The forest near Cocoyasi Village looked as if it had just survived a small meteor strike. Smoke curled from the wreckage, and a massive swathe of trees lay toppled.
At the heart of the debris, the "Shimashima-Go"—with its ridiculous duck head—was wedged upside down in the fork of a shattered giant tree.
A stray branch was stuck in the duck's open beak, making the scene look both tragic and absurd.
"Cough... what on earth fell out of the sky...?"
A figure with short blue hair and sun-kissed skin pushed aside a thicket, peering out cautiously. It was Nojiko, Nami's sister.
She had been working in the tangerine groves when the deafening crash drew her here. But when she saw the scene, she froze in pure shock.
Next to the strange duck-boat, a group of bizarre individuals lay scattered about.
A boy in a straw hat was dangling from a branch, laughing his head off; a long-nosed fellow was face-down on the ground, foaming at the mouth and twitching; and two men in matching outfits were clutching each other, weeping and shouting things like, "We're alive!" and "Mama's watching over us!"
And in the middle of the mess...
"Ow, ow... that red-eyed bastard definitely did that on purpose..."
Sanji pushed away a wooden plank, clutching his aching back as he struggled to stand. The impact had nearly made him cough up yesterday's dinner. But the moment he looked up, his eyes locked onto Nojiko.
Because she had run here in a hurry, fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead, and a few strands of blue hair clung to her cheek. That wild, natural beauty struck Sanji's heart like a lightning bolt.
Vroom—
The pain in Sanji's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by two massive glowing hearts. He twisted his body into a literal pretzel and performed a slide-kneel that defied human anatomy, skidding right to her feet.
"Oh!! Where am I? Is this heaven?!" Sanji produced a wildflower from nowhere and offered it with soulful eyes. "Beautiful lady! Was it you who saved me? Ah, to repay your kindness, I am willing to dedicate my entire life to you! I am Sanji. Might I ask your name...?"
"Idiot."
A cold voice drifted from the side. Zoro leaned against a tree trunk, looking at Sanji as if he were a piece of trash. "Can't move your feet the moment you see a woman? You love-struck kappa."
"What did you say, Marimo?!" Sanji spun around, his face feral. "This is basic etiquette for a gentleman! What would a muscle-brained organism like you know!"
"Caw caw! He's just a crow in heat! Caw!" Klay crawled out from a pile of branches, shook his feathers, and flew onto Viktor's shoulder to join in the mockery. "Even I'm embarrassed for you! Caw!"
"A... a talking crow?!" Nojiko backed away, covering her mouth. Who were these people?
"Hey! What's going on, Nojiko!"
Another set of rapid footsteps approached. Nami, who had been nearby, arrived in a panic. When she pushed through the bushes and saw those battered yet incredibly familiar faces, she froze in her tracks. Her pupils contracted, and her breath hitched.
Luffy, Usopp, Zoro... even the cook, Sanji. They... they actually followed her?
Nami's gaze swept over them one by one. Finally, her eyes landed on the black-haired boy standing in the shade, casually brushing dust off his clothes.
Viktor.
He looked up, his deep black eyes meeting hers calmly. A slight smirk touched his lips, as if saying, "Gotcha."
Guilt, relief, terror—a storm of emotions surged in Nami's heart. 'Why... why did you idiots follow me...? If it's these guys... maybe they really could...'
But a second later, logic doused that flame like ice water. No... it was impossible. The opponent here was Arlong! The cruel monster who ruled Cocoyasi Village with an iron fist.
Even the Marines were helpless. No matter how strong these guys were, they were no match for Fishmen. If they stayed, they would be killed. Just like Bell-mère...
She had to drive them away!
Nami took a deep breath, her nails digging into her palms. She bit her lip hard to suppress the stinging in her eyes. When she looked up again, her face was a mask of cold contempt.
"Ha... you guys just don't know when to quit, do you?" Nami crossed her arms, chin tilted high as she looked down at them with a sneer. "To follow me all the way here... haven't you figured out the situation yet?"
"Nami!!" Usopp, oblivious to the change in atmosphere, scrambled up excitedly. "Great! We finally found you! Let's go back together! Where's the Merry?"
"Go back?" Nami cut him off with a cold laugh. "Don't be ridiculous. Why would I go back with a bunch of broke pirates?" She pointed to the land around them, her voice icy. "Look around. This is Arlong Park territory, and I am an officer of the Arlong Pirates."
"Joining you was just a way to use you to make money. Now that I've brought the money and the ship back to my own turf..." Nami couldn't bear to look at them anymore; she turned her back to the group.
"You have no use to me anymore. If you have any sense, get lost! Leave the Merry as payment for your lives."
"Wh-What?! But Kaya gave that to us!!" Usopp's smile crumbled. "Nami... what are you saying? We're nakama, aren't we?"
"Nakama? Don't make me laugh." Nami let out a sharp chuckle. "Pirates don't have nakama. Only mutual exploitation."
"You witch!!" Johnny and Yosaku drew their blades in fury. "The brothers were so good to you! You really are a backstabbing demoness!!"
Zoro said nothing, his hand resting on his hilt, his eyes fixed on Nami's trembling back. Luffy didn't speak either. He just stood there, adjusting his straw hat, staring straight at her in silence.
The atmosphere plummeted to freezing. Nojiko stood to the side, watching her sister's shoulders shake. She opened her mouth to explain but didn't know how.
"Heh..."
Amidst the dead silence, a light chuckle rang out. Viktor brushed the last of the dust from his shoulder and began walking toward Nami.
"Hey! What are you doing! Stay back!" Nami spun around in a panic, trying to maintain her fierce expression. "I told you to get lost..."
Before she could finish, a hand reached out. Viktor didn't strike her; instead, he reached out and unceremoniously pinched Nami's cheeks, pulling them outward.
"Wha—?!" Nami's cold mask shattered instantly. Her face was pulled into a ridiculous duck-pout.
"Let... let go of me..." Nami's face flushed red as she grabbed Viktor's wrist to pull him away, but his grip was like a steel vise.
"What do you think you're doing, red-eyed bastard? I'm not a member of your crew anymore..." she protested muffledly.
Viktor leaned down, his smiling eyes inches from hers. "Miss Navigator," he whispered with a hint of mischief. "I have to say... your acting is absolutely terrible. Even worse than a one-legged old man."
"Wh-What...?" Nami's pupils shrank.
Viktor let go, ignoring her defense. He leisurely pulled a blank "account book" from his robe and began flipping through it with faux seriousness.
"Let's settle the bill," he said. "The Going Merry—a priceless gift from Miss Kaya. Converting that to Berries... let's say 100 million. Then there's the emotional trauma caused by your hurtful words to our Captain's fragile soul... another 100 million."
"Add that to the 310 million you already owed me as principal, plus the interest for this period..." Viktor closed the book and looked at the stunned Nami, holding up five fingers. "Congratulations, Nami-san. You now owe me roughly 600 million Berries."
"Thinking you can just kick us out and skip out on the debt? Not a chance." Viktor took a step closer, looming over her with a grin. "Until you pay this back, you're working for us for the rest of your life. No matter where you run, I'll catch you and bring you back to work."
Seeing the scene, Nojiko raised an eyebrow, her eyes darting between the two of them.
"You..." Nami was speechless. She looked at this man who talked only about money but refused to let her go, and the walls in her heart began to crack. Tears welled up in her eyes. 'These idiots... why won't they just listen?! Those fishmen... they're monsters!'
"Shahahahaha! Are they over here?!"
A loud, arrogant laugh erupted from deep within the woods, shattering the moment. Nami's face went deathly pale. From the other side of the clearing, a dozen tall, menacing fishmen swaggered toward them. Leading them was a minor officer from the Arlong Pirates.
"Hmm? Is that Nami?" the officer asked, his eyes falling on Luffy and the others. His gaze turned murderous. "Humans? Are these intruders?"
"Damn it! They found us!" Nami's fear exploded. If Arlong found out she brought outsiders, not only would these guys die, but Nojiko and the entire village would suffer. "GO!! HURRY!!"
Nami stopped acting. She slapped Viktor's hand away and began pushing him frantically, her voice cracking with tears. "Please! Just go! Hide! These guys are fishmen! They'll kill you!!"
However, no matter how hard she pushed, Viktor remained rooted like a massive tree. In her haste and desperation, she actually stumbled and fell right into his arms.
Luffy stood his ground, watching the approaching fishmen. He calmly stuck a pinky into his nose and picked it, his voice flat and unimpressed:
"No. Idiot."
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