Next day.
Morning light crept over Conomi Island, casting soft golden rays over the remnants of Arlong Park. The once-feared fortress of the Fishmen now stood quiet—its walls scarred, but no longer oppressive.
Inside, the Orca Group members who had spent the night there began to stir. Alvida, Zoro, Kaya, Ussop, Sanji, and Gin had taken refuge in the less-damaged quarters. The atmosphere was relaxed, though a tinge of anticipation lingered.
Sanji was already up, preparing a simple but hearty breakfast using whatever ingredients were left in the park's old kitchen. The crew sat around on crates and broken benches, eating and chatting quietly.
"We should take whatever useful things here." Alvida said as she dusted off her coat. "Zino always says: if you defeat scum, might as well loot their hideout."
Gin chuckled. "Sounds like him."
After their meal, the group split up, collecting spare rations, weapons, and valuables left behind. Sanji grumbled about the lack of decent cookware while Ussop found a pair of old binoculars he claimed as his own.
Once their packs were full, they regrouped and made their way back toward the Silent Orca, docked at the southern shore.
As they approached, they were surprised to see a crowd had gathered near the ship. Dozens of villagers stood there—some with baskets of fruit and supplies, others simply to say goodbye. Children waved eagerly, while older villagers bowed respectfully.
Zino stood at the ramp, tall and composed, his coat fluttering in the sea breeze. He spotted his crew and raised a hand. "Welcome back," he called out.
They smiled, stepping aboard the ship one by one.
Kaya moved close and asked gently, "Zino, are you alright?"
He glanced at her and gave a small nod. "I'm fine. Thank you."
Zoro leaned against the mast, arms crossed. "So, we sailing out now?"
Zino's gaze turned toward the village road behind the crowd. "Not yet. We wait for her."
Everyone knew who "her" was.
They didn't press further. Zino's tone was steady, but his eyes remained fixed on the horizon.
Sanji approached next, offering Zino a plate of breakfast he'd packed from Arlong Park. "Eat while it's still warm. Don't skip meals just 'cause you're brooding."
Zino smirked faintly. "Thanks."
The crew settled in, mingling with the villagers, loading their supplies, and preparing the ship for departure. Laughter mixed with farewells, but one thought hung over everyone:
Nami hadn't arrived.
Minutes passed. Then half an hour. Still no sign of her.
Kaya began pacing. Ussop tapped his foot impatiently. Even Gin occasionally glanced back at the path.
"She said goodbye yesterday… but maybe she changed her mind?" Kaya asked, uncertain.
Zoro didn't speak, but his brows were furrowed.
Sanji looked ready to sprint to the village and carry her back himself.
Yet Zino… stood still, leaning slightly on the railing, watching the treeline.
His expression was unreadable. Calm. Waiting.
He hadn't moved since they arrived.
He believed she would come.
And somewhere, deep down, so did the rest of them.
Suddenly, Sanji's eyes lit up. He pointed toward the road leading from Cocoyashi Village and shouted, "There she is!"
Everyone turned. Nami stood at the top of the hill, walking toward the shore with her orange hair swaying in the breeze. She looked different—calmer, lighter, as though a heavy weight had been lifted from her soul. Her familiar blue tattoo was now a mark of freedom, not bondage.
The villagers noticed her too, and their mood shifted. Joy turned to hesitation. Several stepped forward, reaching out.
"Nami, are you leaving?"
"Stay with us, please!"
"You're our family!"
But before anyone could speak further—Nami raised her voice.
"Zino! Leave!"
Her words rang out like a bell across the quiet harbor, sharp and unwavering.
The crowd fell into stunned silence.
Sanji's jaw dropped mid-breath. "Eh?!"
Ussop blinked, speechless. Kaya let out a quiet gasp. Gin furrowed his brow and glanced toward Zoro, who raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Even the villagers looked around in confusion, unsure of what had just happened.
But Zino... didn't flinch.
He stood at the bow, hands in his pockets, wind tugging gently at his coat. Slowly, he locked eyes with Nami across the distance. Her posture was strong, but her eyes—there was a spark there, something only he seemed to notice.
Then—both of them smirked.
A quiet understanding passed between them. Words weren't needed.
Zino turned toward the crew. "You heard her. We're leaving."
Zoro cracked his neck and stepped forward. "Aye, Captain." He moved to the ropes and began loosening them without hesitation.
Alvida followed suit, chuckling. "She's got flair, I'll give her that."
Gin nodded and helped unfurl the sails. The fabric snapped to life in the sea breeze, catching wind instantly.
Sanji, on the other hand, fell to his knees dramatically. "Nami-chwaaaan, how could you!?"
Ussop, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve, stammered, "We waited for you! W-why...?"
Kaya pressed her hand to her chest, voice trembling. "Is this really her choice...?"
Among the villagers, quiet murmurs spread. A few smiled gently. Others nodded, assuming Nami had decided to stay—her home, after all, was here. To them, this seemed like a farewell.
But then—
"Wait—what's she doing?!"
Gasps erupted as Nami suddenly bolted forward.
She dashed from her place at the rear of the crowd, her boots kicking up dust as she sprinted with surprising speed. Her orange hair streamed behind her, and she weaved between the villagers with ease—like she was slipping through shadows. Shocked voices rose around her.
"She's running!"
"She's heading for the shore!"
Onboard the Silent Orca, the mood shifted in an instant.
Sanji's tears halted mid-flow. "Eh?! Nami-chan?!"
Ussop stumbled to the railing. "She's coming here?!"
Zoro let out a quiet scoff, arms crossed. "Tch. So that's the play."
Gin chuckled. "Didn't see that coming."
Kaya stood near the railing, her hands pressed to her mouth, tears still clinging to her lashes. The rest of the crew—Ussop, Alvida, even Sanji—watched in stunned silence, expressions slowly turning from disbelief to awe.
Nami, without hesitation, sprinted through the crowd. She darted past villagers, her boots pounding against the dock's worn boards. In mere seconds, she reached the very edge of the shoreline—and leapt with all her strength.
"Wait—she won't make it!" Kaya cried out in panic, her voice high with fear.
Sanji nearly tripped over himself. "Oi! Turn the ship around—NOW!"
But Nami showed no signs of fear.
Arms outstretched mid-air, her voice rang clear over the sea breeze. "Captain Zino!!"
Zino's eyes locked on her instantly—sharp, focused.
Without a word, he stepped onto the ship's railing. Then—*he vanished.*
A thunderous gust followed, and Zino launched skyward like a cannonball.
"Geppo," Zoro muttered, watching with a faint smirk.
Zino burst forward through the sky, closing the distance in a blink. Just as Nami began to descend—mere feet from hitting the sea—he reached her. Their hands clasped mid-air.
With a single, explosive kick into the sky, Zino reversed their fall and spun upward, holding Nami close.
In a fluid arc, they flew back toward the ship. Zino adjusted his footing mid-air and landed gracefully on the deck of the Silent Orca, still cradling Nami in his arms.
Nami let out a soft breath, brushing a few strands of hair from her face before grinning. "I'm back."
Zino gave a small, knowing smile. "Welcome aboard."
The crew immediately surrounded her. Sanji spun in joy. "Nami-chwaaan~!" Ussop cheered, while Kaya stepped forward and wrapped Nami in a warm hug.
"We thought you were staying behind," Kaya whispered.
"Me too," Nami said, grinning wider. "Guess I changed my mind."
Down on the shore, the villagers stood stunned, watching the ship drift further away. One called out, confused. "Hey, Nami! You're not staying?!"
"Yeah, didn't you just tell them to leave?! Why are you back on their ship?!"
"Come down already!"
Nami turned on the ship's deck to face the villagers, tilting her head with a playful smirk. Then—she gave her clothes a light shake.
Dozens of wallets, coin pouches, and money bags tumbled out, clattering to the deck with a chorus of jingles.
"W-Wallets?!"
"Wait, that one looks like mine!"
At first, the villagers blinked in confusion. Then a wave of realization washed over them.
One by one, panic set in.
"Wait a minute! My wallet—where is it?!"
"Mine's gone too!"
"She robbed us!"
Cries of outrage erupted across the beach as everyone started patting their pockets, realizing the painful truth—Nami had picked them clean.
"Give it back, thief!"
"You conned us!"
Nami waved cheerfully from the ship's railing, a smug look on her face. "Thanks for the hospitality! And the donations!"
"You little—!"
With a spin and flourish, she turned to face the sea. "Alright, everyone! I'm officially back on the crew!"
Zino chuckled and looked toward the horizon. "Set sail."
The sails of the Silent Orca billowed gracefully, catching the morning wind as the ship glided further from shore. The cries and protests from the villagers slowly faded into the breeze.
Nami stood at the stern, waving one last time, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.
"Goodbye, you all!" she called out, her voice bright and unapologetic.
Within minutes, the Silent Orca became nothing more than a silhouette against the golden canvas of the sea, her sails catching the wind as the ship slipped beyond the horizon.
Back on the beach, a quiet hush had fallen over the crowd. The shouting and cries from earlier had faded, replaced with sighs, small chuckles, and the occasional shake of the head.
"She really did it," an old man muttered, rubbing the back of his neck in disbelief.
"She stole all our wallets…" another added, patting his empty pouch with a helpless expression.
Despite the grumbling, there was no real anger. The villagers looked at one another, exasperated yet smiling. Nami had always been like this—mischievous, cunning, and unrepentantly bold. And somehow, even after cleaning them out one last time, she left them feeling proud.
Genzo stood at the front, arms folded tightly across his chest, his bandages still fresh from his run-in with Arlong's crew. He let out a sharp exhale, eyes fixed on the sea.
"That troublemaker," he grunted. "Off to stir up more chaos somewhere out there."
A few villagers nearby laughed, nodding. They could only imagine the kind of adventures Nami would find—or cause.
"You think she'll become a famous pirate someday?" someone asked, half-serious, half-intrigued, eyes still lingering on the sea.
Genzo let out a low snort, adjusting the bandage around his head. "If she does, I just hope it's not as a world-renowned thief," he muttered.
Laughter rippled through the crowd. It wasn't bitter—it was warm, nostalgic. They knew Nami all too well. Clever, fiery, bold. She had stolen from them plenty over the years, but she had also protected them. In her own way, she had fought just as hard as any warrior.
"Typical Nami," one woman chuckled. "Even her goodbye comes with a heist."
"A real thief send-off," said another, shaking his head with a fond smile.
Still, amid the chuckles, someone looked around and frowned. "Hey… where's Nojiko? I haven't seen her since this morning."
Genzo's eyes drifted toward the wooded hills just outside the village. His voice softened. "She's probably up at Bellemere's grave."
At the mention of the name, the laughter faded. Silence settled in once more, and several villagers lowered their heads.
Bellemere.
The woman who had taken in two orphan girls as her daughters. The woman who had stood defiant before Arlong, refusing to deny them even at the cost of her life. Her memory lingered like a quiet flame in every heart gathered there.
"She would've been proud of Nami," someone said softly. "Of both of them."
"Yeah," another agreed. "She always said Nami had something wild in her. Like the sea."
"She knew Nami wasn't meant to stay here forever," Genzo added, his tone quiet, but certain. "She was meant to chase the world."
For a while, no one spoke. They simply watched the horizon, now empty, save for the waves and the sunlight dancing atop them.
Then slowly, the villagers began to turn back, walking toward the village with a strange mix of sorrow and pride.
Cocoyashi was safe again. Their nightmare had ended. And though their pockets were lighter, their hearts felt full.
Somewhere beyond that sea, Nami was chasing her dreams—and whether she became a pirate, a thief, or a legend, she would always be *their* Nami.