Straw Hat Luffy: The Black Fist

Chapter 34: Light in the Dark

AN:

Another little setup chapter here, but I had a really fun time writing this one so I hope you enjoy it.

I saw a question about if Luffy will ever have a devil fruit and as much as I'd like to give you an answer, I'm afraid that it would spoil the story. So, for now, my answer is maybe... Or maybe not. ;) As for the question about how I'm gonna do Wano without 5th gear... Let's just say, I think I've got something pretty cool figured out. But that's won't be for a while, so for now... Here's Chapter 34 :)

As always, would love to hear what you think!

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Chapter 34: Light in the Dark

"I SAID, STOP!", Nami wailed to the dark clouds above. She would do anything... She just wanted to wake up from this nightmare.... She wanted it to be over. The searing pain in her stomach. The tears falling from her eyes. The all-consuming wrath she felt in her heart that was now suffusing throughout her entire body... She wanted it to go away... Her cry continued uninterrupted for but a moment before it seemed like the heavens decided to answer her pleas.

The heat consuming the orange-haired girl seemed to freeze inside her body before it all but disappeared into thin air, her tightly closed eyes snapping open in shock. Before she even had the time to register what was going on, a bright white streak of lighting consumed her vision and she watched in morbid fascination while the bolt seemed to move in slow motion, inching ever closer to the men who'd caused her so much pain.

The loudest crack of thunder yet echoed through the clearing as lightning struck the ground and consumed every single marine in the retreating group, the orangette continuing to watch wide-eyed and confused. When the light faded and the echoing thunder was once again replaced by pounding rain, her shocked brown orbs stayed glued to the now smoking area with a multitude of black bodies resting in it. By sheer force of will, she was able to eventually pull them away and her gaze landed on the dark clouds hanging over her head... Was... Was that... Was that her?...

Nami didn't understand what was going on... Everything since she'd entered the clearing was a blur, really... A dark red haze of anger and pain... A part of her was convinced that the bolt of lightning had been the world paying her back for all the hardship she'd faced in her life... But... The other part... Couldn't help but think... Had she been it's cause?... Had she been the one to kill all the men now lying lifeless on the ground?... She remembered the moment right before... The heat... The anger... It was all so hot... Until suddenly it wasn't...

Still in a slight haze, the orangette stood to her feet, slowly beginning to walk in the direction of the group of men she may, or may not, have just killed... How could it have been her?... She was just a normal girl... The more she thought about it, the more she felt like it was just a coincidence... But, something in her heart couldn't quite believe that... The big question was... How?... She'd never been able to do something like that before...

Even as the thought crossed Nami's mind, she realized that it wasn't exactly true. It had been similar when she'd fought Kuro... However, at the same time, it wasn't. The whole situation had been different... So, why?... Why did it feel like the two events were connected in some way?...

The girl's thoughts were brushed to the side when she stopped just outside a large ring of blackened grass filled with the bodies of close to twenty marines. She couldn't even tell which one was Nezumi... They all looked the same... Just lumps of black meat... It was honestly strange... She didn't think lightning would be able to do this to someone. Sure, she knew they'd probably die... But this....

Nojiko and Genzo's eyes hadn't left the spot where the lightning struck. They were both so shocked by what had occurred that neither of them could even move... It'd looked like Nami had caused it... Like she'd just killed all those men... The two weren't all that upset by the information, considering the situation... But, still... How?...