On the boundless sea.
The Going Merry was sailing steadily toward a familiar direction. Nami stared at the treasure piled on the deck, secretly doing the math in her head.
With this much loot… it should keep the tangerine grove running for a long, long time.
And if the grove could keep going, then her family would finally be free from Buggy's pirates. They could live happily for a long time.
Thinking that, Nami felt a rush of relief.
Thank goodness she'd run into the Straw Hat crew. Those people were accomplices of that man whose name was AOS. Having their ship stolen was what they deserved.
After all, her family had been threatened and controlled because that guy liked tangerines.
Humming a little tune, Nami steered the Going Merry closer and closer to Cocoyasi Village.
But as she neared the shore, something felt wrong.
"What is that?!"
Cocoyasi Village was strange today.
Normally, even though Buggy's crew harassed them often, life was still barely manageable. People would curse under their breath, grit their teeth, and endure.
But now… everyone's face looked awful, as if they'd heard something they couldn't accept.
Once the Going Merry docked, Nami jumped off and hurried to a villager.
"Huh… Nami, it's…"
"Go home, now. Buggy's pirates are here again!!!"
Shock flashed in Nami's eyes.
She knew the routine. Buggy's men only came on certain days each month to pick out tangerines.
But it wasn't time yet.
Why were they here today?!
"Damn it…"
Clenching her teeth, Nami's chest tightened with a terrible premonition. She sprinted toward home.
And sure enough.
The place was packed so tightly with pirates you could barely breathe. At the front stood a man dressed like a clown.
"Hey!!! Buggy the Clown, don't push it too far!!!"
Bellemere held a gun, facing down the pirates surrounding them. Nojiko stood at the doorway, helpless and pale as she watched.
But it was obvious.
Bellemere raising her gun didn't help. It only darkened the pirates' expressions, especially Buggy's.
"Hah?! Who cares about you?!"
Buggy snapped, mouth stretched wide with fury as his body split apart in an instant.
Before anyone could react, one separated hand holding a dagger slashed Bellemere's hand.
Her gun clattered to the ground.
The pirates stared at them with hostile eyes. Buggy exploded into rage.
"Things aren't like before anymore! Before, that pathetic amount of tangerines was never enough."
"I, Buggy-sama, declare that starting today, the amount you hand over doubles!"
"And the quality cannot drop even a little!"
Buggy was no good person.
And the treasure he had, the loot he'd dug up and stolen with his own hands, why would he ever pay for it?
Which meant…
The doubled, outrageous cultivation cost for those "perfect tangerines" would still fall on Nami's family of three.
A sum so huge that even if the village wanted to help, they simply couldn't.
Just then, Nami stepped out from the crowd. Her face was cold enough to freeze the air.
She stared at Buggy's crew.
"Buggy!!! You know how much it costs to grow those tangerines!!!"
"I'm the navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates. Our ship is full of Ozz's juniors, people Ozz recognizes. You don't want to offend them and then have Ozz…"
Years of surviving on the sea had given Nami acting skills and a brain that could turn on a dime.
She'd come up with this plan while running home.
Borrowing a tiger's might to scare a fox.
From what she'd seen, even someone as terrifying, as nearly unbeatable as "Hawk Eyes" showed respect when Ozz's name came up.
And Buggy, an East Blue pirate, had been sending tangerines to Ozz all this time.
That meant this small-time clown had to be trying to curry favor.
So if she claimed her captain and crewmates were all close to Ozz…
Maybe she could scare Buggy into backing off.
Her logic was perfect. Her expression was confident, smug even.
Like she'd already won.
But in the next second…
"Hahahahahahahaha!!!"
After a brief pause, Buggy's men burst into roaring laughter all at once. The noise crashed over her like a wave, instantly shattering the smile on Nami's face.
Her expression stiffened. She couldn't understand what they were laughing at.
Only Buggy looked displeased.
"Hah?! You think you can just say Ozz's name like that? Call him Ozz-sama!"
"And you want to compare your relationship with Ozz to mine?!"
Buggy planted his hands on his hips, flashing a cocky, vicious grin.
"Me?"
"I'm Ozz's best friend!!!"
Those words hit Nami like a cannonball.
Her face drained, then twisted, as if all strength and every last trick had been ripped away. In despair, even her anger turned raw.
"Why?!"
"Even normal tangerines taste good! Why do you force us to grow these so-called perfect ones?! And now you want double the amount?!"
Tears streamed down Nami's cheeks as she screamed, collapsing under the weight of it all.
"You've stolen so many tangerines already! Even if you squeezed them into juice, it'd be enough to build a swimming pool! Enough for that Ozz to drink until he throws up!!!"
She didn't understand.
What kind of person demanded an endless supply of tangerines, in insane quantities, and with a quality that had to be flawless?
But then Buggy answered casually, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"The tangerines from before?"
Buggy shrugged, completely indifferent.
"Of course I threw them out once they expired. Ozz never came back, so I had to keep stock ready. I can't use expired fruit to fulfill our old promise, can I?"
"But now that Ozz is back, obviously I have to prepare even more!!!"
"Ozz was shocked by my perfect orange juice, you know! Hahahahahahahaha!!!"
Buggy laughed wildly, not caring at all about the look on Nami's family's faces.
All these years.
All the effort.
All the risk, the danger, the desperation it took to grow those high-quality tangerines…
And they were all…
Thrown away once they expired?
Just because Buggy wanted to keep them "ready," waiting for someone who might return one day?
People don't share the same joys or sorrows.
Buggy didn't care what Nami's family felt. He only cared about keeping his promise.
And Nami's family could only feel one thing:
They'd paid a price this heavy…
For a reason this ridiculous.
What kind of joke was that?!
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