Previously

As the Straw Hat Pirates made their way across the New World, they discovered the location of the lost treasure of the infamous pirate Black Hook Bart. As the prize drew close they were ambushed by The Golden Reaper, a freelance assassin in the employ of the World Nobles. With the power to manipulate time, granted to him by the legendary logia class Clock-Clock fruit, he proved more than a match for the Straw Hats, but with a little help from a new friend they were able to defeat him. Now with the Reaper dead, the Clock-Clock fruit is once again somewhere in the Grand Line waiting to be discovered. Once found this power will spell certain doom to the enemies of whoever possesses it.

(The Canomi Islands: Many years ago)

It was a bright moonlit night on the Canomi Islands. On this particular night Belle-mère decided to tell Nami and Nojiko a story that she had once been told when she was about their age.

"Once upon a time on an island far-far away there was a beautiful princess and a poor fisherman. The young fisherman was the fiercely in love with the princess, but being a lowly commoner he had nothing to offer her. He would often spend his spare time hunting pearls, hoping he could use them to make some jewelry to give to the princess as gifts, because he knew that she was always looking for pieces to add to her ever growing collection, but he never managed to make anything he thought would impress her."

"What kind of jewelry did the princess have in her collection?" asked Nami.

"All sorts of things… Rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, all made from the finest metals and gems available."

"I wish I had a collection like that."

"Nami, I want to hear the story."

"Anyway… one day while the young man was out fishing, his small boat was caught in a terrible storm that cast him to another island, where he was forced to take refuge in a cave. Before going to sleep that night he decided to make sure he was alone in the cave. It turned out that it was a lot deeper than he had expected. He continued to follow the tunnel deep into the ground until finally he found a pool of water with a bright blue light emanating from it. His curiosity got the better of him, and that's where he found it… a flawless blue pearl the size of a cannonball, which he named the Heart of Suijin."

Used to living only on necessities with Belle-mère and Nojiko, Nami could hardly imagine what it must be like to have a pearl the size of a cannonball.

"The fisherman took the pearl back to his island and presented it to the princess, and it didn't take long for her to decide that she simply had to have it. Seizing the opportunity the fisherman said he would only give the princess the pearl if she agreed to marry him. She couldn't refuse. At first it seemed like the princess was far more interested in the pearl, but as time passed her new husband began to grow on her. One day the island was attacked by pirates, who had heard all about the princess' pearl. They took her husband hostage and held him ransom in exchange for it. The young fisherman was sure the Princess would never give the Heart of Suijin up, but much to everyone's surprise she handed it over willingly. During her time with him she learned that there were some things more valuable than gemstones. Having got what they came for, the pirates left without a fight. And the Princess and her husband lived happily ever after."

"Belle-mère, why would she give up a blue pearl the size of a cannonball for a man?" asked Nami "It must've been priceless."

"Obviously because she realized her husband was more valuable to her than a big rock."

"I would've kept the Heart of Suijin."

"Well maybe someday you'll meet someone who will convince you otherwise." replied Belle-mère smiling.

"What happened to the Heart of Suijin?"

"No one really knows; now off to bed with you two."

Being used to only a meager life style, Nami would continue to dream about treasures like the Heart of Suijin for many years to come. Little did she know that in reality the Heart of Suijin found its way through the hands of several pirates, until its thirteenth owner was captured by none other than the World Nobles.

(To be continued)