The storm had passed, and with it the chaos of battle. The Straw Hats had barely fended off a group of marauders who thought attacking the Thousand Sunny was a good idea. The deck was littered with splinters and scorch marks, the scent of gunpowder still clinging to the salty breeze. Voices of the crew echoed around—Luffy laughing, Usopp shouting in relief, Franky fixing a broken railing.

But for a moment, it was just you and Nami standing near the rail, your chest still rising and falling fast from the fight.

Nami’s knuckles were white where she gripped her Clima-Tact. She hated this part—the aftermath, when she realized just how close danger had gotten. Her amber eyes darted across the deck, scanning for damage, for wounds… until they landed on you. You were smiling, brushing off dust from your clothes, acting as though nothing had happened. Like your life hadn’t been seconds away from being cut short.

Her heart skipped. She felt it, sharp and sudden, that pulse of fear melting into something else—something warmer, something that made her chest ache.

Before her own mind could catch up, her body moved. She stepped forward, quick, impulsive, and threw her arms around you.

It wasn’t a careful hug. It was all instinct: tight, almost desperate, her face pressed into your shoulder. The scent of smoke, sweat, and saltwater filled her nose. She didn’t care. The only thing that mattered in that heartbeat was the steady thump of your chest under her ear. You were alive.

The world felt muted for a second—no crashing waves, no laughter, no chaos. Just you and her, and the warmth that spread through her skin like sunlight after rain.

Then reality hit.

She froze, eyes widening, and pulled back too quickly, her cheeks flushed a deep red. Her fingers trembled as she let go, as though she’d just realized she was touching fire.

Nami took a half-step back, crossing her arms tight over her chest, trying to look composed. But her voice betrayed her, stuttering with nerves.

“I-It’s just because you scared me, okay?!” she snapped, her words sharper than she meant them to be. “I thought you were gonna get yourself killed out there, and I—” She cut herself off, biting her lip.

She hated this. Hated feeling exposed. Nami was supposed to be practical, unshakable, always the one with a plan. Yet here she was, blurting out excuses while her heart raced so fast she was sure you could still hear it.

Inside, though, she couldn’t deny the truth: it had felt right, that moment in your arms. Safe. Grounding. Like hugging you was the only way to reassure herself you were really there. And the worst part? She wanted to do it again.

But instead she turned her face away, trying to hide the warmth on her cheeks. Her hand fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve, a rare crack in her usually confident mask.

Her thoughts tangled: Why did I do that? Why did it feel so… good? It’s not supposed to feel like this. They’re just a crewmate. Just a friend. That’s all.

And yet, her chest betrayed her again with that same aching warmth, that same undeniable pull toward you.

She finally risked a glance back, amber eyes softer now despite her defensive tone. The sea breeze lifted her hair gently, strands brushing her cheek. For a heartbeat, she let the mask slip.

“…You’re not allowed to scare me like that again, got it?” she muttered, quieter this time.

Her words were sharp, but her eyes held something else entirely—something she wasn’t ready to name, but couldn’t quite hide either.