Chapter 10
"Land ho!" called the pirate on watch. "Kokoyashi Island ahead!"
"Whoopie! Fresh meat!" Luffy rushed to the rail to look, followed by Usopp, Zoro, and Sanji.
Temporary Captain Ben Beckman studied the peaceful port village through the spyglass. The hills above the village were covered with lush citrus trees.
"Do we charge in and sack 'em, Cap'n?" Yasopp asked.
"They look like a push-over for any strong gang of pirates that come along," Beckman said. "But Shanks is still laid up from his sword fight, so I'll take no chances. We'll play this crafty." He shouted to the crew: "Strike the Jolly Roger! Hoist the plain sail."
The ship made harbor without causing excitement, looking like an ordinary merchant ship.
Luffy and his friends started down the gangplank, eager to explore.
"This is my chance to shop for souvenirs of my great adventures to show the folks back home," Usopp told the others.
"So you can spin stories about them?" Zoro asked.
"That's half the fun," Usopp replied.
Zeff stumped after Sanji and easily caught up despite his wooden leg. "Hey, string-bean. We've docked at Kokoyashi village, but I heard Goza Village nearby has better ship-builders. I'm walking over there to get our new restaurant ship started. Coming?"
"Sure, old geezer," said Sanji. "Gimme some time to hang around with these guys a while first. I'd like to say goodbye, ya know?"
Ben Beckman called to Luffy, "Wait up, lad! I could use your help on a shopping expedition."
"Sure thing," said Luffy with a grin.
As they walked together through the market, Beckman saw a girl with bright orange hair sitting by herself on a barrel, eating a mandarin orange. "Ahoy, Carrot-top!" he said to her.
The girl looked up at him. "The name's Nami. What do you want?"
"That orange you're eating looks good," Beckman said. "Where'd you get it?"
Nami said, "My mother just harvested a new crop. They're really great this year."
"We'd like to buy some. Where can we find her orchard?" Beckman asked.
"If I tell you, I want a twenty percent sales commission," said Nami.
"That's robbery. Ten percent."
"Eighteen percent. She has the best on the island."
"Fifteen."
"Sixteen."
"All right, sixteen percent it is. How do we find the place?"
"I'll show you," said Nami.
"Does your mother know you're collecting commissions?" Beckman asked.
Nami shook her head, her face turning red. "I need some money of my own."
"It's all right, we won't tell her," laughed Beckman. "Better then if you don't come with us. Tell us how to get there."
"How do I know you'll pay?" asked Nami suspiciously.
Beckman replied, "You can wait at our ship to make we don't sail away after we make the deal with your mother. Young Luffy here will show you around."
Nami still felt a trickle of doubt, but Beckman's smooth manner and Luffy's innocent grin convinced her. "All right. It's Bellemere's orchard, on the big hill west of town. I'll draw you a map." She pulled out a piece of paper and made a rapid sketch.
"That's a fine sketch-map, young lady," said Beckman.
"Thanks, I'm planning to be a cartographer some day."
The three walked together back to the ship and Beckman gathered a team of pirates to head off to the farm. Nami and Luffy walked around the deck together. Lucky Roux followed a short distance behind, listening as he chewed a haunch of beef.
"This is a great ship," said Nami. "Where have you sailed?"
"I've only been on East Blue so far, but this ship has sailed the Grand Line," Luffy responded.
"May I see your chart room? I'd love to see the Grand Line maps," said Nami.
"Sure, but what's the big deal about maps?" Luffy asked.
Nami looked shocked. "What? Without maps you have no idea where you're going. You'd get lost at sea!"
"So? It's more fun wandering around," Luffy said breezily.
"You'd run out of food and water, and die. I'm glad you're just a young apprentice sailor and not the ship's navigator."
"I'm an apprentice now but one day I'll be King of the Pirates!" Luffy boasted.
Nami gulped. "Pirates? This is a pirate ship?"
"Yep. The Red-Haired Pirates. Isn't that great?"
"Umm, it's been nice visiting but I'll be heading home now," Nami said nervously.
"What about the tour of the map room?" Luffy asked.
"Never mind that. I've got to go warn-- go home, I mean." Nami started for the gangplank but suddenly Lucky Roux was in front of her.
"Hold on, you aren't going anywhere," said Roux.
"You rats! What about my sixteen percent commission?" Nami gasped.
"Don't worry, you'll get sixteen percent of what we pay your mother," laughed Roux. "Sixteen percent of zero is zero. Ha!" With a burst of speed he grabbed Nami and tied her to the main mast.
"Luffy I was starting to like you and you betrayed me! Mmmph!" (Roux had just gagged her).
"Roux, what are you doing?" Luffy demanded. "Is this some kind of joke?"
Roux said, "Luffy, Beckman once told you that one of the duties of a pirate is hostage-taking. You've done your first real mission as a pirate. Good work."
Luffy glared, clenching his fists.
"Don't try anything you'll regret, son. I'm much too fast for you. Besides, how can you turn against your own shipmates?"
Luffy put his head down and charged Roux. An instant later he was flying off the ship; he landed with a splash in the water.