Nami's Fortune might finally have taken a hopeful turn, but the fishmen now grapple with an internal conflict that will change everything.
Three and a half weeks later, the promised boat was nearly complete. An anxious Nami regularly checked in with Aka-Mushi, persuaded to finally abandon Nami's hopeless old fishing boat in order to assist his master with building the new vessel, who was almost more excited than she was to walk her through the daily progress. Unfortunately, the abundance of input she'd offered on its design went largely disregarded by Kaneshiro, who insisted on constructing it to his
own specifications. the new sloop, nevertheless, remained a significant improvement to what she'd had - even with its lack of size and storage space.
Though it nearly killed her to take such a long hiatus, she believed the investment would prove well worth the wait. Treasure was calling her name - a very specific treasure in fact - and Nami had put the Cleaver's cockboat to good use in the interim while gathering the needed information for her next big heist.
Although the little rowboat wasn't able to take her the entire way to Stringers, she did manage to travel as far as the nearest island just outside Arlong's territory where she took a ferry the rest of the way. Arriving just outside Threadsville, Nami attempted to reacquaint herself with the city she'd avoided setting foot in for nearly three years. She'd been naive and inexperienced the first time she'd visited, but she was determined to use everything she'd learned since then to her advantage.
She now moved purposefully through the streets, her clothing and demeanor resembling that of a local rather than the bumpkin tourist she'd been in earlier years. She frequented many of the same places as before without bothering to tarry for too long in one place - gleaning whatever she could from the surrounding conversations. After spending a couple of days soaking up intel and taking notes, Nami felt confident she'd gained several new leads.
One conversation she'd eavesdropped on while in a bar stood out to her in particular:
"I'm an officer of the Gally Pirates, Babe. You should stick with me; I'll show you a good time!"
Nami glanced up from her crab legs over at a table in the corner. A lanky man with a saber hanging from his sash leaned in close to a bosomy woman sitting across from him, his gaze trailing down her half-buttoned blouse.
"Ohohoho," the woman threw her head back and giggled, "Does that mean you have lots of loot, then?"
"Hell yeah, I've got an entire hoard of treasure!"
"Ooh? I hope it's within easy reach rather than buried under an 'X' somewhere," she tossed back a shot and winked suggestively at him.
"Welll, it ain't buried, but it is hidden in a cave guarded by a sea king," he declared before slamming down his own drink and glancing over to see if she was impressed.
Nami promptly dismissed the ridiculous statement. Even the fishmen were afraid of sea kings, and although she'd heard of the Galley Pirates (in fact, she'd read in the paper that they'd recently robbed a merchant ship) she'd be willing to gamble every berry to her name that they weren't getting any sea king to guard their treasure.
For some reason, however, the stupid statement continued repeating in her head for the following several days. The young thief spent much of the journey back to Cocoyasi mulling it over. Somehow the image of a cave and a sea king reminded her of something she'd seen or read somewhere. All at once, in the midst of rowing it struck her like a bolt out of the blue.
The moment she reached home, the girl rushed to the cartography room and threw open the door. She instantly went to her stacks of filed charts, riffling through them until she pulled out a map of an obscure section of ocean where a chain of tiny uninhabited islands dotted the otherwise uninterrupted seascape like an outbreak of back ache. The most notable feature of the otherwise bleak and rocky archipelago was one large sea stack which reared out from the waters near the biggest island, looking very much like a charging sea king. She also noted with growing excitement, that a cave did indeed exist along the coast near said outcropping. Maybe it was just coincidence, but Nami was still willing to stake a six-day trip on the hope of major treasure. Preparations began almost immediately.
On the day of her planned departure, Nami, Aka-Mushi and Kaneshiro stood together on the doc. Anxious to board and get her trip underway, Nami fidgeted with her large sack of supplies. The shipwrights, however, had insisted on a ceremony for their craft's maiden voyage and the girl watched impatiently as Kaneshiro brought out a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses which he poured and handed to Aka-Mushi and herself.
"Well, first of all," the goldfish-man began, "we're gathered to say a few words as we hand over this boat into the care of our surveyor for the purpose of taking her wherever she may go in East Blue and for the transportation of whatever valuable cargo she may gain during her travels. She's a sturdy vessel and under the proper hand she should be able to take on whatever challenges the seas throw out - just as any craft built by fishman skill should. So, treat 'er well and she'll do the same for you!"
Nami gave a solemn nod, tapping her foot as she stared down into her glass.
"And now with that, what's the boat's name?"
The girl glanced up in surprise as both of them stared expectantly at her.
"Oh! Uhhhh, The-The uh, B-B-Berry Bandit?"
Aka-Mushi snickered while Kaneshiro merely shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Very well - Here's to The Berry Bandit, and her long successful career!"
They each drank - she and Aka-Mushi from their glasses and Kaneshiro straight from the bottle which he then tipped over the side of the doc, pouring out a portion into the water.
"Great, so can I start loading now?"
"Not so fast," interjected Aka-Mushi. He picked up a second bottle which Kaneshiro had also brought along and handed it to her. "You have to break this across the bow!"
"And don't mess it up - if you don't get it on the first try then it's bad luck," warned Kaneshiro.
"I can help you out if you don't think you can do it," offered Aka-Mushi.
Nami gripped the bottle possessively, "No thanks - I'll do it."
She strode up to the bow and took aim. Closing her eyes, she imagined Arlong's sneering face before swinging back and smashing the bottle against the sharp corner. The glass and spray went flying as Nami turned her head away from the explosion.
The pair of attending fishmen clapped in appreciation.
After Kaneshiro left and the young adventurer was finally allowed to board her new vessel, Aka-Mushi hung back and chatted as she loaded her supplies.
"Is this going to be a long trip," he asked, leaning against the mast.
Nami emerged from the cramped cabin after stowing her goods. "It'll be the longest one yet, but if I'm right, then it'll be worth it."
"I'm glad we could finish the boat in time for you to make it," he said with a crooked smile.
"Me too. I know I said it already, but thanks again for all your hard work."
"Uh-huh," he shifted awkwardly, then suddenly plopped his hand on the top of her head, giving her hair a fond ruffle, "I really do hope something good happens for you very soon."
She squinted up at him in uncertainty, but the betta just as quickly pivoted in another direction. "Well, I'm also off to get some supplies from Stringers for repairs needed around The Park - so safe travels!" He gave her a final wave as he dove off the side into the shallows below, leaving her to ponder the enigmatic farewell.
Nami never knew quite what to make of Aka-Mushi. He was always a bit off: constantly marching to the beat of his own drum and not feeling the need to explain himself. She recalled yesterday when he'd abruptly asked to borrow the paper she was reading, even though she'd never previously seen him take any interest in the news before. She'd almost asked him why, but then shrugged and handed it to him since he rarely gave any straight answers anyway.
With a shake of her head, the girl dismissed her weird friend for the time being. Pulling out her own borrowed chart from the increasingly extensive catalogue upstairs, she sat down to go over her course one more time before shoving off.
000
A warm breeze billowed through the bonfire, over which turned a slowly roasting side of beef. Gathered under the nearby pavilion, a group of fishmen played cards by the rays of the dying sun as Arlong absently manned the spit and sipped rum while listening to their banter.
"Rummy!" Choo announced, slapping his hand down on the table to a chorus of groans from the others.
"AGAIN," exclaimed an incredulous Kuroobi.
"Nyu, okay everybody, lay your cards down," sighed Hachi, pulling a pencil from behind his ear to tally the amounts.
"What can I say," shrugged the smelt-whiting, leaning back in his chair with a smug smile, "It's a gift!"
"Yeah. Who's in favor of a different game," Hitchin suggested, tossing his own cards down in a huff.
Kaneshiro shook his head. "I'm already out of money; I'd better call it a day." The goldfish pushed his chair back from the table and stood up. "Is it alright if I square up with you later?"
"Sure, I know where you live," Choo smirked back.
The shipwright paused as he walked past the occupant of the seat on the other side of Arlong's spit roast. "Heh, I never pegged you as a man of letters - since when do you read the papers, Gil?"
The puffer fishman offered a frown from over the top of the newsprint to his offending crewmate. "Why shouldn't I? Someone's gotta keep up with current affairs."
"Is this some strange new trend," Kaneshiro shrugged around at the rest of them, "I also saw Aka-Mushi of all people with his face in the paper the other day."
"Yeah, he's the one that gave it to me," Gil snapped the pages for emphasis.
"Hmph, that boy," a cloud seemed to pass over the shipwright's gruff features, "I wish he'd hurry up and get back from Threadsville already."
"Threadsville?" Hitchin perked up.
"Yeah. He offered to go buy some supplies for me, but that's been two days ago."
"I just got back from there and I didn't see him," replied Hitchin, "even though fishmen usually stand out in these parts."
"Dammit, he'd better not be goofing off! I knew I should've just gone myself," quipped Kaneshiro.
"You don't think he was arrested by the Navy do you," gasped Hachi.
"Not a chance," Arlong chimed in. His eye, however, was fixed on the front of Gil's paper as he spoke. "Could I borrow that from you, nakama?"
"Uh, sure, cap'n," the large pirate folded the pages and handed them to Arlong.
The sawshark flipped the front page open and began swiftly skimming the article of interest.
A curious Hachi walked up and peered over his shoulder, reading the headline aloud. "'NAVY THWARTS CRIME RING WITH AID OF SUN PIRATES'. Nyu - Any mention of Jinbe-san in there?"
Arlong made no reply, turning to the continuation page for further reading. He abruptly tossed the paper back to Gil a minute later and stood up. "I think I'd better go out and look for Aka-Mushi myself."
The rest of the fishmen gawked at their captain in mild surprise.
"D'you really think that's necessary," asked a slack-jawed Kaneshiro, "I'm sure he'll be back any time now."
"Somehow I doubt it," remarked Arlong cryptically.
"You're leaving right now, Arlong-san," interjected Hachi.
"Yeah. Choo - you and Hitchin come with me."
Immediately, the pair stood and followed after him.
"Cap'n! What about yer roast," cried Gil.
"You eat it," Arlong shot back over his shoulder.
A befuddled Kaneshiro sat down in the seat previously occupied by Arlong as Gil crossed over to inspect the piece of roasting meat beside him. "I don't get it, what just happened?"
Hachi, equally confused, glanced across at Kuroobi who scowled suspiciously back.
000
She'd known going into it that this would be her longest voyage yet, still she hadn't realized just how long a week at sea would actually feel. Sailing through unfamiliar waters for days on end without a speck of land in sight was unsettling enough to make her doubt her own navigation skills. What if she'd made a crucial miscalculation at some point along the course and she was now doomed to drift forever over a vast ocean until there was nothing left of her but bones bleaching in the sun?
Nami attempted to reassure herself that she was exactly where she should expect to be at this point in the journey. She merely had to hold on and wait for the allotted time until land would inevitably appear.
Appear it finally did near the end of the sixth day, to her great relief. Nami gazed through her spyglass with giddy excitement at the craggy 'sea king' looming before the rocky cliff face. Although she wanted more than anything to immediately leap onto the shore and bolt for the entrance to the pirates' treasure cavern, the tide was rising, and night was coming. Nami hunkered down for one more evening on the tiny sloop.
The waters surrounding the main island were turbulent and rocky. Nami pulled the boat in as closely as she dared, taking note of the currents and locations of submerged hazards as she calculated how much room she'd need in order to turn around. She used a small raft to reach the shore. By now the tide was well on its way back out and she could see the entrance to the cave where the treasure was supposedly hidden gaping from the cliffside like an open maw.
Nami hiked up the rocky beach to her destination, a satchel of carefully packed supplies slapping against her hip. The opening was pitch dark and narrower than she'd expected - not even large enough for her to step into fully upright. She fished into the bag, taking out her lantern only to nearly drop it on the rocks as a scream wrenched from her throat.
Not more than an arm's length within the yawning blackness sat a skeleton against the cave wall, knife handle protruding from its ribcage. Nami's hand flew to her mouth as she backed slowly away from the craggy tomb. Crawling blindly into a dark, dank pit was disturbing enough, but she couldn't imagine what horrors were waiting inside if this was the first thing she encountered. Desperately, she wondered if there was another cave on this or any of the other islands that might possibly be the one she was looking for but, of course, the dead man more or less confirmed where the booty ought to be.
"Don't think about it. Think about the treasure," she repeated to herself several times. "Just think about all the millions of berries you'll be bringing home with you."
...If you survive.
She took a deep, steadying breath and thrust her lantern before of her like a shield as she stepped toward the opening. Without looking directly at the skeleton, she eased herself carefully inside, making sure that no part of her accidentally brushed against it. The thought alone of the pile of bones collapsing on her inside the tiny space almost drove her shrieking into the ocean.
She pressed further onward, doing her best to avoid jutting points of rock from the ceiling while the jagged tunnel zig-zagged and slowly broadened, her path inclining upward. Nami used the slippery rocks to scrabble up until she finally reached a spacious cavern.
Her lantern light barely penetrated the darkness stretching in front of her. The girl hugged the wall as she carefully navigated the space. Puddles on the rocky cavern floor gleamed in the light's reflection, reminding her that the ocean continued to have a heavy hand in shaping the subterranean lair. After walking for several minutes, examining the surroundings for any sign of hidden loot, she ran across the entrance to another tunnel. As she leaned inside, Nami detected the faint rush of waves beyond. She frowned and continued along the perimeter of the wall until she came upon yet another similar opening, then another.
Based on the geography of the island and the location of the various cave entrances along its beach, Nami deduced that all of them must actually lead to this same large cavern. Therefore, the cavern was almost certainly where the treasure would be hidden. She returned to her search with renewed vigor, scanning with her lamp for anything that might appear out of place.
After another hour of combing the darkness for any sign of pirate goods, Nami came up empty. She knew her wick would soon burn out and the tide would come up again in a few more hours, but she hadn't intended on the process taking so long. There was still the business of actually accessing the treasure and transporting it back to her boat once she found it.
She stood staring uncertainly down at her feet as she puzzled what to do. Was she searching the wrong place after all? Perhaps it was one of the other islands. However, this was the only one with the noted sea king-shaped stack - it was definitely the right island. Maybe she hadn't searched carefully enough, or maybe they'd come before her and removed the treasure already. Maybe there was never any treasure to begin with. Nami gritted her teeth in frustration. She decided to continue searching until her wick was used up.
Search she did, every inch of the floor twice over and even along the walls and ceiling. She shuffled down each entrance leading off from the cavern as well, finding nothing except what she'd suspected - that all lead back out to the beach. Nami swore, wiping cold sweat from her brow as she stared once again around the craggy cave.
"Where are you," she demanded aloud of the treasure. "I didn't come all this way to go back empty-handed; I sear I'll find you!"
The lamp light flickered as if in response and Nami groaned. Unless she wanted to wander blindly through the rock-strewn hollow, she needed to leave now. She could return to her boat, replace her wick and think about her next move. She considered using one of the other tunnels to exit the cave - at least then she wouldn't have to squeeze past the dead man guarding the entrance closest to her boat.
Why was a dead man left there in the first place, she randomly wondered. Did the pirates kill one of their own and leave him to guard the place? Were that so, what would be the point if there was no treasure to guard? Or was he some kind of traitor abandoned there, who eventually took his own life rather than slowly starve to death on this barren island? Why did the tide, which came up twice a day, not eventually wash the bones out to sea?
Why am I thinking so much about a dead guy, she huffed, turning to leave.
Nami paused mid-way down the nearest passage. Something bothered her about the skeleton - aside from the obvious. Somehow, she felt there was something important she was overlooking. Her stomach dropped, but she couldn't avoid it - she had to go back and examine on final area of the cave.
Her heart racing, Nami stared eye to empty socket with the hideous death's head. A ragged bandanna still clung over its skull with (she gulped) strands of hair sticking out from under it. She ran her flickering light down the ribs, unable to pick up anything unusual. A shredded tunic and pants draped the bony form. The teen gave the torso an experimental nudge with her foot and immediately felt a pang of guilt for her disrespect - even if he was just a damn pirate - what if his ghost decided to haunt her?
The skeleton rocked gently to one side and rolled back into place; It seemed to be pinned by something. Nami looked around the wall it rested against, running her fingers along the rough surface until she noticed a ledge of rock that ran right above the corpse's head and down to the cave floor. With her fading firelight, she determined that the dead man's clothes were mashed beneath the bottom of the rock, effectively holding him to the spot.
"Then, this must be able to move," she mused aloud to herself, pushing at the stone which didn't budge. she pushed harder, wrenching and clawing at the rigid obstruction to no avail. With a final mighty tug, Nami's light at last extinguished just as she lost her balance and fell flat against the skeletal remains. Her scream rang through the cavern, sending flocks of of gulls on the beach flying in all directions.
000
Hitchin sweltered beneath the scarf and hat he wore on such a blazing hot day, but better safe than sorry. The masses of humanity packed into the plaza didn't help matters either. The pirate pushed his way through the typical throngs of tourists, scarcely giving the famous scaffold of The Pirate King a second glance as he hurried back from his rendezvous. He paused only to gobble down the last of his ice cream cone, receiving an instant headache, before rushing off to rejoin his comrades.
With Loguetown under Navy control and their high recognizability, Arlong and Choo remained on the outskirts while Hitchin did what he did best - gather information. They looked up expectantly at his arrival back at the crossroad.
"No dice," announced Hitchin, "My sources haven't seen or heard anything; he clearly hasn't tried to reach out to the Navy. I doubt he even stopped here longer than it took to grab a quick snack - if that."
"I didn't really expect he would," an exhausted Arlong stood and stretched, "He probably wants to go right to the source."
"He'd have to be pretty stupid to think the Navy would listen to him," grunted Choo, "Still, you never know what sort of trouble an idiot like that might cause for us - chu."
"Alright, let's go," said Arlong, catching his second wind. Only a short stretch remained between them, and The Red Line and Aka-Mushi was still at large.
Flanked on either side by his men in a V formation, Arlong skimmed through the eastern sea at a speed that rivaled the lightning streaking across the stormy sky above. Although the mischievous shipwright had a two-day lead, the sawshark knew these particular waters well, and with the aid of Nami's charts, was able to navigate the most direct route possible to the Grand Line entrance. One way or another their paths would soon cross.
Despite the depths at which they traveled; the turbulence of the waves still managed to batter against them even without slowing them down. Arlong gazed up as another gush of warm water rolled him toward the surface. A familiar silhouette suddenly appeared against the eerie storm-lit waters above.
"Hey Aka-Mushi, hold it right there!"
The figure above paused abruptly, then shot for the surface.
Arlong, Choo and Hitchin quickly followed, allowing the wave to carry them after their wayward crewmate. The betta rode the crest of the breaking wave like a pro - propelling himself toward the looming Reverse Mountain at break-neck speed. Unfortunately for him, Arlong and company had been surfing the "green room" since before he was even a gleam in his parents' eyes and had no trouble keeping up with the teen fishman.
After crashing back into the sea, Aka-Mushi attempted yet another tactic to shake them.
"Now he's putting up a screen," exclaimed Hitchin, swatting at the wall of thick clumping bubbles instantly swarming before their faces.
"Ha," scoffed Choo, dispelling the bubbles just as quickly with a jet of water expelled from his puckered lips. The trio continued their pursuit toward the impending Grand Line current leading up the mountainside.
"So, this is how you repay me for pulling you outta the slums of Fishman District, huh? I let you come along on an expedition to conquer the world and become a king, and instead you betray me and rat out your nakama to that government dog," Arlong bellowed after him. "You're a traitor to your race - just like he is!"
The fugitive teen abruptly slowed down. He turned directly to face his accusers, panting raggedly as the three closed in around him. "In the three years I've been in this crew, I seen a lotta things," he said between breaths, "and now that I seen the world for myself, I know that it ain't just like you said it was. I never wanted to be no king - I just wanted to be a part of something bigger'n me. I wanted to build things - not destroy 'em!"
"What did you think that building an empire MEANT," Arlong shot back, "You can't create without first destroying!"
Aka-Mushi slowly nodded. "Yeah, I guess I know that now. Sorry for being such a dumbass - but I can't be a part of it no more."
"Oh, it's much too late for that, matey," sneered the shark-man, "You don't just leave the Arlong Pirates - you're in for life."
The betta shifted his attention between each of the other fishmen forming a semi-circle around him in the turbulent waters. Another clap of thunder rumbled above them, putting a fine point on Arlong's words.
"Fortunately," the sawshark went on, "I am a fair man and I hate shedding fishman blood needlessly. We won't do anything to you as long as you agree to come along quietly back to Arlong Park. Once we return, you'll be given a trial, and the entire crew will vote on what should happen to you. It's the best option you're going to get, Aka-Mushi, because I guarantee you won't be making it over that mountain to Jinbe-aniki." He glared meaningfully at the defiant youth.
Aka-Mushi's jaw set; his expression hardened. "I ain't going back. I've come too far to find the one man that can stop you, and right now he's restin' up with his crew just on the other side of these peaks," he gestured behind himself. "You'll have to kill me."
"We could arrange that," replied Choo darkly.
"Don't be stupid, boy," cried Hitchin, "you'd throw your life away over a bunch of miserable islanders who'd happily kill you with their bare hands if they could? You think you know what humanity is like? You don't know the half of it! If you'd sailed with us back when The Boss was still alive, you'd-"
"Shut-up, Hitchin," snarled Arlong. "He's already made his choice! He's obviously a man that knows his own mind, so he doesn't need a lecture ..."
The shipwright's glance automatically shifted as they argued. Seizing the moment, he darted sharply south, veering away from his course and taking the three pursuers by surprise.
"What the - where the hell does he think he's going now," exclaimed Choo in bewilderment.
"Well, don't just float there, after 'im!" Hitchin yelled as they hastily dove in the same direction.
"Wait a minute," bellowed Arlong, abruptly taking note of the settling waters. "It's a trap; don't follow him!"
Choo was quick to pick up on the captain's line of reasoning. "You're right - chu! He's heading straight into the Calm Belt."
"Is he insane," marveled Hitchin.
"Maybe," Arlong replied, "but we don't need to worry about him anymore - he's already a dead man."
The three remained treading water at the edge of the storm, watching grimly as the boy's form grew smaller and smaller in the distance.
He didn't come here to die, he reminded himself as a school of sea kings appeared in the distance. Aka-Mushi paid them no heed as he skimmed the still waters, his eyes fixed straight ahead. The Grand Line was so close he could almost touch it; all he had to do was keep swimming until he made it - or didn't make it.
The sea kings were growing closer now. Despite his relatively small size and smooth movements, they'd taken notice of him.
Well, shit.
A mouth the size of all Arlong Park gaped open in front of him with teeth larger than himself. There was no avoiding it. Aka-Mushi closed his eyes, picturing how Nami looked the last time he'd seen her. He knew she'd grow into a beautiful woman in a few years; he was only sorry he wouldn't be around to see it. Fortunately, she was also brave and smart and she'd find a way to gain her freedom even if he couldn't help her. He had no doubt about that.
His tears mingling freely with the salty water, he smiled as darkness closed slowly over him.
000
The skeleton lay cast into a heap at the mouth of the cave. Meanwhile, Nami worked feverishly, striking repeatedly at the rock with a hammer she'd brought along for repairs while doing her best to avoid the flying chips of stone hitting her in the face. A small hole gradually began to form in the far-left corner. The slight girl paused a moment to catch her breath, swiping the sheen of sweat from her brow before testing the coin-sized opening with the claw end of her hammer. She managed to budge the huge rock ever so slightly from its groove before it rocked firmly back into place.
Releasing an exhausted sigh, she waited a few more minutes before attacking the rock yet again. Following another grueling hour, the hole was finally large enough for her to peer into. She could make out a small alcove just beyond the obstinate barrier in the faint sunlight trickling through the cave's opening. Her heart pounded both from excitement and exertion while the tide outside rolled steadily over the beach.
Nami reached both hands along the edge of the opening and tugged at the great stone with all her might, rocking it back and forth several times before it at last tipped over, crashing against the other side of the cave wall as it narrowly missed crushing her.
She scarcely registered the sting of her scraped and bleeding palms as she re-lit her lantern and scrambled through the hidden chamber. There, nestled in the very back of the small cavern, sat what she'd been hoping for. Nami nearly wept as she threw her arms around the sturdy wooden chest, embracing it like a dear friend. It was heavy too - a very good sign - as she found herself unable to lift it. No matter. She dug again into her satchel and came up with a small set of pins.
For what felt like hours, Nami worked on the lock - which despite the relatively dry conditions created by the rock sealing the area against the tide - had still managed to form some considerable rust. Just as she was about to lose hope, she felt a decisive click. Her hands trembled as she lifted the heavy lid.
Water sloshed around her ankles as she gazed in wonder at the glittering pieces inside. She ran her hand slowly over the cool metal disks, letting them slip through her fingers and tumble back into the chest with a soft clinking sound. Nami remained mesmerized until a particularly strong wave battered the rocks inside the little alcove. Reminded of the quickly rising tide, the young thief hastily whipped out her sack and began scooping treasure into it by the handful until she could barely lift it.
After transporting the first load back to her boat and returning for the second round, Nami raced against the tide as it steadily swallowed the hidden passage. She felt fairly confident that she could get the entire stash in four trips even if she might have to wait for the waters to recede in between. Dumping out her third deposit, Nami paused to take a breath and froze as her eyes spotted an ominous shape on the horizon. She dove for her spyglass - just as she'd feared, there was a ship making a beeline for her location.
Nami glanced panic-stricken down at the empty bag in her hand, then back at the cave entrance. Seems she would be forced to leave the remaining treasure behind, between the rising tide and the need to beat a hasty retreat.
"Dammit!"
She flung the sack to the deck in frustration but couldn't bring herself to pull up the anchor. Waffling only a moment, the girl gritted her teeth and dove back into the water onto her raft. She paddled back to shore - dashing through the waves and into the cave. The water inside the hidden room came up around Nami's waist as she held her breath and ducked under to grab what remained.
Nami came up gasping for breath only to repeatedly dip back down for another clumsy gathering of coins into the bag.
Just one more round, she told herself each time until her hand couldn't find any more pieces. The water nearly reached the top of the shallow room by the time she pressed her nose against the roof for one for one final breath before swimming out.
She struggled with her load, having to drag the sack along the bottom as best she could while floundering to her raft. Mustering strength she didn't even know she had, Nami managed to get one hand on the raft while hoisting the bag and herself onto it. The ship was significantly closer now and she had no doubt that they could see her too. She paddled frantically out to her boat, watching as the ship turned starboard side toward her location. A spray of grape shot scattered over the waters around her - one metal ball narrowly missing her cheek. With a scream, she ducked low and kept paddling.
Another burst of pellets shot out over the boat as she leapt aboard, hitting the mast and deck and sending splintered wood flying in all directions. There was no time to think - she had to move, and it had to be toward the island rather than away.
Pulling up anchor, the boat lurched forward with the rushing tide, sending her straight for the towering sea king stack. Nami steered with all her might to avoid crashing into the great rock. The crag-infested shallows could easily ground her boat, but the pursuing pirate ship would certainly not be able to follow her. Using a combination of what she knew about the surrounding sea floor and pure instinct, the cartographer navigated the whirling currents. She managed to use the wind to her favor and narrowly avoided scraping submerged boulders while traversing the coast like a minefield. Fortunately, the island was small and quickly circumvented.
Once she swerved opposite the galleon and around the island, making a wide arc as she hit open waters, the pirate ship was already much too far in the distance to fire upon her anymore. Although they most likely would still come after her, Nami felt greatly relieved just to be back out at sea in one piece with a boatload gold.
She gazed out into the distance as the wind blew against her. She could tell a storm was picking up and knew approximately how long it would take before it arrived. Just like seemingly everything concerning this expedition, it was all about timing. Nami was confident she could pass through before the squall fully formed, and if the ship did decide to give chase, they'd bear the brunt of the storm.
Nami watched with relief when the predicted thundershowers materialized in her boat's wake. Whether the pirates ever did decide to pursue her, she was never quite certain, but she knew with this she was finally home free. The following week's travel went by much quicker than the previous one with Nami busily appraising and converting the gold into berries. Based on her most conservative estimation, it was the equivalent of roughly 10 million berries - the most enormous haul she'd ever pulled in. Even though there was still so far to go, she couldn't help the joyful tears that streamed down her cheeks.
She didn't think she'd ever been more grateful to see her home finally come into view. Her thoughts soon turned to the practical matter of transporting her treasure from the boat to the grove. The girl was still in the process of working out semantics as she pulled up to the dock; she didn't immediately notice Kaneshiro standing on the beach near the base of the path which led into town.
"So you made it back after all."
She glanced up with a start from tying off her line to the piling. A smile for the gruff shipwright graced her lips. "I sure am, and I have you to thank for that - she's a very sturdy vessel indeed, and probably saved my life! I've also gotta thank Aka-Mushi as well."
The goldfish-man was silent for a long moment. For the first time, she noticed his bedraggled appearance: his eyes were red and glazed, and his clothing rumpled - an imprint in the sand behind him made her wonder whether he'd spent the night on the beach, while a nearby bottle sticking out of the sand indicated what might have led up to it.
"There's something I should tell you," He hiccupped.
000
Nojiko was not at home, so Nami took it upon herself to borrow the wagon that they'd always used to carry their produce into market with. She doubted her sister would notice it missing for an hour or so. After lugging her extremely valuable cargo up to the grove, she paused a moment to catch her breath, checking one last time to see if perhaps Nojiko had returned in the meantime. No such luck.
Nami sighed.
The cascading gold rushed into her underground trove, burying what was already there and more than doubling the size of the mound. What would have filled her with delight only a short time ago, now left her feeling as empty as the large void within her coffer that still remained to be filled - and perhaps never would be.
Kaneshiro's words played over in her mind as she trudged through the brush and out to the cliffside where Belle-Mere rested.
"Aka-Mushi left the crew. When Arlong-san and the others tried to go get him, he ran away and was eaten by sea kings. He ain't coming back."
"What do you mean 'eaten by sea kings'? Why - Why would he go and do something like that?"
"Why indeed. You tell me."
She sat down beside her mother's graveside, taking note of the fresh bouquet of flowers placed there - most likely by Nojiko. She wished she could be more like the older girl: thoughtful and giving and able make beautiful whatever she put her hand to. The only thing Nami ever seemed to bring anyone was grief. She'd vowed years ago never to rely on help from anyone else, but somehow that meddlesome Aka-Mushi had wormed his way into her affairs and declared himself her ally, and because she was weak, she'd allowed him to do so before she even realized what was happening. Now he was dead.
"I really hope something good happens for you..."
"Hey Belle-Mere, guess what? I just made 10 million berries! All combined, I only have 85 million left to go! I know that may sound like a lot, but I'm going to earn every last bit of it, I swear... all by myself. I'm not afraid 'cause I've got you watching over me and that's all I need..."
She suddenly felt something wet hit her knee and glanced down to find fat drops falling steadily onto her lap. Nami slowly sank onto Belle-Mere's grave, holding on desperately until the storm passed.