Note: Takes place around episode 382 when the Straw Hats visit Spa Island but before they run into the Foxy Pirates.

Chapter 3 - Baths

A surprising thing about the Straw Hat pirates was that they didn't smell as badly as most pirate crews. Nami and Robin naturally wanted to stay clean, but they weren't the only ones.

Sanji kept himself immaculate not just to woo women but to prevent himself from contaminating the food he cooked. Chopper was proud of his shiny fur and as a doctor he understood the importance of good hygiene. Brook and Franky needed to keep their ridiculous hairstyles maintained and would sometimes spend hours in the bathroom.

Zoro and Usopp, however, didn't care as much about regularly bathing and Nami had to constantly remind them (i.e. beat them) into washing off their sweat and grime. The ironic thing was that they were completely obsessed with keeping their weapons clean.

And Luffy? Surprisingly, he loved taking baths. Maybe it was to compensate from being unable to swim or his fascination with Mystery technologies like shower heads. Or maybe it was just because he loved bubbles and splashing.

So when the Thousand Sunny docked at Spa Island for a well-deserved break, Luffy didn't make a run for the water slides like Usopp and Chopper or go lie by the pool for some sunbathing like Franky. Instead, clad in his swimming trunks, he had grabbed his rubber deck and toy battleship and made a beeline for the bathhouse.

Nami and Robin causally strolled after the captain. Sanji looked like he wanted to follow them, but a jeering gibe from Zoro distracted him, and somehow, both of them ended up madly racing each other across one of the many olympic-sized swimming pools on the manmade 'island.' It was unknown to where Brook had disappeared, but knowing the perverted skeleton, there were undoubtedly plenty of scantily-clad women wherever he was.

Several minutes later, Nami found herself sighing in contentment as Robin scrubbed her back in the washing room.

"I'm surprised that you were willing to pay the entrance fees to let us stay here for a few days," Robin said.

Nami turned her head and saw that Robin was scrubbing her own back with two of her Devil-fruit generated arms. The orange-haired navigator just blinked at the odd sight then smiled. "I thought that it would be nice to have some fun once in a while instead of always fighting for our lives. It's true that I like money, but I also like what money can get you! Besides, I don't think either of us ever really had a chance to enjoy the finer things in life."

Robin was silent for a moment then she said softly, "I really do appreciate everything you've done, Nami. You and the rest of the crew."

It still felt a little strange for Nami to hear the older woman refer to her by name rather than title, but it was a good feeling. Robin had been less reserved ever since their battle at Enies Lobby, and it was clear that she had finally allowed herself to fully become one of their nakama.

Once Nami had washed the soap bubbles off her body, she stood up and stretched before heading toward the door to the hot-water communal baths.

"You don't want your towel?" Robin asked as she wrapped a yellow towel around herself.

"Why? I've got nothing to hide!" Nami replied, putting a hand on her hip and jutting it out. She looked over at Robin with a teasing smile.

Robin said something else, but Nami didn't hear her as she had already walked through the door. When she saw two old men turn away from her blushing, Nami belatedly realized that she was in a mixed-gender bath house. That must have been what Robin had been trying to tell her.

Nami shrugged her shoulders as she headed for the less crowded end of the bath. She wasn't ashamed of her body, and she wasn't particularly bothered by the leers directed her way (1). She made a mental note to charge the men a hundred thousand berri before she left.

Then she heard a familiar voice.

"Ahhh! It's the happiness punch!" Luffy yelled before his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell backwards beneath the surface of the water. Gurgling sounds soon followed.

Nami giggled as she settled into the warm water and watched Luffy come up gasping for air. She expected him to come over to her side to talk to her, but he appeared to have gotten fascinated with having his rubber duck attack his battleship and he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Hmm, I think our captain is a bit smitten with you," Robin commented as she sat down next to Nami.

Nami laughed even though she felt a slight pang in her chest. She then said, "Luffy? I don't think he even knows what love is."

"Do you really think that? Maybe he doesn't know romantic love, but I think he is the most loving person I have ever met."

Nami had to agree with that. Thinking back to Luffy's fights with villains like Lucci, Crocodile, Arlong, and Enel, one could not deny the depth of Luffy's feelings for his nakama. His compassion and the strength of his convictions were two of the traits that had attracted her to him.

Suddenly realizing that her thoughts were drifting into dangerous territory, Nami splashed some water on her face. She had to stop thinking this way! Monkey D. Luffy was an immature idiot. He constantly drove her crazy and he would probably be the death of her with his insane whims. Even if she wanted a relationship with him (which she did not!), it probably wouldn't last and things would just be awkward. Sanji would have to be dealt with and the rest of the crew would think she was crazy. This was assuming that Luffy even thought of her in a romantic sense, which he most likely didn't. There were so many reasons why she and Luffy being together simply wouldn't work.

So many reasons...

"Nami, are you feeling all right?"

Nami quickly wiped her eyes and gave Robin a weak grin. "I'm fine. Just got some chlorine in my eyes."

Robin gave her a measured glance she said, "Speaking of love, what do you plan on doing after our adventures are over? When our captain has found the One Piece and we have traveled the world? Will you go back to your home and settle down with some nice, young man?"

"I haven't really thought about that," Nami replied honestly. She didn't want to think about life without her infuriating yet wonderful comrades. She then asked, "Why do you ask?"

Robin looked down into the water. She replied, "I've never thought about my future at all beyond finding the Rio Polyglyph. And I had always known that even if I did find it that my death would not be too far behind. But there are now so many possibilities open to me that I'm a little overwhelmed."

"I know how you feel," Nami said. "For most of my life, I was just concerned about surviving to the next day. And then... the world suddenly opened up for me. I was free to do whatever I wanted."

"It seems we both owe Luffy a great deal then."

"We do," Nami agreed. She remembered handing Luffy back the hat he had entrusted her with and high-fiving him as if he hadn't just dug his way out of a demolished building (2). She knew from the instant he took his precious hat from her hands and smiled at her that she was going to help him achieve his dream. She could do nothing less for the man who had saved her from a life of misery.

Her shoulders stiffened as an uncomfortable realization hit her. With her mouth suddenly feeling dry, she sneaked a glance at Robin. The older woman had just recently been rescued from the hands of the World Government (3). What had happened at Enies Lobby was like something out of a fairy tale! It was difficult to think of anything more romantic than a man declaring war on the entire world just to get someone he valued back.

Nami told herself that she was being silly, and she struggled to let the thought go but she couldn't. The idea that another woman had feelings for Luffy would gnaw away at her if she didn't do something about it. Finally, with no attempt at subtlety, she blurted, "Robin, are you in love with Luffy?"

Robin burst out laughing.

Nami crossed her arms, her cheeks burning, and she grumbled, "I don't see what's so funny."

Robin gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. She said, "I apologize. You just looked so worried."

"I'm not worried. Just curious," Nami insisted, knowing her denials were not convincing in the least. She was already regretting having asked the question.

"In response to your question, am I in love with our dear captain? No. But I do love him. He gave me a home and makes me feel safe. I guess I see him as a father figure."

Nami did a double-take. "What?"

Robin gently smiled at her. "I suppose it sounds a bit odd, but Luffy reminds me of a friend I had when I was a child. He was very similar to the captain, always laughing and trying to do the right thing. He was a giant and many of my people feared him, but I didn't (4). He was the closest thing to a father that I had. Perhaps that resemblance is why I couldn't allow Crocodile to kill Luffy (5)."

"Robin..."

Nami reached out and pulled Robin into a hug. A few moments later, Robin pulled back and raised an inquiring eyebrow. She said, "You seem awfully relieved that I am not infatuated with our captain."

"Um... I'm relieved for you! I would have felt badly for you if you had fallen for that idiot," Nami said quickly.

"Yes, any woman who is in love with Luffy surely has something wrong with her," Robin agreed.

"Hey!" Nami cried before her brain could kick in to stop her. Upon realizing her slip, she stammered, "Uh... I didn't mean..."

In the face of Robin's knowing smile, Nami could only hang her head in defeat. It was not for nothing that Nico Robin had been able to become Crocodile's right hand woman. She muttered, "So much for my ability to keep a secret."

Robin raised her eyebrows in apparent surprise. She replied, "Do you think that because I never said anything that I had never noticed? There are many things I observe from my chair on the deck, Nami. I've known for a long time. But I did not think it was my place to pry."

Nami still felt a little embarrassed, but she also felt relieved at unburdening a load on her mind and from the understanding her friend was giving her. Then Robin had to destroy her peace of mind by asking the Question.

"Are you going to tell him?"

"Not you too," Nami groaned. "Look, I just have a stupid crush. It's the whole 'prince on a white horse' thing. Luffy and I are complete opposites. I'm not going to let some stupid hormones overrule my reason."

"What are hormones?"

Nami sighed. "Luffy, it's not polite to- to- LUFFY!"

The boy stared at her with his characteristic happy grin. "What?"

Her heart felt like it was going to leap out of her chest. "How- how much did you hear?"

Luffy stuck a finger in his ear as if to dislodge some water. He replied, "Something about horses with hormones. Did I miss a joke?"

Nami studied Luffy's face. For as long as she had known him, she had not once seen him tell a convincing lie. The boy was as readable as a book. Satisfied that he hadn't heard anything revealing, she smiled at him and said, "You didn't miss anything important. What brings you over here anyway?"

"I'm bored. Wanna go on the rides?"

That sounded like a good idea. Nami needed a break from her heavy thoughts. She stood up to head for the changing room and noticed that Luffy was once again looking away from her nudity. To her amusement, he was also holding out a towel to her that he must have snagged off a hook with his powers.

As she accepted the towel, Nami asked in a teasing voice, "Are you giving me a towel to avoid accidentally owing me another hundred thousand berri or because I'm just too pretty to look at?"

"You're very pretty, Nami," Luffy said quietly. "But I just don't want you getting sick again. I don't like it when you're sick."

Holding the fluffy towel to her chest, Nami silently stared after Luffy as he quickly exited the bath. He was worried about her? Luffy never stopped surprising her. He was extremely dense most of the time, but there were moments when he could be very sweet.

Robin cleared her throat and Nami whirled around to see the older woman smirking at her.

Abruptly wrapping the towel around herself and turning away, Nami warned, "Don't. Say. A. Word."

But the rapid thumping of her heart could not be so easily dealt with.

Footnotes

(1) Nami flashed her male crewmates and the King of Alabasta in episode 128. She also got changed in front of Franky's men in episode 258 (Water 7 arc). She doesn't seem to be concerned about being leered at in either case.

(2) Episode 43 (end of Arlong arc).

(3) The Enies Lobby arc spans an entire season of episodes from about 264-311, and it is a great and moving storyline.

(4) Robin is referring to the giant Jaguar D. Saul who was her friend as a child. He was the one who told her that she would one day meet nakama who would befriend and protect her.

(5) Robin rescued Luffy from the sand pit Crocodile threw him into in episode 111.