Luffy woke with a start, his cap falling off his face and dangling from his neck. Something was wrong. Not much could rouse him from his carnivorous dreams, but something had, and he wanted to know what. He sniffed the air, jumped out of bed, and headed for the door, slipping on his sandals as he went.
Bloodlust. He simply knew it. He couldn't even smell it. It was more of a feeling than anything else, but that's how wolves did it, and that's how he'd learned. White had always liked to break up fights between animals because it usually meant more food for the pack. So, being able to "smell" bloodlust became almost second nature to Luffy during the month he spent with them.
"You too?" Zoro asked, following his future captain out the door. He gripped the hilt of Kitetsu, which was practically vibrating in its sheath.
The boy in the straw hat said nothing, got down on all fours and closed his eyes.
There was a rustling of clothes as Zoro left the room. "Where the hell are you going? We shouldn't be snooping around Kaya's house!" Usopp shouted in a whisper, quickly trying to tie his belt.
Luffy didn't answer; instead, he wandered the hallway, his mind almost blank but his senses heightened. Something had happened, but it was a faint sound, as if it had occurred long ago. The boy scolded himself for sleeping so soundly. Of course... the meat had been delicious. He shook his head and followed the trail he'd discovered near the bathroom to the stairs. Zoro must have felt something similar, because they both quickly started down them and headed for the front door.
"Where the hell are you going?!" Usopp repeated as he followed them. He didn't really want to, but what choice did he have! He wasn't going to let them ruin his first stay at Kaya's mansion! His answer was the sound of torrential rain pouring from the open door.
The boy in the straw hat stood up as he crossed the entrance. The water hid everything. It was the same in the East Lodestone woods. It was always harder to hunt in the rain.
Suddenly, Luffy's eyes widened and his hair stood on end. He leapt from his spot in the mansion's entrance, Zoro and Usopp hot on his heels. His feet slipped as he sped along. He didn't even know why, he just knew that if he didn't... something bad was going to happen. He turned the corner and found himself on a path leading to the back of the house.
Zoro and Usopp followed Luffy along the path, the three of them running through the pouring rain. They quickly reached the opposite end of the path and stopped abruptly, arriving at a large clearing that held a scene so horrifying that all three were paralyzed with shock... one with shock, and the other two with rage.
The entire area was devastated. Cuts covered the floor, the walls, everything. Almost nothing was left intact.
More cuts continued to appear in seemingly random places as the group watched in silence. In the middle of the area stood Nami, her skin covered in water and blood, smiling sadly at the sky. The girl's body was riddled with cuts, from which a crimson liquid oozed as the rain washed it to the ground. Her clothes were in tatters, leaving her with practically nothing but bloodied skin.
Luffy gritted his teeth so hard they almost cracked. Yet he had no time to be angry. Her smile said it all. Nami would die if he didn't do something. He gritted his teeth even harder. She wouldn't die that night. Not while he could do something about it. He still hadn't told her about his dream. His foot dug into the ground, and it crunched as he shot toward the girl who would be his navigator, his face contorted in a terrifying expression. Almost as if his anger were palpable, the rain falling around him seemed to vibrate as it hit the ground.
Zoro was half a step behind his future captain, his foot leaving a similar crack in the ground. Nami was his navigator in every way except name. Luffy was the same. So, seeing the girl in that state... He growled to himself, his voice more bestial than human. His fury needed a target. Luckily, Kitetsu smelled one.
Usopp could only watch in horror as Luffy and Zoro sped toward Nami, rage etched on their faces. What on earth had happened?! The scene they'd encountered was the last thing the long-nosed teenager had expected to see when he decided to follow his two new friends. Why on earth was the clearing practically destroyed?! His thoughts were interrupted when lightning struck right where Nami stood, and the sky lit up with a blinding white.
"ZORO! LUFFY! NAMI!" Usopp cried, falling to his knees, his face contorted in shock. It had all happened so fast. Had his new friends just... died? White blurs blocked his vision as he desperately searched for them, hoping they were alright. But how could they be? A lightning bolt killed you! End of story! His mind raced with panic as he waited for his vision to clear. When it did, he couldn't help but gasp in astonishment and, at the same time, breathe a sigh of relief.
The redhead sighed. She hadn't thought death could be so warm. She unconsciously curled up in the warmth as the buzzing in her head began to subside. Wait... Was that rain she was starting to hear? She slowly opened her eyes and saw someone... Was someone holding her? Through her blurry vision, the redhead thought she saw a wide, white-toothed grin. Why did they look so bright?... Oh, yes, she'd been struck by lightning... Right? "Are you an angel?" Nami asked, delirious.
His response was a laugh that warmed what she thought should have been her dead heart.
It took her a moment to understand, but when she did, she couldn't stop the tears from welling up in her eyes. It was Luffy's laughter. She was alive. Maybe not for much longer... but she was for now. Her heart raced a little at the thought. The redhead looked toward the place she thought would be her grave and saw someone with green hair standing there. He held two pairs of sharp claws with his two razor-sharp swords, while the rain pattered against their scabbards. It had to be Zoro. He was the only person she knew with green hair...
The green man stood directly in front of a large, round burn, steam billowing from his back. The steam was coming from his scorched shirt, but... he didn't seem hurt... As if, somehow, he hadn't been struck by lightning. Nami didn't have a good explanation for how that worked. Maybe he was just delirious from blood loss, or... Maybe he was just... lucky?
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