Shiki was like a flame in the dark.
His arrival had swept away the gloom that had weighed over Cocoyasi Village for years, and the joy buried deep inside the villagers finally rose back to the surface.
The villagers laughed, drank, sang, and danced around the bonfire. Some of them even tried to pull Shiki into the circle.
Shiki smiled and politely refused.
Dancing hand in hand with a group of drunk villagers while they jumped around the fire…
No matter how he thought about it, that image was a little too much.
So, with a cup of wine in hand, he slipped away from the crowd and walked toward the beach.
The night wind carried the scent of the sea.
"Shiki-san."
A man's voice called out from behind him.
Shiki turned his head slightly.
Standing there was Genzo, the village policeman, holding a cup of wine with both hands. His face was flushed from drinking, but his expression was more serious than anyone else's.
Beside him stood a young woman with short blue hair.
Nojiko.
Nami's adoptive sister.
Genzo stepped forward first.
For years, he had carried guilt in his heart. As the village policeman, protecting Cocoyasi Village should have been his duty. But against Arlong and his crew, all he could do was endure, watch, and keep the villagers alive however he could.
Now that burden had finally been lifted.
"Shiki-san," Genzo said, raising his cup. "You saved this village. I won't make some long speech, but… thank you."
He drank the wine in one breath.
Nojiko also raised her cup.
"You saved Nami too," she said softly. "For that alone… thank you."
Shiki looked at the two of them, then smiled faintly.
"It was nothing."
He raised his cup and drank as well.
Genzo suddenly turned around and shouted toward the crowd.
"Everyone!"
The villagers looked over.
"To thank Shiki-san for saving Cocoyasi Village… let's give him a song!"
For a moment, the villagers froze.
Then their faces broke into wide smiles.
"Yeah!"
"That's right!"
"Sing!"
"Drink!"
"Tonight, nobody sleeps!"
The villagers, already red-faced from wine, cheered loudly and raised their cups.
Before Shiki could refuse, Nojiko grabbed his arm and dragged him back toward the crowd.
"Come on. You saved the village. At least let everyone thank you properly."
"Wait, I didn't agree to—"
But his protest was useless.
The villagers surrounded him in a wide circle, holding hands as they began to sing. Their voices were rough, uneven, and full of emotion, but that only made it feel more alive.
Nami and Nojiko danced beside the fire, laughing together.
For Shiki, this kind of celebration was unfamiliar.
At first, he only stood there with his cup in hand, watching them.
But as the singing continued and the villagers kept shoving drinks into his hand one after another, even Shiki found himself slowly drawn into the atmosphere.
The smiles, the noise, the smell of wine, the crackling fire, the sound of the waves…
He looked at the villagers laughing from the bottom of their hearts.
A thought crossed his mind.
The people and atmosphere here really are different from Konoha… different from the Naruto world.
Early the next morning.
Shiki stood on the pier.
The villagers had gathered to see him off, but the ship remained at the pier because Shiki was still waiting for someone, and no one there needed to ask who.
They only stood there quietly, watching the road that led into the village.
Shiki knew she would come.
His eyes remained fixed on the end of the path.
Before long, a flash of orange appeared in the distance.
Then Nami came running.
She ran all the way to the pier, leaped straight into Shiki's arms, and wrapped her arms around him.
Shiki caught her.
"I'll go with you," Nami said, lifting her head with a bright smile. "I'll be your navigator."
Shiki looked down at her.
Then his lips curved slightly.
"Is that so? And here I thought a clever little thief like you only got close to people when she was after their wallets."
Nami's smile froze.
Shiki continued calmly.
"So tell me… are you coming for my ship, or for me?"
Nami's face instantly turned red.
"W-Who's coming for you?! Don't say weird things in front of everyone!"
The villagers burst into laughter.
Nojiko covered her mouth, shoulders shaking.
Genzo's face twitched.
Nami slipped out of his arms and fled into the cabin.
"I'm going inside!"
Her embarrassed voice came from the ship.
The villagers laughed even harder.
At the end of the road, another shout rang out.
"Nami!"
Genzo came running toward the pier with a huge bag of luggage on his back.
Shiki looked at him silently.
Don't tell me he's coming too.
Genzo finally reached the ship, panting heavily.
"This is Nami's luggage," he said, wiping the sweat from his face.
He had guessed early that Nami would choose to follow Shiki, so he had gone to her house to help bring her things. As for Nami, she had apparently stuffed everything onto him without mercy.
The bag was almost bigger than Genzo himself.
Shiki took the luggage from him.
Genzo hesitated for a moment, then looked at Shiki seriously.
"Shiki-san."
His voice lowered.
"Nami can be stubborn. She acts tough, talks big, and sometimes she does reckless things."
"But she's a good girl."
Genzo clenched his fist.
"If she ever causes trouble… don't hate her for it. Scold her if you have to. Knock some sense into her if she deserves it. But don't abandon her."
His eyes trembled slightly.
"That girl has already carried too much."
For a moment, the pier fell quiet.
Nami stood inside the cabin with her back against the wall, silently listening as she clenched her teeth.
Tears slid down her cheeks before she could stop them.
Shiki looked at Genzo, then nodded calmly.
"I know. I'll take care of her."
Genzo let out a long breath.
"Then I'm counting on you."
From inside the cabin, Nami wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
Idiot Genzo…
She did not go outside.
If she did, she knew she would cry in front of everyone.
So she stayed by the window instead, looking at the villagers through the glass.
Genzo.
Nojiko.
The villagers.
The village she had tried so desperately to protect.
I'm leaving now.
So all of you…
Please take care of yourselves.
The ship finally pulled away from the pier.
The villagers waved with all their strength.
"Nami!"
"Come back anytime!"
"Don't forget us!"
"Take care of yourself!"
Nami watched the Village from the window.
At first, Cocoyasi Village was still clear in her eyes, but as the ship sailed farther away, it slowly shrank into a blur, then a tiny dot, until it finally disappeared beyond the sea.
Nami kept looking in that direction for a long time.
The feeling of leaving home wouldn't disappear overnight.
Cocoyasi Village would always remain a special place in her heart.
But as the sea breeze brushed against her face and the ship sailed toward the horizon, Nami slowly wiped away her tears and smiled.
After all...
A new adventure was waiting for her.
Toward Loguetown.
...
The sea breeze drifted across the deck.
Under the clear blue sky, Shiki lounged comfortably in a chair near the bow of the ship, his eyes closed as the sea breeze drifted past him.
One hand rested behind his head while the other loosely held a half-finished bottle of wine.
The gentle rock of the ship and the sound of the waves created a rare moment of peace.
But it didn't last long.
"SHIKIIIIIIII!!!"
A scream exploded across the deck.
Shiki's eyelid twitched.
The next second, hurried footsteps echoed across the ship.
"SHIKI!"
"LOOK AT THIS!"
Nami practically crashed into him, waving a piece of paper above her head.
Shiki slowly opened one eye.
"...What now?"
"It's a bounty!"
Nami shoved the poster directly into his face.
"A bounty poster!"
"Your bounty poster!"
Her orange eyes were shining.
No.
To be more accurate, they were shining at the number written on it.
Shiki sat up and took the paper from her hand.
A trace of interest appeared in his eyes.
His first bounty.
It felt surprisingly novel.
In some ways, it reminded him of seeing his name climb the rankings in a game.
His gaze moved downward.
There, beneath his photograph, was the amount the World Government had placed on his head.
[100,000,000 Berries.]
That amount made Shiki narrow his eyes thoughtfully. At first glance, it didn't seem particularly high for someone of his caliber, but he had been completely unknown before this. As a first bounty, it was actually quite impressive.
Even Luffy's first bounty had only been 30 million after defeating that golden Haki "master" Don Krieg and the blue-haki user Arlong.
Nami stared at him expectantly.
"Well?"
"What do you think?"
"Not bad."
Nami nearly choked.
"Not bad?!"
"That's your reaction?!"
She pointed anxiously at the bounty amount.
"Do you know how much money this is?!"
"This is enough money for someone to live comfortably for years!"
Shiki glanced at her suspiciously.
"You're looking at that bounty like you're seriously considering turning me in."
Nami's body instantly stiffened.
"..."
"..."
"...I would never."
Shiki raised an eyebrow.
"Why did you hesitate for that long? So this is your loyalty? What a tragic crew I picked up. Should I just throw you overboard now and see if the sharks offer better terms?"
"Ehhh!? I'm sorry!"
Nami immediately bowed her head in surrender, her whole body trembling dramatically.
Then, while Shiki wasn't paying attention, she swiftly snatched the bounty poster back into her arms and stomped away.
"Stupid captain..."
"Who wouldn't look at a number like that..."
"Do you know how many berries that is...? Threatening your own navigator over a little hesitation... what a brute. At this rate, he'll be single forever."
She muttered under her breath the entire time, clutching the poster like a priceless treasure.
Shiki couldn't help but chuckle as he walked to the edge of the deck and looked down at the sea.
Some things never changed.
Especially where money was concerned.
Speaking of which, this ship was not a pirate ship. It was a Marine warship.
After removing the flag, Shiki had simply taken it for himself. Even most pirates would not do that.
They usually sank Marine ships, not sailed around in them.
One reason was obvious. It was practically open treason against the World Government. The other was pride. Pirates liked their own ships, their own flags, and their own symbols.
Shiki had none of that for now. Maybe he would build a proper ship later, but for the moment, this was enough.
Besides, he was a little curious.
How would the Marines react when they found out someone was sailing their warship so openly?
But what Shiki really cared about was how much his template had progressed after earning his first bounty.
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