Romance Dawn
Luffy was sitting on the beach, the waves were crashing in, the sights and sounds were dazzling.
Euphoria blanketed him, and he gazed up at the sky of trickling sunlight, drowning himself.
The smell of the sea & white glare of the sand tickled his brain.
He got up, walked down the beach, pushing a small boat into the sea.
Alighting, he used his powerful slender young arms to row past the wake before unfurling the white sail.
The vessel shivered as it caught the breeze, carrying him wherever the tides œ sea & sky agreed.
Foolishly soaking in freedom's glee, he fell asleep.
¤
A terrible storm preyed on the tiny boat, the peculid black waters reflecting the darkness of the deep and menacing firmament.
¤
Droning wind drifted off with his sleep — eyes scalded with the terror of looming lightning.
¤
He jumped up like a deft spring, balancing perfectly as the barrel holding food and water & such things that were packed from the efforts of his friend Makino was emptied.
¤
When it was bare of everything but a water pouch, he jumped in then slammed the lid tight upon the top inexplicably.
¤
"HeHe, this should be a fun ride."
¤
A huge whirlpool came from the dark waters —devouring.
¤
□●
¤
Sunlight illuminated the bobbing salt-caked barrel, and a pair of hands foisted it up from under the water onto a small ship.
Orange crisp hair was slick with sweat
A breath of released exertion came out, and she wiped the sweat on her face with a cloth.
Picking up the crowbar from the side, quite the effort was expended to remove the lid; after prying around the edges and flicking the top onto the ground, she recoiled a bit at the stench inside with some dismay, wondering what spoiled thing she has been toiling over?
¤
Searing rays quenched the dark hole, making Luffy's chap lips twitch.
The beautiful brown eyes were startled
cough cough
"...water"
Blurry hands — after scrambling through her things — fed him the tip of a skin o' water, flowing it deliciously into his parched mouth.
Gasp
His body was thrilled
¤
A black bandana was tied around the top of her head, a gorgeous angular face glimpsed him curiously.
shuck
She helped extricate him from the barrel
¤
However, he smelled terrible, so she threw him into the sea.
¤
"!"
Dazedly looking into the glittering firmament obscured by the watery tomb, he was very surprised.
¤
He had only reached this day by training and fighting wild beasts endlessly, carving out sparse victories amidst defeat before improving the difficulty.
¤
It was quite interesting to die getting tossed in the drink by the young girl who saved me.
¤
Pluash`
¤
He felt himself wrapped in an embrace, pulled to the air.
While he was breathing heavily & sputtering, the arm around his chest towing him from behind climbed up a ladder onto the boat.
¤
thunk
¤
Throwing him down, she coughed out some water exasperated.
"Can't you swim?!"
Glaring angrily, her wet youthful form was tantalizing.
¤
"I ate a Sea Fruit."
He said awkwardly while splayed out under the biting heat.
¤
"Eh?"
'Sea Fruit are the supernatural bounty ó the ocean, said to grant magical abilities to those who eat them. However, in exchange they become cursed to impotency when contacting briny waters~ losing their potential to ever swim amongst the waves again…'
¤
"Tch. Are you shy? Embarrassed you can't swim in this wide world with nothing but islands? Even so, a myth is a myth you know? Who would believe it?!"
She looked at him pathetically.
¤
Luffy blinked.
¤
"Anyway, who are you? Why are you riding a barrel to nowhere?"
The glare of the day was muffled by a sauntering group ø clouds.
¤
Sitting up stably, Luffy sighed and said
"I got caught in a storm not too long after setting sail and falling asleep."
He scratched his black messy vibrant hair awkwardly
"I seem to have been sucked into a whirlpool and surged underwater as well~ which was pretty scary haha!"
¤
"..."
She stared at him for a moment.
'Falls asleep in safety, wakes up in danger. This kid is pretty daring'
¤
pah
He brought his fist down on his palm.
"Almost forgot!"
smile
"I'm Luffy, and my dream is to be the Pirate King."
¤
His strange smile was infectious, as he pulled up his red-ribboned strawhat and sat it on his head.
¤
The scene was picturesque as the rays fell back down from the sky.
¤
"Nami."
She replied with a blank face and turned around to set the course of her ship while kicking his barrel into the sea as she walked away.
¤
"Wow, are you a navigator?"
There were stacks of hand-drawn maps × various navigation tools & a thick stack of notes with gibberish about the tides, underwater topography indications, geological-climate cross references for predicting weather ŋ deriving data about influencing structural area from abstruse esoteric phenomena… lots o evidence screaming her profession.
¤
"!?"
She was studying the course to meet her target & didn't notice him pouring himself over her things.
smack
"Don't touch!"
After slapping his hand and glaring, she thought to ask him something.
"A pirate, yeah? Are you strong?"
¤
"Umu."
He closed his eyes and nodded confidently while crossing his arms.
¤
"Well, soon we are coming upon the sea area lately haunted by the Alvida Pirates. I will be sneaking into their ship & stealing their treasure; all I need from you is to distract them if I get caught. After saving your life, it isn't much hai?"
¤
"No problem. I can beat them all & get you their bounty if you want!"
HeHe!
He laughed a bit ŋ smiled.
¤
'Well, its good to be brave.
Maybe he'll be useful.'
¤
Upon reaching the island purported to hide the Alvida Pirates, they hid the ship on the opposite side of the island— deciding to strike at night.
¤
Sneaking silently through the woods and finding their camp lit up by torches near the ship, she instructed Luffy to hide in the bushes and jump out to be a decoy if anything crazy happens.
¤
Creeping in the dark, she slowly lowered herself underwater away from the guards & swam with her big sack to the rear of the ship.
Using a 2-pronged handled hook in each hand to climb up.
¤
She deposited them in the bottom of the sack upon reaching the top— walking carefully across the empty ship to go down the stern's stairs & enter the door leading inside.
¤
She started with the Captain's quarters, where she successfully unlocked an iron door using her picking skills~ finding a sizable heap of gold, silver, gems and jewelry.
It was scattered on the carpet haphazardly.
¤
After filling her sack to the brim, she didn't leave a cent before lugging it out and lugging it with difficulty to the front of the ship.
¤
As soon as she got there and peered over the edge, she found the guards unconscious on the ground & a Luffy standing there waving.
¤
"!"
'What the hell!'
¤
kling°`
She directly jumped down — throwing him the sack œ treasure — which he caught stably & bolted away.
"Idiot, why didn't you listen!"
¤
After all, a pair of guards who should be up and about are eating soil & bleeding on the ground~ it is only a matter of time before they are noticed.
¤
On the way to the boat, they heard a ruckus erupt — Nami ran even faster & Luffy kept pace with the treasure beside her while erupting with gleeful laughter.
Watching his funny attempt to stick to her side like a partner sharing a difficult time, she really wanted to trip him headfirst into being partners with the dirt like a filthy sick pirate deserves!
Alas, he is holding her treasure.