After a brief moment of exhilaration, Nami quickly forced herself back into calmness.
She understood better than anyone that what she had just achieved was only the beginning.
The real obstacle was still Arlong deeply entrenched in Arlong Park like a monster ruling over stolen territory.
Looking down at Kuroobi, who lay unconscious and severely burned from the lightning strike, she hesitated for only a moment before making a decision.
Grabbing him by the arm, she dragged the tall Fishman toward a nearby abandoned house on the outskirts of Cocoyasi Village.
It was not an easy task.
Even weakened, Kuroobi’s body was heavy beyond normal human limits.
“Phew… so heavy.”
Nami muttered under her breath while struggling forward.
“It’s a good thing I got that Combat Mastery orb earlier… otherwise I wouldn’t even be able to move him.”
Her grip tightened as she adjusted his weight, dragging him inside the abandoned structure and carefully securing him with thick ropes she found inside.
She tied him firmly, layer by layer, ensuring he would not wake up and immediately cause trouble.
Part of it was caution.
But another part was hesitation.
She still wasn’t used to taking a life.
And more importantly, killing Kuroobi would immediately provoke Arlong in a way she could not yet predict or control.
What she needed now was preparation, not escalation.
First her sister.
Then Arlong.
Having made up her mind, Nami wiped her hands and hurried home without delay.
“Nami?”
Nojiko had just returned from the tangerine orchard when she spotted her sister rushing back.
Her tense expression eased immediately.
“Thank goodness… you’re safe.
There was thunder and strange sounds outside just now.
I was worried something happened.”
“I’m fine.”
Nami answered quickly, though her expression remained serious.
Then she paused.
“Sister… listen to me.
Something happened today.”
Nojiko blinked in confusion as Nami began speaking rapidly.
She explained everything the mysterious Jar Shop, the strange system-like phenomenon, the power she had obtained, and even the fact that she had just defeated one of Arlong’s officers.
At first, Nojiko simply stared at her, completely unable to process it.
“Opening jars… can make you stronger?”
It sounded absurd.
But when Nami raised her hand and allowed a faint arc of blue electricity to spark between her fingers, disbelief turned into shock.
This was not a joke.
This was real.
“So, Sister…”
Nami’s voice softened slightly, but her resolve remained firm.
“You should go stay with Genzo for now.
It’s safer there.”
Her eyes sharpened.
“I will defeat Arlong.
I will drive the Arlong Pirates out of this village.”
“Nami…”
Nojiko looked at her sister, emotions swirling in her chest—fear, disbelief, and something deeper.
But in the end, she said nothing to stop her.
Instead, she gave a quiet nod.
“Be careful.
I’ll be waiting for you.”
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Cocoyasi Village, Xia Wen was preparing to close the shop when two unexpected figures arrived.
“Hey!
Shop Owner!”
“I heard you’re selling jars here for 100,000 Berries each!
Is that true or fake?!”
A loud voice echoed through the entrance.
“Exactly!
Show us!
We’ve never seen anything that expensive before!”
Another voice followed immediately after.
Two men stood at the entrance both wearing travel-worn outfits, carrying swords, and speaking with exaggerated confidence.
Xia Wen observed them quietly.
His gaze narrowed slightly.
Familiar.
Very familiar.
Especially their exaggerated confidence and lack of coordination.
They looked like the kind of people who survived purely on luck and comedic timing.
“Damn it, this bounty target ran too far.
We ended up wasting supplies.”
“Yeah, but at least we got to see something interesting.
A jar worth 100,000 Berries… I’ve got to see this with my own eyes.”
The two walked forward and attempted to lift one of the jars casually.
It didn’t move.
They tried again.
Still nothing.
Joseph and Johnny exchanged a look.
Something was wrong.
These weren’t ordinary clay jars.
Even their strength enough to handle million-Berry bounties wasn’t enough to lift them easily.
They had originally just been passing through Cocoyasi Village while tracking a target.
But the moment they entered, they sensed something strange about the atmosphere.
That led them to the tavern.
And from there, they heard about a mysterious shop selling clay jars for an absurd price.
Naturally, they assumed it was a scam.
But now…
It didn’t feel like a scam anymore.
“Are you here to buy jars?”
Xia Wen asked calmly.
“Of course we are!”
“We are Joseph, the Sword God!”
“And I am Johnny, the Sword Saint!”
They struck exaggerated poses immediately.
But their voices betrayed them slightly nervous, uncertain, overcompensating.
Xia Wen’s expression remained unchanged.
So it really was them.
Zoro’s so-called “idiot duo” from the original East Blue period.
Future comedic relief.
Occasional battlefield participants.
And indirectly connected to the Arlong Park incident through Luffy’s arrival.
“Each jar costs 100,000 Berries,” Xia Wen explained evenly.
“Pay first.
Then open.
Anything may appear.”
“If you’re lucky, you might even obtain a power beyond imagination.”
He kept the explanation simple.
Too simple, in fact.
Perfect for them.
“Wow!” “Amazing!”
The two immediately reacted with exaggerated awe.
But after their outburst, they suddenly fell silent.
Then awkwardly looked at each other.
Neither moved.
Xia Wen blinked once.
“…?”
What now?
Joseph finally scratched his head.
“Uh… Shop Owner…”
“We don’t actually have enough Berries right now.”
“All our money is for supplies…”
Johnny nodded rapidly.
“We were just passing through!
We didn’t expect to find something like this!”
They both slowly stepped back half a pace.
“Please don’t hit us…”
Xia Wen stared at them for a moment.
Then sighed internally.
Typical.
But his tone remained calm.
“This shop does not force transactions.
Whether you buy or not is entirely your choice.”
He paused slightly.
Then added casually:
“However… just before you arrived, another guest opened a Devil Fruit from the jars.”
“And today… there are only ten jars left.”
Silence.
The effect was immediate.
“What?!
Devil Fruit?!”
“You mean someone became a Devil Fruit user for 100,000 Berries?!”
Their eyes widened instantly.
Shock.
Then disbelief.
Then greed.
In that order.
Years of bounty hunting had taught them one thing Devil Fruits were real, rare, and life-changing.
If even half of what he said was true…
Why waste time chasing low-value bounties?
Joseph and Johnny exchanged a look.
Decision made instantly.
Supplies?
Irrelevant.
Mission?
Forgotten.
Zoro?
He could wait.
This opportunity was far more important.
They frantically searched their belongings, tossing everything out.
Coins, scraps, hidden savings everything.
In the end, they managed to gather 400,000 Berries.
Barely.
“Shop Owner!” “We want four jars!”
Xia Wen’s lips curved slightly.
“A wise decision.”
With a wave of his hand, four jars slid forward across the table.
The motion was effortless, almost unnatural.
The two froze again.
But Xia Wen was already looking past them.
This was no longer just a sale.
This was expansion.
Another thread connected to the future Straw Hat network had just stepped into his shop.
And the era he wanted was slowly beginning to take shape.