Steel Heart

Ch 103 - How to Fix a Mess

"Nana, you feeling okay?"

"Sure."

"Do you need a sedative?"

"Sure."

"Oh! Okay, I'll get you some. Luffy's cooking. Do you want me to get you when the food is ready?"

"Sure."

"Do you want me to leave you alone?"

"Sure."

"...Should I go into Monster Point and destroy this entire ship and we'll all sink to the bottom right here, right now?'

"Sure."

Nana heard a sigh from the doctor and then the door close but she didn't look up from her work. She was tweaking the mechanics of her backpack while sitting in the middle of her room with her back to the door. Pygmy slept curled up next to her and he would occasionally wake up, sniff around, and then return back to sleep.

The mechanic already forgotten what the doctor was saying but to be honest, she didn't really register what he was asking her in the first place. Every moment since she saw that damn note was a blur to her. Since then, the experience of Zou was pulling away from her like water rolling off a duck's back.

Yes. Her mind held on to the important parts. The forming of the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance. The true and tragic story of the Kozuki Clan. Jack the Drought coming back to try to take the Minks down. Momonosuke's surprising ability to communicate with the epic elephant. The plan for everyone to split up, do what they need to do, and then meet back at Wano.

Yes. She knew that part. She knew it might look like she was insensitive towards the Kozuki Clan's plight since her lack of response and action were quite the opposite to her norm. She wasn't acting like herself and she didn't feel like it either but it wasn't because she was numb or uncaring. She was far from it.

There was a war raging inside her that took up every ounce of her soul. She could hardly breathe let alone keep an additional thought in her mind as she battled internally.

Half of her was enraged and confused by the cook's departure. How could he leave without her? How could he just go and think it was okay? How easy was it for him to leave? Or even worse, did it break him in any way to know that he was leaving his nakama behind? Leaving her behind?

And to leave in that fashion? So flippantly with that kind of bullshit note? Not even addressing her a little bit? What was he trying to do? Not bring attention to their relationship? Was he doing that to protect her? Fuck that shit. Didn't he know her well enough by now?

She of all people understood the struggle of being haunted by a past that was beyond their control. More importantly, she, of all people, understood him.

And that was the fodder for the other half of the battle.

The other half of her was fighting for her to understand his decision. He did what he could to save his nakama. It was a spur of the moment decision. He couldn't wait for her. There was no time. He wasn't trying to protect just her. He was trying to protect everyone.

It must've been an immensely difficult decision for him to do this. To just leave knowing that everyone would be worried about him.

Well, fuck that shit too!

How dare he make them worry?! He had to have known leaving that kind of idiotic letter wouldn't be enough. Not just Nana but Luffy would not have him leave just like that. To throw this monkey wrench into their plans now? Knowing that in the near future, they will be attempting to bring down Kaido? Knowing that in the recent past-