"You don't have to, I'm a pirate, I stole you!" Ace said with a gigantic grin as if he checkmated her.

"I refuse!" She said deadpan.

"I refuse your refusal!" Ace also refused.

Nami almost fell down, isn't the sea endless? how small are the odds that she will encounter the pirate with the lowest iq? So how come she did?

"No!" She said with absolute certainty.

"Yes!" Ace said with equal certainty.

"Why!" She asked feeling exaperated at how childish he was acting.

"Cuz I wanna!" He said, but this time he didn't even try to convince her as if he was tired of the conversation, instead he turned toward Conomi Islands and smiled. It would feel good to punch Arlong.

"No, no matter what, I can't join you, we barely know each other and I am... not a good person." She said, trying to convince him, but he ignored her.

"Please, leave... I don't want you to get hurt." She finally said.

Truthfully during these 9 days she realised that Ace wasnt evil, and she came to believe that if the circumstances were different, she and Ace would become great friends, even Nakama.

But her fate had been written down for her the moment Arlong came into her life.

And now she doesn't want Ace to get hurt.

"I can't leave, I might have been able to ignore Arlong before I met you, but now that I've gotten to know you, even though it's a little, I know you're a good person and that I want you in my crew. So I can't ignore Arlong anymore." Ace said, looking at her

"But... I... I belong to Arlong pirates, I am evil, disgusting, why would you want me as your nakama." She said with teary eyes.

"I don't know, but you probably have your reasons for being an Arlong pirate, yet I know that you're a good girl." Ace said.

"Also, please take care of our ship!" Ace suddenly said as he started running towards the front of the ship and jumped.

"Where are you going!" She shouted at his sudden jumping into the water. But what she saw then made her drop her jaws.

"His lower half turned into flames and blasted him towards the Conomi islands.

She saw him fly across the sea, leaving trails of heat that she felt even after she couldn't see him anymore.

Ace landed on the island, looking back, he saw a small dot in the Horizon, that he knew was the black pearl. He couldn't stand her melodrama so he escaped.

He felt awkward trying to fight with words, he'd rather just fight with fists, that's why he hurried ahead.

"Let's go" He said as he strodded toward the center of the island.

It took about a 15 minutes before he found a village, however it looked deserted, yet signs of life was still there.

He could see some windows close as he walked the streets.

"Who are you?" Suddenly a deep manly voice shouted at him from behind.

Ace turned around and found an old frail lady with a hammer in her hand.

"Erm, old lady, did you see a man shouting at me anywhere?" Ace asked as he looked around trying to find the man.

"No I am the only one that shouted?" She said. But her words made Ace drop his jaws as her voice was one of the most masculine voices he had ever heard.

It really sounded like a macho man.

"Man, I mean Ma'm, I am Ace, I'm going to defeat Arlong so could you point towards the directions of his camp?" Ace asked nervously, not wanting to hurt the old woman's feelings.

"Did you think I am a man?" She asked angrily.

"No, no, You're obviously a lady, can I ask for you name?" Ace asked, hoping to change the topic.

"I'm aMANda Manlyroe, but people call me Manny around here." She said with eyes that were glowing with suspicion.

'Amanda Manlyroe, a man the manly Joe?' Ace thought as he heard her name

"You're Amanda, nice to meet you." He said.

Yet the lady heard "You're A man though, nice to meet you."

"DID YOU JUST SAY 'YOU'RE A MAN THOUGH'??!" She became angry and ran towards him with the hammer.

"Old lady Amanda, stop this, go back home!" Suddenly a villager appeared and stopped her from her aggression.

"Let me go brat, I need to teach this young man some manners!" She shouted in a manly voice as she swung her hammer as if trying to bash in Ace's head.

"I heard what you said, you better run away, Arlong isn't someone just anyone can beat, but if you truly have the confidence, his camp is that way!" The young villager said as he dragged away the old lady.

'haaaaah, what a weird lady.' Ace thought as he started walking towards the camp.

In another ten minutes he found a small park at the coast, with walls and a gate surrounding it.

"Arlong Park..." Ace read the big letter that made it clear for anyone whose place this was.

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