For Twenty days, our small ship cut through the East Blue waters, each day bringing us closer to Nami's homeland—and the confrontation that awaited. The journey itself became a crucible that forged our fledgling crew into something stronger.
Mornings typically began with Nami's navigational lessons, which Luffy endured with minimal fidgeting only because I'd convinced him good captains understand basic sailing principles.
"But that's why I have you guys!" he'd protest at least once per session.
"And if we fall overboard?" Nami would counter.
"I'd jump in and save you!"
"You'd sink like an anchor, Devil Fruit user."
These exchanges became our routine, comfortable in their predictability.
Afternoons were for training in the dimensional room, where we pushed our limits daily. I focused on helping Luffy refine his rubber abilities with tactical applications he hadn't considered.
"If you twist your body before a punch, you'll store more energy for release," I demonstrated, helping him increase his striking power substantially.
Nami, though still insisting she wasn't a fighter, had become surprisingly proficient with her staff. "I'm only doing this so I won't be helpless," she maintained, even as she successfully knocked Luffy off his feet for the third time during a sparring match.
Evenings brought shared meals—usually fish I'd caught or game Luffy had hunted during our island stops—and increasingly personal conversations. Slowly, Nami revealed more about her childhood: her adoptive mother Bellemere, her sister Nojiko, and how Arlong had murdered Bellemere before enslaving her village.
"I've been stealing for him since I was ten," she admitted one night, staring into the fire I'd built on a small island where we'd anchored. "Eight years of drawing maps for that monster, taking whatever I can from other pirates to buy back my village."
Luffy, unusually serious, placed his hat on her head. "He's gonna pay for making you cry."
On the twentieth day, the familiar coastline of Cocoyasi Village appeared on the horizon. Nami grew increasingly tense as we approached, knuckles white on the railing.
"We should anchor in that cove," she said, pointing to a secluded spot. "I'll go ahead alone first. I need to... I need to try it my way, just once."
I understood her reasoning. After eight years pursuing one strategy, she needed closure before embracing our more direct approach.
"We'll be ready," I promised. "But take this." I handed her a small, seed-like object. "It's a communication device. Just press it once if you need us."
She slipped it into her pocket with a nod, then gathered a heavy bag of treasure—100 million berries worth, by her calculation. Before departing, she turned back suddenly, pressed a quick kiss to my cheek, then hurried down the gangplank without meeting my eyes.
After she left, I deployed one of my nano-drones—invisible to the naked eye—to follow at a distance. Luffy and I made our way into the village shortly after, keeping a low profile.
The atmosphere in Cocoyashi was immediately striking—a pervasive melancholy hung over everything like a physical weight. Homes were shabby from neglect, fields poorly tended, and the few villagers we saw moved with the caution of people accustomed to oppression.
"I don't like this place," Luffy said bluntly. "Everyone looks sad."
We passed a group of thin children sitting listlessly in the shade. Without hesitation, I retrieved some preserved fruits and protein bars from my storage ring, approaching them with a friendly smile.
"You kids look like you could use some energy," I offered the food, which they regarded with suspicious hunger. "It's okay, take it."
The oldest, a boy of perhaps twelve, finally reached out. "Thank you, mister. But if the fishmen see you giving us stuff..."
"Let me worry about that," I assured him.
While Luffy remained to entertain the children with his rubber antics—stretching his face into impossible expressions that soon had them giggling despite themselves—I checked my nano-drone's feed. Nami had reached Arlong Park, the gaudy compound where the fishman pirate held court.
Through the drone's audio relay, I heard their exchange:
"Well, well, the little cartographer returns," Arlong's distinctive voice rumbled. "And with a hefty payment, I see."
"One hundred million berries," Nami stated flatly. "As we agreed, this payment is for Cocoyashi Village."
"Indeed, indeed." Arlong examined the treasure bag. "You've done well, Nami. I am a fishman of my word, after all."
Something in his tone made my instincts flare. A moment later, my suspicions were confirmed when Arlong began laughing once Nami had departed.
"Kuroobi," he addressed one of his officers, "contact Captain Nezumi of the Marines. Tell him we have information about a dangerous thief operating in the area. A substantial reward awaits for her capture."
My fists clenched. He'd never intended to honor their agreement. I relayed this information to Luffy through our communication devices, just as my drone detected multiple Marine vessels approaching the island from the east—undoubtedly Nezumi's forces coming to arrest Nami.
"We need to intercept those ships," I told Luffy, who immediately grew serious.
"Nobody's taking our navigator," he stated with absolute certainty.
We hurried to the shore where the Marine vessels would land, arriving just as they began disembarking. A rat-faced officer I recognized as Captain Nezumi led a squad of about twenty Marines onto the beach.
"Remember," I murmured to Luffy, "these Marines are corrupt, not legitimate law enforcement. Don't hold back."
Luffy nodded, cracking his knuckles. "Hey, rat-face!" he called out. "You looking for someone?"
Nezumi turned with an affronted expression. "Who dares address a Marine Captain in such a manner? Men, arrest these vagrants!"
"Gum-Gum Pistol!" Luffy's fist shot forward, taking down three Marines with one strike.
I moved simultaneously, flowing through the ranks with precision strikes that incapacitated rather than seriously injured. These were corrupt men, but still human—unlike the fishmen we would face later.
The fight, if it could be called that, was embarrassingly brief. Within minutes, the entire Marine contingent lay groaning on the beach. Only Nezumi remained standing, though his legs trembled visibly.
"D-do you know what you've done?" he squeaked. "Assaulting Marines is a serious crime!"
I gripped his collar, lifting him easily. "Collaborating with pirates to arrest innocent civilians is a more serious one."
"I don't know what you're talking about! I'm here on official business to arrest a thief named—"
I slapped him, hard enough to make his head snap sideways. "Let me explain your new official business, Captain Nezumi. You're going to sail away from this island and never return. You will report that you found nothing of interest here. If you don't..."
I applied just enough pressure to his throat to make my point.
"Y-yes! Understood! Men, back to the ships! We're departing immediately!"
As they scrambled back to their vessels in disarray, Nami approached from the village path, her expression a mixture of shock and wonder.
"You knew," she stated. "You knew he would betray me."
"I had strong suspicions," I admitted. "Arlong isn't the type to surrender power willingly."
She absorbed this, then straightened her shoulders with new resolve. "Then we do it your way. We take down Arlong Park."
Luffy's grin was all teeth. "Now you're talking."