Chill

Set shortly after Thriller Bark.

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The disgusting feeling of a rough tongue lapping her naked body. The strong hands gripping her wrists and shoving her against the cold stone wall. The terror of being attacked, violated, by something she knew was there but couldn't see.

Nami woke up in a cold sweat, the memory of the invisible man fresh in her mind. She took several deep, shuddering breaths. Her hands were shaking.

She crept out of bed, quietly so as not to wake Robin, and slipped out into the cool night. The fresh smell of the ocean, grass and tangerines cleared her head a bit.

She glanced up at the crow's nest, wondering who was on watch. Then she grabbed the ladder and began to climb up.

I'll relieve whoever's on watch, she thought. They'll appreciate it. And I can raise their debt.

She was not, she told herself, climbing up there because she wanted company.

Usopp was sitting in the middle of the crow's nest, tinkering with some gadget. He glanced over at her when as she hoisted herself up and into the room.

"Hey," he greeted her, then went back to his tinkering. "My watch doesn't end for another couple hours, you know."

"I know," she answered, wrapping her hands around her bare arms. "I figured I'd relieve you early."

Usopp glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.

"There's no way I'm paying you to take my place, so you can forget about it."

Nami huffed and leaned against a windowed wall.

Usopp continued to mess around with his gadget.

When Nami didn't press the issue, he asked, "Couldn't sleep?"

Nami gave a non-committal shrug and turned to look out the window. They had left the foggy waters of the Florian Triangle several days ago, but she still couldn't shrug off the chill that had settled in her bones on Thriller Bark. She smiled slightly at the thought of the skull jokes their newest crewmate would make of that.

"Are you cold?" Usopp asked, noticing her shiver. "You could take a warm bath."

Nami's breath caught in her throat and she turned back to face Usopp, rubbing her bare arms.

"I… no."

Usopp finally put down his gadget, and motioned for Nami to sit down next to him.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Why? What makes you think I'm not okay?" Nami demanded defensively, but she did sit down next to Usopp.

"You didn't beat me up when I refused to pay you," he pointed out.

Nami scowled and smacked him upside the head.

"Ow, hey!"

"There, how's that?"

Usopp returned her scowl and rubbed the back of his head.

"So, are you okay?" he pressed. "You seem… sad, or something."

Nami pulled her knees up to her chest and let out a huff of frustrated breath.

"I just… keep thinking about Thriller Bark," she admitted.

Usopp shuddered.

"Yeah, me too. I never thought I'd see real zombies… but I guess with all the stuff we've seen so far on the Grand Line, I shouldn't be surprised. And ghosts, too!! Hey, have I told you how I defeated the ghost princess?"

"Yes," Nami interrupted before he could launch into his tale. "You've told us all. Several times."

Usopp huffed and pouted a bit.

"Well, you're lucky you were knocked out for so long. You hardly had to fight anyone, and-"

"Oh, yeah. I'm so lucky," Nami replied, her voice uncharacteristically bitter and sarcastic. "I was just being forcibly married to a perverted creep."

Usopp looked away sheepishly.

"Oh. Right."

He glanced over at her hesitantly.

"So… I guess you're pretty happy Sanji came and saved you, eh?"

Nami rolled her eyes.

"Sanji keeps telling me he came to save me, but I had to take care of that freak on my own."

Usopp raised an eyebrow. That certainly wasn't the version of the story he'd heard from Sanji…

"But that wasn't really the worst part," Nami continued, and her voice had gotten softer. "It was… well, when I was in the bath… and…"

Usopp remembered Nami's shriek from the bath in Hogback's mansion. He felt himself blush slightly when he remembered the sight he'd burst in on.

"So there really was an invisible guy in there? And he… grabbed you in the bath?"

Nami didn't answer, but the disgusted look on her face was answer enough.

"Sick creep," Usopp growled.

Nami was surprised to hear the anger in Usopp's voice.

"Yeah, well-"

"Did I ever tell you," Usopp interrupted suddenly, picking up the gadget he'd been working on. "About the brave warrior Armadillo?"

Nami snorted.

"The brave warrior Armadillo?"

"Sure! Armadillos are great animals. They have built-in armour. Really useful," Usopp defended himself.

Nami snorted again, but let Usopp continue his story.

"Brave warrior Armadillo lived in the peaceful kingdom of Merry Land. Merry Land was famous for having the most beautiful princess anyone had ever seen, and men were constantly coming to the castle to ask for the princess' hand. But the princess turned down every man- none of them were rich enough for her."

Nami smirked and scooted closer to Usopp, still rubbing her arms.

"One day, though, an evil wizard came to the castle. He was a very powerful wizard, and when the princess turned down his proposal of marriage, he refused to give up. If the princess won't accept my proposal, then I'll have to kidnap her, he decided."

Nami snickered at the silly voice Usopp gave the wizard. Usopp looked over at her and grinned, and this time he scooted closer to her.

"So, using his powerful magic wand, the evil wizard became invisible. He was then easily able to sneak into the castle.

"He happened upon the princess as she was taking her daily bath. Ohohoho, the wizard though. What a gorgeous sight!"

Nami shuddered as Usopp proceeded to describe the invisible wizard attacking the princess. The horrible touch of foreign hands on naked skin, the feeling of being completely exposed and vulnerable…

Usopp's words trailed off. Nami's face had gone pale and she was shivering again.

"I-I'm sorry. I should-"

"No, it's alright," Nami said quickly, rubbing her chilly arms furiously. "Keep going."

"Uh- Okay." Twirling the gadget in his hands, Usopp continued. "The princess called out in terror and distress, her cry ripping through the very air. This terrible sound reached the superhuman ears of the brave warrior Armadillo, although he was several miles away. With the speed and ferocity of a wild beast, Armadillo charged towards the castle.

"He burst into the castle's bath just as the evil wizard was about to escape with the with his hostage, bound and gagged in his arms.

"Put down the princess, Armadillo roared, readying his bow and arrow.

"Never, the wizard replying, cackling evilly.

"And although the spell of invisibility still held, Armadillo adjusted his bow and aimed straight for the wizard. An arrow of fire tore through the air and pierced the wizard's heart, with such precision that not a hair on the princess' head was harmed.

"Brave warrior Armadillo swept forwards and caught the princess as the wizard fell to the stone floor, dead."

Usopp twirled the gadget in his hands a few more times, then set it down and looked over at Nami expectantly.

"Well?" she demanded.

"Well what?"

"How did it end?"

"What do you mean, how did it end?" Usopp replied indignantly. "That is the end!"

"But how did the princess thank brave warrior Armadillo?"

"Thank him?" Usopp repeated. He blushed and fumbled slightly, then answered, "A brave warrior needs no thanks! A brave warrior saves those in need with no regards to his own- mmph!"

Usopp's eyes widened in shock as Nami scooted right up next to him and planted a firm kiss on his lips.

"I think that's how the princess should have thanked him," she whispered as she pulled away.

Usopp blushed bright scarlet, then reached out and wrapped an arm around Nami's bare shoulders. Awkwardly, he brushed his lips against hers, titling his head to avoid poking her with his nose.

"I think the brave warrior would have liked that," he replied, rubbing her arms that weren't quite so chilly anymore.