Evening.
Everyone returned to the ship after thoroughly scavenging the remains of the giant vessels.
Warm orange lights lit up, and the crew gathered on the deck. In just a few dozen minutes, Zeff had single-handedly prepared a lavish feast, leaving everyone wondering how he managed it.
"I know! He must have used his feet to shoot fire, increasing the heat!" Nami eagerly raised her hand to answer.
"Your brother just forgave you, and you're already itching for trouble, huh?"
Kuina flicked her finger toward Nami's forehead in annoyance, only to be stunned when her finger passed right through Nami's head.
"Neener neener!" Nami stuck out her tongue. "Can't hit me, can't hit me! This is the superpower of the Flame-Flame Fruit! You won't be able to bully me anymore!"
Thud!
The moment she finished speaking, she was punched squarely on the head.
"Ouch! That hurts!"
Nami clutched her head. "Brother, you lied! You said that Logia users can't be hit after Elemental Transformation, so why can you still hit me so hard?!"
"Because there's another power in this world called Haki."
Xiano, holding a plate, sat down expressionlessly. "Kuina and Zeff are already showing signs of mastering Armament Haki. Nojiko is a bit slower, but she'll probably be able to use it in a month or two."
"So that means…"
Nami grimaced. "I'm about to become the bottom of the food chain again, huh?"
Damn it!
She had just started figuring out a tiny bit of the Flame-Flame Fruit's abilities!
"Let's get to the point."
Xiano ignored her complaints and spoke while eating.
"The items we scavenged from the giant shipwrecks are even more valuable than expected. Aside from supplies and books, the treasures alone are worth over 100 million Berries. Everyone's worked hard all day, so let's rest early tonight. Tomorrow, we'll figure out how to escape this strange Whirlpool Current."
"Wait until tomorrow?" Nami was surprised this time. "Can't we leave right after dinner? I've already figured out the pattern of the Whirlpool Current."
"You've figured it out?!"
The others looked at her in astonishment.
"What, don't believe me?"
Nami puffed out her chest proudly. "I only let the whirlpool carry me here to find you guys on the island. Otherwise, I would've already escaped. Just wait, I'll show you what a true genius navigator looks like!"
After dinner.
Nami immediately got to work, grabbing a pencil and sketching a map of the surrounding sea while muttering to herself:
"First, head north for about five kilometers, then make a sharp right turn. After about a minute, when the current slows down at the intersection, change direction again…"
Half an hour later.
As the distant outline of the island gradually faded from view, everyone turned to stare in awe at the orange-haired girl, who stood with her hands on her hips, beaming with pride.
"We… we really escaped…"
She wasn't exaggerating after all?!
"Damn it…"
The Master Swordsman girl slumped, clutching her head in frustration. "I've been racking my brain for so long and couldn't figure it out. How can the gap between people be this big…"
"Hehe, we're about the same, about the same," Nami whispered comfortingly into Kuina's ear. "But Sister Kuina, I'm afraid you'll have to step down from your position as navigator."
"Damn it!!" Kuina let out a rare cry of frustration, tilting her head back, experiencing for the first time what it felt like to be the fool Zoro.
Xiano wasn't surprised and smiled with satisfaction.
In the original timeline of the manga, Nami had grown up under harsh conditions but had shown remarkable talent as a navigator from an early age.
In this life, with his full support, she had been able to focus on her interests since childhood.
She had access to all kinds of books and materials, her horizons were broader, and he always took her along on his travels to broaden her experience.
Her skills in navigation and charting were naturally far more mature than they had been at the same age in the original timeline.
"Kuina, what do you say?" he asked with a smile, looking at the black-haired girl.
"Ah, I admit it," Kuina sighed. "It seems I'll have to focus on being a combatant from now on..."
Nojiko glanced at her, thinking, why does this sour tone suddenly sound so much like me?
"Then it's settled. From now on, Nami will officially take over as the ship's navigator!" Xiano announced. "Let's go, set sail, and head full speed to our final destination in the East Blue, Loguetown!"
"Yes, Captain!"
...
The sails billowed, and under Nami's control, the ship cut through the waves, heading full speed toward Loguetown, which was in the same direction as the entrance to Reverse Mountain.
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Kuina was very interested in the books they had obtained from the giant ship. Not long after finishing her meal, she went into the cabin to study them.
Meanwhile, Nami, after the ship had stabilized, was sent by Xiano to the kitchen to help Zeff wash dishes and clean up as punishment for her willful act of leaving home without permission.
"By the way, brother," Nojiko handed him a newspaper.
"While you were still in the Ant Nest Cave this afternoon, a News Bird flew by, so I bought a newspaper. The front page says something big has happened in the latter half of the Grand Line, in that place called the New World."
Something big in the New World?
Xiano took the newspaper with curiosity and was immediately drawn to the headline, which read in bold letters:
"Red-Haired Shanks Becomes the New Sea Emperor, the Four Emperors of the New World Now Complete!"
So the Three Emperors have finally become Four?
Xiano stared at the photos in the newspaper—Shanks, Ben Beckman, Yasopp... familiar faces. He couldn't help but narrow his eyes, wondering when it would be his turn to stand on a stage of that level...
"Brother?" Nojiko, seeing him lost in thought, asked curiously, "You seem very familiar with this Red-Haired guy. Do you know him? Have you had any dealings with him?"
"...Dealings?"
Xiano, in a daze, recalled that turbulent night and nodded, feeling a bit emotional:
"Yes, he once gave me a helping hand."
...
At the same time.
A luxurious cruise ship, escorted by three Navy warships, was crossing the Calm Belt from the South Blue into the East Blue.
The warships on either side bore their base numbers, but the middle warship had only the blue scale and seagull emblem on its white sails.
—It was unmistakably from the Marine Headquarters at Marineford.
On the bow deck.
"..." Smoker clenched two cigars between his teeth, leaning against the railing as he gazed at the luxurious cruise ship hosting an extravagant banquet. He let out a deep sigh.
"What's the matter? After all these days, are you still upset with those kings?"
A cold chuckle came from behind. Smoker turned around just in time to see a tall figure draped in a white Justice cloak, with messy, spider-like long hair, striding over with a cigarette in his mouth.
(End of Chapter)