‘Killed him….I killed him…’

“Hurry up, you!”

Feeling the hard tug at her tied arms, Nami slowly raised her eyes to meet the open, snowy field. Only feet away from the forest now, her eyes wandered as they met with the many neighing horses. Marines’ sitting on top of them as dogs barked, growled, and tugged against their leashes; the beasts wanting nothing more than to race into the forest and help in their part with the search going on.

It was with that Nami slowly turned her tear-stained eyes behind her. Hoping, praying that their search now would turn out to be an utter fail. Wincing as she saw the lights linger out from the forest and dogs howling along with the commotion.

‘Don’t let them take his body…’ She whined in her mind.

“Keep moving!”

She tripped lightly when she felt the Marine next to her whip the back of his rifle across her head. She could quickly feel herself blacking out for an instant to the impact but returning just as quick at the hard pull of her body. She knew that would be the last time she would lay eyes upon her captain’s grave. Lowering her head, she continued to cry in her mind.

There was already enough guilt in her heart and head, and the idea of these men abusing her captain’s body to their extent had her almost puking in fault. What would they do with him when they found him? That question itself had already ringed in her mind. Would they go to their own extreme as to making sure the pirate was dead? Maybe sinking a knife into him so as to make sure the job already done by Nami was for certain? Would they take him and perhaps bury him? Or would they burn him to ashes? Or would they just leave him be?

With those ideas coming into play, Nami felt herself falling once more. Hard into the cold snow, she lowered head with tears as the men again reached for her.

“Killed him…” She mumbled while shaking.
“I killed him.”

“Up!” One of the men growled.
“Get up you filthy pig!”

With another whack from behind, Nami felt the impact tossing her head straight for the snow; the hard, ice below her, scraping her chin and any other free skin until it burned raw. Tears staining her face as they raced from her eyes to ground, unsure at whether the hits she was taking now or the mental pain of her captain’s death were the reasons of her tears pouring uncontrollably out now.

“Luffy…!” She again cried out, squirming in the snow as saliva sputtered out.

“Get up! Or I’ll-!”

‘I deserve this… All of this…’

Feeling a rough jab in her hair, and hearing the click of the rifle, Nami stiffened herself. Preparing now for her own death.

‘I killed him…’

With a shot ringing into the air, Nami’s tears slowly ended. Wondering lightly why death, the thing no man could escape and somewhat feared, felt such less painful than she had imagined.

‘Luffy.’ She spoke in her mind.
‘Is this how it feels? To die? ... I’m sorry…’

Nami gasped lightly when she again felt her arms being roughly pulled up, her wet eyes now widening as she listened to the men behind her.

“Oi, oi! Don’t shoot up into the sky like that. Those bullets fall back down you know…”

It was with those words Nami again squinted her eyes as hot tears began to form. Why was it she escaped death against her will so easily, while her captain, who was the last person in her mind to ever deserve to die, was slowly tortured until his glory was stolen away?

“Kill me… I don’t deserve to live… please…” Nami mumbled as she hung her head low, speaking out more to the gods than to the Marines behind her.
“I want to be with Luffy… He’s all alone now…”

Nami chattered her teeth as she threw her cries high into the air, trying to hold back her tears before screaming out and causing the dogs and horses to go wild along with her cries.

“LUFFY!!”

“Come on now.” The man that had a hold of her quickly spoke.
“Don’t scream like that.”

Being literally dragged along now, Nami relentlessly raised her head again. Her water works still going as she squinted her eyes through the heavy blizzard. The wind gusting and picking snow up to her face to burn her with its pain as her eyes widened lightly to a new site. Still out in the field with the many horses, dogs, and Marines, Nami now watched as new men and woman appeared in her eyes.

There were about eight separate lines with these people, each with about a row of five in Nami’s eyes. Each one of those five persons chained with locks to the person behind them and in front of them. Tight metal locks around their necks like collars as a small chain from each collar hooked with the collars of the men and or woman behind and in front of them. Along with the thick, metal collars, each person had each of their wrists overlapping as another form of restraint held them tightly together. With cuffs and collars on each one of these people, they each stood shivering in the cold; most holding their heads low while others surprisingly held their heads high, though their faces and eyes looked dead. Another site that made Nami choke and cough with tears.

Some looked famished to where muscle was now only replaced with bone, while others showed signs of physical damage by lifting their legs or shuffling in place. Heavy bruises from beatings on everyone, dirty clothes on almost all; everyone here, Nami could distinguish, did not have the proper garments to survive long in the blizzards’ icy storm. Nami’s attention was quickly drawn to one line as she saw an older man fall in his place, the man behind him and the woman in front of him choking as their collars and chains too were pulled down along with; the whole line of five scrambling on their feet as they tried to pull their own weight back up along with the now fallen man.

Nami again blinked as she watched one Marine trot his horse over to the small commotion. Jumping off his beast to inspect the fallen man as he dug his foot deeply into his side; she could see orders being spoken to him, though the passed out man did not move. It was with this Nami’s eyes widened as she saw the Marine reach back for his horse and pull out his rifle, quickly snapping her head away as she saw the weapon being hiked lightly up and aiming to the fallen man and cringed as she again heard the familiar bang. She dared not turn back to see the horrible deed done; she dared not look again and witness another gruesome death in her life.

“Keep going, it looks like we found you a place now.” She heard the Marine next to her speak.

With a light gasp, Nami again whisked her head to the now fallen and dead man. His body being dragged along by other Marines as blood stained the snow below the fallen collar; she knew now his place would be replaced with her, she knew now who these men and woman were and she again felt the tears pouring out as she realized that this was all she would ever deserve for the rest of her days.

“…Luffy…” She again whimpered, seeing the broken line once again standing themselves as if the death to them was as traumatizing as watching a butterfly fly by.

Turning her head again to the sky above, she seethed and shut her eyes as she felt many Marines race to put her quickly in place. She didn’t pull back when she felt her wrists being twisted and a bind tying them tightly together as they quickly began to pulse to the sudden blood loss. She only cried out tears for her captain as two men reached to lift the collar and snap it tight to Nami’s delicate neck. Its cold steel burning her skin lightly as her shoulders and body slumped greatly to the heavy weight put on her. Listening, its chains rattled against the chilly wind while the Marines quickly marched away to leave the silent line and crying girl out in the cold.

‘Luffy… I’m so sorry…!’ She cried in her mind, feeling her knee’s begin to shake and lower to her collar and weight.
‘I’m the one who deserves this… I deserve worse. I deserve to die!’

Sniffling, Nami quickly recalled how quick and easy that one man’s life, which stood in her spot only minutes ago, had been taken.

‘If I just lay down…’ She quickly told herself, slowly lowering to one knee.

“Don’t do it…!”

Straightening herself back up, Nami blinked her tears away at her sudden reaction to the words behind her.

“Not yet. Don’t give up here.” The whisper continued behind her, though her neck and binds would not allow her a gaze back.
“We’re almost there, just a few more miles. Don’t falter now, run with us.”

Nami again only blinked in confusion to those words. Watching the girl’s hair in front of her pick up slightly against the snowy winds as Nami continued to gape and ponder at the whispers behind her.

“Run with me…!”

“Shhh…”

Nami listened as another voice farther behind her hissed lightly.

“Hush now, they’re coming back. Orange hair, it looks like the commodore is coming for you…”

As quick as Nami could comprehend those words, she felt a hard tug against her shoulder; her now heavy body being forced to turn lightly as the head of this Marine team jerked her towards his growling scowl.

“Where is he?!” The commodore quickly spat as their eyes met.
“Where is he hiding?!”

The commodore with his armed men behind him only watched as Nami lowered herself to her knees. Squatting and rocking herself lightly as the man’s outburst sent her into a frenzy of tears; the line lowering themselves lightly along with her so as not to choke against the collars.

‘He isn’t hiding…!’ She cried in her mind.
‘He’s dead! I killed him… I killed Luffy…!’

“Pick her up!”

Nami only let her weight be picked up by the enemy’s hands as she hung her head low with falling tears. Giving up, she continued to remain silent as she let her body drape under the Marine’s hands. Questions still being thrown out, she refused to answer and instead choke and spit out her tears as the voices became slow and silent in her mind. Her ears deafening as only one word and one voice spoke to her.

‘…Luffy…’ She cried in her ideas.
‘…Luffy…!’

It wasn’t until she felt a hard, stinging slap cross her face did she again hear the commodore’s boisterous shouts; the whole field silent as they watched his rage carry on and another slap cross Nami’s face, and another, and another. The horses now held their neighs as their big, black eyes watched their human commodore spill out his rage through fists now; the giant beasts almost knowing that now was not the time to try to draw any attention onto them for fear of having that fist hit them instead. The dogs only whimpered quietly against the cold as their tongues dangled from their heavy pants, they too watched the beating carry on in almost understanding while the humans, in all insight, dared not move a muscle to their commodore’s rage. Only turning their heads away as they watched the girl’s face begin to turn black and blue.

“Where is he?!” He again cried, reaching now for Nami’s hair and forcing her to look at him.
“Where is Mugiwara no Luffy?!”

Nami could only wince in a daze as she felt the sudden heavy beating take its toll. Her head spinning as her mind blacked spontaneously when she tried to speak to the blurred voice.

“Sir!”

With another new voice speaking up, Nami instead closed her eyes and let her head roll against the Marines in back of her. Trying hard to invite some sort of sleep as her mind began to ache and tears tried to leak from her swollen eyes.

“We were just given direct confirmation from the one who sent us the tip on Mugiwara no Luffy and Dorobo Neko no Nami’s whereabouts!”

Nami could only wince as she listened to the voice carry on. Too weak to speak, she could feel another heavy punch to her as she realized that someone had brought these men to her and Luffy.

“…and?” The Marine captain sneered.

“Doctor Mon. Tier, confirmed with us that both Mugiwara no Luffy and Dorobo Neko no Nami were in fact in his office only a few hours ago tonight.”

Nami recoiled as she listened who the culprit had been. Perhaps money truly had been better worth to that doctor than Luffy’s own life. She could feel a tear strolling down her face at the idea of such a thing. There was no doubt in her mind now that he had indeed let Luffy go on with the poison in his system so as to weaken him and bring him to his demise, and all for the sake of money. Had Luffy been any other man, civilian or marine, anyone than a pirate with a bounty, he would be standing by her side this minute.

“Luffy…” She again tried to speak.

“He has also confirmed with us that Mugiwara no Luffy was brought in with an excessive amount of poison in his system, and was also released from his office without any of the poison extracted from his body!”

“What is this? What is the point of him telling us all this?!” The captain growled.
“Where is this pirate pig now if he was here?!”

“Sir!” The marine again continued, his voice lowering lightly as he spoke of their own defeat.
“He also confirmed with us…with the amount of poison left in Mugiwara no Luffy’s system…that there would be no possibility of him surviving from the amount of time between now, and from when he had last saw the two pirates.”

Rolling her head lightly up, Nami watched with tears as the commodore quickly cried out before growling and staring back towards the snowy ground. His eyes moving in thought as the others waited for his orders.

“Luffy…” Nami again spoke out, the Marines words also affecting her as she realized there was indeed no more hope.
“I’m so sorry.”

“Commodore!”

With another voice calling out, one of the Marines quickly raced his horse towards the pondering, angry man.

“We can’t continue the search any longer!” The one on the horse quickly spoke.
“This heavy blizzard and cold will be the death of the horses and dogs! Us as well if we continue on!”

Nami pondered lightly at those words, wondering why the mention of the other prisoners around her was forgotten. Surely the ones famished and under-garmented would indeed be the first to fall from the winters’ chill.

“Sir…it was said that there was no chance of survival of the Captain of the Mugiwara crew.” The other marine spoke again.

“And yet we cannot find this so-called dead body!!” The commodore quickly retorted.

“The snow is thick commodore.” The one on the horse spoke again.
“The trees are many and vast. It would take days and time to search thoroughly.”

“…Something we don’t have the moment. Not when all these prisoners are needed to be taken in as well…” The commodore finished, his eyes again pondering in thought.

With his head heaving back up, Nami could feel his dark eyes and menacing grin on her; especially when she heard him speak again.

“We at least got one of them. The report a few days ago stated that the others are traveling separate, possibly ported at an island south of here…”

Nami gasped lightly at the words of her comrades’ location.

‘Minna….’

“And we at least know where the Captain of the whole crew could possibly hiding, or better put…where his body can be found.”

Nami moaned in light anguish to his words, not wanting reality to her even more dead on.

“Alright men!” The captain finally called out over the winds.
“We leave now for base! Let’s bring these scumbags to justice! We run all night, nonstop! The sooner we get there, the faster we can return for a full search…”

Hearing the cries of approval from the other Marines, Nami quickly felt her arms being let go. Her body racing to the ground as she again felt the heavy collar, beating and fatigue of the night take its toll on her. Waiting to feel the soft snow under her, she instead winced as she sensed a hard, cold chest break her fall.

“Stay on your feet.”

She again heard the voice behind her speak and soothe.

“We’re going to run.” He again spoke, trying to use his chest to bring her back up.
“Just try to follow our pattern. You’ll get it.”

Nami moaned lightly as she opened her sore eyes wider, now supporting herself with a shaking body. She couldn’t understand why she was trying to take in the man’s words behind her and follow them; she wanted nothing more than to fall now and sleep forever. But with her mind now turning blank, and the tears coming out slowly and silently, she instead readied herself to follow this so-called run and pattern.

“Run with me…!”

Nami only blinked in a frown at those words. Never approving nor denying, and instead stared straight on as the Marines on their horses began to pile up behind all the prisoners.

“If our horses pass you, you’ll be shot on the spot!” A few would yell as they galloped their way behind them.

Nami again only blinked at the threats, thinking of them more as a noble proposal than anything. She noticed how every line now stood themselves slightly tall to the calls; slouchers now rising to meet with the expected run. And with the sound of three whistles feeling the night air, Nami gasped lightly as she felt herself being pulled by the chain ahead of her. The collar doing its job to lead her in the same way someone would lead a mutt.

Jogging slowly still, Nami couldn’t help but whisk her head as far back as possible. Again looking back to the tree-full, vast grave as tears again snuck their way out of her swollen eyes.

“Luffy…” She mumbled lightly, debating whether to try and call out.

Shaking her head, she knew her voice would not help in any way. There was only one reason, one purpose, to call out to someone, and she knew this someone would not answer. Instead, she slowly turned and lowered her head again; the chain in front of her pulling harder as the pace picked up.

‘Luffy.’ She again spoke in her mind.
‘Sayonara…’

Were those truly the final words to tell a dead friend? Nami did not know. Could her final goodbye bring any comfort or just to herself? If it could, she would never realize it through the overwhelming guilt. So many things to say, but no one to say them to. A goodbye to last forever, though Nami still cried at how cruel and informal hers sounded. A horrible deed she had done, and all because she had chosen to leave a crew. Experienced with unforgiving deaths, and still she could only say one thing to the one man who had saved her, treated her as an equal, protected her, and loved her dearly as the true friend she was to him as he was to her.

Balling her fists through the tight straps, she again cried out to the sky as a familiar voice echoed in her head; the unwelcoming but lovable voice that had haunted her for weeks now, though this one was at its worse. With her cold feet crunching the hard snow as she ran faster and faster, trying hard to run from the voice as well, she staggered lightly as she heard it echo one last time.

“Sayonara… Nami.”

For hours Nami marched without falter, tears still strolling down her face, it was easy to learn the running pattern of the line. Especially with the merciless marines behind them, it took her little time to get her feet and speed to match with the others; though, for what reason? She continued to question in her mind. Why was she still running? What was she running from?

‘Nothing…’ She continued to try and convince herself.

Telling her mind to just listen to her and let her legs fall. Indeed it seemed possibly easier to run than to fall in this situation. With the hounds released they too were relentless in their speed, trying their best to snap at ankles and get a hold of a fresh body of meat. They were indeed the kind of animals Nami had imagined Marines to carry with them, blood-thirsty creatures desperate to spill red.

“Faster! Move faster!”

Nami too could feel her body waking faster at the lasting rush; the speed itself making the blood in her veins heat and move within and warm her. She could hardly feel the heavy blizzard hitting her face on as her hands and feet began to blister. The Marines doing their part to help as well as they whipped their horses faster and faster.

“We’ll shoot if we pass you!” They continued to remind.

Rifles at the ready, this was all the motivation anyone would need to pick their legs.

“Faster you worthless bastards!”

With the scene taking place, people could easily mistake the chained group and marines as a game of hunt. The small prey fleeing with fright with their lives as the horses carried the predators towards them. Though, this was not the case, and for Nami, it was much worse. And yet she could not get her body to comply with her silent pleas’.

‘If I just fall they’ll shoot me…’ She continued to argue, though her legs would only move faster.

In darkness, Nami still continued to silently cry with quivering lips. Her eyes still swollen as beads of water enveloped her sight completely, blurring her dark world now even more and making her head spin faster. With explosions ringing left and right, it did not take her long to figure out where they had come from, why no one here would jump to their noises. Shots were echoing everywhere, some people could actually get their legs to give up and give out.

Some people here could actually choose death.

‘Lucky.’ Nami would occasionally remark.

With their fingers on the triggers constantly, the Marines did not deprive themselves of this pleasure. In truth, no man could ever outrun a horse. With another shot stinging the air, Nami gaped lightly in question as her legs raced on. If it was lines of people chained together, how in the world were the dead bodies being taken off the collars? She knew from the speeding Marines behind her that they were not stopping to release anyone.

Surely now, she realized, with every shot fired a line was now dragging a dead body, or worse. Perhaps the line all together was shot down because of that one falling person. Because of the heavy snow and darkness, Nami could not confirm any of her suspicions. Her line now was perhaps one of the lucky few since no one had faltered…yet. Everyone chained together here wanted to live, minus her.

As Nami continued to race, she felt herself somehow turning in an empty shell. Only running, it seemed now something she was just born to do. The orders somewhat repeating in her head.

“Run. Run. Run.”

Dragging the heavy collar on top of her along with tears and guilt, she could hardly believe how painless this had all seemed. But it was with these sudden thoughts that she realized how much pain she was now truly in, and again tried to forget them.

‘Don’t think.’ She now spoke in her head.
‘Don’t stop. If you can’t fall then just run. Don’t think about Luffy… Forget the pain… Just run…’

With every word she could feel the weight of ache growing heavier and heavier. There was no way to be rid of the fault or captain any time soon. She would just have to endure and run with it.

And she hated it.

Near her, she began to hear the heavy pants of other men and woman. Lines racing along in darkness as the thuds in the dirty snow also grew louder.

Along with the shots.

For some time, the air again filled with the wind and pants. No shots ringing out in this hour so far as the lines began to draw closer together, though Nami did cringe when she heard one of the blood-lust beasts get a hold of one woman. Bringing the line down, she listened to the screams as she slightly saw the dogs in the black run their way to bring a whole line down. The Marines neither shooting to end their sudden fall from the dogs nor stopping. Continuing on, she had no idea whether they had run from the screams or they were ended from the wild mutts; the whole scene all together being forgotten by her as she again marched on in top speed as silence fell on them.

Perhaps it was the weakest to be rid of first. Maybe now she ran with the strongest in this pitiful group.

“Run faster!!”

With the tears slowing lightly, Nami could feel the chill around her begin to freeze the ones that were still streaming down her face; her body now shaking to the cold as she slowed lightly to cough out the pain in her chest. It was with this, she realized she had thrown the pattern of her line slightly off. All of them hissing as they listened to the horses steps trod closer behind them.

“Don’t stop!”

She heard the man again behind her anxiously cry out. Nami tried to open an eye and match with the others feet as she continued to cough and sputter; his words reminding her as to where she was.

“A few more miles! Just a few more miles…”

Matching back with the group, Nami instead now closed her eyes and shut her lips to instead cough lightly in her throat.

“’atta girl.”

The man again soothed.

“A few more miles and we will stop. They can’t keep us running forever. Their horses get tired too.”

With her feet again racing to his words, Nami again pondered as to why she continued on. When death was so close and so inviting, why did she instead race from it? To end the pain in her chest, this horrid running, the men chasing after her with rifles, why was she fleeing from it? The heart-filled ache of guilt, Luffy… Why did she run? To no longer feel, anything, no more pain!

‘Why?’

Never realizing where her mind had gone, her legs continued on without another thought of the chill, or pain. She was no longer coughing out the cold in her chest. Without being truly conscious, was this how the others too continued on their hour-full, cold running? For Nami, she now felt as if she were running in her sleep. Though no dream would envelop, instead she thought of it all like a nightmare as another tear streamed down her face. She slowly shut her eyes, already the world around her was dark, and with her eyes shut this would be no different. And perhaps when she would wake, they would finally be at their destination or better. Sleep could perhaps engulf and lay her to rest.

‘Yes…’ She thought with shut eyes, her legs still moving.
‘That would be nice.’

Like an endless road they carried on. Allowing themselves to be threatened and chased, though no one had spoken out in complaint. Everyone around, including the animals and marines, being dragged along in blind destiny. Everyone running with cold, numb limbs; throats parched, bodies’ heavy, cold, famished, breathless and yet on everyone went. Forgetting everything in their mind except to keep their legs moving and not even once pondering as to why they should keep their legs moving. Perhaps death really wasn’t the reason why these people ran. Perhaps it was now in their nature, their legs moving automatically, in spite of them…without them they moved.

It wouldn’t be until another two hours before Nami heard the three whistles again ring out. And before she could ponder at the meaning of them, she quickly cried out as her line fell hard to the ground. Herself being choked and pulled along with them.

“Hehe.”

She heard the light chuckle behind her. Jumping slightly as she felt the man’s cold foot push against her back lightly.

“Sorry about that.” He again spoke.
“We forgot you’re new to this. We’ve all been running together for days so we’re used to this.”

Though her mind questioned the sudden stop and fall, she felt herself in no mood to speak. Again recalling what had all happened, she felt silent tears resurfacing.

“Break time! Marines get tired too, we’re just lucky to be any part of it.” The man still answered her silence.
“Ahhh! My legs are so tired…!”

Lifting her head lightly, she again saw as the other lines copied her own. Falling hard onto snow, everyone here engulfed the cold blanket below them. Its comfort more inviting than its chill was repelled. Everyone now took the opportunity to rest as the Marines tended to their animals feeding needs as well as their own. Though, not even a crumb was thrown to the so-called famished ‘pigs’ that lay emotionless.

Nami too let her head sink slowly to the ground, tears silently leaking out as she lay with an emotionless face.

“Hey…” She felt the foot once again jab into her laying back.
“Get up, you’ll freeze like that. You can rest, just rest with us.”

Without speaking, Nami raised herself as she felt the four others shuffling all together in a circle; the chains forcing her to move along with them, though she made no effort to look at any of these poor souls in the eye. But as she huddled closer to the people next to her, she couldn’t help but notice the small heat that erupted through the closed circle, and lowering her head to her knees, Nami again closed her eyes to invite sleep.

With fatigue engulfing her once again, Nami knew she no longer had the strength to get up. Surely it would be this spot where she would rest…forever. And with her weariness and guilt, she did not try to argue against the thought and idea; the snow was just too gentle, too warm, why had she thought before that snow would not make for a good long sleep?

“Hey…!” The man’s voice boomed again, rubbing his shoulder to Nami’s fallen head to wake her.

He succeeded, and Nami’s red eyes widened as she felt the tears still pouring out. Something now that was truly out her control to stop. But she only continued to hide her eyes to her stomach, never looking up to the voice as her body ached from run and guilt.

“Don’t fall asleep here.” His voice was now damp with cold.
“It’s too dangerous… You might sleep for good.”

‘…Exactly.’ Nami answered in thought, again closing her eyes.

Get up? The idea itself seemed to lack anything but stupidity. Why was she to get up when her body begged for rest? How could she ever stand again from this new bed of hers? He was better off asking her to spin the world around. Even that seemed more possible than ‘getting up’.

“I can tell you’re alone now. You only keep your head down, you don’t look for anyone.” He again spoke, poking with his toe at her foot.

Nami gritted her teeth at his words, realizing that he was speaking to keep her awake. Though, she quickly shut her lips as the salty tears ran in. Why couldn’t he bother with the others? They looked even closer to death than herself.

With the icy wind still gusting and chilling her body, she refused to answer to the man. Only keeping her head down as he continued on.

“No worries…!” He mumbled.
“We’ll be your nakama now. We’ll watch over you…”

At those words, Nami slowly waited for her emotional reaction. Surprised lightly as she felt no change in her heart to his words, but she could swear these uncontrollable tears flowed heavily more now.

“Where do you think they’re taking us?” Another voice in the line piped up.
“Surely it isn’t much farther we’ve been running for days…” Her voice again shook.

“Pah! Where else would they be taking us?” An older scruffier voice cried.
“Prison no doubt! An execution waiting for all of us… You want to get there faster, why? Surely it’s no better where we’re going than it is here.”

Nami blinked to the conversation, listening on now and forgetting of sleep.

“Can’t be helped.” The familiar male voice spoke again.
“We’re fugitives…This is the way we live.”

“Can’t complain though, it’s what we chose.” The scruffy voice called again.

“That’s right.” The other male cried.
“No regrets!”

“A pirate’s life is truly a life for me.” The girl lightly chuckled.

“Right!” A new young male voice rose.
“We knew it would end similar this way anyway… Though I wished it did involve less running.”

Nami shuffled lightly to the young man’s smile through his words. They truly held no idea at what torture and suffering she had been put through, and she couldn’t help but feel awkward from it. Instead, she bit her lip. Trying to sink her teeth into it and have the warm blood wash away the freeze from her buds.

“What about you?” The man spoke again, poking at Nami once more.
“No regrets, right?”

Nami only hugged her knees’ tighter.

“Leave her alone… This is all new to her. The poor thing.” The girl lightly spoke.

“Pah!” The scruffy voice sneered.
“Poor thing? She’s only had to run a whole night’s worth, while we’ve been running for days straight. I’d say she is lucky than poor.”

‘Lucky…?’ Nami thought quietly through her silent tears.
‘There is no such thing…’

“No one is lucky in this situation…” The man retorted.

“I wonder what crew she’s from.” The young man spoke again.
“She doesn’t seem to be the talking type.”

“She’ll open up. Right?” The man again spoke while poking at Nami.
“No girl can resist my charm! Hahaha!”

Nami again shuffled and gaped as an eruption exploded around her. Laughter filling the winds air, as she lay in snow and tears. How was it these people could laugh? Surely they had no idea of the world around them, at how cruel it truly was. Even if death raced from behind them and blew in their faces, even if they had just run in it for days already, they would never recognize it. How could they understand her with her loss? She was truly alone in her plight, no one could understand.

She was truly lost, and all because of her own selfishness.

“Hey…”

Nami fidgeted lightly as she felt the man’s cold breath tickle her ear.

“If you want to sleep you can. I’ll watch over you… And when I want to sleep, you can watch over me, okay?”

Nami could feel the man’s grin on her, though she did nothing to show that she had recognized it. Did he not understand that the sleep she desperately tried to cling to would not allow her to keep that promise? She instead ignored him, and breathed a sigh of relief as she felt him pull away without any words.

And again the group continued to converse, laughter filling the air lightly as Nami could wonder in her mind.

In what world were these laughs, grins, and smiles coming from?

With the question still in mind, Nami again was forcibly raised along with the group as three whistles blew again. Her tears and eyes again freezing as the snowy flakes hit her face on. The march was starting again, and Nami could only continue to cry in silence and emotionless as the question lingered again in her mind.

In what world did those laughs, grins, and smiles come from?

She could not believe in such a world anymore. It had to have been imaginary; there was just no true thing. Even as the Marines galloped back into place, crying out their warnings from before, Nami could only linger on that question. Not caring as her legs picked mechanically up again, not caring that the hounds were released and racing to snap at her, and not caring that she trotted on top of a few dead bodies now; a few of them being able to catch death while the man behind her had blocked her from it.

For what purpose had he done that for? What world was he in, where giving up was out of the question? Certainly not in or from hers.

Closing her eyes, Nami again begged for that everlasting rest to reach for while she ran with disobeying legs. Shutting her eyes from the cold snow, she blanked her mind. Running now in silence, and not feeling any pain. She could no longer hear any shots, perhaps the Marines had grown tired as well. Though, they were hardly needed as bodies continued with their fallings; the cold and fatigue reaching now after they had experience such a short but welcoming break.

Darkness consumed Nami, and soon the wind’s howls fell silent as she felt her ears fill with the sound of her pants and beating heart. Still, she could not find that sleep she so longingly searched for. And for many hours more of running in silence, she still could not find it. Where had it gone? She wondered over time. Was it too lost in that imaginary world she had long forgotten? She did say she no longer believed in luck, and falling now was her true four-leaf clover.

“Luffy…” She whispered into the cold, eyes still shut.
“Help me find it… Please, one more time…”

She could feel the tears pouring heavier now to her plights. How dare she ask the man, her captain, to help with her own selfish needs while she ridded him of his; tearing away his glory, honor and dream. Still, she could not help but call for one more selfish act.

“Luffy… Help me!”

“OH! I see it! I see the gates!” The man behind her cried.

Opening her eyes now, Nami could now see that morning had come. Though it still snowed, the sky was somewhat lighter with less flakes falling from it. In the distance, she could see two giant, gray buildings, both with an un-appealing and heart wrenching look. Though maybe only to the prisoners’ eyes, the Marines instead looked overjoyed as a few galloped their horses faster and past the fugitives to meet with the giant gates sooner. Nami on the other hand moaned lightly in anguish as tears fell out. Truly luck was in another world. Maybe there too was where her cries to Luffy had gone.

For this was not the help she had begged him for.