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At the deserted dock of Apple Town, the water lapped quietly against the hull of the small boat as Satori and Nami arrived.
"The Buggy Pirates... they really are here!" Nami whispered. Her heart settled as she spotted the pirate ship anchored nearby, its flag—a skull with a very prominent red nose—waving in the breeze. A slight smile curved her lips; the 15 million Berry bounty was close.
Satori looked at the silent, empty vessel. "It seems like there's no one on board."
"Of course," Nami replied, her eyes scanning the island. "They've moved into the town. I bet the Grand Line navigation chart is with them, too."
As they stepped into the streets of Apple Town, the scene was one of frozen chaos. Scattered fruits lay rotting in bamboo baskets; small carts were abandoned mid-road; doors swayed in the wind, creaking on broken hinges. Nami gritted her teeth in anger. "This is their handiwork. These pirates plunder everything and leave nothing but a mess. It's disgusting."
Satori's face was uncharacteristically serious. Over the last half month, he had seen this repeatedly. It made him wonder: Are all pirates really bad people? Was Luffy just a special case?
The two moved cautiously until Satori stopped and pointed ahead. "Nami, look. There are people over there."
Nami immediately pulled Satori into a winding alley. "Careful, Wukong. This isn't like the small-time thugs we fought before. We need a plan." After navigating through the backstreets—leaving Satori a bit dizzy—they reached an opening that overlooked the central square.
"It really is them," Nami noted, locking onto the red-nosed pirate flag.
In the square, several large tents were pitched. Outside, the area was littered with pirates in a state of total disarray. Some were sprawled on the ground, snoring loudly; others were still upright, slinging arms around each other and shouting drunkenly for more wine before eventually collapsing in a heap.
Nami's face lit up with joy. "This is a windfall! I didn't expect them to be in the middle of a drunken feast. They think they're untouchable here, so they've completely let their guard down."
She scanned the crowd but didn't see the Captain. Her gaze settled on the largest tent in the center. "Buggy must be in there. Wukong, stay here and don't act rashly. I'm going to scout the situation and see where he's hidden that chart."
Nami crept toward the main tent, lifting a corner of the heavy fabric to peek inside. The interior was dim, lit only by a few flickering candles. In the center, a man with a very conspicuous, large red nose lay diagonally on a lavish chair, sleeping soundly. Buggy the Clown.
Nami's eyes darted around until they landed on a solitary treasure chest sitting on the floor. Could that be it? Her breath hitched with excitement. She then noticed a golden key hanging from Buggy's waist. A plan quickly formed in her mind.
Back in the alley, Satori was leaning against a wall, yawning. "Hoo-ah... what's taking her so long?" Just as his head began to nod off, Nami jogged back into view, her face beaming.
"Wukong, I'm back!" She reached into her neckline and pulled out a rolled-up parchment. "Ta-da! Look! I got the Grand Line navigation chart!"
Satori blinked, surprised. "You stole it already?"
"Yes! I didn't want to risk Buggy running off with it if the fight got too crazy," she explained quickly, hoping he wouldn't be mad at her for being sneaky. "I wanted to make sure we could get to the Grand Line no matter what happened."
Satori just held his head and gave her a silly grin. "You don't need to explain, Nami. I believe you have your reasons."
Nami felt a sudden sting in her eyes. It was a rare thing for someone to trust her so implicitly. She smiled brightly. "Okay! I understand. Now, let's go. They're all unconscious or asleep—we can tie them up before they even know we're here!"
She pulled out a coil of rope, but Satori was already walking out of the alley toward the square. He stopped just a few dozen feet from the tents and looked back at her. "I want to fight them fair and square."
Before Nami could stop him, Satori took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"HEY—!!! WAKE, UP!!!"