Chapter 36 : Nami: Why Are You So Long!

You can read the advance chapters here : patreon.com/Vigilante04

---------------

Nami's Plan

"These two pirate ships aren't small... They must have a lot of money onboard. I wonder how many villagers they've harmed to get it..."

Nami thought to herself as she glanced around, quickly forming a judgment about Luffy and Zoro.

"Now, it's time for this little thief to go hunting! Hehe~~"

Covering her delicate hand with a sakura-patterned cloth, Nami flashed an innocent smile before slipping into the cabin like a shadow.

The Unexpected Return

As Nami entered the cabin, a hand suddenly gripped the ship's railing from the outside.

Swoosh!

A rubber arm snapped back, and two figures leaped through the thick fog, landing firmly on the deck.

"You idiot! Didn't you see me giving you a look to stay on the ship? Can't you tell there's something off about that girl??" Zoro grumbled, glaring at Luffy.

Luffy chuckled, his grin spreading wide as usual.

"Ahahaha! Of course, I noticed. A girl who can sail alone on the sea must be extraordinary!" Luffy laughed.

"Huh?"

Zoro furrowed his brows, confused. "Then why'd you come with me to her boat? If it weren't for your rubber powers, we'd have lost everything!"

Still grinning, Luffy grabbed two barrels from nearby and placed them on the deck. Sitting on one, he gestured for Zoro to sit on the other.

"Listen," Luffy said with a mischievous smile, "We might suspect she has bad intentions, but what if she's just someone who really had an accident at sea? We don't know for sure, do we?"

"What are you saying?" Zoro asked, still skeptical.

"We're giving her exactly the situation she wants. If she does have bad intentions, she'll reveal her true self," Luffy explained, patting the barrel beside him.

"Is that so..."

Zoro scratched his head, considering Luffy's reasoning. After a moment, he sighed and sat down next to him. Together, they sat shoulder to shoulder, their positions facing the cabin door directly.

Reactions in the Chat Room

Sengoku crossed his arms and nodded in approval. "To capture, one must let loose. Lure the snake out of its hole... Garp, your grandson is quite remarkable!"

Tsuru added thoughtfully, "Rather than being overly cautious and defensive, creating an opportunity for her to act is a smarter move. It's a truly wise strategy."

Monkey D. Garp roared with laughter. "That grandson over there is absolutely brilliant! He's a hundred times better than this fool right here!"

Monkey D. Luffy protested loudly. "Hey, hey, hey! Nami isn't a bad person! Why would we need to guard against her?"

From somewhere else, Nami groaned in exasperation. "Idiot! I've tricked you once before! Why wouldn't you need to guard against me?"

Gol D. Roger and the Others' Reactions

Gol D. Roger burst into hearty laughter. "Hahaha! This is getting more interesting by the second!"

Nico Robin thoughtfully added, "Luffy's approach does make sense. If he had encountered someone else—say, Dorry, Ririka, or Kokoro—they might really have had malicious intentions."

Trafalgar Law nodded in agreement. "True. If it had been anyone else but Nami, the Straw Hat captain might've ended up in serious trouble, just like the earlier video suggested."

Sanji, ever the romantic, sighed dramatically. "That poor Nami-chan over there... being toyed with by those two idiots. I feel so sorry for her~~."

Nami's Discovery

Inside the cabin, Nami quickly scanned and gathered everything of value.

"Wow, there's over three million berries in here! This is amazing!"

Her eyes gleamed like berries themselves as she stared at the treasure chest before her. Hugging the chest tightly, she was about to leave when something caught her attention.

"Huh? There's another chest hidden underneath this one... buried so deep... Could it have even more treasure?"

Curiosity piqued, Nami carefully set the berry-filled chest aside and opened the lower chest.

Her excitement turned to confusion as she stared at the object inside.

"A strange fruit?" she murmured, rubbing her chin.

She leaned closer, inspecting the fruit's surface, which was covered in intricate, swirling patterns.

"A fruit hidden so carefully... Could it be some kind of rare and incredibly delicious fruit?"

Without thinking further, she raised it toward her mouth, her white teeth gleaming as she prepared to take a bite.

Ah-woo—

But suddenly, she froze, slamming on the mental brakes just in time.

Ah!

Her eyes widened in realization, her heart pounding wildly.

Nami stared at the fruit again, her thoughts racing. "Wait a minute... Could this be... a Devil Fruit??"

Although she had never seen one before, she had heard countless tales about their unique appearance and immense value.

"This fruit was hidden so deeply... It has to be a Devil Fruit! And I almost ate it!!!"

Nami smacked her forehead, feeling like an absolute fool for nearly consuming a fortune.

Realization and Excitement

The thought of its value—worth billions of berries—made her heart race even faster. If she managed to sell it, her plans could take a huge leap forward!

Overcome with excitement, Nami giggled and planted a quick kiss on the fruit. "Mu~rua!"

Cradling the treasure chest and the fruit, she confidently headed for the door.

The Unexpected Greeting

As soon as she stepped out of the cabin, she froze. Sitting right in front of her, Luffy and Zoro were perched on barrels, looking straight at her with bored expressions.

Both had been patiently waiting.

Luffy tilted his head, grinning innocently.

"Yo, Nami! What'd you find in there?"

Zoro cracked his knuckles. "You took your time... find anything interesting?"

"Ah!!"

Nami's voice rang out, both startled and flustered, as she found herself immobilized mid-air.

The "long thing" she had seen was none other than Luffy's Rubber Fruit-enhanced arm, stretched out and coiled around her like a snake.

Luffy, still seated on the barrel, had extended his arm effortlessly, his face calm yet mischievous.

"You're not getting away with our stuff that easily," Luffy said, his trademark grin stretching across his face.

Nami squirmed against the rubbery bindings, her panic rising. "Why are you so long? This is unfair!"

Luffy chuckled. "That's just how I am. You should've thought about that before trying to steal from us."

Zoro, standing nearby with his arms crossed, sighed in exasperation. "I told you she was suspicious. What kind of thief announces they're stealing and expects to get away with it?"

Nami's face flushed red, both from embarrassment and frustration. "Let me go, you rubber idiot! I earned that treasure fair and square!"

"Fair and square?" Zoro said, his tone incredulous. "You literally jumped onto our ship and tried to steal our stuff."

Nami pouted, still dangling in Luffy's grip. "Tch, details, details! If you're strong enough to stop me, you don't need it anyway!"

Luffy tilted his head, amused. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."

With a flick of his arm, he gently set Nami back onto the deck, though his rubbery grip didn't loosen. "Now, how about we talk this out instead of you running away with our treasure and Devil Fruit?"

Nami crossed her arms, her confidence undeterred. "Hmph. Fine! But don't think I'm giving it back without a fight!"

Luffy's grin widened. "Great! I like fights. Let's hear your terms first, though."

Zoro groaned, rubbing his temples. "You're really just going to negotiate with a thief, huh?"

The tension between the three lingered, but beneath it all, the seeds of an unexpected camaraderie began to take root.