"A single person—an unrivaled genius of navigation. No… more than that. A child of weather itself!"
Ren had come here with four objectives.
Or rather, a sequence of plans: Nami's treasure, the destruction of the Arlong Pirates, the Arlong Pirates' own treasure—
And finally, Nami herself!
Nami's treasure alone could very well be enough for Ren to gather a full hundred million Beli.
That amount, under the favor of the Goddess of Fortune, might just solve his Sharingan's consumption problem.
Even if it didn't, it would certainly lead to some powerful new ability—and right now, those were exactly what Ren desired most.
Once obtained, he would have far more confidence in taking on the Arlong Pirates.
After all, this version of Zoro might not yet be capable of singlehandedly wiping out that entire crew.
Destroying the Arlong Pirates—
Whether it was his own disgust toward those scum from the anime, or the inherited hatred from his body's predecessor, Ren knew he had to see them annihilated.
And no, it wasn't just for the money—though he admitted that played a tiny part.
As for the Arlong Pirates' treasure, that went without saying.
The most valuable part of the plan, however, was undoubtedly Nami herself.To a man who could appreciate the beauty of moonlit nights and drifting blossoms, Nami was not merely beautiful—she was flawless.
Her looks, her figure, her essence—perfection.
If anything could be considered troublesome, it was her greed. But people aren't machines—who's perfect in every way?
Besides, Ren was greedy too!
For someone grounded in reality, Nami's true worth lay not in her beauty, but in her irreplaceable talent for navigation.
She could sense changes in weather with nothing more than her skin—an ability so rare that even someone like the Golden Lion would have tried to abduct her at first sight.
Her talent as a navigator was off the charts!
In a world built upon the Great Age of Sailing, a navigator of her caliber was absolutely essential.
And Ren? He was both the romantic and the realist.A child's choice was to pick one—he wanted everything.
But he didn't intend to simply storm Arlong Park, wipe out the Arlong Pirates, and then invite Nami to join him.Helping her after the fact and earning her debt were two very different things.
Not to mention, his plan began with robbing Nami's treasure. That made him the villain from the start.
So a gentle approach was out of the question.
He would have to design something a little more… intricate—and adjust as he went along.
"Someone like that really lives around here?"Zoro frowned, glancing in the direction Ren had been staring at earlier. All he saw were mountains.
"Stop looking. Rest for a bit. We'll move out in half an hour."
Ren stowed away his crystal telescope. A few days ago, he had already checked using the Desire Compass.
Nami had returned. She'd just finished another journey and should be resting.
The sun was already low—by the time they reached her, it would be dusk.
Whether they waited for her to walk into their trap or went knocking on her door themselves—it didn't matter. As long as Nojiko was home, Nami wouldn't be far.
"Well then, it's time to collect a little debt."Ren let out a sly, cackling laugh, already looking forward to the interest.
Cocoyasi Village – Inside the Tangerine Orchard House
After a long day's work, Nojiko had just finished cooking dinner. She sat at the table, chin resting on her hand, waiting for Nami to come home.
Her short blue hair gleamed faintly in the candlelight, and her sun-tanned skin carried the warmth of countless hours spent under the harsh sun.
Yet she wasn't unattractive—on the contrary, she exuded the exotic charm of a bronzed beauty.
A red headband tied her hair back, and intricate blue tattoos adorned her arms and upper chest—marks she had deliberately chosen to comfort her sister, Nami, after the Arlong Pirates had forced that cursed tattoo upon her.
Her delicate face was weary but filled with concern.Nami had gone to Arlong Park—the base of those damnable fish-men.
To maintain her status as one of Arlong's "officers," Nami had no choice but to keep up the charade.
But both sisters knew the truth—those fish-men never saw humans as equals.
Even as an officer, Nami was there only because of her navigational talent—nothing more than a forced servant.
'Nami's brought back another fortune—over seventy million Beli now. But will that bastard Arlong really keep his promise? A hundred million Beli to buy our freedom? To free Cocoyasi Village?'
'No… he'll never let her go. Not with her talent. If it weren't for us, her weakness, she'd never serve him at all.'
Nojiko's heart was heavy, her thoughts dark.
Still, she had never told Nami any of this—her sister already bore too much weight.
To smile before her mother's killer… to endure the fish-men's scorn… to draw maps for the monsters who oppressed them… to steal from pirates just to buy back their home—
All that, on the shoulders of a seventeen-year-old girl.How could she, as her sister, add even more pressure?
At least, compared to the Marines that Captain Genzo mentioned, Arlong's promise of "redemption" seemed—barely—within reach.
'If only I could fight… or at least had Nami's cleverness. Arlong doesn't even allow me to leave the village. Otherwise, I'd help her share the burden.'
She sighed softly, then slapped her cheeks to wake herself from the gloom.No matter what, she had to do her part.
"Let's see how the black-bone chicken soup's coming along."
Just as she stood up, ready to check the pot—
Knock, knock, knock!
Nojiko froze.
Someone knocking?
Nami never knocked when coming home.
A visitor?At this hour?
She paused mid-step and turned toward the window. The golden rays of dusk spilled across the sill.
Two shadows fell outside—one tall, one shorter.
'Visitors? At this time? No one from the village would come when Nami's home—no one wants to risk Arlong's suspicion.'
'Even Uncle Genzo only comes by late at night…'
Without hesitation, Nojiko snatched up a shovel leaning against the wall and crept toward the window.
Maybe it was a desperate villager…Or some stranger passing through.
Before she could peek outside, the knocking grew louder—followed by a booming voice.
"Neighbor! Open the door, neighbor! Don't worry—we're good people! We won't take a single needle or thread!"
Nojiko: "…"
What the hell?
After a pause, she called back, "Can't open the door! Nobody's home!"
"Oh, no one's home, huh? Got it, Zoro."
Outside, Ren nodded earnestly, as if he believed her.
"…?"
Zoro's brow twitched. He had no idea what was going on.
Was everyone in Cocoyasi Village this weird?
His companion was already strange enough—but now the people here were just as odd!
Then, to his disbelief, Ren casually said, "If no one's home, that means the place is ownerless. Looks like we got lucky—found ourselves a free house. We'll stay here tonight."
Zoro: "???"
Nojiko: "…"
Wait—did you just say that out loud?
Before either could react, Ren lifted his foot and kicked the door clean off its hinges, stepping straight inside.
With a whoosh, his golden-lined fingers snapped out and caught the falling shovel mid-air.
(End of Chapter)