If the chance ever came, she'd just steal it for herself.That was the thought that flashed through Nami's mind.
Or maybe… she could just make that man give it to her directly.It might be impossible—no, perhaps it wasn't.But she couldn't shake the feeling that the price would be steep.
"Here, take this."
Ren pulled the Magical Clima-Tact out of the Four-Dimensional Chrysanthemum and handed it to her.
The weapon was composed of three short sky-blue rods, each rimmed with faint violet enchantments that pulsed softly.Spherical joints and spiral grooves marked where the sections connected.
"What is this? It's so heavy! If it's a new weapon, the Ruyi Staff works just fine. "Nami frowned, gripping it with both hands as the unexpected weight dragged at her arms.
Ren didn't find her reaction strange in the slightest—it was perfectly normal.
After all, the Magical Clima-Tact was meant for the Nami three years from now.By then, the voyage across the Grand Line would have tempered her body and mind alike. He even remembered that time she beat Luffy senseless—the sound effects alone suggested she'd learned Soru.
Pirates were talented people by nature.
"It's a weapon—specifically, a weather weapon."
Ren began explaining its many features and enchantments one by one:the Gust Sword, Black Ball, Thundercloud Rod, Rain Shower Mode, Cream Route, Thundercloud Trap, Heat Ball, Cream Bubble, and even the advanced Weather Egg: Child of Thunder Weather and Weather Egg: Storm Weather.
At the end, Ren subtly reminded her that it would take some study before she could truly master it.
After all, when it came to meteorology, the current Nami wasn't anywhere near the level of the one from the original timeline.
But Nami, of course, didn't hear a word of that.The moment she heard those powerful names, her eyes began to sparkle brighter and brighter, excitement and delight bubbling uncontrollably inside her.
Then, all of a sudden, she leapt off the bed—straight onto Ren—her arms wrapping around his neck, her chest pressing down against him.
Ren barely had time to think I can't breathe! before warm, citrus-flavored lips touched his own—soft, fleeting, and gone in an instant.
"That's your reward."
Her cheeks flushed pink, Nami stood up as if nothing had happened… only to snatch up the Magical Clima-Tact and dash out of the room.In her haste, she even tripped over the doorstep.
"...?"
A question mark might as well have appeared over Ren's head.A faint taste of tangerine lingered on his lips.
Still, he couldn't bring himself to be too surprised.Nami was always bold and free-spirited, her actions carrying that unique, effortless nonchalance.
And perhaps…it wasn't just him observing Nami.Nami had been watching him, too.
Ren's feelings weren't exactly hidden—they were written all over his face.He simply hadn't gone so far as to act like a lovesick fool about it.
"Interesting.""Very interesting."
East Blue.
A massive warship shaped like a saber cut through the sea.
Seated atop the command throne was a burly man clad in golden armor and a heavy cape. He lowered his newspaper, a dark grin twisting his face.
"So those fish-men finally got crushed by the Marines, huh?" He sneered. "And then those small-time brats just swoop in and snatch the prize—a billion Beli, just like that.They even had the nerve to call themselves the Demon Pirates. How irritating. Gin!"
"Yes, boss!"
From among the ranks below, a gaunt man with hollow cheeks and deep purple hair stepped forward, a bandana tied around his head. Dark circles ringed his eyes, but his posture radiated quiet menace.
He was the infamous "Demon Man" Gin, the Krieg Pirates' battle captain.
"Take the newcomers who joined us recently," Krieg ordered, snapping the paper shut with a grin full of teeth. "Track down those Demon Pirates and get that billion Beli back! Then swing by Mys Island and find out why their tribute hasn't been paid this month!"
He leaned back in his chair, laughter dripping with cruelty. "Oh, and one more thing—there's a woman in that so-called Demon Pirates crew named Nami. Bring her back alive.I want to know how the hell the Marines managed to wipe out Arlong's crew!"
The Arlong Pirates had terrorized the East Blue for nearly two decades. Of course Krieg knew who they were.He had simply avoided their waters, wary of the fish-men's overwhelming power beneath the waves.
But now? The report claimed the Marines had eradicated Arlong's entire crew?
No joint operation.No warning signs. The fish-men's power base still stood strong. And yet a single local branch—Marine Branch 16—had supposedly done it alone?
Krieg didn't believe it for a second.
He suspected the Marines must have developed some kind of secret weapon—something akin to his own poison gas bombs.
"Yes, sir!"
Gin's expression remained cold as he turned to leave.Around him, the rest of the Krieg Pirates looked on with envy.
"It's Captain Gin again."
"Commander Krieg really favors him the most."
"If only I could rise to his rank someday…"
"You? Don't kid yourself. He's the Demon Man Gin—he once wiped out an entire pirate crew singlehanded! Took down over a hundred men with that weapon of his. You'd be lucky to survive a hundred hits!"
"What'd you say, bastard?!"
Their bickering faded into the distance as Gin ignored them all, setting off with his new recruits to hunt down their prey.
The Krieg Pirates weren't just one crew—they were a fleet, a small army, supported by numerous subordinate factions.If they wanted to find someone—or an entire pirate crew—within the East Blue, it wouldn't take long.
Meanwhile, in the Marine Headquarters' top office, Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat with a thunderous expression, eyes locked on the headline of a fresh intelligence report.
[New World Interception Failed! Red-Haired Shanks Has Entered the Fish-Man Island Route!]
"That bastard Shanks… has he lost his mind?!" Sengoku slammed a hand against the desk. "Why would he abandon the New World and enter Paradise alone?"
He couldn't make sense of it, pulling at his hair in frustration.
"If you keep tugging like that, you'll end up bald. Hardly befitting of a Fleet Admiral's dignity."
Vice Admiral Tsuru, seated nearby and sipping her tea with serene calm, spoke without looking up. "There's no use panicking now. The latest reports from our surveillance ships indicate that Red-Hair's fleet has vanished entirely—possibly entered the Calm Belt.
We can't determine his exact purpose yet, but we can speculate."
"And your conclusion?" Sengoku frowned.
"The initial assumption is that Red-Haired Shanks' destination is the East Blue. Something—or someone—there is important enough for him to risk everything."
"On what basis?"
"Well," Tsuru replied, still sipping her tea, "Mihawk's departure, for one. It's only been half a month since that man last went to sea for a 'relaxing trip,' and his destination was none other than the so-called weakest sea—the East Blue.Would Mihawk really be that bored, heading there just for fun?
And most telling of all: our monitoring ships intercepted fragments of a Den Den Mushi transmission—presumably from Benn Beckman of the Red-Haired Pirates. Shortly after that, Mihawk left his castle. Coincidence? I don't think so."
Though her tone remained composed, Tsuru had already pieced together the heart of the matter.
"They've all gone mad," Sengoku muttered. "What business could they possibly have in the East Blue?"
"Who knows? Maybe they're just tired of the New World."
"Tired of it—so they return to the East Blue?!" Sengoku snapped. Then, as memories of Shanks' past exploits surfaced, his expression hardened.
"No. We can't allow another Elegia Incident to happen—not in the East Blue. If that sea belongs to a member nation, the entire world could be thrown into chaos!"
(End of Chapter)