Nami carried a bulging pack on her back.
Her heart pounded so violently it felt ready to burst.
She deliberately softened every step…
Like a cat creeping through the night.
The moon was bright.
Far too bright.
If anyone woke up now…
They would spot her immediately.
Inside the pack was every bit of treasure she’d accumulated over this entire journey.
She had already made up her mind.
While everyone slept…
She would quietly return to Cocoyasi Village.
Once she bought the village back from Arlong…
She would think about what came next.
Hidden among the rocks ahead was a small boat covered with branches and vines.
It was the very boat Zoro had used to reach the island.
And now…
It was Nami’s key to leaving.
Without a ship…
Crossing the endless ocean was impossible.
She would have no choice but to remain aboard the White Pearl.
She had already prepared fresh water…
Dried food…
Simple navigational tools…
And even a hand-drawn chart.
As soon as she boarded…
She could quietly row across the bay…
And disappear without anyone noticing.
“Where are you going?”
The sudden voice froze her in place.
She knew that voice too well.
Its calm, low tone sent a chill down her spine.
Slowly…
She turned around.
Norton stood beneath the moonlight.
Only three meters away.
“…Hi.”
She forced out an awkward smile.
Norton glanced at the pack on her back.
His gaze alone made her face turn even paler.
Almost instinctively…
She hid it behind herself.
Just like she had back in the treasure hold.
He found out again…
“So.”
Norton asked casually.
“Where are you taking my money?”
“…You already knew?”
Nami’s face was filled with embarrassment.
Norton simply nodded.
“You noticed back in the cargo hold, didn’t you?”
Her face was deathly pale.
Yet now that she’d been exposed…
She somehow found the courage to meet his eyes.
“That’s right.”
“Then…”
“Why didn’t you expose me?”
“There wasn’t any need.”
His answer was calm.
“…No need?”
Nami blinked.
At that moment…
Sanosuke silently appeared behind Norton.
“My lord.”
His cold eyes swept across Nami.
Then…
He slowly drew a finger across his own throat.
Nami’s entire body stiffened.
She had seen Sanosuke’s ruthlessness firsthand.
A ninja making that gesture…
Could only mean one thing.
Kill her.
But Norton shook his head.
“Don’t say things like that again, Sanosuke.”
“Nami will always be our navigator.”
Sanosuke paused.
Then lowered his head deeply.
“…Understood.”
Although he couldn’t understand why Norton wasn’t punishing a thief…
Once his lord had spoken…
The matter was settled.
As a ninja…
He understood that perfectly.
His lord’s will was absolute.
Only then did Nami quietly let out the breath she’d been holding.
“What did you mean…”
She looked into Norton’s eyes again.
“…by saying there wasn’t any need?”
Norton answered with another question.
“You stole this money…”
“To buy your hometown back from a pirate.”
“…Didn’t you?”
Nami’s eyes widened.
“How do you know that?”
“Did you investigate me?”
She had never told him.
Not once.
How could he possibly know?
“There was no need to investigate.”
Norton smiled faintly.
“Because I already know everything that happened to you.”
“…What do you mean?”
Nami instantly became cautious.
“My identity is…
rather special.”
He spoke quietly.
“That’s my secret.”
“I won’t tell anyone.”
“You only need to know…”
“I understand you far better than you imagine.”
“I ignored your theft…”
“Because I knew why you needed the money.”
“It wasn’t for yourself.”
“It was to buy your village back…”
“From the fish-man called Arlong.”
He paused.
“But let me tell you something.”
“Even if you hand over the hundred million Berries you’ve spent years collecting…”
“Arlong won’t keep his promise.”
“No!”
Nami immediately exploded.
“He will!”
“Arlong is obsessed with money!”
“He promised me himself!”
Her voice trembled violently.
Like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on.
She had struggled…
Schemed…
Stolen…
Endured…
For nearly ten years.
Everything…
To save Cocoyasi Village with her own hands.
And now…
Norton was telling her…
That all of it had been meaningless.
He looked directly into her eyes.
His voice grew colder.
“Stop being naïve, Nami.”
“Who do you think Arlong is?”
“A pirate who rules more than a dozen villages through violence.”
“And more importantly…”
“He’s an extremist among fish-men.”
“The hatred between fish-men and humans has existed for centuries.”
“Someone like Arlong…”
“A fanatic.”
“…Would never release a human village just because of money.”
“To him…”
“Humans are an inferior race.”
“Slaves.”
“Toys.”
He stepped closer.
“Tell me.”
“Would you keep your promises…”
“…to a toy?”
The certainty inside Nami’s heart…
Finally wavered.
Her strength seemed to vanish.
She collapsed onto the ground.
The pack slipped from her shoulder.
Gold coins scattered across the earth.
They glittered coldly beneath the moonlight.
“…Impossible…”
“Arlong…”
“…will keep his word…”
A tear slowly rolled down her cheek.
“Nami.”
Norton’s voice softened.
“You’re a genius navigator.”
“You understand currents.”
“You predict the weather.”
“You can always find the safest route across the sea.”
“But…”
“When it comes to human nature…”
“You’re still too inexperienced.”
He bent down.
Gently wiped away her tears.
“N-No…”
She shook her head.
Yet…
There was no conviction left in her voice.
“Then…”
Norton suddenly smiled.
“Let’s make a wager.”
Nami stared blankly.
“…A wager?”
“Whether Arlong keeps his promise.”
He stood up.
“If he honors your agreement…”
“And truly returns Cocoyasi Village to you…”
“Then we’ll call everything between us settled.”
“But…”
“If he breaks his promise…”
“If he takes your money…”
“And refuses to let the village go…”
“…Then what?”
Nami whispered.
Norton grinned.
“You officially join my crew.”
“No longer as a hired navigator.”
“But willingly.”
“You’ll become my navigator.”
“And use your talent…”
“…to help me conquer these seas.”
The ocean breeze swept past.
Carrying distant waves…
And the cries of birds deep within the forest.
Nami stared at the treasure scattered across the ground.
Nearly ten years.
Every hardship.
Every struggle.
Every lonely night.
All of it flashed through her mind.
Then…
She quietly spoke.
“…But…”
“Cocoyasi Village isn’t northeast.”
Norton laughed.
“That’s simple.”
“My navigator…”
“This time…”
“The White Pearl sails wherever you decide.”
…
…
Mongola slowly opened his eyes upon a spotless white hospital bed.
Every bone in his body screamed with pain.
It felt as though he’d been shattered from head to toe.
His vision remained blurry.
Like looking through dense fog.
Enduring the agony…
He forced himself upright.
Even such a simple movement exhausted him.
That terrifying punch…
Still lingered vividly in his memory.
Only after several deep breaths…
Did he finally recover enough to examine his surroundings.
A sealed hospital room.
Completely empty.
Only a table stood nearby.
Upon it rested…
His shattered black chrysanthemum mask.
“…Where am I?”
Mongola muttered.
As soon as he tried thinking harder…
A splitting headache exploded inside his skull.
He clutched his head in agony.
“You’ve finally awakened.”
A man’s voice suddenly echoed through the room.
Mongola looked up.
A human face gradually appeared upon the white wall itself.
“…Dr.
Vegapunk?”
It took him a moment to recognize him.
“That’s right.”
The projected face nodded.
“Feeling better?”
“Your body suffered catastrophic damage.”
“If your Mythical Zoan hadn’t successfully awakened at the critical moment…”
“And begun repairing itself…”
“You’d already be dead.”
“Doctor…”
Mongola grimaced.
“Where am I?”
“What happened?”
“I remember escorting Saint Ari to the Sarg Kingdom…”
“To obtain the cursed ship supposedly built by the Duke’s daughter…”
“Correct.”
Vegapunk replied.
“Then someone attacked the palace.”
“The king was murdered.”
“Saint Ari was killed.”
“Hundreds of palace guards and CP agents also died.”
“The World Government and the Five Elders are treating this incident with the utmost seriousness.”
“Unfortunately…”
“There were no surviving eyewitnesses.”
“So they sent you here.”
“They want me to use scientific methods…”
“To help recover the killer’s appearance.”
“As for your location…”
“You’re currently on Punk Hazard.”
Mongola froze.
He hadn’t realized…
He’d already been transported to the New World.
Punk Hazard…
Vegapunk’s research island.
The surrounding walls opened.
Dozens of tentacle-like cables extended outward…
Connecting directly to Mongola’s head.
Vegapunk spoke again.
“Cooperate with the machine.”
“Recall the killer’s face.”
“…Understood.”
Mongola closed his eyes.
Enduring the unbearable pain…
He forced himself to remember.
Within endless darkness…
Fragments of memory surfaced.
A silver-haired figure gradually emerged.
Closer.
Closer.
Until…
An extraordinarily handsome face…
As though carved from marble…
Became perfectly clear.
The instant Norton’s face appeared in his mind…
Mongola’s body began trembling violently.
Alarms immediately blared throughout the room.
Vegapunk stared in surprise.
“…Remarkable.”
“Simply remembering him…”
“Is enough to trigger an instinctive fear response.”
As the machine continued operating…
A portrait of Norton gradually appeared upon the monitor.
At last…
Vegapunk saw the man Mongola feared from the depths of his soul.
“…He doesn’t look particularly dangerous.”
He muttered.
Casually transmitting the data…
He uploaded it to the cloud.
Then immediately forwarded a copy to Mary Geoise.
“Lie back down, Mongola.”
“The next step is modifying your body.”
“Only then…”
“Will you recover enough to fight again.”
“Don’t worry.”
“I’ve already succeeded once before.”
“Compared to rebuilding Mr.
Zephyr’s arm…”
“I have far more experience now.”
Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Pangaea Castle.
“Your Excellencies.”
A Marine officer entered.
“Dr.
Vegapunk has transmitted the suspect’s portrait.”
He placed a freshly printed photograph upon the table before the Five Elders.
“We understand.”
The long-haired Elder nodded.
“You may leave.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Marine departed.
Closing the doors behind him.
The Five Elders silently examined the portrait.
“So…”
The bald Elder carrying a sword spoke first.
“The man who defeated Mongola…”
“…is this young.”
“The fortunate thing…”
The Elder with the cane said gravely.
“…is that news of Saint Ari’s death never leaked.”
“Otherwise…”
“It would’ve been a severe blow to the authority of the World Nobles.”
The incident had indeed been disastrous.
Fortunately…
The truth remained buried.
Everyone who knew…
Was already dead.
The Marines stationed in the Sarg Kingdom.
The surviving palace guards.
All of them…
Had already been eliminated.
“Everything has been cleaned up?”
The Elder with the curled mustache asked quietly.
“The Holy Knights are handling it.”
The blond Elder replied.
No one questioned that answer.
The Holy Knights had always been reliable.
Like themselves…
They served only one master.
Entirely different from ordinary Celestial Dragons.
“Very well.”
The Elder with the sword nodded.
“Now all that’s left…”
“…is eliminating the culprit.”
“Issue orders.”
“Spread a bounty for this man through every available channel.”
“What crime?”
Someone asked.
The Elder answered coldly.
“Regicide.”
Two days later…
At sunset…
The White Pearl entered the waters surrounding Cocoyasi Village.
From the sea…
The village looked unnaturally quiet.
No fishing boats.
No farmers in the fields.
No children playing.
Only Arlong Park’s towering structure…
Standing beneath the setting sun like a giant tombstone suppressing the entire village.
Nami stood at the bow.
Her hands gripped the railing so tightly…
Her knuckles turned white.
“Want me to come with you?”
Norton walked beside her.
“…No.”
She shook her head.
“This is my fight.”
Alone…
She stepped ashore.
After entering the village…
She headed straight toward the small house beside the orange grove.
It was harvest season.
The familiar scent of oranges calmed her racing heart.
She searched inside and out.
Nojiko wasn’t home.
The house was empty.
After resting briefly…
Nami set down her bundle.
Picked up a shovel from the corner.
Then walked into the grove.
Half an hour later…
She emerged covered in dirt.
Carrying an incredibly heavy treasure chest.
Following a hidden path…
She headed toward Arlong Park.
The gates stood wide open.
Fish-men lounged casually around the courtyard.
Their eyes widened slightly upon seeing Nami.
“Well, well.”
“The little thief’s back.”
“Oh!”
Hatchan laughed.
“Nami!”
“That’s a huge chest.”
“Don’t tell me…”
“You actually saved enough money?”
One hundred million Berries…
Was no small fortune.
Even for Arlong.
A fifteen-year-old girl…
Had actually earned that much by herself in less than ten years?
High above…
Arlong lounged comfortably.
An apple spun lazily in his hand.
Seeing the massive chest…
Even he looked surprised.
“Oh?”
“Our talented cartographer has returned.”
He grinned.
Rows of serrated teeth filled his mouth.
“Judging by that look on your face…”
“You’ve come to settle accounts.”
“How much treasure did you bring?”
Nami said nothing.
She set the heavy chest upon the ground.
Then opened it.
Bundles of Berries glittered beneath the sunlight.
Jewels.
Gold.
Antiques.
The chest overflowed with wealth.
“One hundred million Berries.”
Nami’s voice trembled.
Yet she forced herself to remain calm.
“According to our agreement…”
“Cocoyasi Village…”
“…is free.”
After all these years…
She had finally spoken those words.
But…
Remembering the wager she’d made with Norton…
Even amid her excitement…
She couldn’t help staring intently at Arlong’s face.
Come on…
Arlong.
What are you going to do?