Zoro handles combat. Sanji handles meals. Usopp handles sniping and repairs. Chopper is the ship's doctor. Robin is the archaeologist...
Nami's eyes were half-lidded, gazing at the bathroom ceiling light diffusing into a hazy, yellow glow through the steam. Her voice carried a trace of laziness and an imperceptible warmth.
"Everyone gathered because of some idiot captain."
"When it comes to judgment, the nakama Luffy chooses all have some kind of ability or a firm dream, more or less."
Vivi blinked, thinking that Nami might have misunderstood her meaning. What she meant by "relied upon" wasn't just about roles and responsibilities.
But seeing that Nami seemed to be opening up, Vivi chose to listen quietly, her body floating gently in the water.
With a soft splash, Nami raised her pale arm and swirled the hot water in the tub, creating ripples. She continued, "We came together for various reasons. As captain, Luffy is the core that binds us all..."
She paused mid-sentence, suddenly realizing something. How did the conversation circle back to that rubber idiot again?
She shook her head, wet hair clinging to her cheeks, and shifted the topic to something else that had been on her mind. "But Vivi, don't you think we rely on Luffy too much?"
"I think so too," Vivi murmured in agreement.
Powerful enemies like Enel were handed over to Luffy to deal with.
Enel's officers were taken on by Zoro, Sanji, and the others.
They seemed accustomed to Luffy taking the front line, bearing the greatest pressure and risk.
But in the more intense battles they might face in the future, they should ideally possess the ability to protect themselves or even participate in combat, so they wouldn't distract Luffy or cause him worry.
"So that's why, after you ate the Fūfū no Mi, you don't seem as忧心忡忡 as before." Nami turned her head to look at Vivi. With a splash, she raised half her body out of the water, leaning against the tub's edge. Water droplets rolled down her smooth skin. She smiled. "Otherwise, after we left Alabasta, you really did seem like a princess being whisked away by us."
Vivi: "Was it that obvious?"
"You forgot that Luffy is the most sensitive to people's emotions. He asked me several times if something was bothering you," Nami said.
Vivi let out a soft squeak. Leaning against the tub, she hugged her slightly curled knees and slowly sank until the warm water reached her shoulders, leaving only her flushed, delicate face exposed.
That was indeed one of her concerns.
Gaining power meant being able to protect herself better and help everyone in critical moments.
She had been struggling with not having a clear role on the crew.
Luffy, naturally, had no idea what profound topics Nami and Vivi were discussing in the bathroom.
After changing his clothes, he secured the heavy golden stele in a corner of the deck.
Placed on the Merry's deck, the three-man-tall giant stele—its volume compressed—still appeared rather abrupt.
Earlier, he had called Nika over to ask if she could use her power to turn the golden stele into rubber for easier storage.
But awakened powers couldn't permanently alter the properties of an object. At least, that was the case for the Gomu Gomu no Mi.
"Replacing the ship really needs to be a priority now."
Looking at the massive golden stele made Luffy realize even more clearly that as the crew grew and their adventures became more dangerous, the Going Merry—the small ship that had first carried their dreams—was beginning to show its limitations in many ways.
He had seen the Marines' giant warships.
Compared to those steel behemoths, the Merry was like a fragile little boat. Firepower, defense, and carrying capacity were all on completely different levels.
Sailing was full of unknowns and dangers. As captain, he had to consider his nakama's safety more carefully.
So, after Nami and Vivi emerged from the bathroom refreshed and in dry clothes, Luffy asked them to gather everyone.
He had something important to announce.
Morning.
Aboard the Going Merry.
Usopp and Sanji were the first to return.
"Are we setting off so soon?" Usopp and Sanji both carried large bundles. Sanji's contained various Skypiean specialty foods; Usopp had brought back several large baskets filled with various Dials he'd purchased on the island.
Usopp excitedly showed Luffy his haul. "Luffy, look! This is a Breath Dial—it stores wind energy! This is a Lamp Dial—no more worries about lighting at night! And these..."
There were all kinds of Dials. Unlike a powerhouse like Zoro, who could tank Impact Dial shocks, Usopp had no Devil Fruit and naturally needed various tools.
Luffy curiously picked up a Reject Dial and toyed with it, sensing the astonishing impact force contained within.
"Not bad, Usopp. How much did all this cost?"
Hearing this, Usopp's proud expression froze. He scratched his long nose awkwardly and said cautiously, "It was pretty expensive... I spent all the ten million Berries Nami gave me."
As he spoke, he whooshed behind Luffy's broad frame, poking only half his head out as he nervously observed Nami's reaction, afraid that Nami's iron fist would send him flying into the sky at any moment.
However, to everyone's surprise, Nami simply crouched down with Vivi, carefully examining and sorting the various Dials. There was no anger on her face—only the calm composure of someone with money to burn.
"Alright, what are you hiding for?" She looked up, glanced at Usopp hiding behind Luffy, and waved her hand. "If these Dials are as useful as you say, ten million Berries is money well spent."
After all, they were now the super rich sitting on tens of thousands of tons of gold. Money was temporarily the least of their worries.
Short on cash?
Just chip off a bit of gold to sell.
In Nami's words:
Never fought a war this rich before!
Usopp couldn't believe his ears. Nami hadn't lost her temper?!
He cautiously stepped out from behind Luffy. Only after confirming that Nami was genuinely in a good mood did he breathe a long sigh of relief.
Before long, the Shandia tribe kept their promise. Nearly a hundred strong warriors, chanting in rhythm, steadily transported another massive stele—refined and compressed from tens of thousands of tons of gold—to the side of the Going Merry.
Then, using the properties of his Gum-Gum Fruit, Luffy secured it on the opposite side of the deck.
Logically, such a terrifying weight pressing down on the Merry should have long since overwhelmed the small ship, even caused it to break apart.
Yet, when the golden stele was firmly placed on the deck, the Merry only sank slightly. The hull let out a few faint creaks, then steadied. The waterline showed no significant change; the ship's sailing seemed completely unaffected.
***
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