Two Piece: A One Piece Story

Chapter 36

The sea was still storming, and everyone except, Nami and Shiki who was in the storage room, were inside the Galley seeing as Nami wanted to tell Shiki something.

'She sounded just like her,' Zoro thought, still unable to believe it.

In the dimly lit storage room of the Going Merry, the sound of rain tapping against the wooden hull echoed softly, accompanied by distant rumbles of thunder. Shiki and Nami sat among the crates and barrels, their surroundings cast in a flickering, eerie light from the lanterns swaying with the ship's gentle rocking.

Nami took a deep breath, her nerves fluttering like leaves in the wind as she hesitated before speaking. "Shiki," she began, her voice steady but tinged with a hint of uncertainty, "there's something I need to tell you."

Shiki turned to her, his expression calm amidst the tempest raging outside. "What is it, Nami? You seem troubled."

Gathering her courage, Nami met his gaze, her eyes shining with sincerity. "Thank you, Shiki," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the gentle rustle of the wind. "You helped save my village from Arlong..."

Shiki smiled warmly, his eyes reflecting the fading light. "Nami, I didn't do it alone. We're a team, remember?"

Nami bit her lip, summoning the courage to express what had been weighing on her mind. "I know, but... I wanted to thank you, personally. I... I appreciate everything you've done."

Before she could say more, Shiki interrupted with a grin, his words echoing like their carefree spirit captain. "Well, Nami, if you're happy, then I'm happy too! That's what nakama are for, right?"

Surprised by his response, Nami couldn't help but laugh, the tension melting away like the raindrops on the deck outside. "You're impossible, Shiki," she said, shaking her head affectionately. "But I'm glad you're here with us."

Shiki and Nami then returned to the Galley, where their crewmates were waiting.

"There's something important you need to know," Nami began, presenting the map they had stolen from Buggy a while ago. "It indicates that the entrance to the Grand Line is located atop a mountain!"

Everyone stared at Nami incredulously.

"You're joking, right?" Shiki asked.

"No, when I examined the maps, I couldn't believe it myself, but..." Nami paused, displaying the map to everyone. "The Guiding Light pointed towards Reverse Mountain on the Red Line..."

"So, let me get this straight, we're supposed to climb a mountain?" Luffy questioned, disbelief evident in his voice.

"There's a canal," Nami clarified, pointing to it on the map.

"But it's impossible to sail up a mountain!" Usopp objected.

"And besides, that's Buggy's map... we can't trust it, along with some rumor," Zoro chimed in.

"Why don't we just sail south from here? It's not like it's going to harm us," Sanji suggested.

"No, it just doesn't feel right to not use the entrance!" Luffy insisted.

"That's not the issue!" Nami snapped, landing a punch on Luffy's arm.

"Hey, look, the storm's gone!" Shiki exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's strangely calm," Sanji confirmed.

"That's impossible," Nami muttered. "We were supposed to navigate through the storm to reach the entrance..."

They all went outside to find the weather serene and calm.

"Oh no," Nami realized. "We're in the Calm Belt. Alright, everyone! Lower the sails. We need to row out of here!" she ordered, turning to Shiki. "Shiki, get the oars!"