The sea breeze billowed the white sails, pushing the small boat steadily across the gentle waves.
Nami checked the compass, making a minor adjustment to the rudder.
"Nami," Darian asked, leaning against the gunwale. "Where exactly are we headed?"
"Orange Town!" Nami replied, confirming the needle's direction with a nod.
"Orange Town? Why there?"
Although Darian had read the manga and knew Nami was destined to meet Luffy in Orange Town, his memory of the specific details was a bit fuzzy. He decided to play dumb.
"To steal treasure, of course!" Nami grinned, striking a confident pose. "I'm a thief who specializes in stealing from pirates. And I heard a rumor that Buggy the Clown has a map to the Grand Line!"
Darian couldn't help but smile. She made thievery sound like a noble crusade.
"Okay then," he said, holding up a fist. "You do your best. I'll support you. If we run into any trouble, leave the fighting to me."
Crackle.
Small blue arcs of electricity danced across his knuckles.
Nami smiled at his support, but her smile faltered slightly when she saw the lightning. To her, that electricity was just a reminder of the 100 million Berry fruit he had eaten. It was like watching someone burn money for fun.
Also, maybe she was just a little jealous that she didn't get cool superpowers.
The sun climbed higher. Sailing was mostly hours of boredom punctuated by moments of terror. With nothing but blue sky and water for miles, Darian decided to kill time by pampering his navigator.
"Nami, are you hot?"
"No."
"Nami, are you thirsty?"
"I'm fine."
"Nami, do you want a massage?"
"...Maybe."
Despite her attempts to be professional, Nami couldn't resist. Soon, a parasol was set up on the deck, shading a small table with fresh fruit and juice.
Nami leaned back in Darian's arms. One of his hands held hers, while the other rested comfortably on her waist, occasionally wandering higher.
"Idiot," Nami scolded, though her face was flushed and she made no move to push him away. "Is this all you think about all day?"
"Can you blame me?" Darian laughed, inhaling the scent of her hair. "You're too distracting. Besides, I'm not totally useless. I know a bit about math, physics, chemistry... I could probably even use that sextant of yours."
Nami raised an eyebrow. In this world, education was rare. Most pirates couldn't read, let alone do trigonometry.
"Really?" she asked suspiciously. "For a guy with amnesia who doesn't know the price of cabbage, you sure talk big."
"Test me."
Darian proceeded to explain the optical principles behind the sextant and the geometry of triangulation. He didn't do it to show off, but to prove his worth. Compared to the Straw Hats (who were lovable idiots, aside from Robin and Chopper), Darian wanted to be the brains of the operation—or at least, the one with common sense.
Nami listened, impressed despite herself. He really did know his stuff.
As the conversation lulled, Darian leaned in closer. The proximity, combined with the subtle pheromones released by his Devil Fruit, made Nami's head spin. She felt soft, pliable.
"Wait..." she murmured as his hand slipped under the hem of her shirt. "That will cost you... one million Berries."
"Put it on my tab," Darian whispered, kissing her neck.
Just as things were getting interesting, the boat lurched violently.
CRASH!
"Whoa!"
Nami yelped, instinctively clinging to Darian as the impact shook them. Darian looked up sharply.
A small fishing boat flying a pirate flag had come out of nowhere, ramming their side.
Three pirates stood on the deck, brandishing rusty cutlasses. One was skinny with a skull hat, one had an afro, and the third was fat. They looked like rejected cartoon villains.
"Hey!" the skinny one yelled. "Stop the ship and hand over your valuables! We are the great Buggy Pirates!"
Darian blinked. He recognized these three. In the original story, Nami had tricked them, stolen their boat, and left them to drown until Zoro saved them.
They are annoying, Darian thought. And they interrupted me.
For a man, there is no greater crime than interrupting a romantic moment.
Darian didn't give them a chance to speak a second sentence. Still holding Nami with one arm, he raised his free hand, palm open.
"Get lost," he muttered.
Crackle.
"Palm Thunder!"
BOOM!
A blinding flash of blue-white light erupted from his hand. It split into three jagged spears of lightning that crossed the gap between the boats in an instant.
ZZ-ZAP!
The three pirates stiffened as thousands of volts coursed through them. Their hair stood on end, smoke curled from their clothes, and they collapsed simultaneously.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
They fell backward into the sea, unconscious and twitching.
Nami stared, wide-eyed.
"Darian!" she exclaimed. "Did you... did you kill them?"
"They attacked us with swords," Darian replied calmly, lowering his smoking hand. "I just defended us."
Nami fell silent. She had grown up in the harsh world of pirates; she knew the rule was kill or be killed. But seeing Darian—who had been shaking with fear just last night—dispatch three men so casually was a shock.
He's changed, she realized. The power has changed him.
Or maybe he was just adapting. With a weapon in hand, the mindset shifts. Darian wasn't a killer by nature, but he refused to be a victim. And he certainly refused to let three stooges threaten Nami.
"Anyway," Darian said, shaking out his hand as if shaking off water. "The fact that Buggy's men are here means we're close to Orange Town. And..."
He pointed to the drifting pirate boat.
"Look. There's a chest on their deck."
The magic words.
Nami's shock evaporated instantly. Her eyes turned into Berry symbols ($$).
"Treasure!" she cheered, steering their boat toward the loot.
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