Nami's eyes, like a cash-counting machine, quickly scanned the amount and immediately realized the total was incorrect.
"Wait a minute!"
"Shouldn't the treasure plus the bounty be 25 million Berries?"
"Why are we missing 5 million Berries?"
Nami turned her head, scrutinizing the three men on the opposite boat.
Luffy, Bai Yun, and Zoro were still aboard the small fishing boat.
As a girl, Nami couldn't exactly squeeze onto one small boat with three grown men, so she was still sailing on the vessel they had conned out of Buggy's subordinates, having replaced the sail marked with Buggy's symbol.
The two boats were tied together with a rope to keep them from drifting too far apart... Facing Nami's question.
Zoro was fast asleep.
Bai Yun continued his "Bai Taigong" style of fishing.
That left only Luffy to face the "storm."
"Bai Yun and I discussed it. The town was mostly destroyed and needs money for repairs, so we left behind one bag of treasure."
Actually, Luffy should have said that it was Bai Yun who discussed it with him, not the other way around; that way, Nami's fiery lecture would be directed at Bai Yun, not him.
"What!!!"
"That's 5 million Berries!! You just gave it away just like that!!!"
Nami was so furious she almost went over and beat Luffy up; the back of her throat was clearly visible from how loud she was screaming.
However, she eventually calmed down. It was given away, so be it; she couldn't exactly go back and steal it.
She then placed the remaining 20 million Berries in the cabin, knowing they needed to be guarded carefully.
"20 million Berries—just like that, 20 million. I'm getting very, very close to my goal."
After putting the Berries away, Nami's eyes became downcast, completely lacking the sparkle they had when she was looking at the money moments before.
But as soon as she turned and stepped out of the cabin, she instantly changed her expression, appearing bright and cheerful again.
"That's a good start!"
"Keep it up! More money is waiting for us!"
"Where should we go next..."
Bai Yun slightly turned his head, watching Nami as she studied the sea chart.
There definitely would be more money.
And this time, that fish and that rat wouldn't get a single Berry.
Next up, it should be the appearance of "Captain Usopp," right?... The boat and the waves moved forward together, hand in hand.
Bai Yun figured the next stop should be Usopp's hometown.
However, an uninhabited, tree-covered island appeared in between. Bai Yun racked his brain and finally remembered the man stuck inside a chest.
Meanwhile, Zoro asked Nami for food. Nami mocked him, saying setting sail without food or water was practically suicidal, but she still handed Zoro a piece of bread.
It was then that Luffy and Bai Yun spotted the deserted island to their left.
"There's an island!"
Luffy shouted excitedly.
"Ah, I guess so, but it's deserted. There's no point in going up. Let's just stick to the course..."
Before Nami could finish her sentence, Luffy grabbed the oars and started rowing toward the island. Bai Yun didn't stop him; a person stuck in a chest wasn't something you saw every day—it was a sight not to be missed.
"Maybe we can find a new crewmate! It would be even better if we could find some food. Nami is right, we were too reckless."
Luffy said this while rowing.
"Wait a minute!! Aren't you being even more reckless now!!!"
Nami shrieked in frustration, but she had no choice but to follow... "We've reached the isolated island."
Luffy climbed off the boat and looked at the heavily forested island.
"This island is nothing but forest. There's nothing here."
Nami complained that this was a waste of time.
Luffy called for Zoro to come down, but saw that he was asleep, truly sleeping soundly after eating—how comfortable.
"We can just go in."
"Let Zoro watch the boat and get some rest while he's at it."
Bai Yun said, tying the boat securely.
It had to be tied tightly, because if the boat drifted away, forgetting about Zoro trying to sail it back, they might end up entering the Grand Line prematurely... While Zoro "watched" the boat, Bai Yun, Luffy, and Nami entered the forest.
As soon as they entered the forest, the three of them saw all sorts of strange and peculiar creatures.
Foxes with rooster combs.
Snakes with rabbit ears.
Pigs with lion manes.
"Look! This rabbit is so strange!!"
Luffy grabbed the rabbit-eared snake.
"Truly... weird!"
Nami couldn't find any other word besides "weird."
"But I think that's a snake. Put it down, Luffy."
Nami pleaded with Luffy, but he was completely captivated.
"Bai Yun, tell him..."
Nami could only appeal to Bai Yun, but Bai Yun liked these strange creatures even more than Luffy did.
"They're so cute!!"
"Luffy, can we keep them on the ship?"
Holding a milk-colored cat with three tails, Bai Yun was absolutely delighted.
Nami pressed a hand to her forehead and shook her head, concluding that these two were beyond help.
Just then, a tiny white snake slithered down from a tree near Bai Yun, coiled itself onto his right wrist—the one wearing a silver bracelet—and curiously observed the jewelry.
Bai Yun looked closely and realized the snake had a horn growing on its head. This... "Isn't this super cool?"
"Hahaha, little guy, do you like this bracelet?"
"Then why don't you come with me?"
Bai Yun said.
The little white snake seemed to understand, meeting Bai Yun's gaze, and then coiled completely around his wrist, transforming into a second "bracelet." It looked like it had accepted.
...
A/N: The journey continues! If you're eager to read far ahead and support this story, consider joining the Eternal Phoenix community. You can find me on Patreon by searching for "Eternal_Phoenix".
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