Chapter 38: Partnering to Make Big Money

Fate doesn't make mistakes, but it sure likes to toy with people.

The man who fell from the sky turned out to be Kaito Sakamoto. Unlike Luffy, Kaito wasn't that simple-minded.

Nami's eyes lit up as she thought she had found a perfect scapegoat, but Kaito was one step ahead.

"Big Sis!"

"I'm here to back you up, Big Sis!"

With that, he swiftly snatched the Grand Line map from Nami's hands. His speed left Nami, a seasoned thief, completely shocked.

It wasn't over yet. After grabbing the map, Kaito bolted.

"Big Sis!"

"You're working with them, you thief!!"

Behind them, Buggy's lackeys shouted viciously. Nami gulped as she looked at their shadows on the ground and quickly tried to run too.

But the burly man in front grabbed her by the collar, halting her escape.

"Think you can run, you witch!?"

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Raising his fist, he aimed to strike Nami. All she could do was close her eyes in despair, bracing for the impact.

Just before his fist landed on her face, there was a sudden burst of gunfire.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three shots rang out. Nami fell to the ground, disoriented, and when she opened her eyes, she saw three men on the ground—one clutching his hand, the other two holding their legs, writhing in pain.

Her eyes were filled with confusion, shock, and a lingering sense of fear.

"Oh dear, Big Sis, you're in quite a sorry state, huh?"

"Need a hand?" Kaito walked back, crouching and extending his hand to Nami.

Nami glanced at him, her eyes scanning his waist and hands, but there was no sign of a gun.

Slap!

"No need!"

Snapping back to her senses, Nami slapped his hand away and stood up on her own. Kaito chuckled but didn't seem to mind. He straightened up as well.

"Who the heck are you?! And who's your 'Big Sis'? Give me back the map!"

Nami reached for the map in Kaito's hands, but he sidestepped, causing her to nearly stumble.

"You...!"

Just as Nami was about to curse him out, Kaito handed her the map.

"My name's Kaito Sakamoto."

"If you want the map, take it. I can't make sense of it anyway."

Nami was stunned for a moment but snatched the map back forcefully.

"Well, at least you know your place."

"Were those three gunshots yours just now?"

"How come I didn't see a gun on you?"

After securing the map, Nami recalled the earlier gunshots. Apart from her, Buggy's three lackeys, and Kaito, there was no one else around. If it wasn't him, who could it be?

Kaito didn't respond. Instead, he glanced up at the sky, his target appearing. Without a word, he quickly aimed and fired a single shot.

The bird that had carried him here fell from the sky, crashing down not far from where they stood.

"Got you, finally! You dare to come back?"

Kaito muttered as he glanced at the bird's corpse. Nami, on the other hand, rubbed her eyes in disbelief as she saw the gun appear and vanish from Kaito's hand in an instant.

"Let's go find somewhere to cook this thing. I'm starving."

By the time Nami snapped back to reality, Kaito was already dragging the bird's body over.

"Uh... sure..."

"Soup's ready!"

Nami watched Kaito's back, astonished that he actually knew how to cook. Just as she was guessing his true identity, Kaito turned and placed a pot of soup on the table, removed his apron, and sat down.

Nami smiled as she reached for a bowl, but Kaito took the soup for himself and started drinking, leaving her smile frozen in place.

"..."

Irritated, she angrily poured herself a bowl.

Hmm? This is actually... pretty good.

That was Nami's first thought after taking a sip.

"Let me introduce myself."

"I'm Nami, a thief who specializes in stealing from pirates."

"This town is occupied by the pirate Buggy the Clown. Everyone's hiding in a shelter, which is why you don't see anyone around."

"This map of the Grand Line? I stole it from Buggy."

"My goal is to save up 100 million Berries."

"To do that, I need to reach the Grand Line and steal from even bigger pirates. That's the only way I can gather that much money."

"You're a sharp shooter. How about we team up and make some big money together?"

"Once we succeed... how about an 80-20 split? I take 80, you take 20. After all, you don't know how to navigate, but I do. I'll be doing most of the work, so it's only fair I get the bigger share."

Having finished half her bowl of soup, Nami put the bowl down and introduced herself, eager to recruit a free bodyguard.

She then picked up the bowl again, her throat parched from all the talking, waiting for Kaito's reply.

Kaito secretly laughed. An 80-20 split? Do I look like a fool to you, Nami?

"A thief who specializes in robbing pirates, huh?"

"Should I be scared?"

Kaito's answer was far from what Nami had expected.

"What do you mean?"

"Because I'm a pirate too."

Kaito calmly replied.

Nami's eyes widened uncontrollably.

"You're a pirate too?!"

"Forget everything I just said!"

"Pirates are all the same—scum, the lot of you!"

Kaito calmly finished his soup, then looked up at Nami with a smile.

"No need to be so harsh, Miss Nami."

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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 100+ at patreon.com/Esei01.