She explains time and time once more that the 'H' is silent, and it annoys her how he mispronounces such a simple word. He argues that even if it is a mispronunciation, he has every right to say a word exactly the way he'd like to say it; it's his mouth and his breath being used, after all. She's stubborn in that she wants to prove she is right in this, and he's determined in that he wants to prove there is no 'right' in this.
This is how they come to the agreement of asking the others.
So they ask Zoro, who is sleeping on the deck, and he doesn't care and doesn't wake up, and eventually they get bored of poking and pinching the snoring swordsman and head towards the kitchen.
So they ask Sanji, who is of course Nami's immediate ally, who really is untouched by the passion of this argument, who really holds pronunciation in no high place, who exhales smoke from flared nostrils and as he cooks has the food fly higher and farther from the pan than when Nami wasn't there watching him. Usopp demands they ask someone else.
So they ask Chopper who happened to wander into the kitchen, hungry because it was lunchtime. And really, he knows that Nami is right and that it is 'sil-oh-et'. And really, he knows Usopp has the right to say it 'sil-who-et' however he liked even if it was incorrect. And really, Chopper hates choosing sides, but since Nami had Sanji, he decides to support Usopp. Not that that would solve anything, since neither Nami nor Usopp would settle for a tie.
So they ask Robin, who is reading a book at Nami's tangerine grove. The breeze is strong all of a sudden and the trees whisper as if discussing the topic, themselves. For a moment, they believe Robin didn't hear them. But then, the woman turns her head slightly to face them. And slowly, she smiles. And they know they will not get an answer from her.
There is one more person they can ask. Perched on his special seat, content and strangely unnoticed before this moment.
He turns and gives them the attention they request, and when they ask their question, he blinks a few times at the prospect. He notices the expressions his nakama are wearing and can tell how serious this is.
He has his legs crossed and his arms folded, his head nodding downwards, the rim of his hat covering his eyes from view. Deep thought. A quiet settles over the Going Merry.
Zoro has awakened. It's too hushed and since the sun has moved, so have the shadows and he's now being burned by solar light. He gets up to follow the shade and notices most of the crew gathered to where Luffy is. The silence is rare and Zoro is mildly interested to see what has caused such an event.
Sanji is delighted because he's standing so close to Nami.
Chopper is eager to learn of Luffy's opinion since Luffy's so cool.
Robin plants an ear closer to where they are, expecting no less of the grand entertainment this crew always provides her.
Luffy looks up, a set look on his face.
Nami knows she's right.
Usopp knows there is no 'right'.
With an ecstatic cheer, the captain pumps both fists into the air and reveals his answer:
"POTAHTOES."
This is what he's just realized he'd been smelling all this time and this is what's for lunch! And this is what he'd have already eaten if Sanji hadn't strapped him to his special seat today.
Zoro found new shade and has already fallen asleep. His snore breaks the new blanket of silence that had followed Luffy's outburst. Sanji is reminded of the prepared food he'd left sitting in the kitchen and leaves. Chopper, who has been hungry since it's past lunchtime, follows the cook. Robin retracts the extra ear, amused and satisfied.
Usopp catches eyes with Nami and the two stare each other down with a heavy tension. But Usopp shrugs, also wanting a bite to eat since he skipped breakfast to finish a new brilliant idea for battle ammo.
The navigator is left with the blank-stared captain. She stays. She still has something she needs to tell him.
"Po-tay-toes," Nami says. And she walks away, too.