The day of departure finally arrived. The early morning sun sparkled on the harbor of Cocoyasi Village, where the Going Merry stood ready for its next voyage.
"Easy now! Don't damage the roots!"
On deck, Usopp was directing Johnny and Yosaku as they carefully transplanted three lush orange trees to the stern. These were the trees left behind by Bell-mère—the deepest connection Nami had to her mother and her home.
"Don't you worry, Nami-san!" Usopp wiped a smudge of soot from beneath his nose, puffing out his chest with pride. "I am a genius designer, after all! I've specifically planned a mini-garden on the deck to ensure these trees get the best sun and sea breeze!"
"Hmph, I guess you're useful for something," Nami muttered, a soft look crossing her eyes as she watched the familiar trees settle in.
The shore was packed with villagers who had come to see them off. Just as Luffy prepared to board, a calloused hand clamped onto his shoulder. Genzo—the policeman covered in scars with a windmill stuck in his hat—pulled Luffy aside with a stern expression.
"Straw Hat boy." Genzo pointed to the windmill spinning in the breeze on his cap, his voice deep and solemn. "Do you know why I wear this? It was for the sake of a girl who used to cry all the time, to make her smile."
"Nami is in your hands now. But... if you ever let that smile vanish... I'll chase you to the ends of the earth and never let you off!!"
Facing this murderous warning, Luffy wasn't intimidated in the slightest. He adjusted the straw hat on his head and grinned his signature wide smile. "Shishishi! Viktor won't let that happen!"
"..." Genzo blinked, stunned by the deflection, before sighing helplessly. "You guys... fine. Just get moving."
"Set sail!! Weigh anchor!!"
At Luffy's command, the white sails of the Merry filled with wind, and the ship slowly pulled away from the port. However, Nami was nowhere to be seen on deck.
"Hey! Where's that woman? She didn't have second thoughts, did she?" Zoro asked, leaning against the mast.
When the ship was about a dozen meters from the shore, a vibrant voice rang out. "WAIT!!"
Nami appeared, sprinting out from the crowd with her pack on her back. With one agile leap, she cleared the distance and landed gracefully on the Merry's stern railing. She turned back to the villagers who were waving through their tears.
There was no heartfelt confession or tearful embrace. Nami took a deep breath and suddenly made a huge face at the shore, pulling down an eyelid and sticking out her tongue: "Bleh——!!"
Then, she grabbed the hem of her shirt and gave it a sharp shake.
Clatter! Cling! Clatter!
Countless bulging wallets fell from her clothes like rain, piling up on the deck. Nami hugged the heap of wallets, grinning like a cat that had just stolen all the cream. "Everyone!! Take care! I'll be taking your wallets with me!!"
It happened so fast that the villagers instinctively reached for their pockets. They were empty. After a brief silence, the shore erupted.
"YOU BRAT!!! THAT WAS MY STASH!!" "You little cat-burglar!! You're stealing from us even as you leave?!" "Some things never change!! GIVE IT BACK!!"
The villagers' veins popped as they shook their fists and roared at the departing ship. Yet, as they shouted, their voices began to crack.
The anger melted away, replaced by faces drenched in tears. Genzo held his hat, Nojiko covered her mouth, and every villager waved frantically, screaming their final blessings with all their might.
"Goodbye!!! Nami!!!" "Be happy!!!" "Don't catch a cold!!"
Hearing the cries from behind, Nami could no longer maintain her greedy facade. She turned away from the village, and tears surged out like a broken dam. "Sob... everyone... thank you..."
The girl knelt on the deck, clutching the stolen wallets, crying her heart out in the sea breeze.
Long after Cocoyasi Village had vanished beneath the horizon, Nami sat under the orange trees, still sobbing occasionally. Her eyes were as red as a rabbit's.
"Here."
A slender hand reached out, offering her a steaming cup of orange tea. Viktor had walked up unnoticed, with Klay perched quietly on his shoulder. "This is from the stock I got from Nojiko. Brewed it just for you."
Viktor sat down beside her with his usual smile, looking out at the vast ocean. "Stop crying. Your eyes are going to swell up like walnuts."
"Shut up! Mind your own business!" Nami took the cup and rolled her eyes at him, though a warm feeling bloomed in her chest.
"Oh, by the way." Viktor acted as if he'd just remembered something, pointing toward the cabin. "Two days ago, I did a little 'scavenging' in the ruins of Arlong Park.
The Marines took the big haul, of course, but whatever gold and treasure the Arlong Pirates had left... I added a bit of interest and piled it all in the storage room."
At the word "treasure," Nami's world changed.
ZING—!!
One second she was a weeping mess, and the next, she snapped her head up. Her red, teary eyes instantly transformed into sparkling Berries symbols!
"Re... Really?!"
Nami ditched the tea and sprinted into the cabin. A moment later, an ecstatic scream echoed out: "WAAAAAAH!! GOLD! IT'S GOLD!! WE'RE RICH!!"
Then, Nami burst back out like a whirlwind and grabbed Viktor's arm, her face full of flattery. "Viktor! You're such a good person!! I like you the most!!"
"..." Viktor's body and his smile froze in place.
Zoro, watching from the side, muttered with a face full of shadows: "That woman... she changes faster than the weather."
Sanji, meanwhile, was biting a handkerchief and rolling on the deck. "Noooo! I wanted to give Nami-san treasure! I want Nami-san to hug me too!!"
After the chaos settled, the atmosphere on the ship grew lively once more.
"Alright, men!" Luffy took his "Special Seat"—the figurehead of the Merry—and pointed excitedly toward the horizon. "We've got our crew! We've got a ship! We even have bounties! Where to next, Nami?"
Nami was in a fantastic mood. She held the sea chart, pointing to a dot to the East, her eyes glittering. "To reach the Grand Line, we must pass through this place first. It's the final gateway before the Grand Line, and the legendary place where..."
Nami's voice rose, tinged with a hint of reverence. "...where the Pirate King, Gold Roger, was born and executed."
"Loguetown!!"
"Loguetown?!" Hearing the name, Luffy stood up abruptly, holding his straw hat firmly. His black eyes erupted with an unprecedented light. "The place where the Pirate King was born and died..."
"Yosh!!" Luffy raised a fist toward the endless sea. "It's decided! Full speed ahead!!"
"Target—Loguetown!!!"
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