Cats and Crows (Nami x MaleReader)

DISCLAIMER: Depending on where you are in the One Piece story, there may be spoilers contained in this story. You have been warned.

Over the past few days, the seemingly peaceful Cocoyasi Village had become anything but; you and the other villagers had been living under the “care” of the Fishman Arlong and his pirate crew ever since you were a kid but now you were finally free. It all started when your childhood friend Nami came back from her travels. You and she had been “recruited” by Arlong at a young age, Nami for her cartography skills and you because you were above average in a fight for a ten-year-old. Eventually, Arlong decided to strike a deal with the two of you; you would be allowed to live with Nami’s sister Nojiko instead of in Arlong Park as long as you acted as an enforcer regarding the collection of Arlong’s monthly fee and Nami could buy Cocoyasi’s freedom for the price of 100 Million Berries. Nami had been working on this ever since the deal was struck and apparently was very close to finishing it before her friends the Straw Hat Pirate Crew came to bring her back.

Once the Straw Hats landed and learned of the situation they quickly dealt with Arlong and his crew, his park and tower now lying in ruins before the rest of the town took care of a corrupt Navy officer that intended to steal all the money that Nami had collected for the town. The next day, after thanking the Straw Hats for dealing with Arlong, the five pirates got back on their ship and headed off to the Grand Line. You were happy to see Nami again and a part of you was glad to see her happy and with friends but another part of you was sad that she had to go so quickly. Nojiko often joked that you had a crush on Nami, and while you said you didn’t while you were younger now you found yourself thinking about Nami more often than before.

The days stretched into weeks since you last saw Nami as you and the town got back into a normal groove. Nojiko went back to her tangerine farm and Genzo kept up his job as sheriff. You, however, almost felt lost in the village you called home.The only thing that really gave you comfort was a little routine you had developed in Nami’s absence. Taking a tangerine you had bought from Nojiko, you headed to a cliff outside of town where a grave marker for Bell-mére, Nami & Nojiko’s adoptive mother, was set. Sitting down on the cliff in front of the marker you felt the wind blowing through your (h/c) hair as you watched the clouds rolled by.

“Back again son?” You heard behind you

Turning around you saw Nojiko and Genzo standing by the road, smiles on their faces as you stood up and headed in their direction.

“You’ve been coming to this spot every day for a few weeks now huh?” Nojiko said

“Well, it’s calm out here. Helps clear my mind.”

“Miss Nami that much?”

“Maybe.” You said quickly as you looked down to try and hide the blush on your cheeks

“Why don’t we head back to my office?” Genzo suggested, “I have news that may be just what you need (y/n).”

About a half hour later, you, Nojiko, and Genzo were standing in Genzo’s office as he riffled through some papers before grabbing a rather large sheet and rolling it out on his desk.

“What is this?” You asked

“A map. Specifically, a very crude map of the Grand Line. Some of my Navy connections gave it to me since we’re so close.” Genzo said as he pointed to an island group in the bottom-right corner labeled “Conomi Islands”, “In a few days, a navy ship will be stopping here to resupply before traveling the Grand Line to their base in the Sabaody Archipelago,” he continued pointing to another group of islands right in front of the Red Line, “and I’ve cleared you to join them, provided you pull your weight like I raised you to.”

Nojiko giggled at Genzo’s comment, since you, her and Nami didn’t have real parents growing up after Bell-mére died so he took the role of father figure for the three of you. You, on the other hand, were excited since Nami would have to reach this island eventually so you could see her and the other Straw Hats again.

“Now they think you’re joining them because you have family in the Archipelago, but if you plan on joining up with Nami like I think you’re going to you better listen closely.” He said staring into your (e/c) eyes, “If something happens to Nami on your watch, I’ll find you and Straw Hat and kill you both myself.”

The room was silent for a minute or two before you and Genzo burst out laughing as you left with Nojiko for the day.

A few days later, the Navy ship arrived as Genzo had mentioned and, after having a brief discussion with the captain, you set sail and got to work helping the ship’s navigator plot the course. Passing the infamous Loguetown, your ship soon reached and crossed Reverse Mountain and made it onto the Grand Line. Being on a Navy ship versus a pirate ship you were able to cover a lot of distance much quicker than Luffy and his crew could. Traveling for a few more weeks, you overheard the captain speaking with Navy Headquarters on his Den Den Mushi to watch out for a storm in your area and that the Straw Hat crew had been sighted in Alabasta. You had passed the desert island a long time ago and you started to be able to gauge the distance that you were traveling versus Nami. Traveling with the Navy also helped you learn more about different pirates, including a certain group who were quickly rising above the rest, Luffy included, as well as the pirate Warlords and the Emperors of the New World who sort of kept the balance in the world.

One night some time later, you were fast asleep when suddenly the ship jolted violently and you flew out of your hammock. Crashing on the floor, you shot up to the sounds of panic outside as the ship’s navigator found you.

“Get it in gear (y/n)! Grab what you can and see the captain before you get on a lifeboat!” He said frantically

“What’s going on?!” You said as the captain suddenly appeared next to the navigator

“There you two are.” He said as he quickly handed each of you a document, “I’ll make this quick. This storm is bad and our ship can’t take much more, get on a lifeboat and head for one of the islands nearby. Anyone who can reach the Archipelago needs to hand this paper to the Navy Officer there, am I clear?”

“Yes, sir!” You both said as the three of you headed outside

Looking around when you got on deck, chaos didn’t even begin to describe it. The wind and rain drenched the deck and pelted your body, the mast was cracked down the middle like lightning had struck it and the helm was on fire. Scrambling to reach a lifeboat, you and the other crewmates crashed down into the water just as another bolt split the boat in two.

“INCOMING!!!” One sailor said behind you

Turning around, your jaw dropped as a giant wave towered over you and the other lifeboats. Time seemed to slow down as the wave came crashing down on the lifeboats in front of you while yours was overturned and torn apart in the wake, sending you tumbling into the sea.









Your eyes slowly opened to the sight of the calm open ocean, a few pieces of flotsam near you so you grabbed onto the largest one and pulled yourself onto it. Lying on your back, you recounted the night’s experience. The good news was that you were alive, but in your pocket, you felt the document the captain had given you was soaked through. That brought you to the bad news, you were alone out here; which either meant no one else survived or you had just drifted apart from each other. Whichever turned out to be the case, your only company seemed to be the ocean. The midday sun beat down as hunger and exhaustion started catching up to you. As you turned over to lie on your stomach, you started closing your eyes and made out a shape on the horizon which soon split into two.



A shock of cold water quickly woke you up and you found yourself on a ship surrounded by its crew. Everyone was wearing a robe of some kind in different colors and in the center was a man wearing a red robe with a yellow scarf around his waist. He was also wearing a pair of orange headphones and you noticed his teeth sort of looked like piano keys, but the most obvious feature was his long arms, having two elbow joints instead of one. Altogether he painted a picture that matched one of the rising pirate captains you learned about with the Navy.

“Well man, you sure were in a tough situation huh?” He said as he sat down in front of you while his crewmates brought out giant plates of food for everyone, “Eat up mates.”

The crew dug into their meal, while you just looked at the captain.

“Name’s Apoo.” He said with a smile

“Yeah, Scratchmen ‘Sea-Roar’ Apoo.” You replied, “Um...I’m (f/n) (l/n).”

“Nice to meet you (y/n). Have some food, captain’s orders.”

You nodded and quickly filled the pit of your stomach along with the crew and after an hour of eating, you felt better than ever.

“So (y/n) what were you doing on that piece of wood anyway?” Apoo asked as the dishes were sent back to the galley

“Well, I was heading to the Sabaody Archipelago with…” You said but stopped as you made out some small shadows in the sky

“Something up guy?” Apoo asked as he and the crew started looking around

“We’re not alone.” You said as you pulled a small handle out from under your shirt, pulling out the ends it extended to a full four-foot length staff and with a twist of one end a fan sprouted from that end

“INCOMING!!!” You heard from the crow’s nest as a rain of cannonballs came into view, but you were ready. You jumped into the air and swung your fan.

“Wind Wall!” You shouted as a gust of wind followed your fan and carried the cannonballs off to the side and into the water

“Whoa, you saved our hides, man!” One crew member said

“I don’t think we’re finished yet.” You said as the fan retracted into your staff and a naginata blade sprouted from the other end

“Bounty hunter ship incoming!” The lookout shouted as everyone scrambled to get ready for a fight

“How’d you see that (y/n)?” Apoo asked

“I’ll tell you later, it’s about to get loud.” You replied

“Now that’s my kind of jam.” He said as a ship came speeding into view

For the next few hours, the calm sea turned rough with battle. At first, it was cannon fire but your wind wall redirected the hunters’ shots and sped up Apoo’s. When the bounty hunters finally wised up and went in for close combat, Apoo was ready for them. It turned out the rumors about him were true as he used his body like musical instruments to fight while you and the other crew used sword and spear. Eventually, the bounty hunters surrendered, offering you a chest of what they called their “greatest treasure” in exchange for their lives. Happily taking their loot, you and the On Air Pirates sailed off as the bounty hunters turned tail and sailed away. As the seas calmed down and you resumed your course, the pirates cheered in victory.

“Another one bites the dust boys!” Apoo said, “And three cheers for (y/n) for giving us the heads-up!”

The pirates cheered as you and Apoo sat down on a couple of barrels.

“So (y/n),” one of the crew members said, “where’d you learn to do that wind thing?”

You took this chance to explain your situation to Apoo and the others. Where you came from, how you learned to fight with your staff and how you’ve trained your eyes to be able to see farther than most without a lens of some kind; you learned that wind wall technique after repeated trial and error while finding a way to combat the Fishman fighting style. You then told them about the Navy ship you were traveling on and the storm that destroyed it, and how they found you floating on a piece of the wreckage.

Apoo and the other pirates were silent for a minute, their captain lost in thought as he stood up and looked out to the sea for a minute before turning back to you.

“So let me get this straight (y/n): you were working for a pirate but you aren’t one, and you were traveling on a navy ship to meet up with some friends on the Grand Line but you aren’t with the Navy?”

“That’s right.”

At this moment, two pirates came on deck saying they finally got the chest open. Bringing it outside, it only contained one thing: it looked like a melon but it was a bright blue and it had the signature swirl patterns of a Devil Fruit.

“They had a Devil Fruit?!” One crew member said

“Were they going to sell it?”

“What are we going to do with it, captain?”

Apoo said nothing; he simply picked up the fruit and tossed it to you. “(Y/N)’s going to eat it.”

“WHAT?????!” The crew shouted as Apoo looked at you with a smile

“Now hear me out, boys. (Y/N), you haven’t eaten a Devil Fruit have you?”

You shook your head.

“Good. Now I’ll admit we owe (y/n) for saving us from those cannon shots so as long as he pulls his weight around, I see no problem with him sticking around until he goes to meet up with his pals. But we aren’t running a water taxi service so all I ask is that you eat the Devil Fruit as proof that you agree.”

You looked down at the Devil Fruit Apoo had tossed to you. One bite would give you some kind of power, but you had no idea what it was. What you did know was that no matter what the power was you wouldn’t be able to swim. Your mind then flashed back to what Genzo said to you; this power could help you protect Nami, no matter what it is you wouldn’t be getting weaker because of it. The crew looked on in shock as you slowly peeled the blue skin away to reveal a bright red fruit beneath it, you hesitated for a split second but before you knew it you had sunk your teeth into the fruit and swallowed a hunk.

You dropped the fruit and covered your mouth with one hand while the other one gripped your stomach as you gulped loudly.

“Man, that’s disgusting!” You said as you looked at the melon rind remaining in your hands, “Wait, did I eat the whole thing?!”

“In one go too.” Apoo said

“Land ho!” You heard from the crow’s nest, “Island to the northwest!”

“Set a course boys; we’ll stop there for the night and get (y/n) a chance to figure out his new powers, and someone get him some new clothes while we’re at it.”

A few hours later the ship had landed and you all disembarked, the crew giving you a white robe similar to what Apoo is wearing. The island was uninhabited and bamboo grew everywhere, and after walking for a little while you came upon a clearing with some rather large rocks.

“Alright (y/n), how are you feeling?”

“You know, for some reason I feel…lighter.”

“What?”

“My body just feels lighter for some reason. Hang on a second…”

Standing still and concentrating, the On Air pirates noticed waves coming off of you as your body grew slightly taller. Your hands grew claws and your nose and mouth turned into a sharp black beak while your (e/c) eyes turned a bright yellow. Your skin started growing black feathers and a pair of wings grew from your back as your transformation completed.

“So it was a Zoan-type Devil Fruit!” Apoo said as you took in your new half-beast form

“It was the Bird-Bird Fruit Model: Crow.” You said as you stretched your new wings, “I’ve got be honest, this feels pretty good.”

Spreading your wings, you jumped up and took to the air above the bamboo groves. Apoo and the others lost sight of you for a second but could hear you cheering as you came soaring back in with arms stretched out. Coming back into the clearing, you disappeared for a second before reappearing behind some bamboo.

“Flying Talons.” You said as the bamboo behind you was sliced in half

The On Air Pirates cheered as you turned back to your human form and headed out of the clearing.

“Well (y/n), I guess you really are an On Air Pirate now!” Apoo said

“Looks like it. But if I hear anyone crack a ‘crow’s nest’ joke, they’re going to play test dummy for my powers.” You said as you and the others returned to the ship to retire for the night.

For the next few weeks, you and the On Air Pirates sailed the Grand Line without too many problems. Occasionally, Navy ships would try to intercept you and bounty hunters would come for Apoo, but thanks to your sight and speed the crew was always ready. One day, you were flying around the ship getting the hang of your powers. With a flap of one of your wings, you shot feathers like arrows into the water; causing several fish to rise to the surface as you pulled out a net and scooped them out of the water and descended back onto the ship.

“Hey (y/n)!” You heard one of the crew members shouted, “You got that fish yet?”

“So fresh they were swimming not ten minutes ago, and send the chefs my regards.” You said as you handed to the net to your shipmate who then headed back inside.

Through your training, you learned a few tricks with your new form. Most of your attacks could be done in full crow form, but you tended to stay in hybrid form while in battle so you could use your staff. You outfitted your fan with black feathers to match your new look and you could even perform your wind wall with a sweep of your wings if you had to. In addition to the feather rain attack, you also had the talon sweep from before and even a sonic scream which was Apoo’s favorite.

“Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo (y/n)!” You heard from inside, and as you turned around you saw Apoo and another crew member carrying a few papers

“What’s up?” You asked

“We caught word in that last town we stopped at about those friends of yours. They’ve been making some pretty big splashes in the Grand Line man.”

“Big how?”

“War against the World Government big man! Check out these wanted posters!” Apoo said as the other crewman handed you the stack of papers

Flipping through them, you saw that they were, in fact, wanted posters for the Straw Hat crew. There were a couple of new faces among the crew but you still recognized the five from Arlong Park, although you had to stop and laugh for a second at the artist’s depiction of Sanji.

“Wow, I don’t know if I should call Luffy brave or crazy but that 300 Million Berry bounty is no joke; he and Zoro have developed quite a name for themselves.”

“They aren’t the only ones my friend.” Apoo said as he showed you one more poster


Yours.


The photo showed you swooping down in hybrid form, feathers shooting out from one of your wings. You recognized the background as one of the towns you had to deal with some bounty hunters in about a month ago, and at the bottom was the message “Wanted: Dead or Alive- (f/n) ‘Blackwing’ (l/n)” with a price of 75 Million Berries on your head.

“Blackwing, I like that. Got to be honest though, I don’t know what old man Genzo’s going to be madder about,” you said flipping back to Nami’s poster, “my bounty or Nami’s picture.”

You and Apoo shared a laugh as the three of you headed to the galley as the smell of fresh fried fish taunted your stomach

Time continued on and eventually you had made it through the Grand Line with only the Sabaody Archipelago ahead of you. One night you were standing on the deck looking out to sea, the archipelago in question just coming over the horizon; at the speed you were going the ship would probably make it by morning. However, while you were grateful for everything Apoo and his crew had done for you, you still wanted to join up with Nami and the Straw Hat crew. You looked down at Nami’s wanted poster and at her brown eyes and beautiful smile and remembered how she always did look much better with a smile on her face.

“See anything out there (y/n)?” You heard behind you

Looking over, you saw Apoo walk up next to you.

“Clear seas ahead captain, should make it to the Archipelago by morning.”

“So you’ll be heading out soon then?” He asked

“You’re really okay with it?” You replied

Apoo smiled and looked down at Nami’s poster in your hand. “That Nami girl, you said she was a childhood friend right?”

You nodded.

“I can tell that she means a lot to you, and we did agree that when we got to the Archipelago you could meet up with them. Just don’t forget your friends in the On Air crew.”

Looking around you saw all the On Air pirates on deck with smiles on their faces.

“Now get going (y/n), and we’d better see you in the New World!” Apoo said as you turned half-crow and flew off into the night.

Soaring over the seas on the wind, you eventually reached the Archipelago. Immediately catching your attention was the large Navy base, and down by the gates you could barely make out Jameson, the navigator from the Navy ship you were originally traveling here on.

“How’s it look out there (y/n)?” You heard come out of your pocket

Digging in, you pulled out a Den Den Mushi that looked like Apoo and chuckled as you rested on one of the massive mangrove branches for a moment.

“Should’ve known you’d pull something like this. Well, unless you want to meet the mother of all Navy Bases I suggest you head to the west side of the archipelago.”

“Thanks for the heads up man, and feel free to swing by and say hi before you guys leave.” Apoo said as he hung up

Putting the Den Den Mushi back in your pocket you decided to head over to the western area where you saw plenty of docked pirate ships, though none of them looked like the Straw Hats’ ship. After another hour or so of flying you decided to call it a night; nearing Grove 13 you spotted a building labeled “Rip-off Bar”, though “Rip-off” was crudely painted on, most likely by a disgruntled customer. Turning back into human form, you slowly approached to see the lights still on inside and nearby was a notice board of wanted posters; looking closer you saw that your bounty had increased to 145 Million Berries. As you were about to reach for the door, it opened and a tall, slim woman with short black hair walked outside. She wore a pink t-shirt with a spider design on it and a black jacket with wing-shaped cuffs over that. She also had on giraffe-print pants and white shoes; as she closed the door she took a drag from the cigarette in her hand and noticed you.

“Well, at least I’m not the only night owl around here.” She said, “Something I can help you with?”

“I was just looking for a place to stay for the night, figured the tavern folk knows this place better than I do.”

“Well honey, if you’re wondering around this part of Sabaody I’m going to guess the hotels are out of the question. You staying long?”

“Waiting on some friends before heading off to the New World, like you haven’t heard that story before.”

“Makes sense to me sweetie; after all, you don’t seem like the type to stay in one place for long (f/n) ‘Blackwing’ (l/n).”

Your eyes widened when she said your name, “How did you…”

“Knowledge is power, and I tend to read the newspaper rather intently in that regard. Now normally I’d turn you away but, since my husband has gone missing again, I find myself needing a little extra help running the bar and you seem to be a tolerable sort so you’ll do just fine. Name’s Shakky,” she said as she opened the door, “you go through the door on the left and all the way down the hall to the guest room. You start bright and early in the morning.”

“Thanks, Shakky.” You said as you headed inside for the night

Over the next few days, you ran errands for Shakky around the islands, which usually got done very quickly since you could fly. Your routine usually started with grabbing the newspaper for Shakky and then heading over to the local notice boards to see if any bounties had changed. After reporting back to Shakky, she’d let you go about the rest of your day on your own which usually meant checking the docks for the Straw Hat’s ship. One day, you were scouting out the harbors and noticed the On Air Pirates’ ship so you decided to look around to see if you could find them. Thankfully, you didn’t have to look very far as an explosion rang through the grove; landing nearby you found Apoo walking away from a giant hole in the wall of a tavern and Eustass “Captain” Kid walking in the other direction with their crews following each other.

“Geez Apoo,” you called out, “kind of a small venue don’t you think? Bet the acoustics in there sucked.”

“(Y/N)!” Apoo said as him and his crew ran up to meet you, “What are you still doing here man?”

“My friends haven’t shown up yet, but with the rate people are coming and going from this place I bet they’ll be here any day now.”

“You hear about those World Nobles showing up?”

“Yes I did, and I plan on staying far away from them. The last thing I need is for one of them to want me as a slave.”

“I hear that.” Apoo said, “Well (y/n) we’re going to grab some more food since our meal was interrupted but it was good seeing you again man!”

With that, you headed back to Shakky’s bar while Apoo and his crew went on their way.

Arriving back at Shakky’s, you opened the door to see Shakky talking with some familiar faces. As the room acknowledged your entrance, you couldn’t help but smile to see the Straw Hat crew along with Hachi from Arlong Park, as well as a mermaid and starfish.

“Welcome back (y/n).” Shakky said

“(Y/N)???!!” Numerous Straw Hats and Hachi yelled

“Hey everybody.” You said as Nami ran up to hug you and you could feel your cheeks getting warmer

“What are you doing here (y/n)?” The octopus Fishman asked

“Nice to see you too Hachi.” You said as Nami let you go

“Didn’t think we’d be seeing you again.” Zoro added

“So this is Nami’s friend?” Said a small talking reindeer

“That’s me, and you must be Chopper.”

“H-How do you know my name?!” He asked

“Knowledge is power; I know most of you guys: Chopper, Robin, Franky…” You said counting off the newest Straw Hats as a skeleton dressed in a suit walked up to you and offered you a bony handshake

“Well then you probably don’t know me, the name’s Brook.”

“Pleasure.”

“You haven’t changed a bit (y/n).” Nami said

“I have, but you apparently haven’t. Now can I have my wallet back?” You asked

Everyone turned to Nami, who pouted as she dug into her pockets and pulled your wallet out, giving it back to you.

“So what’s new with you (y/n)?” Luffy asked as you started changing into hybrid form, causing jaws to drop in a combination of shock and awe

“You ate a Devil Fruit?!” Usopp yelled

“And I’ve somehow managed to rack up a 145 Million Berry bounty. They call me ‘Blackwing’ (y/n).” You said as you changed back

“I thought that robe looked familiar,” Robin said noting your attire, “I saw your wanted poster on one of the notice boards when we docked.”

“Hey (y/n),” Luffy said, “we’re about to go to Sabaody Park. Want to come with us?”

“You guys go ahead; I’m going to crash here for a bit. Rayleigh coating your ship?”

“Does this mean you want to join the crew?” Franky asked

“We can talk about it later; we’ve got three days to enjoy while Rayleigh coats the Sunny so let’s get going!” Luffy cheered as the Straw Hats started filing out of the bar

“Hey (y/n)?” You heard Nami say

“Yeah?”

“It really is good to see you again.” She said with a light blush on her cheeks

“You too.” You said as the last of friends left the bar

“Ah, young love.” Shakky said causing you to nod, “Oh? I thought you’d try to brush that off.”

“No, no. Not this time.” You said as you headed back to your room to rest through the middle of the day.

Slowly rising from your nap, your ears were met by sounds that you were not accustomed to hearing in the Archipelago. Sirens, cannon fire, and explosions rang through the air as you headed outside to see Marines rushing through the streets.

“What’s going on?!” You said as pirates ran past you, one stopping as you said this

“I heard that Straw Hat Luffy assaulted one of the Celestial Dragons and got a Navy Admiral called in.”

“What?!” You said as you felt your stomach drop, “Where are they now?!”

“I saw the Navy Admiral heading towards Grove 12 with the Warlord Bartholomew Kuma not far behind, but you won’t find me hanging around here for much longer!” He said as he continued running away

As a bright explosion beamed from Grove 12, you ran back inside and flew out the back door in hybrid form.

Hang on guys, you thought

Arriving over Grove 12 you came across a battle like none you had ever seen. Rayleigh was locked in a duel with a tall man in a yellow suit, who you could only guess was the Navy Admiral that pirate mentioned. Scouting out for your friends you saw Robin with some kind of monster, but he was wearing Chopper’s hat so maybe that was one of his Devil Fruit powers. Franky and Nami were off on the other side of the clearing and Luffy was currently fighting the towering Warlord Kuma. His body steaming, Luffy tried everything he had but Kuma just deflected every single blow. You then noticed that Usopp, Sanji, Zoro and Brook were nowhere to be seen, and as Kuma knocked Luffy aside he vanished. A split second later, you got your answer to where the others were as Kuma reappeared next to Franky and, with a swipe of his hand, made the cyborg disappear.

You felt your heart pounding in your chest as time seemed to freeze for a second when you saw this, only to be brought back by a familiar scream and a pair of brown eyes that epitomized the look of horror. Luffy looked too weak to do anything and out of pure protective instinct, you started flying. You flew faster than you’d ever flown before but no matter how hard you tried, it felt like you were never going to make it in time as the warlord was closing in on his next victim…Nami.

“Someone help me!” She screamed as Kuma made his move

“NAMI!!!” You and Luffy both screamed



POOF








It was over in an instant and yet the moment seemed to last forever. She was gone, Nami was just gone. You didn’t even notice that you had dropped out of the sky and crashed behind a mangrove tree; all you could see was the fear in her eyes and the only thing your ears heard was the one cry for help you couldn’t answer. Slowly coming to, there was still a deafening whine in your ears as Kuma took care of the rest: first Chopper, then Robin who vanished right in front of Luffy as he was just seconds short of saving her. As the sun set on the scene, Luffy laid on the ground in absolute defeat as Kuma did to him what he had done to the rest.

Kneeling down on the ground, your mind spent what felt like an eternity processing what you just saw. When you finally came back, the sun had set and the Navy Admiral and most of the Marines were gone; the only other person in the clearing was Kuma who was ambling out of the area. Rage filled your every fiber as you swiftly turned full beast and climbed into the air only to dive bomb the warlord from behind.

“KUUUUMMMMAAAAAA!!!!!” You yelled as you closed in only for a flash of silver to appear in front of you and knock you out









Your body sharply jolted and your eyes opened to the view of your room in Shakky’s bar. Rushing out the door to the bar, you were greeted by Shakky in her usual spot behind the counter and Rayleigh sitting in the booth reading the newspaper with a coffee before he noticed your entrance.

“Ah, you’re awake. Sorry about that (y/n), didn’t think I’d knock you out for three days.”

“Three d-,” You said as your fist clenched in frustration

The next thing you knew; you were pinning Rayleigh against the wall. “WHY DID YOU STOP ME YOU OLD HACK?!” You yelled, “I HAD HIM WITH HIS GUARD DOWN AND YOU STOPPED ME FROM AVENGING MY FRIENDS THAT JUST GOT VAPORIZED! I COULD’VE DONE SOMETHING, ANYTHING!”

Your fists started shaking as you let Rayleigh go and you dropped to your knees once again, your shoulders shaking and your voice just as wobbly. “Anything. I-I could’ve done anything. But I didn’t, and…and now they’re gone. Luffy’s gone, Franky’s gone, Nami’s…gone.” At this point, tears were falling from your face, “She’s gone…Nami’s…gone.”

You sat there on the floor for a second before you felt a hand on your shoulder.

“(y/n) look at me.” You heard Rayleigh said, “The Straw Hats are gone, yes, but they aren’t gone forever. Sit down and I’ll explain.”

Taking a seat, Rayleigh brought you up to speed. During the fight, Kuma had told Rayleigh that he wanted to save the Straw Hats, so he separated them and sent them to different places. Rayleigh knew where Luffy was but not the others; the only reason he knew is because Kuma himself told him where he was going to send Luffy. Rayleigh then explained why Kuma scattered the Straw Hats and what become of Kuma.

“And you’re sure that they’re alive?”

“Yes. I don’t fully understand Kuma’s motives, and now we’ll never know, but I do know that they are alive.”

You breathed a sigh of relief, figuring that hopefully they’ll find a way back to their ship.

“Their ship…” You said looking around and noticing Rayliegh’s coating brush leaning against a wall, “Their ship is…”

“Fully coated and waiting in Grove 17.” Rayleigh said as he showed you a picture of his handiwork

“And unprotected if the Navy tries anything.” You realized as you ran back into your room, grabbed your weapon and money pouch before bolting out the door, “Shakky if you find anything in the news about Luffy or the others…”

“You’ll be the first to know (y/n), now go.” She said with a smile

About 20 minutes later you arrived in Grove 17; scanning the area’s main port you checked everywhere but couldn’t find the Thousand Sunny. You were about to head back and ask Rayleigh where she was until you saw a small path off to the side of the harbor. Following the trail, you came upon a secret dock with the Thousand Sunny anchored, a layer of bubble around every inch like Rayleigh had shown you in his picture. Stepping on board everything seemed a little brighter, like the ship itself was happy to see people again.

“Need a good spot to look out for trouble.” You said as you flew up to none other than the crow’s nest, “This’ll work I guess.”

Placing your weapon in a bucket, you slowly descended and decided to get a good look at the ship and of the area. Looking out to the water, the entrance was too narrow for any major ships to get in, so they might wait until they’re out to sea to try a naval assault. That left a ground-based attack and while the path could lead plenty of Marines to the Sunny, thankfully it looks like no one has really started searching for it. Since the Sunny wasn’t in any real danger right now, you decided to take it easy for the rest of the day and see if there was anything in the kitchen since you apparently hadn’t eaten for three days.

The days stretched into weeks since you last saw the Straw Hat crew and the Thousand Sunny remained under your watch. Never really straying too far from Grove 17, Shakky had given you enough money while you were working for her that you could sustain yourself fairly well. Talk of Marine patrols could be heard around the grove but it was a pretty normal subject given recent events. After a few months, however, you noticed that the Marine presence in the archipelago had severely reduced and no one really knew why. Heading back to the Sunny after patrolling the grove, you found a newspaper lying on the deck with a note from Shakky. Looking at the paper, you saw the headline and froze in place.

“Fire-Fist Ace, the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates and brother of Monkey D. Luffy, dies at Marineford Base.”

Turning to the story in question, you found out that Ace was set to be executed but the base was assaulted by the Emperor Whitebeard’s forces and Luffy, who had broken into the naval prison Impel Down and staged a massive breakout. Unfortunately, Luffy almost died at the hands of Navy Admiral Sakazuki when Ace saved him from a fatal blow at the cost of his own life. You continued reading the newspaper for a few more minutes and noticed a second paper beneath the first; this one showed Luffy, so at least he made it out of there alive, paying his respects to Ace and Whitebeard. The picture didn’t seem to be anything special until you noticed some markings on Luffy’s arm, 3D2Y, only the 3D was crossed out. When you saw this you thought back to what Luffy and his crew were here for in the first place. They were going to meet back at the Sunny in three days when Rayleigh was done coating it, but now they were going to meet back here in 2 years. On the other side of the paper, you found a note and you recognized Shakky’s handwriting.

“Good luck.”

“Nice to know you’re confident in my abilities.” You said to the note as you put the papers up in the crow’s nest

Time continued on and the Navy presence on Sabaody returned to its normal levels. After a few months passed by and thankfully the Sunny remained peacefully hidden away. Every now and then you would check back in at Shakky’s bar; one day you went back and saw Rayleigh had returned, having fully taught Luffy what he needed to know.

“Ah (y/n) good to see you again.” Rayleigh said but you were a little slower to answer him, “Something wrong boy?”

“Haven’t been sleeping well. Ever since the Straw Hats disappeared my dreams have been…different.”

“Different how?” Rayleigh said with an eyebrow raised

“Screams, just endless screams. Most of the time…they’re Nami’s; just an endless loop of that moment before Kuma…” You said before stopping yourself, the pain of that moment still within you as Rayleigh stroked his beard in thought for a second

Out of nowhere, Rayleigh lunges forward and swung at you numerous times with his fists but your body moved out of the way of the strikes before you even knew what was going on. Rayleigh nearly caught you once, but when you raised your arm to block it there was a clash of light and Rayleigh was sent skidding back a few feet.

“What was that for?!” You asked as Rayleigh looked up at you with a smile on his face

“The shock of that moment seems to have awakened your Haki, and you seem to have unlocked Observation and Armament Haki. Do you know what Haki is?”

You nodded, “I heard some Marines talking about it a few times. Something about using my own spirit as a weapon right?”

“More or less. You seem to have some grasp on how to use it, but Haki that you can’t control can be a dangerous thing. I sent Hachi and Duval to watch over the Sunny and you can join them later, but I think it’d be best if I helped you get a firmer grip on your Haki.”

“If you think it’s best.”

“I do.” Rayleigh said as you went to the storeroom in the back of the building and began your training

While training with Rayleigh you were able to get a hold on how to use your Haki, most of the time spent figuring out how to use them in combination with your Zoan transformations. When you were finally done, you realized that it had been a full year since Kuma sent away the Straw Hats and decided to continue guarding the Sunny. As you entered Grove 17 again you noticed that the Marine presence was higher than usual, especially around the harbor. Hearing cannon fire and the clash of swords in a familiar direction, you morphed into hybrid form and took to the air to see a Marine assault squad trying to destroy the Sunny. In the air you saw giant flying fish, the signature vehicle of Duval and his crew, protecting the ship from cannon fire while other riders and Hachi were dealing with the ground forces. You dove in just as a new volley of cannonballs were about to strike the riders in the air.

“Blackwing Wind Wall!” The marines heard as a gust of wind threw the cannonballs over the riders and into the branches above

“What was that?!” One officer asked

“Up there!” Another said pointing at you as you dove into the fray, “That’s Blackwing (y/n)!”

Extending your staff, you tapped into your Haki which caused your arms and the staff to turn a shiny black as four marines swung at you with their swords only to be blocked and instantly repelled.

“Blackwing Sonic Gale!” You shouted as a loud caw sound echoed through the field, shattering the soldiers’ weapons and causing some to take a knee with their hands over their ears as you jumped into the air as your wings turned the same reflective black as your arms.

“Blackwing Feather Spears!” You yelled with a flap of your wings causing dozens of razor-sharp feathers to shoot at the Marines as they beat a hasty retreat only for a second platoon to take their place

“Thanks (y/n)!” Hachi called out

“Didn’t think there would be this many of them, the backup is much appreciated!” Duval yelled as he noticed the mortars were aiming, “Incoming mortars!”

“Fire!” Yelled the captain, but just as he did the cannons were pushed out of the way and dropped into the waters. At the last second, you noticed a paw-shaped imprint on the barrels before they sank.

Everyone stopped and turned to see the source of the disturbance, waiting with bated breath. The sound of heavy footsteps drew closer and closer as Bartholomew Kuma came into view, standing still as a statue as he registered those present. Starting with the Marines, you could feel his view wash over you as he finished and said the words “Scan complete. Allies recognized. Begin mission.” You noticed there was no emotion in his voice like the machine had consumed the man. You sensed a Marine trying to run up behind you to strike and you were about to counter but as you turned around your view was blocked by Kuma as he dealt with the Marine.

“What is Kuma doing?!” One Marine asked

“We don’t have time to worry about that.” Their captain barked, “Just deal with them, all of them!”

As his words echoed through the ears of the Marines, the battle resumed in full force. You caught glimpses of Hachi and Duval and they nodded, which to you meant that Rayleigh had brought them up to speed. Since Kuma was helping on the ground, you took to the air and rained havoc from the skies.

“I know you won’t understand Kuma,” You thought, “but thank you. You saved their lives and now I can help them when they return. I made a promise and I plan to keep it.”

Defending against the Marines, time seemed to blur into one continuous span. Eventually, Hachi and Duval were injured pretty badly and had to withdraw leaving you and Kuma to take care of the Sunny. Thankfully the Marines couldn’t keep up a continuous assault and for a few days, the grove would be quiet, allowing you to tend to yourself while Kuma kept a constant watch over the ship. Of course, the Marines would return and for the next year, your life was pretty routine between the fights although Kuma was more than capable of handling them himself. One day you were getting dressed after taking a morning bath, your white On Air robe had been cut up and singed from mortar fire but you couldn’t throw it away so you repurposed the salvageable cloth into a set of arm and leg wrappings as well as wrappings for your staff. You dried your (h/c) hair and put on an (f/c) shirt that had an open section in the back for your wings and a pair of brown pants that you had bought in the shopping district before checking the newspaper that Shakky had sent you, along with your updated wanted poster, now with a 200 Million Berry Bounty. Heading outside, you stopped for a second to see Kuma slowly walking away from the Sunny and passing a figure. His blue hair was in a buzzcut and his arms were about the same size as his torso with the markings BF-37 across the shoulders, his legs were reinforced and he wore a pair of sunglasses over his eyes with a bag of tools thrown over his shoulder. As you finished tying your bootlaces, you headed onto the deck and confirmed that it was who you thought it was.

“Franky?” You called causing the cyborg to notice you and smile

“No way, (y/n)?!” He said as he climbed on board and got a good look at you, “It is you! What are you doing here?!”

“Someone had to watch over the Sunny while you guys were gone.”

“Oh quit lying, I know you had help.” He laughed as he put his tools down

“Well, you definitely got an upgrade that’s for sure.” You said as you reached behind the mast and grabbed a pair of cola bottles, “Thirsty?”

“Oh man, that’s awesome!” Franky cheered as a smaller hand came out of his giant robot hand and grabbed a bottle from you, “SUPER COLA UP!”

The two of you spent the morning talking and laughing and soon enough Robin came back to the ship. Her skin wasn’t as tanned as when you last saw her, but it was good to see that she was okay. A little bit later, Usopp and Chopper came back and after greeting you immediately started gawking over Franky’s new body. Then you saw her, her orange hair had grown out and it looked like she had gotten a little taller too; she wore a green and white bikini top and a pair of jeans and when she turned to see you her brown eyes lit up as she ran up to hug you.

“(Y/N)! It is you!”

“Hey Nami,” You said as you embraced her as well, “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

The two of you held the hug for a little longer than normal and as you realized it and let go you were both blushing a little bit.

“Have you been here all this time?” She finally asked

“Yeah, after I saw Kuma send you all away I tried to get revenge but Rayleigh stopped me, and after a little training I helped with taking care of the Sunny while you were gone.”

“I thought I saw someone flying around that day.”

“I just wish I was a little faster, then maybe I could’ve done something.”

You and Nami sat down together as you kept talking for a while and welcomed Brook back when suddenly Chopper riding a giant rainbow-colored bird came flying up to the ship with Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji. Nami ran up to greet them which caused Sanji to get a nosebleed so strong that he started rocketing off of the bird’s back, giving you a quick laugh before getting a running start and shifting into hybrid form.

“I got him.” You called as you grabbed him by the shoulders and carefully dropped him in deck

Chopper got to work on Sanji while Luffy gushed over Franky like Usopp did. Unfortunately, the moment was ruined by the presence of Navy ships and you and the crew scrambled to get out to sea. You flew up to the high sails and unfurled them before sailing back down to see a smaller ship in front of the Navy ships, allowing the Sunny to pass. Everyone was wondering who was on that ship, and Luffy mentioned that he was sent to Amazon Lily and made friends with the Warlord Boa Hancock. Upon hearing of the pirate Empress, Sanji woke up to get a look only to pass out at the sight of her beauty earning a facepalm from you and Nami; and then you heard it.

It was faint, but you suddenly heard the click of a rifle’s hammer. Your sharp eyes made out a sniper in the crow’s nest of the Navy ship closest to you. Usopp, Brook, and Chopper were tending to Sanji, Luffy was at the helm with Franky, Zoro, and Robin and there was only one person that sniper could have a clear shot at from their angle. Looking around, you shifted to hybrid form as your enhanced hearing sensed the shot firing. Shoving her out of the way you took the shot and passed out from shock, everything going black as you saw the others rushing to your side.






You heard the sound of a door opening and closing, someone shuffling some objects around next to your head. You felt a cold sensation on your forehead and your eyes slowly opened to find yourself lying in a bed. Looking down you saw your chest wrapped in bandages, a large red spot where you were shot in the center.

“(Y/N)! You’re awake!” You heard by the door as Chopper and Brook walked in

“How are you holding up?” Brook asked

“I’m a little sore but I should be fine. How long was I out?” You asked

“A few hours.” Chopper said as you slowly got out of bed, “Hey get back in bed! You just took a bullet to the chest, you shouldn’t be stressing yourself that much!”

“I just need some air. If it starts to be too much, Brook can help me back in.”

The skeleton musician nodded and opened the door for you only to find Sanji on the other side.

“Good, you’re up. I’ve got something that I want to say to you.” He said with a serious look on his face and a fire in his eye, “While we’re thankful for what you did you taking that shot scared the crap out of Nami, and if you ever make her cry like that again then Luffy’s going to find out what rotisserie crow tastes like.”

With his words out in the open, Sanji returned to the kitchen as you headed out onto the deck. The coating had expanded to form a bubble around the Sunny as it descended into the sea, heading for Fishman Island.

“(F/N) (L/N)!” You heard as Nami slowly walked up to you, an angry look on her face, “You birdbrain! I don’t get to see you for two whole years and when I finally do you go and pull a stunt like that?! Do you have any idea how scared I was when you dropped like that?” When she reached you she started beating on your chest as tears started to pool in her eyes. “Genzo was always telling us to look out for each other but that doesn’t mean you have to almost die! I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t around!” Her beats started getting weaker and weaker until she was resting her head on your chest, her shoulders shaking, “I don’t know what I’d do without you (y/n). Please…Please don’t ever do that again. I don’t want to lose you too.”

You said nothing at first; you simply wrapped your arms around her and ran your fingers through her long orange hair.

“I’m sorry for scaring you like that, I didn’t know what else to do. I tried to save you from Kuma before but I was too late that time. I thought I’d lost you until Rayleigh explained what really happened, and I thought I’d never get the chance to do this…”

Looking up at you, you hooked a finger under Nami’s chin and pulled her in for a kiss. For a split second that seemed to last forever, nothing else in the world mattered to you other than the girl you’ve known since childhood whose arms were now wrapped around your neck as you savored the moment even more before finally releasing each other.

“I’m so glad you’re alright (y/n) because…I love you.”

“I love you too Nami.” You said as you let go, “Would you mind helping me back to my room? It still hurts a little too much to walk.”

Nami nodded and ducked under your arm to support your wounded side as the two of you returned to Chopper’s med bay.

Nami opened the door for you as you stepped inside, Chopper rushing around sorting notes and tools and bottles of different herbs while you got settled into bed.

"Hey Nami," You said,

"Hmmm?"

"What's that tattoo? I never noticed it before."

Nami glanced over her shoulder and smiled, "I got it not too long after Arlong was dealt with. I wanted something to remind me of home so I got a tangerine for Nojiko,"

"And old man Genzo's pinwheel," You chuckled

"To be honest, while I miss Nojiko and Genzo, I missed you the most; that's why I was so happy to see you in Sabaody. A part of me wanted to get something for you in the tattoo, but I couldn't think of anything, and then I remembered..."

Nami fiddled with her belt and pulled out the pieces of her Clima-Tact, bound together by a string with a shell in the shape of a cat's eye hanging from it.

"You still have that old thing?" You asked as you recognized the necklace you had given to Nami before she left Cocoyasi to collect the 100 Million Berries

"I could never get rid of this. It was my first real treasure, something that even I couldn't put a price on."

"Well they do call you the Cat Burglar, and you definitely stole my heart." You said, earning another giggle from your favorite girl

"So you like the tattoo?"

"I do. It looks much better than Arlong's symbol."

There was a brief silence in the room, save for Chopper pacing between desks and cabinets, as you and Nami recounted what you two had to undergo just to be here.

"You need anything? Food? Water?" Nami asked, breaking the quiet

"Some food would be great." You said, now recognizing the pit in your stomach

Nami got up and opened the door, just in time for Chopper to run out behind her, and paused for a second

"Genzo's right. You look way more beautiful when you smile." You said as you felt your cheeks get warmer while Nami's did the same

“We’ve really been through a lot huh?” Nami said

“Yeah, we have. But we're here, we’re together, and nothing's going to ever tear us apart.” You said as you blew her a kiss before she left and closed your eyes to rest