Ten minutes later.
Xiano stood with his arms crossed, glaring at his younger sister with a stern expression.
"...I looked down and saw her just as she had already eaten half of the Devil Fruit! The little fool was so afraid I'd take it back that she gobbled up the rest in a few quick bites!" Nojiko complained angrily from the side.
Nami crouched pitifully on the ground, her hands raised in surrender. "Brother, I'm sorry, I really know I was wrong... ugh!!" Before she could finish, her face suddenly twisted, and she turned to vomit violently, her small face scrunched up in misery. That Devil Fruit was way too disgusting!
"She's definitely a fool," Kuina sighed, rubbing her forehead. "She didn't even know that just one bite of a Devil Fruit is enough to activate its power."
"What?!" Nami's eyes widened in shock. So all that suffering was for nothing?
"You said you know you were wrong," Xiano said calmly. "So tell me, what exactly did you do wrong?"
"I... I shouldn't have taken the Devil Fruit that Nojiko found," Nami mumbled, not daring to look at Xiano's face. "Devil Fruits are rare and precious, and they can make people stronger. It's such a waste for someone like me to eat one..."
"Hmm?"
"And... and!" Nami hurriedly added, "I shouldn't have made Agin bring me here. I should've left him to guard the boat. What if some bad guys took advantage and targeted our ship?"
"Stop changing the subject!" Xiano snapped, losing his patience. "Is that what I want to hear? How did you sneak after us? What tricks did you use? And how did you manage to hide it from Bellemere?"
"It... it was the Log Pose..." Nami's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"The Log Pose? You tampered with it?" Xiano was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized what had happened. He laughed in exasperation, grabbing Nami by the back of her collar and lifting her up like a kitten.
"Well, well, you're quite the schemer for someone so young! What about home? You've been gone for at least ten days, right? Bellemere should've called me by now if you'd been missing for that long!"
"I... I told her!" Nami stubbornly retorted, her legs kicking wildly in the air. But under Xiano's glare, she quickly deflated like a punctured balloon.
"I did tell her, but... I said I was bored and wanted to stay at the Isshin Dojo for a while. She asked Genzo to take me there, and he even secretly followed me to make sure I entered the dojo gate before leaving."
"But as soon as I went in, I snuck out the back door and stole that Cola-Powered Boat from Master Koshiro's house. Then I followed you guys here..."
"You even stole something?!" Xiano's voice rose sharply in anger. "Who taught you to do that? How could you even think of doing such a thing!"
"It was the only reliable boat, I had no choice...Nami pouted, looking aggrieved. "And it's not really stealing, is it? I brought the boat to Kuina's place, after all."
"She's not wrong about that," Kuina sighed helplessly, rubbing her forehead. "But I'll have to call my father and let him know, so the dojo kids don't keep searching for the boat everywhere."
"Right, go ahead."
Xiano nodded and casually took out the Den Den Mushi, tossing it to Nami. "You go call Bellemere too and explain everything clearly!"
"Okay..."
Nami didn't dare to refuse. She was pushed aside and obediently started dialing the number.
If she had to choose between her clueless mother thousands of miles away and her furious brother right in front of her...
She shivered. Her brother seemed way scarier.
...
Not long after.
Nami, holding the Den Den Mushi, found Xiano and the others nearby, who were busy moving various treasures and goods.
"What did Ms. Bellemere say?" Zeff, carrying two large crates of liquor, teased. "Did she tell us to send you home right now?"
"Not likely."
Xiano, while counting the various treasure chests on the ground, shook his head slightly. "Remember to prepare an extra portion of meals from now on, Uncle Zeff. Our ship is destined to have another glutton on board."
"Huh??"
Nami stared wide-eyed at Xiano. "I haven't even said anything yet, Brother. How did you know?"
"Because that's just how Bellemere is."
Xiano didn't turn around, speaking calmly:
"Let me guess, she probably started by scolding you harshly, then stubbornly insisted on something like, 'If you feel miserable being left at home every day, then I'll only feel worse. So, for my sake, you heartless little brat, go follow your brother and chase your dreams! Don't come back and make me unhappy!' or some other sentimental nonsense that left you teary-eyed, wishing you could slap yourself in the middle of the night."
"..." Nami stood there dumbfounded, muttering, "How did you get it word for word?"
"When did you master Observation Haki?"
Zeff looked puzzled. He had just carefully observed and indeed found traces of dried tears at the corners of Nami's eyes.
"I don't know Observation Haki. As for how I knew, didn't I just say it..."
Xiano shook his head slightly, and Nojiko, who was carrying a box over, sighed almost simultaneously with her brother, saying—
"Because, that's just how Bellemere is..."
Zeff scratched his head in confusion, deciding it was better to just go back to his own work.
"So, Brother..." Nami cautiously glanced at Xiano's expression from the side. "Does that mean you agree to let me stay on the ship?"
"If you want me to send you back, I can do that too." Xiano glanced at her.
"No, no, that's fine!" Nami quickly shook her head, then tentatively asked, "But... are you really not mad at me anymore? You're not upset about me eating the Devil Fruit?"
"When did I ever blame you for eating the Devil Fruit?" Xiano frowned.
"Huh?"
Nami was taken aback. Thinking back, it was true—her brother had only been angry about her sneaking out without telling him and hadn't cared about the fruit at all.
"I know exactly what's going on in that little head of yours."
Xiano snorted, bending down to pinch her cheek. "You're just afraid of being seen as a burden. You thought that by eating a Devil Fruit, you'd at least be somewhat useful, so you wouldn't get kicked off the ship, right?"
The girl's skin was delicate and smooth, far from the plump, soft texture of years past. After pinching it a few times, Xiano found it uninteresting and let go.
"Is it..."
Nami murmured, realizing that in front of her brother, there were no secrets she could keep.
"How foolish."
Xiano said with a hint of annoyance, "This is my ship. Even if you were useless, just eating and sleeping all day, who would dare to complain?"
"Brother..." Just as Nami felt a tiny surge of gratitude toward her brother, she saw him suddenly pinch his nose in disgust.
"Tsk, look at you, all tattered and stinking. You must have had a rough time, huh? Serves you right. Maybe this will teach you a lesson. Next time, think twice before hiding things from me. Go on, follow Nojiko back to the ship and take a good bath. This isn't over yet. There's plenty of punishment waiting for you."
"Bingo! Bathing is the priority. Even Agin is about to be overwhelmed by your stench, Nami."
Nojiko said with a gentle smile, "Come with me. The ship has a special hot spring bath. It's very comfortable."
"..."
Looking at her brother, who was clearly disgusted, and her sister, who was smiling warmly, Nami stood still, blinking as if she had been transported back to the carefree days of her childhood in the orange grove.
Compared to the exhaustion and loneliness she had endured during the past half-month of drifting at sea, her nose suddenly felt a little sore.
She took a deep breath, lifted her face, and revealed the same radiant smile as before. "Yeah!"
...
Xiano stood quietly, watching his two sisters walk away, his eyes thoughtful.
So, it was the Flame-Flame Fruit they found?
A Logia-Type Ability is indeed quite rare.
He himself had no interest in eating it. It didn't align with his combat style, and his current strength was sufficient. He had no plans to become a Devil Fruit user.
If he ever decided to eat one in the future to push his physical limits, he would likely prioritize a Mythical Zoan that could enhance his physique.
As for the Flame-Flame Fruit, if it weren't for Nami's mishap, he had originally planned to give it to any crew member who showed interest.
But...
Xiano gazed into the distance, watching Nami chatter away to Nojiko, complaining about her hardships. He shook his head with a smile.
This might actually be for the best. At least with Elemental Transformation, few in the first half of the Grand Line would be able to harm her.
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