Evening.
Everyone who had scavenged the wrecks of the giant ships had returned to the ship.
Warm orange lights glowed, and everyone gathered on the deck to celebrate. Zeff, in just a few short minutes, had prepared a lavish dinner all by himself—nobody knew exactly how he managed it.
"I know! He must have used his feet to blow fire and boost the flames!" Nami eagerly raised her hand to answer.
"Just because your brother forgave you doesn't mean you can start showing off again, huh?"
Kuina, exasperated, flicked her finger toward Nami's forehead—but her finger passed straight through!
"Nyah nyah nyah!" Nami made a silly face. "You can't hit me! That's the superpower of the Mera Mera Fruit! You won't be able to bully me anymore!"
Thud!
Before she finished, she received a solid punch.
"Uwaaa! That hurts!"
Nami clutched the top of her head. "Brother, you lied! You said once you become a Logia-type, you couldn't be hit! Why does it still hurt so much?!"
"Because in this world, there's another power called Haki."
Shanu, carrying a plate, sat down expressionless. "Kuina and Uncle Zeff have already begun showing signs of mastering Armament Haki. Nojiko is a bit slower, but in one or two months, she'll be able to use it too."
"So…"
Nami pouted. "Does that mean I'm going back to the bottom of the food chain?"
Damn it! She had just started figuring out even a little use of the Mera Mera Fruit!
"Let's get to business," Shanu said, uninterested, eating as he spoke.
"The spoils from the wrecked ships were far more abundant than expected. Not counting supplies and books, the treasure alone could be worth over 100 million Berries. Everyone's been busy all day, so get some rest tonight. Tomorrow, we'll think together about how to get out of this strange whirlpool sea current."
"Wait until tomorrow?" Nami was stunned. "Can't we just leave after dinner? I've already figured out the pattern of the whirlpools!"
"You've already figured it out?!"
Everyone else looked at her in surprise.
"What? You don't believe me?"
Nami huffed and lifted her chin. "I only went along to reach the island to find you guys. Otherwise, I would've gone straight out. Just wait—soon I'll show you what a true genius navigator can do!"
After dinner.
Nami immediately got to work, picking up a pencil and drawing the surrounding sea chart, muttering:
"First, head north. After about five kilometers, sharply turn starboard. Then, after roughly a minute, take advantage of the slowing current at the convergence and adjust course…"
Half an hour later.
Everyone stared in disbelief as the island's outline gradually blurred in the distance. They turned to look at the orange-haired girl standing proudly with her hands on her hips.
"She… she really escaped…"
This girl wasn't exaggerating?!
"Damn it…"
The swordswoman slumped, holding her head. "I've been racking my brain for ages and couldn't figure this out at all. How is the difference between people so huge…"
"Hehe, we're about equal," Nami whispered in her ear to comfort her. "But Kuina, I think you'll have to give up the navigator position."
"Damn it!!" Kuina let out a rare, frustrated shout, experiencing for the first time what it felt like to be outshined.
Shanu, however, wasn't surprised. He smiled with satisfaction.
In the original timeline, Nami showed amazing navigational talent even under harsh conditions.
In this life, with his full support, she could focus on her interests from a young age.
With access to all kinds of books and resources, a broader perspective, and frequent opportunities to explore during voyages, her navigational and cartography skills were far more advanced than those of her original timeline self at the same age.
"Kuina, what do you say?" he asked the black-haired girl with a smile.
"Ah, I admit it," Kuina sighed. "Looks like I'll just have to focus on being the main combat force from now on…"
Nojiko glanced at her, thinking, Why does that tone sound just like me?
"Then it's settled. Nami will officially take the navigator position on the ship!"
Shanu announced. "Let's set sail and head to the final stop of the East Blue, Logue Town—full speed ahead!"
"Aye, Captain!"
…
The sails caught the wind, and under Nami's guidance, the ship surged forward, riding the waves toward Logue Town in the same direction as the Reverse Mountain entrance.
Kuina, intrigued by the books from the giant ships, had gone below to study shortly after dinner.
Meanwhile, Nami, once the ship stabilized, was put to work in the kitchen by Shanu as punishment for leaving home without permission. She helped Zeff wash dishes and clean the kitchen.
"By the way, brother," Nojiko handed over a newspaper.
"When you were still in the Ant Nest Cave this afternoon, a news bird flew by, so I bought a paper. The front page says that in the latter half of the Grand Line, that place called the New World, something big has happened again."
Something big in the New World?
Shanu, curious, took the paper and was immediately drawn to the headline:
"Red-Haired Shanks Becomes New Emperor of the Sea; Four Emperors Established in the New World!"
The three emperors finally became four?
Shanu squinted at the photo on the paper: Shanks, Ben Beckman, Yasopp… all familiar faces. When will it be my turn to stand on that stage?
"Brother?" Nojiko, noticing his focus, asked curiously. "You seem familiar with this Red-Haired guy. Do you know him? Have you met him before?"
"…Met him?"
Shanu recalled a turbulent, chaotic night and nodded, a hint of emotion in his voice.
"Yes… he once gave me a helping hand."
...
At the same time.
A luxurious cruise ship, escorted by three Navy vessels, passed through the calm zone from the South Blue into the East Blue.
The ships on either side each displayed their base numbers, while the middle vessel had only a blue scale-and-seagull emblem on its white sail.
—Clearly, it was a Navy ship from Marineford Headquarters.
On the bow deck.
"…." Smoker bit down on two cigars, leaning against the railing, gazing at the luxury cruise ship and sighing deeply.
"What? After all these days, still annoyed at those kings?"
A cold laugh came from behind. Smoker turned to see a tall figure approaching, wearing a white justice cloak, wild hair like a spider's, smoking a cigar as he strode forward.