Chapter 12: The Girl Who Fell from the Sky

"So... then what?"

Ignoring Luffy, who radiated a comedic aura, Zoro turned his questioning gaze directly to Akane. "What's our next move?"

"Next step?" Akane's red eyes gleamed as he instinctively glanced at Helmeppo. "Of course, we rob the Marine Captain here and fire the first shot for our Straw Hat Pirates! When pirates set out to sea, there's always trouble!"

"You two…" Zoro's mouth curled into a smirk. "You're really bold. Just set out to sea, and you're already targeting a Navy base. I wonder if there's anything you wouldn't dare to do!"

"Hahaha~ Thanks for the compliment! But let's get one thing straight…" Akane threw one arm around Luffy and placed the other on Zoro's shoulder. "You should've said... the three of us!"

"Yes! The three of us!!!" Luffy echoed, throwing his arms up in excitement.

Seeing the sincerity in their eyes, Zoro's expression softened slightly, though he couldn't help but sigh. "I hope I can hold on a little longer. I don't want to become a madman so soon!"

"Luffy, our new crew member seems a bit clueless. He just called you a lunatic."

"Huh?" Luffy blinked. "But why do I feel like he's talking about both of us?"

Pah!

"There's no need for you to be this perceptive right now!" Akane slapped Luffy on the back of the head. "Anyway, listen up. Find some time to show the new guy why you're the captain! And, by the way, let Zoro know that your strength comes from me, your trainer!"

"Okay... alright!" Luffy, who had been smacked for no reason, nodded innocently.

"Oh, by the way!" Akane turned his attention back to Helmeppo. "Where's Morgan's office?"

"Ah!?" Helmeppo, who had hoped to remain unnoticed, was startled. He quickly pointed to the ceiling and replied, "It's… just above my room."

"Is that so? Convenient." Akane nodded. "Luffy, break through the ceiling. Let's see what Morgan's hiding! We're still short of 100 million berries for our start-up capital."

"Rob the rich Morgan and help our poor selves!"

"Treasure!" Luffy's eyes lit up at the mention of treasure. In his mind, treasure and pirates were a perfect match!

"Leave it to me!" Luffy, always eager to prove himself, clenched his fist and, under the astonished gazes of Zoro and Helmeppo, punched upward with all his strength. His arm stretched out, smashing into the ceiling with terrifying force.

"His… arm… it stretched!!!" Zoro was once again shocked by Luffy's abilities.

And then…

*Boom!!!*

With a loud crash, a huge hole was blown open in Helmeppo's ceiling. But to Akane's surprise, along with the debris, an orange-haired girl tumbled through the opening.

"Ahhh--!!!"

Peng~!

Dust filled the room as the ceiling caved in. Amid the haze, the girl's voice echoed with both pain and indignation.

"Ah~ It hurts, it hurts… Damn it! The navy's even corrupt among its own! How can they have such poor-quality floors?!" Nami cursed, wincing as she stood up.

At that moment, a gust of wind blew through the room as Akane pushed open the window. The dust quickly cleared, revealing the scene in the room.

Nami found herself staring at four men who by right had no business being there; there was a wide-eyed boy in a straw hat, a man gripping a sword with a wary expression, a trembling weakling in the corner, and a surprised young man who seemed to recognize her.

"Ah… um…"

Caught off guard, Nami swallowed hard and raised a trembling hand as if to greet them. "Hello…! I think I've got the wrong room. Sorry to bother you!" With that, she spun around and made a dash for the door.

But just as she thought she might escape, she heard a voice behind her—the boy by the window!

"Don't let her go, Zoro!"

"Got it!" Zoro, who was near the door, was ready. He stepped forward and shut the door with a swift kick.

bang!

Though he hadn't mastered the "Shave" technique, Zoro's explosive power was far beyond that of an ordinary person, cutting off Nami's escape route completely.

"You… what are you doing!? I really just went to the wrong room!" Seeing Zoro's fierce expression, Nami choked up, spinning back around to plead with Akane.

Realizing he was the one giving orders, she poured on the charm, hoping to sway him.

"You… you wouldn't bully a weak woman like me, would you?" Tears welled up in Nami's eyes, her voice soft and pleading. With her delicate features and pitiable demeanor, most men would have fallen for her act.

But Akane, well aware of Nami's true nature, wasn't fooled for a second.

"This little girl is quite the actress! Too bad you're still lacking experience."

Amused, Akane watched Nami's performance, his mind wandering to the formidable Nami from two years later. He hadn't planned on encountering this little thief here, but now that she was in front of him, he wasn't about to let her go!

After a moment of thought, Akane called out her name.

"Don't be nervous, Miss Nami."

!!!

Nami froze, her pupils contracting in shock. "You… you know me!?" It's over! She thought. I must've crossed paths with him before!

Her first instinct was to wonder if she'd stolen something from Akane.

"I suppose you could say that." Akane smiled faintly, ignoring Nami's inner panic. He was just as surprised to see her here. After all, he and Luffy had deliberately timed their departure to avoid the whirlpool of events surrounding Alvida and Coby, heading straight to Shells Town. Yet, by sheer coincidence, they'd run into Nami, who was here to steal the Grand Line nautical chart.

"I didn't expect to meet a member of the famous Pretty Thief Band from the East Blue here. Seems like our luck today is quite good."

"Luffy, I think we've found our fourth crew member!"

"Huh!? What?" Luffy, utterly confused, looked around in surprise, placing his hand over his eyes like a visor. "Really? Where is he!? Where is he!?"

"Idiot~" Akane grabbed Luffy's head and turned it toward Nami, smiling. "Our fourth crew member is, of course, this lovely girl!"

"Ah--!?" To Akane's surprise, Luffy immediately let out a disappointed sound. "But… she seems really weak!"

With his entry-level Observation Haki, Luffy could easily sense a person's strength. In his eyes, Nami didn't measure up. She was nothing like Zoro, who exuded a beastly aura.

"Weak?" Akane raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Luffy's comment, and then smiled. "You're wrong, Luffy! The girl in front of you is the most promising navigator in the world! Unlike Zoro, who's destined to become the world's greatest swordsman, her sailing abilities are already among the best! We're incredibly lucky to have found her!"

"—Really!!!" After Akane's explanation, Luffy's eyes lit up, his expression shifting to one of deep respect as he looked at Nami.

Zoro, who was guarding the door, also cast a surprised look at Akane. Though they had just met, he didn't think Akane was the type to spout nonsense. As a result, even Zoro began to see Nami in a new light. Though he couldn't help but feel odd hearing Akane compare her to him.

Luffy slammed his palm into his fist. "Okay! Akane, I've decided! She'll be the navigator of our pirate crew!!!"

"A wise choice!" Akane smiled calmly, turning his gaze back to Nami.

"So, you heard it, right, Miss Nami? I hope you're ready. After all, once my captain sets his sights on someone, they're destined to join us!"