Half a month later, we’re back in East Blue at Loguetown’s port, the salty air thick with the promise of new bounties. I’ve already collected Kryhiss’s fifty-million-beri reward from the South Blue Marines, but there’s extra cash to pick up from Smoker here. After paying off the two sailors and sending them home, it’s just Nami and me on the deck of our small ship, sitting across from each other.
“Thirty million,” Nami says, holding up three fingers, her eyes glinting with greed.
I shake my head. “No way. Five million, tops.”
“Five million?!” she snaps, glaring like I’ve stolen her soul. “That’s way too low! Who haggles like that?”
“And who demands a cut like that, dear navigator?” I retort, exasperated. “You ever hear of a job where the bonus is triple your pay? What are you, a real estate shark?”
“Uh… well…” Nami falters, clearly thrown. She doesn’t know what a real estate shark is, but my tone tells her it’s no compliment. She sighs, relenting. “Fine, twenty-five million. That’s my final offer.”
I raise one finger. “Ten million.”
Nami’s face twists, her temper flaring. “Hey! Don’t push it, John! Without me, you’d never have reached South Blue or completed your mission!”
“We already settled your navigation fee at ten million,” I shoot back, seeing through her game. “This is about your cut. Don’t try to blur the lines, Nami.”
She flushes, caught. “Well… I went with you to Half Crescent Island! I risked my life up there, boss!” she says, leaning into the guilt trip.
“Risked your life?” I laugh, half-amused, half-incredulous. “You picked a few locks in the prison. I had Bonney watching your back the whole time in that fortress. Where’s the ‘life and death’ part?”
Her cheeks redden. She knows I’m right. I kept her out of harm’s way on that island, even telling Bonney to guard her during the worst of it. She didn’t face a single real threat, thanks to me. My loyalty to her safety—whatever my reasons—makes her squirm now, knowing she’s trying to squeeze me for more beri. Guilt flickers in her eyes.
Unable to argue, she forces an awkward smile, her voice softening. “Okay, fine. Twenty-four million, nine hundred ninety-nine thousand beri. Deal?”
I nearly choke on my own spit. “You drive a hard bargain, Nami,” I say, glaring. “Ten million, final offer. And since I don’t need this ship anymore, you can take it.”
She sighs, her shoulders slumping like she’s lost a war. “Fine. Deal.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re the one making out like a bandit here. Stop acting like I robbed you.”
Soon, I hand over twenty million beri and the sea chart, and we unload my gear onto the port. Nami’s in high spirits, humming as she heads back to the ship. This trip was a goldmine for her. With her prior savings of about ninety million, plus the ten million fee, ten million cut, and the ship, she’s hit her 100 million beri goal to free her village—and has ten million extra to spare.
“Hey, Nami,” I call out, hesitating as she starts to walk away.
She turns, curious. “What’s up?”
“You’ve got your 100 million beri now, right? Ready to buy back your village?”
Her eyes widen, suspicion creeping in. “How… how do you know about that?” Her guard’s up, voice sharp. “What’s your deal with Arlong?”
“Relax,” I say, waving a hand. “I’m a bounty hunter. I’ve got my sources, so I know a bit about your situation. If I’ve got any ‘deal’ with Arlong, it’s hunter and prey. His bounty’s over ten million—right in my wheelhouse.”
She exhales, tension easing slightly. “Then why bring it up?”
I pause, choosing my words. “How about another job together? You need 100 millon beri to buy your village from Arlong, right? Give me the money, and I’ll take him out. Since we’re pals, I’ll even do it for half—fifty million. Saves you fifty million. Tempting, huh?”
Her eyes light up, the deal clearly tempting her. But then her face falls, and she shakes her head with a long sigh. “No, thanks. I’ll handle this myself.”
I blink, surprised. “You’re passing up a chance to save fifty million? That’s not like you.”
She climbs onto the ship, her expression serious. “Arlong’s crew isn’t as simple as you think, John.”
I get it. She’s seen Arlong’s brutality up close—his fishman strength, his savage cruelty. She hasn’t seen what I’m truly capable of, so she doubts I can take him. It’s not arrogance on her part, just fear born of experience.
I smirk, leaning in. “Am I crazy, or are you actually worried about me?”
“Tch, don’t flatter yourself!” she snaps, turning away, her cheeks pink. “I’m just worried you’ll lose to Arlong and drag my village into it. Plus, I’m not letting you fleece me!” She sticks out her tongue, making a face.
Her ship pulls away from the port, and she leans on the railing, waving. “See you around, bounty hunter!”