Sheath Tooth Island, Marine Branch 156 Base. In a luxurious suite at the Rose Hotel on the commercial street.
The night was deep. On the soft, luxurious, heart-shaped bed, Xinan held Nami as he drifted into sleep.
With a sweet, sleeping expression, the slumbering Nami suddenly opened her eyes.
The moonlight streamed in through the huge floor-to-ceiling window, illuminating the room.
The moonlight fell on Nami's face, and her clear eyes revealed that she did not have the look of someone who had just awakened; in fact, she hadn't been asleep at all.
Nami gently turned her head to see Xinan, a smile on his face, breathing evenly, apparently having a pleasant dream.
Watching Xinan's face, and the hand that hadn't relaxed its grip on her soft breast even in sleep, a faint smile crossed Nami's face, mixed with a deep sense of loneliness.
Nami could feel Xinan's affection for her, and she knew Xinan sincerely wanted to help, but thinking of the terrifying Arlong, and for Xinan's safety, Nami couldn't tell him the truth. She had to deceive him, and this made her feel profoundly isolated.
Thinking of her sister Nojiko and the Cocoyasi Village waiting for her, and knowing she had finally gathered the one hundred million Berries, Nami, who was not a girl to hesitate, made a firm decision.
She threw off the blanket, gently removed the "dog's paw" gripping her softness, and quietly slipped out of bed.
Her feet touched the ground, and just as Nami tried to stand, her legs felt weak, and she plopped back onto the bed. Startled, she quickly looked back at Xinan. Seeing that he was still asleep, Nami finally breathed a sigh of relief.
To exhaust Xinan and tire him out, Nami had strained her legs so much that they were still tingling.
Rubbing her weak legs, Nami subconsciously touched her lower abdomen; it felt slightly full. That Xinan guy always finished inside, and he did it multiple times, with a lot each time. Nami could only pray she wouldn't get pregnant.
After feeling better, she stood up and dressed.
Picking up her suitcase and sandals, Nami left the room barefoot to avoid making any noise.
The moment Nami closed the suite door, Xinan, who seemed to be sleeping, opened his eyes.
"As expected of the Little Thief Cat, trying to sneak away with the money!"
Although he sounded like he was teasing Nami, Xinan knew the real reason behind her actions. Amidst the heartache, his murderous intent towards Arlong grew stronger.
Getting up, Xinan quickly got dressed and immediately used his invisibility to follow her.
It was the middle of the night. Even on the commercial street, the storefronts were dark. The streets were pitch black, but fortunately, the moonlight was good tonight.
Clutching the suitcase, Nami scanned her surroundings nervously, wary of any hidden drunkards or criminals lurking in the shadows. She ran quickly with small steps toward the pier.
Nami had spent countless nights like this. Xinan, following invisibly nearby, felt an unspeakable sadness seeing her state.
At the pier, a small boat was moored.
It was supposed to take a whole day, but after leaving Syrup Village, the two had sailed the pirate ship to Sheath Tooth Island, Marine Branch 156 Base, in just one afternoon.
The fact that the Marine base was so close to Syrup Village made Xinan understand why Kuro the Black Cat spent so much time hiding at Kaya's house.
But Xinan still didn't understand why Usopp hadn't called the Marines.
Based on Usopp's character, Xinan had his own guesses: because of Kaya's disbelief, he wanted to prove himself—a kind of personal heroism. Furthermore, being the son of a pirate might be why he didn't call the Marines.
His own past wasn't clean; why call the police?
Sailing the pirate ship to Sheath Tooth Island almost led to a fight with the Marines. It took a lot of effort to explain the situation, but they finally succeeded in trading the pirates and the pirate ship for a bounty.
Between the pirate ship and the bounties, Xinan and Nami earned over seventy million Berries in total. The case Nami was holding now contained over one hundred million Berries.
With the money, Xinan and Nami had stayed in the luxury hotel tonight.
Because Nami had earned enough money to buy back Cocoyasi Village, the elated Nami had been unusually passionate in bed. This was part of why Xinan suspected Nami might try to run away with the money, allowing him to anticipate her midnight escape.
The guilt-ridden Nami hastily untied the mooring rope, hoisted the sail, and left the pier, completely unaware that Xinan had also jumped onto the boat.
The small boat sailed away in the cool night breeze. The island behind her grew smaller and smaller. Nami slumped weakly onto the deck.
She hugged the heavy suitcase in her arms, feeling a profound peace. She had finally saved enough money to buy back Cocoyasi Village.
Stroking the smooth leather of the case, Nami whispered softly, "Bellemere, I've earned enough money to buy Cocoyasi Village. Soon, everyone can live happily."
As she spoke, tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.
She remembered the hardships of those years: the tiny hands constantly drawing sea charts until they bled, the repeated escapes from pirates, and the constant dance with death—all so she could earn enough money to redeem Cocoyasi Village.
At the same time, she felt terribly sorry. She had deceived that idiot, even though she had saved him.
That idiot knew nothing of basic life skills, acted like a child who needed to be taught everything from scratch, looked very serious, yet did those excessive things to her and had a head full of lewd thoughts.
But he truly was good to her. He constantly asked if she needed help, saying things like, "Nami, I'll protect you." Thinking of this, Nami's tears flowed even faster.
"Will that idiot be angry that I ran away? Will he come looking for me? If we meet again, will he still protect me? Will I ever see him again?"
"I want my freedom soon, Bellemere!"
Nami hugged the suitcase tightly, biting her lower lip to suppress her sobs, but the tears kept falling.
Just then, Nami felt something sit down beside her, and a strong arm wrapped around her shoulder.
She turned her head to see a silhouette slowly materialize from the empty air. That familiar face appeared before her, with a gentle smile and soft eyes fixed on her.
He spoke tenderly, "If you disappeared, that idiot would definitely go crazy. He'd search the whole world for you desperately. He'll always protect you. Look, hasn't he been right beside you all along?"
The words contained no explicit declaration of love, but they were, undoubtedly, the deepest confession.
"Xi... Xinan, how are you here?"
She had planned to sneak away, but Xinan was suddenly right there. Surprise, emotion, and a host of complex feelings overwhelmed her. Nami asked in shock.
Seeing Nami's tear-streaked, astonished expression, Xinan joked, "Well, a Little Thief Cat stole my life savings! I just had to follow her to get it back, and while I'm at it, capture the thief cat to be my wife."
Then, Xinan's expression became serious again.
"Nami, what in the world is going on? Please tell me."