**Chapter 13: Nami's Diary (With Extra Heart, Humor, and a Splash of Divine Drama)**
**Nami's POV**
*Dear Diary,*
I don't usually write every night—too busy sketching maps or dodging Belle-mère's chores—but lately, my heart feels like an overripe tangerine, ready to burst if I don't get these feelings out. So here I am, huddled under the lamplight in our creaky little house, scribbling while Nojiko snores like a baby Sea King in the next room. It's been eight months since Sunny and Aqua crashed into Cocoyasi Village, and life… it's changed. Not in a scary way (okay, maybe a *little* scary when Aqua's involved), but in a way that makes everything brighter, warmer, like the sun decided to linger a little longer just for us.
When Sunny and Aqua first showed up, I thought they were just another pair of weirdos washed ashore by the tides. Sunny looked too clean, too… shiny, like he'd stepped out of a storybook instead of a shipwreck. His smile was warm, but there was this flicker in his eyes, like he was hiding a secret bigger than the Grand Line itself. Aqua put it best one day, while lounging on a rock and stealing my tangerine juice: "Sunny's like a cute puppy pretending to be serious!" I rolled my eyes then, but… she's not wrong. There's something about him—kind, steady, but with an edge that makes my stomach flip in ways I'm not ready to admit.
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**First Impressions**
When I first saw Sunny, he was dragging a Sea King into the village market—a monster so massive it made the dock groan like it was begging for mercy. I mean, who *does* that? Who just hauls in a beast the size of a ship and sells it for 5 million Berries like it's Tuesday? My jaw hit the ground, my eyes turned into Berry signs, and I'm pretty sure I drooled a little. Don't judge me, Diary—money's my love language.
But that night, at Belle-mère's dinner table, he wasn't some cocky hero. He sat there, quietly eating tangerine stew, his shoulders hunched like he wasn't used to a warm home. He looked… relieved, like just sitting with us, joking with Nojiko, and dodging Aqua's teasing was something precious. It made my chest ache, like I wanted to grab his hand and tell him he could stay forever. Not that I did. I'm not *that* sappy.
Aqua, though? Oh, Aqua's a storm in a sparkly dress. She's loud, dramatic, and clings to Sunny like a barnacle on a ship's hull. One minute she's yelling at him to fetch her water, the next she's tripping over a rock and blaming him for it. I thought they were siblings at first, but the way she looks at him—half possessive, half adoring—says they're something else entirely. She's like a hurricane that makes our quiet village feel alive, and even Belle-mère, who's seen it all, watches them with a soft smile, like they're the kids she never knew she needed.
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**Eight Months Later**
It's been eight months, and somehow, Sunny and Aqua have woven themselves into our lives like threads in one of Belle-mère's quilts. Sunny's become the village's unofficial handyman—fixing Genzo's fences, chopping wood for old Mrs. Taro, even teaching the local kids shell-and-stick games (he cheats, by the way, but his smile's so cute they don't care). He's patient, kind, and always knows when to step in without making a fuss.
Aqua, on the other hand, is a walking disaster. She argues with Sunny over *everything*. Last week, it was:
"Sunny, fetch me water!" she demanded, lounging on a crate like a queen.
"You have two hands, don't you?" he shot back, tossing her a bucket.
"Mine are for beauty, not buckets!" she huffed, crossing her arms.
"Then starve," he said, walking away with that infuriatingly calm grin.
Five minutes later, he was back with the water, and Aqua hid a smug grin behind her hand. They bicker like an old married couple, and it's so ridiculous I can't help but laugh. I've laughed more in these eight months than in the last eight years, Diary. It's like they brought the sun and a storm into our lives, and somehow, it works.
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**The Crush I Don't Want to Admit**
Okay, Diary, here's the part I'm only admitting because you can't tell anyone. I… I think I like Sunny. Not "like-like"! I mean, it's not a *crush* or anything mushy like that. It's just… he's different. He listens when I ramble about maps, never laughing when I mess up a coastline or fumble a compass. He'll sit with me for hours, showing me how to read wind patterns or sketch straighter lines, his voice patient and warm. And when he smiles—that soft, sunny smile that makes his eyes crinkle—my stomach does this weird flip, like I've swallowed a live fish.
The other day, we were working on a map together, and I accidentally brushed his hand while reaching for a pencil. My heart jumped so hard I thought it'd leap out of my chest. I laughed it off, babbling about ink smudges, but my face was burning. He didn't seem to notice—or maybe he pretended not to, which is worse because it means he's *considerate*. Ugh, why is he so perfect?
And when he trains? Oh, Diary, it's unfair. He's out there by the shore, punching the air with those invisible Haki threads, his muscles lean but strong, moving like water in a way that's almost hypnotic. Aqua teases him, calling him a "baby" compared to "real men," but she's blind. Or jealous. Probably both. I caught her staring once, and when I called her out, she threw a seashell at me and yelled, "I'm a goddess, I don't stare at mortals!" Sure, Aqua, sure.
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**Sunny and Aqua Together**
Here's the thing about Sunny and Aqua: they fight constantly, but it's never mean. It's like they argue because they care too much to stay quiet. Aqua calls him an idiot, he calls her a "drunk goddess" (still don't get that one), and five minutes later, they're laughing over fish soup, sprawled on the floor like kids. Aqua will throw a pillow at me to drag me into their chaos, and suddenly we're all giggling, tangled in a heap of limbs and insults.
I get jealous sometimes, watching how close they are. It's not just that they're always together—it's the way they *understand* each other, like they share a secret language I can't quite crack. But then Aqua will pull me into their mess, or Sunny will hand me a compass with that quiet smile, and I feel like I belong too. Like we're a weird, mismatched family.
---
**The Strange Side of Sunny**
There's one thing that unsettles me, Diary, and I can't shake it. Sunny's kind, gentle, the kind of person who makes everyone feel safe. But sometimes, when he thinks no one's watching—training by the beach, his fists bloody from punching the wreck of that old ship—I see a different Sunny. His smile vanishes, his eyes turn cold, so cold it sends chills down my spine. It's like he's someone else entirely, someone dangerous.
Aqua noticed it too. One night, after Sunny came back from training, his knuckles bruised and his face too calm, she whispered to me, "Don't worry, Nami. Sunny only shows that face to his enemies." Her voice was light, but her eyes were serious, like she knew more than she was saying.
I believe her, because when Sunny looks at me, or Nojiko, or Belle-mère, his eyes are warm again, like the sun breaking through clouds. But I can't help wondering what he's hiding. He talks to himself sometimes, muttering to "Ego" and "System" like they're real people. Aqua just rolls her eyes and says, "Don't ask, it's his brain being weird." But it makes me curious—and a little scared.
---
**A Day Painted Orange**
Today was my 10th birthday, and it was… perfect. Belle-mère turned our house into a festival, stringing up paper stars and shell garlands, the air thick with the smell of tangerine cake and mango juice. Nojiko ran around, setting tables with her usual quiet grace, while villagers dropped off gifts—fish, fruit, even a lopsided pie from Old Man Kiro that he swore was "artisan." It wasn't grand, but it was ours, and it felt like the whole island was celebrating with me.
When I walked in, wearing the yellow dress Belle-mère sewed with tangerine patterns, I couldn't stop smiling. For once, I wasn't the "orphan girl" or the "map-obsessed kid." I was just Nami, surrounded by love.
Then came the gifts. Aqua, of course, had to make it dramatic. She strutted forward like she was presenting a royal decree, holding a box covered in sloppy blue marker swirls. "Behold!" she declared, thrusting it at me. "Seashells blessed by Aqua-sama, imbued with divine luck!" They were… just seashells. Pretty, sure, but I could pick those up on the beach any day.
Belle-mère coughed, hiding a laugh. Nojiko giggled openly. I forced a smile, saying, "Thanks, Aqua… I'll, uh, treasure them?" Aqua beamed, oblivious to the awkward silence.
Then Sunny stepped up, looking shy for once. He pulled out a leather pouch, heavy with 1 million Berries, and a tiny slip of his Vivre Card. "I don't do speeches," he said, scratching his head. "But this is for you. Money for your maps, so you don't have to worry. And this… it's a piece of me. Wherever I am, you'll know. And I'll always find you."
My heart stopped. The Berries were one thing, but the Vivre Card? That was… personal. My hands shook as I took it, my cheeks burning. "Sunny… this is too much…" I mumbled, but before I could overthink it, I grabbed my own Vivre Card, cut a piece with my pocketknife, and shoved it into his hand. "Take this too! So we're even!" My face was on fire, but I didn't care.
The villagers "ooooh'd" like we'd just gotten engaged. Nojiko smirked, whispering to Belle-mère, who muttered, "Young love, huh?" Aqua, though, exploded. "WHAT IS THIS?! Soul-bonding paper with MY Sunny?! Orange thief, you're done!" She looked ready to smite me, her staff glowing.
I stuck out my tongue. "Jealous much, old lady?"
"OLD LADY?!" Aqua screeched, flailing. "I'M A TIMELESS GODDESS!"
Belle-mère dragged her away before she could start a divine riot, while Nojiko laughed so hard she spilled her juice.
Later, under the stars, I found Sunny by the tangerine grove. "Thanks," I said, my voice small. "For everything. I've never… had anyone give me something like this." Before I could stop myself, I hugged him, quick and desperate. His shirt smelled like sea salt and sunshine, and for a second, I felt safe in a way I hadn't felt before.
Then Aqua kicked the door open. "HANDS OFF, ORANGE THIEF!" She yanked Sunny back, glaring like I'd stolen her crown. "Competition? On MY watch? Not happening!"
"Jealous much?" I shot back, puffing my cheeks.
"TIMELESS GODDESS!" she roared, and we bickered until Belle-mère threatened to ground us both.
---
**Conclusion**
So here's the truth, Diary: I don't know what Sunny is. He's too strong to be normal, too strange to be ordinary, too kind to be dangerous… but too dangerous to be ignored. When he smiles at me, I feel like I'm standing in a storm, yet completely safe. And maybe that's why my heart races, why I keep his Vivre Card tucked under my pillow.
Don't tell anyone, Diary. Especially Aqua—she'd tease me to death. But for the first time, my story feels worth writing down, because Sunny and Aqua made it brighter.
— Nami