Chapter 16: The Storm Between Us

                                    

                                          
Luffy and Nami continued to do their excursion to wander around the island, more specifically the district near the shore, which is packed with so many people, talking about every little thing that they can think about, with a smile plastered, almost permanently, on their faces.
                          
Luffy kept his usual wide grin, his most trademark grin. The smile that would put hope to the person who despairs the most in this whole world, the smile that would melt the hearts of the most beautiful women in the world. But to him, they didn't compare to Nami.
                          
To him, she was the most beautiful person in this world, and if they disagree then they would need to get dentures for all of their teeth.
                          
He didn't realized it then, but the more he looked at her smile, time itself would stop, and he would look at that smile for the longest time. She truly was beautiful.
                          
'Should I even be saying these things? She'd probably think I'm a freak.' Luffy had thought in between his thoughts. 'Eh, what else is new?' He added a hint of sarcasm to that thought.
                          
"You can keep staring at me, and I wouldn't mind." Nami had snapped Luffy out of his thoughts, with her usual teasing.
                          
Luffy felt heat and blood rise up to his cheeks and in matter of milliseconds, his face was red and heating up, then steam started to come out of his ears.
                          
'And I thought his Gear Second would never make him more redder.' Nami couldn't help but giggle, then laugh, at Luffy's blushing face.
                          
"Hahahaha! Come on you shouldn't be embarrassed about it!" Nami had managed to reassure Luffy, but she managed to slip this comment from her thoughts, "I mean, we're basically more than friends at this point."
                          
She blushed at the slip-up, that transpired, turning her face as red as Luffy's Gear Second, and Luffy stared at her with a shocked expression.
                          
Or would you call it hopeful?
                          
Hopeful that, she wouldn't retract what she said? 
                          
Or hopeful that this "more- than- friends" relationship would lead to something more? One can only assume...
                          
But he also knew, he knew, that it would change everything. This change would either be good or bad. 
                          
He knows...
                          
That he can never have a relationship with Nami.
                          
Rather, he must not...
                          
Because he can't...
                          
To be a Pirate King, one must not be bounded by laws such as this. 
                          
Such as marriage...
                          
And with every second he spend with Nami, only makes it harder for him to admit it. He can only do nothing, but bite his lower lip and slowly be taken in by the waterfall, known as his thoughts, while the guilt inside him built up more and more.
                          
'I don't wanna hurt you Nami...
                          
Why are these things always so hard to say?!
                          
Why is it never simple?!'
                          
Though Luffy would be lying if he said, these feelings were not true, he truly cares and loves Nami with all of his being, something he's never shown to any female. Something that he may never get the chance to show.