Chapter 29: My Stupid Navigator!  

On the way back, Nami was beaming as she fiddled with the weather staff in her hands, her face full of joy.

"How does it feel? It suits you, doesn't it?" Ace asked, smiling at Nami's obvious delight.

"Yeah, it's a great tool," Nami replied, nodding repeatedly, her face still glowing with excitement. Now, with newfound strength, she felt more secure. It would be much easier to protect herself while stealing treasure from pirate ships in the future.

Suddenly, Nami stopped in her tracks, biting her lip.

"What's wrong, Nami?" Ace asked gently, already having a sense of what was going through her mind but giving her the space to speak.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking how nice it is to be your navigator, Ace," Nami said with a sudden smile.

Ace chuckled and gave her a light pat on the head. "Is that so?"

When they returned to the villa, Merry came running up to them, a huge grin on his face.

"The ship is finished! It's ready to set sail anytime!" he announced, his voice brimming with both pride and a touch of sadness. He was thrilled that his dream ship was finally complete—and even better than he had ever imagined—but at the same time, it was bittersweet knowing Kaya would be leaving.

"Merry, please take good care of my home while I'm gone," Kaya said with a gentle smile.

"Don't worry, Miss! I'll protect it with my life," Merry assured her, thumping his chest.

"Let's go see our pirate ship," Ace said, his eyes full of anticipation.

——

Down by the sea, a ship stood covered with cloth. Merry stepped forward and pulled the cover off.

"Tada! This is the Going Merry!" he exclaimed proudly.

What appeared before them was a swift sailing ship, with a jib sail for the mizzenmast, a central rudder at the stern, and a sheep's head figurehead at the bow. The top of the mainmast stood ready to hoist the pirate flag—though Ace had yet to decide on one, so the space was still empty.

The hull had four cannons: one at the bow, one at the stern, and two on the sides. On the deck sat a small orange grove.

"This ship is larger, sturdier, and far more powerful than the original Going Merry," Ace thought to himself, admiring the craftsmanship.

Nami, however, was staring blankly at the orange trees on the deck. "Why... oranges?" she murmured.

"Well, my navigator once fell asleep and muttered about oranges in her sleep. As her captain, of course, I had to take that into account," Ace said with a grin.

Nami bit her lip and said nothing.

"Alright! Load everything up. We set sail tomorrow!" Ace called out enthusiastically, his good mood evident as he waved his hand.

"Yay!" Kaya cheered, her fists raised in excitement, her face flushed with happiness.

Nami joined in with a quieter response, though she seemed a little distant. Ace noticed but only smiled slightly, saying nothing.

The crew eagerly set about loading the ship. Kaya even brought along some cash and gold jewelry, thinking it would be useful for their travels. Ace estimated the value to be over 30 million Beli—just a portion of the Kaya family's wealth. No wonder Kuro had wanted to take over their fortune; it was vast indeed.

Once everything was ready, Ace suggested they spend the night on the Going Merry to get accustomed to life aboard the ship. Kaya happily agreed, and Nami nodded with a more complicated expression.

The three of them picked their rooms, did some light decorating, and soon settled in for the night.

——

Late that night…

After taking a hot shower, Ace fell into a deep sleep, his breathing steady and relaxed.

Creak!

The door to Ace's room opened quietly, and a figure tiptoed inside.

Nami crouched beside Ace's bed, gazing at his peaceful, sleeping face. She stayed there for a while, biting her lip in thought.

"I can't let you get involved, Ace… And Kaya—what if she faces Arlong and his gang, even though she's healthy now?" Nami whispered softly, her heart heavy with worry.

"If I stay, I might actually go with you to the Grand Line, Captain… But what would happen to the people of Cocoyasi Village?" Nami's thoughts were tangled and conflicted. The fear of Arlong still gripped her heart, despite having seen Ace's strength. She didn't want to drag Ace and Kaya into that nightmare. Or maybe… she didn't want Ace to see the part of her life she was most ashamed of.

She wasn't even sure what she truly wanted anymore. 

One thing was clear—she had to deal with Arlong and his crew herself. 

Leaving a letter on Ace's desk, Nami picked up her bag of money and the weather staff. She stood in the orange grove for a long time, gazing at the trees.

Finally, under the cover of darkness, she slipped away on a lifeboat, heading back toward Cocoyasi Village.

Unbeknownst to her, as she rowed into the distance, Ace's eyes quietly opened.

——

The next morning…

"Ace, Nami, she…!" Kaya ran to Ace's room, looking frantic. She stopped short, her face turning red when she saw him still half-dressed.

"Come in, Kaya," Ace said calmly, smiling as he held up a letter. "We're setting sail. It's time to bring back our foolish navigator."

In his hand was Nami's letter. It read:

——

"Ace, I took the money! Hehehe. 

I'm too much of a thief to be your navigator. 

I hate pirates the most!"

——

The bottom of the letter was stained with what looked like tear marks that had been carefully wiped away.

"Wouldn't it be better to rely on your captain, my foolish navigator?" Ace murmured, smiling gently. He wasn't angry at all.

"She only took 30 million Beli… She still needs another 70 million to pay off Arlong," he thought, amused.