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Nami's first experience with tattoos wasn't pleasant, as her first tattoo wasn't her choice. Not only was it physically painful, it was also done badly and very quickly without a single worry for any aftercare a tattoo might need. It also became a constant reminder of her struggle to free her village. She hated it with all her being. Just looking at it made her think of Arlong, and then inevitably of her late mother. It was enough to fill her with anguish and blinding rage towards the monster who was the cause of all her suffering. Every time she looked at the ink on her shoulder she would picture his sneering face in her mind.
As a result, Nami got rid of most of the clothes she owned that revealed her back. She felt guilty as she threw them away, thinking about her mother's efforts to transform Nojiko's old clothes for her. Despite her guilt, her hatred of Arlong's mark on her skin was stronger. She apologized to her mother under her breath as she destroyed a tank top she used to wear all the time.
She decided she would only wear longer sleeves from now on, except when she was in Arlong Park. Arlong liked to see her as part of her group even though she was painfully aware of the fact that she wasn't. It was all pretence, to make Nami feel like she belonged and lull her into a sense of security. But she knew that Arlong could snap at any moment and she didn't want to risk angering him by fear that he would lash out at the villagers or even her sister.
Her opinion on tattoos changed when she came home to Nojiko and noticed that her sister got some of her own. She knew that Nojiko mainly got them to make Nami feel better about her own but regardless of the reason, it worked. She felt less alone suddenly. Not only that, but Nojiko's tattoos were really pretty. Nami silently considered getting new ones once she'd be older and had freed the village – and herself - from Arlong's oppression. She vowed to transform the mark she hated so much into something beautiful and meaningful. Nojiko's tattoos gave her hope for her future.
She took the habit of laying next to Nojiko to relax and to trace the outline of her tattoos with her fingers absently. Nojiko always looked at Nami fondly without a word during these fleeting moments. Nami felt lucky and grateful to have her sister with her. Alone, she would have broken down very quickly.
As time passed and as she continued slowly buying her way to freedom, she ended up meeting a peculiar boy wearing a straw hat and his similarly peculiar sword-wielding companion. Their names were Luffy and Zoro and she didn't think much of them at first. They were certainly oddballs, but they were just new targets to rob blind, and nothing more.
She went along with them for a while, humouring their little play of piracy and taking down enemies wherever they went. They met a few others along the way – a long-nosed liar named Usopp, some of Zoro's former bounty hunters companions and a cook who was quick to anger named Sanji.
But none of them really mattered. Nami decided to leave them at Sanji's restaurant, robbing them of their ship and all of their possessions. She tried to tell herself that it was just the usual, but this time she couldn't. The guilt was eating at her, and she could only try to forget them as quickly as possible.
But then, it turned out that meeting them – meeting Luffy, her new captain – would change her life.
Luffy and his companions went to seek Arlong despite originally thinking that Nami had betrayed them. At first she was angry at them for meddling with her private life – it was her problem and she would deal with it herself, as she had always done.
But after realizing that Arlong never had any intention of freeing her at all, she felt overwhelmed by her emotions as she started stabbing the tattoo on her back in blind rage, her anger towards her captor stronger than the pain. But Luffy stopped her hand, his own eyes sharing Nami's fury. Seeing that look in his eyes finally made her admit that she desperately wanted his help. And he decided to fight for her freedom.
After an intense battle that scared her as much as it gave her hope, Luffy won against all odds.
She couldn't believe it. It was the first time Nami allowed herself to trust people who weren't her family, and the first time she could genuinely call people friends.
After deciding that she had a place in that crew, amongst her new friends, she figured that it was finally time to fulfil the dream that gave her hope all these years.
She presented a design she had mulled over for a long time to the village's doctor, and she finally got the tattoo she deserved. Alongside it, the scar of her former tattoo on her back was a reminder of what she had suffered through. Nami didn't mind the scar, it made her look tough and she didn't have to worry about Arlong's horrible symbol anymore.
The new tattoo on her shoulder represented her family, so that they would always travel with her when she was away with her new friends. A tangerine that reminded her of her mother and of Nojiko was intertwined with a pin-wheel that represented Genzo, her father-figure. Nojiko also gave her a beautiful golden bracelet that she used to wear. Her whole family would be watching over her as she sailed away, happy again after all this time.
___
What made Nami get her second tattoo was meeting a strong-willed Alabastan princess named Nefertari Vivi.
When they first met, Nami didn't think much of Miss Wednesday except for the fact that she was suspicious - and kind of cute as well but that was just an afterthought.
When they reached Whiskey Peak, the Baroque Works agent who was really the princess of Alabasta - Nefertari Vivi - became an opportunity to make more money. Helping a cute princess was fine, but getting rich off it was better.
However, things didn't exactly go like Nami thought they would. Her plan was simple: help Vivi get rid of Baroque Works, and thus make the Royal family indebted to her crew, which would allow her to gain wealth beyond what she could imagine.
What she hadn't planned for was slowly falling for the princess.
She already thought the princess was cute and brave from the beginning but as she started getting to know her, she felt her feelings forming and expanding in a more romantic nature.
First, there was the princess' fearlessness on Little Garden. It just seemed like recklessness to Nami – and she didn't need more people being that reckless, there were already more than enough in her crew to begin with! But when thinking about it, it really added something to the princess' personality. Not that Nami wanted to see Vivi and Zoro cut off their feet, but the fact that Vivi was willing to do it made Nami feel a thrill through her back.
Then, even though the first part of her stay on Drum Island was a bit of a blur because of her fever, she remembered Vivi caring for her. Remembered her gentle and warm hands brushing her sticky bangs out of her face. Nami came to the startling realization that the princess genuinely cared about her. She had refused rushing to Alabasta when considering Nami's condition and she had stayed by her side. Concerned but never panicking, Vivi was a steady and much needed presence to Nami's bedside.
They shared their first kiss a few days after Nami's recovery, on the way to the princess' country after having left Drum Island with a new companion named Chopper. And then they shared many more, Nami making it her mission to kiss Vivi's lips, her cheeks, her forehead, her neck and her hands as thoroughly as possible. Vivi blushed a lot but was always smiling, playing with Nami's hair as she did when she was sick, and returning all of her kisses. In those precious moments, the two women forgot all about the trial they were about to face, thinking only about each other. They knew it wouldn't last long, so they made sure to enjoy their time together to the fullest.
In Nanohana, Nami's heart skipped a beat when she saw Vivi's dancer outfit. Vivi looked a bit embarrassed but mostly adorable. At that point, Nami surprised herself thinking that she was definitely not helping her just for the money anymore. She thought about all their kisses and intimate touches and realized that it was a genuine relationship.
She felt nervous as she hadn't had much experience with those. She had a brief relationship with a girl named Carina once, but apart from that one, mostly only quick flirts with girls she never saw again. Nevertheless, she had figured out her sexuality pretty early on and was sure that she was polyamorous in addition to being a lesbian. She needed to tell Vivi about it if their relationship was indeed serious.
Vivi took it well. She told Nami that she was bisexual but knew from the start that no matter the relationship she chose to be in, she would have to marry a man approved by royalty someday due to her status as a princess. It didn't bother her that much as long as she could choose who she was going to marry and as long as she didn't have to do it right away. But that meant that she had also thought a lot about polyamory and that she was open to it. Nami felt relieved.
In the deserted town of Yuba, the princess' compassion got to Nami once again. She felt angry at Luffy for fighting with Vivi, and yet she understood his motivations and so she tried not to intervene. When she held Vivi that night, their bodies entwined as they were about to sleep, Nami felt angry at the world because Vivi shouldn't have had to suffer like that.
When they got trapped in Rainbase's casino, Nami felt a surge of relief when Vivi showed up. It faded quickly and was soon replaced by worry when they discovered Crocodile's power. But in the end they managed to get out of that desperate situation. Despite that, once again Nami felt frustrated and powerless just by seeing Vivi feeling the same.
In Alubarna, Nami fought with all her mind, ready to sacrifice her foot, her leg, or even her life for Vivi. She ended up winning, and hoped Vivi's suffering was almost over.
Luffy ended up winning, and joy and exhaustion took hold of the whole crew.
After that, Nami was finally able to relax with Vivi. Although a little voice in the back of her mind kept reminding her that Vivi would probably choose her duty as a princess over a life of piracy. Nami was alright with this decision of course, but it didn't mean she wouldn't need a little time to adjust. As a result, she spent a lot of time with Vivi.
The royal baths were a nice place to relax and hold nice conversations while holding hands with the princess. Their last days together were full of tenderness and whispered promises.
Which is why Nami decided to visit an Alubarnan tattoo shop with Vivi in tow.
They would see each other again, Nami was sure of it. And so, to keep Vivi in her thoughts during her travels, she got her second tattoo right before leaving Alubarna.
That one was on her left wrist, on the opposite side of the cross mark they had all used in Alabasta to identify each other. It represented some coloured peacock feathers gracefully entwined, their colours vivid against her pale and freckly skin. The grace and beauty of it reminded her of Vivi's diplomacy and good nature. The bright and iridescent blue and green colours reminded her of Vivi's strong convictions and will. The entwined feathers reminded her of their love.
It was her second personal tattoo, and Nami decided that she loved getting ink that told a story about her life, about what was really important to her. The crew reacted well to the tattoo. Usopp complimented the Alubarnan artist on the brilliant use of the colours, Zoro gave her a knowing smile, Luffy said that she looked cool, Chopper said it was pretty with stars in his eyes and Sanji lamented Vivi's absence.
The newcomer to the crew, the mysterious miss All-Sunday – or Nico Robin as she called herself – just smirked at her. Nami didn't think much of it, if only that the woman sent chills down her spine, but was oh so attractive. She really needed to stop swooning over suspicious women.
She felt guilty about feeling that way. It wasn't like Vivi and Nami were in an exclusive relationship, but the problem was that Robin was a former enemy of Alabasta, a person she wasn't sure she could trust. And it felt unfair to Vivi to feel things for a woman who was so dangerous and partly responsible for what happened to Vivi's country.
Nevertheless, Nami trusted Luffy's decision to add her to the crew and decided to just keep her distance.
___
Robin started slowly getting more comfortable with the crew, and Nami still felt attraction for her despite thinking about keeping her distance. It was only physical attraction, but whenever she looked at the peacock feathers tattoo, she would feel guilty for feeling that way.
However, the guilt started fading as she witnessed Robin opening up more and more. She was still very secretive and quiet, but there were things about her that Nami simply couldn't see as things an evil person would do.
The way Robin would smile at small animals and children - or just Chopper - was endearing, and despite her love for dark humour, the way she chuckled after telling a joke was adorable. She also paid a lot of attention to each of the crew's likes and dislikes, and was a great listener.
She still frustrated Nami sometimes, but she definitely warmed up to the idea of Robin as a permanent member of the crew.
She thought that if Vivi got to know Robin as well, she would probably forgive her and even like her. She decided that if she ever acted on her new feelings, it would be alright.
The first time Nami made a move on Robin, it was in Skypiea. During the bonfire they set up to party with the local wolves, the jovial mood gave Nami courage to make the first move. And if she was completely honest, the alcohol helped as well.
She kissed Robin and to her surprise, Robin kissed back. Later in the night, they went to sleep in their tent with Robin holding Nami close. The navigator felt safe in her arms and slept soundly. The sleepy kiss they shared in the morning was just as amazing as the one from the night before.
The adventure she shared with Robin and the rest of the crew in Skypiea brought them closer together. They didn't exactly label it a relationship yet, and Nami thought that they definitely needed to discuss it at some point. But for now, she was content to just enjoy each moment.
Nami almost forgot about Robin's shady past. Almost. Then Aojiki showed up. And Nami wanted to be suspicious of Robin again, but she couldn't anymore. At that point, she had to accept that Robin was a part of the crew and that no matter what she was doomed to trust her. It seemed that Luffy thought the same way anyhow, so they were all in this together.
Nevertheless, Robin was definitely more distant after the encounter with Aokiji. Nami didn't say anything to her because she thought she just needed time to process the fact that she was frozen alive. They were still discussing mundane subjects, but stopped any physical contact except for quick brushes of hands over skin and chaste kisses before going to bed. Nami was patient though, and she would wait until Robin was ready to open up.
But then, Robin disappeared in the maze that was Water Seven. And Nami cursed herself for not trying to open a conversation about that exchange she had with Aokiji. Maybe then Robin would have told her what was worrying her and wouldn't have left. Or been kidnapped. Nami desperately hoped it was the second option, even though that didn't imply anything good for Robin. But she knew that no matter what, they would save her and hear her explanations later.
She still decided to trust Robin despite Zoro's words, and to trust Luffy to get her back to the crew safely.
Hearing that Robin was likely forced to act like this against her will gave her intense relief. It meant her time with the crew wasn't meaningless, and she genuinely cared about all of them. It meant they had every reason to rescue her or die trying.
Seeing Sanji's letter at the station made her fury towards the people who took Robin increase tenfold. She was ready to fight them and the adrenaline that rushed through her veins made her act almost on instinct.
The battle preparations in the Rocket Man helped her focus her thoughts on getting Robin back. She calmed herself and thought about battle strategies while waiting.
As they were making their way to the waterfall, Nami and her companions were moving forward by sheer instinct and adrenaline, and they eventually made it to the top of the building.
Seeing Robin admit that she wanted to live was a powerful moment that made the whole crew think that chasing after her was definitely worth becoming the government's enemies.
Robin's words got through the Strawhats , increasing their will to fight and making them regain hope.
They all had to fight against the CP-9 in individual battles that left them tired but victorious, and they somehow made their way to the Going Merry that had miraculously appeared.
When they were finally face to face again, Nami hugged Robin with all her strength, vowing to protect this woman with her life forever if necessary. They shared a hasty kiss in their desperate attempt to flee from the Marines.
After their successful escape and their emotional farewell to the Going Merry, they were finally able to rest a little bit in a room at the Galley-La company.
At one point during those peaceful days, Nami decided to visit a local tattoo parlour that the carpenter Franky had told her about.
She knew exactly what she wanted. The tattoo artist did a wonderful job on her beautiful white Casablanca flower above her right hip. Robin had once told her that it was her favourite flower and the elegance of the flower did remind Nami of Robin.
When Nami showed it off, most of the crew didn't link it to Robin specifically, but Robin had a knowing smile on her lips.
Later, in the privacy of their temporary bedroom, Robin traced the flower delicately with a hand she made appear, her actual arms laying on her stomach.
She asked Nami if there was any particular reason on why the tattoo was above her hip. Nami winked and answered in a teasing tone that it was because Robin loved kissing her there. Robin laughed and then proceeded to do exactly that.
___
The following months felt amazing. Sure, there were some...misadventures. A noteworthy one was Thriller Bark of course, which might have been awful but in the end they gained a musician named Brook and more importantly, a lot of gold. And Nami even made a new friend named Lola. Still, she was happy to leave the memories of the creepy molester lion behind. Robin distracted her well enough when Nami thought about it.
After a while, they arrived near Sabaody, which would mark the half of their long journey. Nami felt amazed to think that they went that far with their little crew. She took a moment to remember all of the hardships they went through to get there and smiled. No matter the difficulties, they always seemed to end up victorious.
At least that's what she still thought when they stepped on Sabaody archipelago for the first time, and admired the beautiful bubbles coming from the ground.
But the dazzling and ethereal bubbles couldn't hide the place's horrible slaving business though. Soon, the mangrove was just synonymous of yet another of the government's horrible failures to withstand a just society.
And yet, Nami still had hope that her friends would rescue Camie and be done with it, like they always did.
When the Marine soldiers started flooding the archipelago, Nami still thought they would be fine in the end. After all, they were all fighting quite well and those two scary-looking pirate captains who had temporarily joined Luffy looked pretty strong as well.
But when the monstrous Kuma made Zoro vanish, Nami felt her stomach drop. Zoro was one of the strongest crew members and he just disappeared like that. Then it was Brook's turn. Then Usopp. Then Sanji. Then Franky. Nami was helpless during all of this and her captain's own despair resonated with her. And yet, all she was able to do was call out for Luffy. Their strength was useless there, and fighting back didn't work. Then Kuma touched her too.
As she started soaring through the sky, all her thoughts were with her crew. If she wasn't harmed and just flying through the sky, it meant the others were too. Which meant that they all stood a chance as long as the landing wasn't too rough. She hoped it wouldn't be too long and she would be able to join her crew again as soon as she landed. She hoped the others would find their way back as well.
When she finally landed unarmed she didn't see any of her friends near her, which meant that they were all Kuma-knows-where and she was alone in this strange new place.
At first she desperately wanted to get out. The old men who inhabited the sky island were nice enough but Luffy and her crew needed her !
She then saw the newspaper, and cried when thinking that Luffy had to go through this hardship all alone. But she was also more determined than ever to get stronger during those two years apart. When they would meet again, they would all be more capable, more experienced and more tenacious than ever. Nothing like what happened at Sabaody's would happen again and Luffy wouldn't have to see someone he cared about die in front of him ever again.
That's when Nami decided to get her fourth tattoo. She already had one to represent her family, and two to represent her lovers. This one would represent her crew.
She got a beautiful stylized golden sun on her lower back. It was bright and noticeable, just like her crew - and just like their ship. It made Nami remember that they were her new family, and she would get back to them no matter what. It gave her hope for the future. And she continued training to get stronger with a smile on her lips, her family watching over her.