East Blue, an endless expanse of sea.
A medium-sized sailing ship drifted with the waves.
At the bow, a young man lay back in a deck chair, holding a fishing rod, leisurely fishing.
At the stern, an eleven-year-old girl held a sword with both hands, practicing her swings diligently, sweat splashing.
In the kitchen, a charming girl in a maid's outfit hummed a song, focusing on her special meal.
And finally, on the second deck, a short-haired girl with orange hair leaned on the railing, observing intently.
"Something's wrong! Very wrong! Ninety-nine out of a hundred things are wrong!" Nami's eyes were fixed on the leisurely fishing Roland, her small head shaking like a rattle drum.
As the famous Little Cat Burglar who roamed the East Blue, seeking profits from various wealthy individuals, Nami's mind was naturally very agile and sharp.
Initially, because of the wallet incident, she had been provoked by Roland's few words and lost her temper.
But after calming down, Nami quickly noticed that something was amiss.
First, the biggest anomaly was how she appeared in this sea area.
Having traveled a lot in the East Blue, she naturally knew that her current location was nowhere near where the wealthy people's cruise ship banquet had been; the distance between them was more than a thousand miles.
Yet, she was almost instantly fished out here, like a miracle.
Then there was the entire afternoon.
Nami noticed that the few times Roland cast his rod, he didn't catch fish, but rather some strange and peculiar things.
"Is this man a Devil Fruit user?" Nami wondered.
Having adventured at sea for many years, Nami had some understanding of Devil Fruits.
She had fantasized more than once about getting lucky, finding a Devil Fruit, selling it, and then being able to redeem her village from Arlong's hands.
Alas, imagination was beautiful, but reality was not so satisfying.
In all these years, she hadn't even encountered a piece of a Devil Fruit.
Of course, she had encountered Devil Fruit users to some extent.
"Yes, that must be it! This guy must be a Devil Fruit user who can catch anything but fish!" Nami thought fancifully.
Pfft~
"How could there be such a bizarre ability?" Nami shook her head and then entered the kitchen.
"Miss Thor, I also know some cooking. Let me help with dinner!" Compared to thinking about those messy things, the most important thing now was to build a good relationship and increase her favorability.
It was night.
At the dining table.
Pop~
Miss Thor opened a bottle of champagne and filled glasses for herself, Nami, and Roland.
"Come on, everyone, let's toast to our new friend~"
Miss Thor said happily.
"Cheers~"
Kuina raised her milk.
Roland also raised his glass, smiling as he looked at Nami.
"Friend...?"
A fleeting moment of unnaturalness flashed across Nami's face.
She once had a friend, but...
"No, no, no,"
Nami shook her head, shaking off the extra thoughts in her mind.
"Cheers!"
Bang~
Time passed.
A week flew by in the blink of an eye.
After a week of getting to know each other, Nami had completely integrated into the group.
Especially with Miss Thor and Kuina, the three girls had become like sisters.
With Nami, a living map who understood the East Blue so well, the atmosphere on the ship became increasingly lively.
It was another joyful day.
Eating barbecue, bragging, and drunk, Nami, Miss Thor, Roland, and the others each returned to their rooms.
Three hours later.
It was the middle of the night.
Nami suddenly opened her eyes and tiptoed downstairs cautiously.
After a week of reconnaissance, she had already thoroughly understood the situation on the ship.
One minute later.
Nami stopped in front of the room with the'Storage Room' sign.
"Ho ho, my hundred thousand Berries aren't that easy to take. Teacher Nami will teach you a lesson!"
Nami chuckled softly, took off her hairpin, and began to pick the lock with practiced ease.
Three minutes later.
"Oh, this lock is a bit tricky, but it can't stop me, Little Cat Burglar!"
Nami thought.
Ten minutes later.
Nami wiped the sweat from her forehead, gritting her teeth.
"What the heck is this broken lock? Why is it so hard to open?"
Or maybe, forget it?
Just as Nami was thinking this.
With a click, the lock opened.
Nami was first stunned, feeling as if something was off.
But the next second, her eyes, her entire attention, were completely captivated by the pile of glittering gold in the room.
Gold!!!
So much gold!!!
I'm rich!!!
This time, I'm really rich!!!
So much gold, it could probably redeem several villages!
Nami pounced forward, caressing the gold with adoration, her eyes already transformed into the shape of money.
However...
Just as Nami was about to bag the treasures.
Her hand suddenly stopped, and she involuntarily recalled the bits and pieces of the past week.
Friends!!!
Miss Thor and Kuina's repeated calls of 'friend' were like little hammers, pounding on her heart.
Once upon a time.
She also had a close friend.
But...
The friend she trusted ultimately 'betrayed' her.
Not only did they abandon her in times of trouble, but they also stole her treasures.
Since then, she no longer believed in so-called friends.
In this treacherous sea, the only one she could trust was herself.
Nami had always firmly believed this, until her encounter with Roland and the two girls a week ago.
Initially, Nami was just putting on an act to gain their trust.
But even she didn't realize that, imperceptibly, she had turned the act into reality, giving her true feelings.
It was precisely because she truly regarded Roland and the two girls as genuine friends that she was now hesitant.
Having been betrayed by a friend once, she deeply understood the pain of being betrayed by a trusted friend.
Compared to the pain of being betrayed by a friend, the loss of money was secondary.
"Sigh, that's enough!"
Nami sighed, abandoning the idea of robbing them, and turned to go back to her room.
Not long after Nami returned to her room, a tall figure slowly emerged from the shadows of the cabin.
"Congratulations, your village will be saved!"
...