BlueOrang8: I got the number '7 million', from an online translation, although I was surprised myself that the number would be so low, so perhaps it was wrong. Regardless, Nami will later say she only has 7 million left to go once she returns to the island after having robbed Luffy and the others, so obviously something unexpected will have to happen between then and now.
A little backstory on Beckett - she grew up poor and always admired the Navy. She now has an ailing mother that she needs to take care of, and she needs the money. She's been aware for a long time that Nezumi is corrupt, but she lacks the courage to stand up to him because she knows there would be swift retaliation if she ever did; This is her biggest character flaw.
Thanks to everyone for reading and for sharing your thoughts so far. I hope you enjoy chapter 15...
The hours stretched on. Renado came in to check on her and to bring her some watery rice porridge. He then had her drink some medicine which tasted like rot gut. The girl lay silent and miserable for a while longer, her lids growing heavy. All at once:
"Nami, Nami, Nami..."
The rumbling voice struck her in the back with all the force of a bag of rocks, jarring her wide awake. The inevitable moment had come. Swiping her hand across her eyes, Nami slowly arched her back in a cat-like stretch as she rolled over to face the jagged-nosed fishman.
"That you, Arlong," she mumbled huskily.
"What am I going to do with you?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're bound and determined to get yourself killed." She could hear his annoyance as his wide grin gleamed like a sickle in the dim light of the sick bay where she remained confined.
"Aw, lighten up," she brushed the hair lazily from her face as she stared up at him, "This is no worse than other times - it just doesn't happen quite as often as it used to."
"You never got yourself shot before," he retorted.
"Were you worried about me," she batted her eyes.
He gave a short laugh, "Well, it makes no difference now, 'cause you're back and your cartography duties have fallen off considerably in the meantime. So, your travel plans will have to go on hiatus at least until that gets rectified."
"I'll knock that out in no time," declared the girl with a wince. "Then I'm coming for those damned pier bandits and getting my money back with interest."
"Pier bandits eh," repeated Arlong thoughtfully, "well as always, there's plenty of sharks out there."
He tilted his head as his eyes traveled down her bruised and bandaged body, "And you can hold off on the bold claims - 'cause you're going be to stuck in that bed for a few weeks before you can even get back to your maps. Like it or not, kid, you're here for the long haul."
"Like hell," she mumbled fighting against the cocktail of drugs in her system, "I'll be upstairs tomorrow and back out at sea in another week."
"Ha - we'll just see about that," he sneered, "Now, shut up and go to sleep. We'll talk more tomorrow."
Nami had no more energy to argue. She closed her eyes, surrendering to the growing drowsiness as Arlong exited the bay. She now knew at least with a large degree of certainty that Arlong didn't intend to outright ban her from sailing, however it was cold comfort somehow. Despite her bold claims so readily derided by him, her body felt every bit as weak as her spirit was willing. She soon slipped off into oblivion.
The brooding sawshark veered out to the patio where his three other officers milled around the table, drinking and eating fried squid as they awaited their captain's arrival. Several other fishmen also lounged in the vicinity while many others took their meal in the mess hall.
"Have a seat, Arlong-san," greeted Hachi.
"How's Nami," inquired Choo between sips.
Arlong sighed, taking the glass handed to him by Hachi and helping himself to some squid. "Spunky," he replied tersely.
"That's one way of putting it," Kuroobi snorted.
"Well, that's a good sign, isn't it," remarked Choo.
Arlong gave no response, taking a long draft of ale.
"Nyu, I'm glad her spirits are up," Hachi announced blithely, "that means she should recover quickly and be able to get back to making her maps before you know it."
Kuroobi scoffed, "She'd probably already have them finished by now if she didn't always get to run off for weeks on end."
Arlong calmly swallowed his bite and took another drink before turning to the ray-man. "I'm aware of where you stand on the issue of Nami traveling, Kuroobi, but I'm also wondering what the rest of you think." His glance darted around the table.
Choo and Hachi looked at each other in surprise. The smelt-whiting fishman gave a shrug, "I've never felt strongly about it one way or the other - chu. I don't honestly care."
Hachi, however, seemed to give the matter some serious thought before replying. "Nyu, I think Kuroobi may have a point - if Nami keeps stealing from dangerous pirates, she could get killed. Plus, if she stays home and keeps working as our surveyor, she'll not only be safe, but we'll have the entire East Blue charted and be able to take over more territory all that much quicker."
"How many years now have we squatted on this podunk island," insisted Kuroobi, "How far along are we in our quest to take over this ocean?"
"Further than you may realize," Arlong defended, "but it ain't only about maps - we're playin' a long game that's gonna take years to plan out and lots of money! Our best strategy right now is keeping under the World Govornment's radar while all the pieces are moved into place!"
"I get it," argued Kuroobi, "but what advantage do we gain by allowing Nami to constantly leave Conomi? I'd be so much easier just to keep her here permanently."
"Because we made an agreement on The Almighty Berry - and you know how I feel about that."
"Forget about money - why keep an agreement with a stupid human brat who's already tried to kill you on multiple occasions," the ray-man demanded.
Several pairs of eyes flicked in their direction at the sudden outburst.
Arlong's glare bored into his subordinate until even the obstinate Kuroobi began to squirm ever so slightly under it. "That's my business," he replied finally in a low voice.
The ray dropped his eyes back down to the table, grabbing a handful of squid. "Alright, I've said the last I'll say about it then," he muttered, stuffing his mouth full.
The table fell into a brief silence as they ate and drank. Gradually, Arlong spoke up, "To your point about the maps - I do think we need more production; that's why I'm heading out in the next few days to gather some critical data to bring back for Nami. We're heading into the next phase of our plan."
"That sound promising," replied Choo, "let us know if we can help."
Arlong drained the rest of his glass and stood. "More to come, gents," he grinned.
The three watched him stroll away through the East Gate.
"I wonder what the next phase will be," mused Hachi.
Choo, meanwhile, cut his eyes at Kuroobi, "I can't believe you're still harping on that Nami-plotted-to-kill-Arlong crap of yours - chu! Even Arlong-san has rejected those accusations outright."
"I can't believe the rest of you refuse to see the truth when it's so obvious! You believe she's a harmless little minx at your own peril," shot back Kuroobi.
"Nyu, is there anything that would ever convince you to trust Nami," returned Hachi.
The ray-man smirked, "Maybe if I ever saw her do anything that remotely showed any solidarity with the crew - but she's only interested in herself and making money."
"Who cares what her motivations are - her maps are going to allow us to rule this ocean," argued Choo.
Kuroobi got to his feet as he gave his head one last cynical shake, "Let's hope so, because no matter how brilliant she is at cartography, she would betray us all in an instant if given half a chance. Brute force is a good way to subjugate your enemies; it ain't always such a great way to pick your crew members, though."
000
Genzo sat at his usual prominent station in the town square, just as he'd always done for the past fifteen years. Though nowadays he was the authority in name only - a scarred, aging civil servant occupying a now meaningless office - for some reason the villagers still looked to him as a sort of figurehead. Always the first responder whenever there was trouble, he presently slouched lost in his own miserable thoughts over an urgent matter he had absolutely no control over.
The shocking news was reported to him by a couple of fishermen the other day and Genzo had initially rushed to the scene along with Nako only to find Nami's empty vessel moored to the dock. Presumably, the fishmen had gotten there first and pulled the battered child off the boat, back into the fortress of Arlong Park. The blood stains over the deck stood as a testament to whatever brutality the poor girl had faced.
Still without a hint about her wellbeing a day later, Genzo was nearly desperate enough to march directly down to the fishman fort and demand answers. Of course, that would solve nothing and most likely cause even more trouble for Nami. He had no choice but to stand by and wait for the situation to resolve itself. Meanwhile, he debated on what he should tell Nojiko.
The girl in question, as if somehow summoned by his thoughts, promptly appeared out of the side street, making a beeline straight for him.
"Gen-san," the seventeen-year-old broke into a jog as she approached his station.
"What is it, Nojiko," he stood up at her approach.
"Is it true," she urgently demanded, "Was Nami seriously injured like they're saying?"
Genzo's heart plummeted to his stomach; He mentally kicked himself for not speaking up before the inevitable scuttlebutt reached her. "I-I didn't see her for myself," he admitted.
The girl let out a breathless sigh, "There has to be some way to find out how she is!"
"I've been thinking about it constantly, but I've decided that she's okay," Genzo swallowed audibly, "I'm sure that Arlong wouldn't let anything happen to his prized cartographer, while us showing up at their door demanding information on her would almost certainly damage her hard-won reputation with the pirates. As difficult as it is, I think our best course of action is to wait."
Nojiko slumped against the wall of the small shack. "I'm so sick of waiting, Gen-san! I never even see Nami anymore - she's barely been by the house for months now and I'm worried that this obsession is going to undo her. She's all alone where no one can reach her."
"I know," was all that Genzo could reply. "I can't tell you how frustrating it is for me; I'm supposed to be the one looking out for her." He exited his hut to place a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled on that fort for any sign of her and I'm also going to carefully monitor these fishmen until I learn about Nami's status. I promise I'll let you know the minute I find out anything."
The lavender-haired girl managed a weak smile, "I guess you're right. What other choice do we have? I'll do my best to wait until I hear from you - thanks, Gen-san."
He watched Belle-Mere's eldest daughter head back up the hill toward her orchard, a stone growing in the pit of his gut. He felt utterly useless knowing all he could do was secretly support a young girl who bore the singular burden of buying back all of their freedom. Were it not for the sake of that one child he'd have already died fighting those monsters; it was only her selfless devotion to the villagers that kept him living docilely under Arlong's webbed thumb.
Nevertheless, there was only so much obedience he could muster for the vile despot and his band of cut-throats. Perhaps he could not openly defy them, but Genzo needed some sort of outlet to channel his spite for the fishmen that didn't involve drinking himself into a stupor nearly every night to drown his impotent rage.
A strange idea flitted across his mind, and for a moment the sheriff's mustache quirked in a devious sneer. He knew of at least something he could do. Resolutely, he retrieved the pen and a small booklet he kept on his person at all times for police work. After jotting down a brief note, he tore out the page and headed for the post office. He wanted to renew his correspondence with an acquaintance on Stringers Island who owned a vast inventory of swords and weapons: Genzo now hoped to rebuild the collection previously confiscated from him when Arlong took power.
A part of him knew this impulse would likely lead to serious trouble somewhere down the line, but Genzo would deal with that when the time came. His ability to keep the rest of the town's morale up depended on asserting his own self-determination in the face of fishman oppression. With a renewed determination in his step, he strode on his way.
000
"What are you moping about," demanded Renado to the silent surveyor as he replaced her bandages.
She inclined her head ever so slightly in the direction of his voice. "I'm not moping; I was just thinking," she mumbled, "about where I might find a map to the Grand Line."
"The Grand line," repeated the nurse shark incredulously, "you can't be serious."
"I am," she replied matter-of-factly. "Do you know if we have one?"
"If you haven't made it yourself, then we don't have one," he responded, stepping away from her freshly re-bandaged back to return his ointment to the correct shelf. "We don't need a map to the Grand Line."
"But I do," she rolled around to face him, pulling the sheet back over her bare shoulders, "Where can I get one?"
He gestured at her body as a whole. "Girl, if this is what happens to you while sailing the East Blue, then take it from me - you wouldn't last one day in the Grand Line!"
"This just happened because I was unlucky - which isn't very often," she defended.
"Do you know what they call the Grand Line?" He suddenly leaned in close to her, "They call it the Pirate Graveyard. Most of the fools who sail in there never make it back alive. Even the biggest names in this ocean are nobodies the moment they enter - The Grand Line chews them up and spits them out! One lone girl doesn't stand a chance in hell."
"So maybe I won't go alone," she countered, "I'll find a strong crew to go along with."
He gave a humorless laugh, "It won't matter if you don't even have a map or the proper navigational equipment. Good luck finding one as well - Grand Line maps are almost as rare as devil fruits in these parts."
Nami sat up indignantly, "But I did see one! During my last voyage I saw a crew who had one, so I know you can get them!"
"A fat load of good it'll do them too if that's true," harrumphed the crusty ship's doctor, turning to leave, "Now, lay back down and forget about the Grand Line!"
Nami sank back to the pillow as the door banged shut behind him, but she didn't forget.
Several days later, after Renado released her from bed rest, Nami went looking for Hitchin. She found him on the beach chatting with a mackerel-man named Sawagi who sat mending a net. Hitchin himself leaned on a large beam as he gestured and prattled on to his distracted crewmate. Nami strutted down the coastline toward them, her hair and her skirt billowing freely in the breeze. Both men soon noticed her approach; Nami raised her hand in greeting.
"How's it going, fellas," she smiled as she reached them.
"Ah, Nami," grinned Hitchin, "So you're finally out of the clinic, eh?"
"As of this morning," she affirmed.
"Feelin' better now," asked Sawagi.
"It's no big thing," the girl waved the question off, "I'm ready to get back into the swing of things."
"How are your wounds healing," Hitchin inquired.
"Well, I got my bandages off." She raised her shirt to reveal the fading bruises over her torso.
Both fishmen leaned in to inspect the patch of skin before Nami abruptly dropped her shirt back into place. She turned to Hitchin, "Are you busy right now?"
"Uhh," the remora seemed to collect his thoughts for a moment until his eye fell on the beam still resting against his right palm. "Actually, I'm right in the middle of bringing this wood to Kaneshiro."
"Mind if I walk with you," she gazed back up at him.
"Not at all," He gave a final nod to Sawagi before motioning her along, "Let's go."
"So, I was wondering if you knew whether the Navy has maps to the Grand Line," she asked him after a pause.
"The Grand Line? Sure, if anyone's got a map that leads there it'll be the Navy " responded Hitchin as he ambled across the sand, "Why?"
"D'you think you could get one," she pressed, "since you're so connected and all..."
"I don't know; that seems like a lot of trouble. What do you need with a Grand Line map anyway?"
"I want to know more about it. I'm interested in maps - especially how the East Blue connects to other parts of the world. So, why shouldn't I have one? I'm a cartographer, aren't I?"
"If Arlong-san wants you to have one, then he'll get you one. Why don't you ask him," Hitchin countered.
"I just thought this was more your specialty," she insisted, clasping her hands together as she employed her most pleading expression, "isn't there something you could do for me?"
Hitchin gazed thoughtfully back down at her for a moment.
I'll pay you back with my body.
Belle-Mere's joke at Genzo's expense popped unbidden into her head as she locked eyes with the slouchy fishman walking beside her. Nami suppressed a shudder as she envisioned the consequences of his response to such an offer. She wasn't nearly that desperate, however if she could satisfy him with a simple peep show, Nami might consent for the possibility of getting her hands on a chart to the Grand Line.
Before negotiations could go any further, Nami's legs abruptly gave out from under her and the girl collapsed like a pile of driftwood onto the sand.
"Woah there!" Hitchin's beam dropped with a thud as he leaned down and placed a hand on her back, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she quickly responded, pushing herself up onto her elbows. "I don't know what just happened."
"You probably overdid it - you did just get off bed rest," he admonished her.
Nami twisted around, grabbing onto Hitchin's wrist in order to pull herself up. Her bust brushed against his open palm and the teen leaned in closer, her stare meeting his own. "Couldn't you at least give me the name of someone I can speak to about getting a map?"
Hitchin gulped. "Well..."
000
Despite her stubborn insistence to the contrary, Nami quickly found that there were indeed limits to sheer determination. Not long after her discussion with Hitchin, the surveyor went up to her cartography room to begin cranking the massive pile of source material awaiting her into charts only to stop midway into her first map due to the throbbing pain in her shoulder. Nami took a coffee break and busied herself with other tasks until the ache subsided, however as soon as she felt well enough to continue the pain quickly returned.
No matter how conservative she was with her movements, Nami's entire right arm was in agony by the time her second chart was nearly complete. The girl groaned, knowing she couldn't continue the way she was. When she went down to Renado's office to request some painkillers, she was briskly told to stop working on maps for at least two weeks before being promptly dismissed.
Two weeks!
There was no way she could remain stuck at Arlong Park for two weeks - especially when she wasn't even being productive. She couldn't even return home to convalesce with Nojiko thanks to stupid Kuroobi and his relentless suspicions. Nami looked around at the already bloated collection of volumes surrounding her - it wasn't as if everything would suddenly stand still and wait for her wounds to heal. She'd already heard talk about Arlong preparing to make a journey of some significance to collect key data for her while new tomes were coming in every day from other crew members. It would take months before she could slog through the backlog.
Meanwhile, she was so close to reaching her goal, even after losing the eight million. She couldn't stand the thought of staying away from the sea for so long. All the time she'd spent bedridden her mind kept returning to the events that had led to her current predicament, replaying all the mistakes she'd made. Her mental state only slipped further into darkness as doubt crept in to condemn her.
A disheartened Nami went down to her boat to inspect it for leaks and other damage. Just as she feared, there were many places in need of caulking. She'd have to address them soon or else abandon the vessel for something more reliable. Nami approached Kaneshiro for assistance, but the shipwright was too wrapped up with making repairs around the fort to bother with her boat, so she did her best to patch it herself.
Before long, dizzy and exhausted, Nami collapsed in her cabin where she slept until evening. She awoke sore and to the despair that she'd accomplished nothing of any significance. Staring blankly out at the dark water, she wondered how long it would be before she could sail again. With only 15 million left to go the careless waves lapping against her stationary vessel tormented her even more than her throbbing shoulder.
She felt a heavy thud as the boat rocked with the weight of someone boarding.
"Ah, so there you are," Arlong's abrasively barnacled voice resounded behind her.
Nami gave no acknowledgement of his presence.
"Well, I'm heading out for a few days come tomorrow. Anything you'd like me to bring back for you?"
"A boat that doesn't leak," she responded dully.
"You don't need to worry about that for a while," dismissed the shark-man, "On top of that, I don't want to hear about you trying to draw any maps before I get back. You need to follow Renado's orders and rest for a couple of weeks. You can get started on your work after that."
With no energy left to argue with him, the girl sighed as she stared out at the water.
Arlong snorted. "The treasure will still be out there once you're caught up - so stop sulking."
"What if it isn't," she quipped, "nothing is ever certain; for all I know this is the only chance I'll ever get."
"It can't be helped," he teased flippantly. "Everything has to be so dramatic when dealing with a teenage girl. Now, behave yourself. Or else." He uttered a final chuckle before stepping off the side and disappearing into the night.
She found he meant what he'd said when she approached the cartography room the following day to find Gil stationed outside the door - this time preventing her from entering rather than leaving. Nami spent the remainder of the day puttering around her boat and napping.
Later, she visited Kaneshiro in the lumber yard where she attempted yet again to coax him into repairing her craft until the aggravated goldfish-man threatened to scrap the vessel if she didn't quit pestering him. For the remainder of the week, Nami kept busy by scouring the papers on anything pirate or Navy related. After convincing Gil to let her back into the cartography room on the condition that she wouldn't draw maps, she organized her data for quicker access in preparation to dive seamlessly back into production.
She also managed to slip in a brief visit with Nojiko (and Belle-Mere). She did her best to assure the older girl she was doing fine even though Nami doubted her overtly upbeat act fooled her elder sister. With each passing year it became more obvious to Nami that she would never be fine again until every last berry was earned, and her village liberated once and for all. Until then, the best she could do was relentlessly put up a brave front while Nojiko duly played along.
Nami emerged mid-morning from her cabin, rubbing her stiff shoulder after a mediocre night's sleep. The first thing she did was check the boat's rail where she'd left a coin the night before. A paper now sat in its place. The girl smiled in satisfaction as she eagerly tucked the pages beneath one arm and disembarked for the mess hall.
Most of the food was already picked over by the time she arrived, nevertheless, Nami managed to scrape together a decent enough breakfast. She found an out-of-the-way seat at the corner of the table where she could read and eat in peace.
Nami perused through the latest bounty updates, finding nothing of great interest. She turned the page. Almost right away a headline jumped out at her and Nami shoved her nose into the paper, reading avidly:
"PIRATE CREW KILLED IN BAFFLING EXECUTION"
"Captain Nezumi of the Navy's 16th Branch reportedly took credit for the total eradication of a small band of pirates occupying the port town of Grapple off the Organ Islands' southeastern border. According to sources familiar with the incident, the crew known as the Long Pier Pirates attempted to raid the Naval vessel which crossed into their waters late Thursday, instigating harsh retaliation from the 16th Branch. While the Navy crew sustained no casualties, there were no known survivors among the pirates.
"I never saw any actual fighting," stated local business owner Sandy Plume, who was tending her beachfront shop at the time the fracas, "but something made me look out across the pier at one point and I saw the waves crashing red on the shore..."
The girl blinked in disbelief at a small photograph interrupting the article showing the badly damaged but unmistakable pier where she'd encountered the pirates who'd robbed her only weeks earlier. Nami hastily read on.
"...The Navy gave no statement regarding the whereabouts of the Long Piers' vessel of which no trace has been found. It is believed by locals to have been confiscated by the authorities. Captain Nezumi was not available for comment at the time of publication."
She set the paper aside as she distractedly took a bite of porridge. The shock of learning about the sudden brutal deaths of the men who'd beaten and robbed her was overshadowed by the strange circumstances surrounding their grim demise. Something about the story wasn't adding up. It certainly didn't sound like the Navy to kill so swiftly and stealthily, nor did she understand why such low-level pirates would try to attack a superior Naval force.
At last, dismissing the cryptic article, Nami returned to her paper, reading the remainder of it before heading back out to bathe and do some laundry while Nojiko worked in the grove. After leaving home, she returned to her boat where she crawled back into her cabin and brooded until she fell asleep once again. She awoke to her stomach gurgling, but Nami had little interest in food and no desire to emerge from her small dark fortress. Her thoughts retuned obsessively to future plans while she ran out her time tethered to Conomi. Gradually she willed herself to sit up, sliding out the door in search of a snack and perhaps something to help lull her back into unconsciousness.
Her heart sank as she trudged through the East Gate to the loud exclamations of several fishmen. She hoped she hadn't unwittingly walked in on some kind of celebration. She had no appetite for forced merriment today.
Nami balked in surprise to see Arlong hopping up onto the gangway from the pool amid shouts and cheers.
"Welcome back Arlong-san," greeted Hachi, " did you have a productive trip?"
"Very productive and very interesting," replied the shark-man as he walked over to his chair and received a bottle from Shioyaki. "What did I miss around here?"
"Ah, nothing," Choo assured him, "This place is as dull as ever."
The fishmen crowded around, exchanging quips with their captain as he guzzled his rum. Nami mentally counted the days since he'd first left, realizing with a start that it had already been seven. Quietly, she slipped off to get her own bottle of rum. When she attempted to slide back by, Arlong was quick to spot her.
"Hey Nami! Where're you rushing off to? Sit down and have a drink with us - I know you ain't got nothing better to do! Shahahaha!"
The girl grimaced before turning around. "Well, I probably could've had a decent amount of work done by now if you hadn't kept me out of the map room," she remarked.
"Don't worry, you'll have plenty of work to keep you busy soon enough," he winked, "I brought back lots of research material that I want you to concentrate on exclusively as soon as you're fit to start back."
Nami wordlessly uncorked her rum, taking an extra-long swig.
"Oh, that reminds me; I also brought back another surprise for you."
Reluctantly, she looked back up into his leering face. "You don't say," droned the teenager.
Arlong abruptly jumped to his feet, waving her along, "Come on, I left it outside the gate."
"Ooh, how interesting," offered Hachi as he and many of the other fishmen followed along with them.
Nami looked apprehensively around as they approached the South Gate, but She observed nothing out of ordinary.
All at once, Arlong leapt into the water, pushing his way through the thick metal doors before disappearing under the surface. Several minutes later he reappeared through them once again, lugging something large behind him into the outermost courtyard. She gaped at the pair of towering masts leading down to a handsome ketch.
Arlong hoisted himself aboard amid a round of clapping from the others.
"What d'ya think," he asked Nami, "is it an improvement to what you've already got?"
"Is that for me," she marveled disbelievingly, "you got me a boat?"
"You asked me for one, didn't ya?" he snorted.
"But where did it come from?"
"What do you care? It's yours now - unless, of course, you don't want it."
"No, I'll take it," she quickly cut in. "Uh, thanks."
The girl felt someone grab her by the back of her shirt.
"Ally oop, Nami," cried Pisaro, tossing her toward the sailboat.
She cried out as she hurtled toward the deck only to be caught midair and dropped onto her feet by a laughing Arlong. Nami spared him a dark look before inspecting her new vessel. Her mind whirled as she studied the planks pocked by grapeshot and dark dubious spatters. Something felt oddly familiar about the craft. She stepped toward the rail and spun slowly around, facing Arlong as he leaned indolently against the lofty mast. In his place, an image flashed before her mind of a group of five grimy men.
Realization dawned like a cold clear morning and Nami immediately knew the fate of the Long Pier Pirates and their missing boat. It actually made much more sense than the absurd story from the paper.