Chapter 476: New Island

Nami had finally stopped crying. Her breathing had evened out, though her eyes were still red from the tears. She sat beside the small boat, the spilled treasure lying forgotten for the moment between us. The sea lapped gently at the dock, the world quiet in the aftermath of her breakdown.

She looked at me, really looked this time. No mask. No sly glances. No smirking cover to distract from the truth. Just curiosity—and something more vulnerable than she’d ever admit out loud.

"Hey," she asked quietly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "How do you know so much about it? About Arlong, my village... me."

I leaned back slightly, hands resting on the edge of the dock. The moonlight washed over the ocean, turning everything a pale silver-blue. I didn’t answer right away.

Her tone sharpened slightly, wary again. "Have we ever met before?"

"No," I said, looking up at the stars. "We never met before. Our first meeting was in Orange Town."

"Then... how?" she pressed. "Nobody knew. Nobody besides Genzo and Nojiko even knew the full story. And they’re not the kind to go blabbing. So how could you...?"

I smiled faintly, a little sad, a little amused.

"And if you’re curious about why I know so much," I said, "why don’t you try to find it?"

Nami frowned, caught off guard. "That’s... cryptic. You’re dodging the question."

"Not dodging. Just giving you a challenge." I met her gaze. "You’re smart, Nami. Smarter than most people I’ve met. If you really want to know, then dig. Piece it together. Follow the trail. But I’m not handing it to you on a silver plate."

She scoffed, though her expression was more intrigued than annoyed. "What, you want me to treat it like a treasure map?"

"Isn’t that what you do best?" I replied.

She stared for a moment longer, trying to read me—and failing. That was the beauty of it. She was a master of decoding people, picking through words and emotions and intentions. But not with me. Not completely.

It bothered her. I could tell.

"...Fine," she said eventually, standing up and dusting off her shorts. "I’ll figure it out."

I stood too, nodding. "Good."

"Just one more question," she added, pausing with her hand resting on the sack of treasure. "Why do you care? About me. About my village. You could’ve just let me go. You didn’t have to get involved."

"Because you deserve better," I said simply. "Not just you—all of them. Your people, your home. You’ve been surviving for so long that you’ve forgotten what it means to really live. You shouldn’t have to buy freedom with blood."

Maybe it’s because I lost my power. But I feel that, since I started feeling emotions, I feel like I can show empathy without faking it. It was not a bad thing; quite the contrary, I feel like I am going to enjoy this world a lot more than any other I have traveled.

Without my power, I feel like I am just like anyone else. A person looking for happiness.

Her jaw clenched. "You talk like you’ve seen this before." Nami said to me.

I didn’t answer.

But the silence was enough of one.

Nami looked away, lips pressing into a thin line.

"Come on," I said, gesturing back toward the ship. "Let’s go inside."

She hesitated. Then gave a short nod and followed me.

As we walked side-by-side, she said, "When I find out the truth—about you—I’m not letting you brush it off."

"I wouldn’t dream of it."

"Good." Her voice dropped to a murmur. "Because I think you’re more than you let on. And I’ve learned to never trust a man with too many secrets."

I laughed softly. "Then you’re going to hate me."

She glanced sideways, a small smirk forming on her lips—the real one this time, not the one she used to manipulate or hide.

"We’ll see."

•••

"Nami, how far are we from your village?" Luffy asked with boredom. He was sitting on top of Merry as usual.

Nami was standing next to him. I was lifting weights on the deck.

Usopp was upgrading his weapons. Zoro were focused on training.

"We should be arriving soon. It’s not that far now." Nami replied as her heartbeat was racing. She clenched her fists with a worried expression. She wasn’t just worried about her village at this moment.

She was also worried about her crew. Although Alex had proved that they are much stronger than she thinks, she still couldn’t help but feel horrified. Because she had seen the power of a Fishman especially Arlong with twenty million berries.

"Hey look, I see an island up ahead," Luffy shouted with excitement as soon as he saw the island.

~~~