"Will eating this really give me the power to defeat Arlong…?"
Nami murmured softly, hesitant.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Reno—
She just had no real concept of what Devil Fruits could do.
How could something so small grant that kind of power?
"It's absolutely true," Reno replied with unwavering certainty.
Even without fully mastering the Weather Fruit, defeating Arlong would be as easy as squashing a bug.
"Go on, Nami! Don't waste the captain's good intentions," Makino encouraged with a gentle smile.
"Once you eat it, you'll be able to protect everyone."
"Exactly!" Kaya chimed in. "I became strong thanks to the Devil Fruit Reno-nii gave me!"
"Protect everyone…"
The image of her adoptive mother, Bell-mère, flashed through Nami's mind.
Her gaze sharpened. Her heart hardened.
"I'll eat it."
She took the Weather Fruit from Reno's hands and, under the eager gazes of the crew, took a big bite.
"Mmm! It's sweet!"
Her eyes sparkled instantly.
For something that looked so strange, it actually tasted… amazing.
Her mood lifted almost immediately.
"Nami, the captain's really been good to you. Maybe you shouldn't be so mean to him," Makino teased, gently brushing Nami's bangs aside.
"I heard Devil Fruits can sell for 100 million beli on the black market."
"W-Wait—what?!"
"One hundred million?!"
Nami froze mid-chew, stunned.
That Fruit she just devoured was worth 100 million?!
The same amount she'd been working eight years to gather for her village?
Reno chuckled. "That's just for regular Devil Fruits.
This one's worth more than a billion."
And that was a conservative estimate.
If one of the powerful factions in the New World learned about the Weather Fruit, they'd pay any price to get it.
Even just wind and lightning—taken to the extreme—could elevate someone to the level of a top-tier powerhouse.
A billion?
The thing she just finished eating was worth a billion?!
Nami stood frozen in place.
Then—
Reno noticed her eyes beginning to shimmer again.
Another emotional dam was about to burst.
"You wouldn't even let me keep 10 million," Nami choked, trying to hold it together.
"I don't believe you! You're lying! You're always smooth-talking me!"
Still, she kept chewing the last bite.
Then—
Sniffle... sob...
She couldn't hold back anymore.
Why… why is this bastard being so good to me…?!
For eight long years, no one had ever made her feel this seen, this valued.
Then Reno's voice gently echoed beside her:
"It's just a Devil Fruit, Nami. In my eyes, you're priceless. You deserve to have it."
Nami let out a sob and lightly pounded his chest with her fists.
"You jerk… don't make me cry anymore!"
Kaya and Makino giggled softly from the side.
Reno caught her delicate fists, then gently pulled her into his embrace and wiped her tears.
"Alright, now close your eyes. Try to feel the new power inside you."
Nami nodded without resistance.
"Remember, the one you just ate is called the Weather Fruit—and as a navigator, I know you're no stranger to the weather," Reno explained.
"There are many elements within the weather, but I suggest you focus on three for now:
Wind, Lightning, and Clouds."
"Wind and Lightning for attack—Clouds for defense. Two offense, one defense. Got it?"
He was serious now.
Reno wasn't just pampering her—
He was planning to mold Nami into one of his key fighters.
On their journey ahead, they would inevitably encounter formidable enemies.
Having strong combatants would be essential.
Among the powerful women he planned to recruit, Nami would be the spearhead.
"I'll do whatever you say," Nami nodded obediently.
She could already feel it—
The moment she ate the fruit, something inside her shifted.
Wind. Rain. Thunder. Lightning. Mist. Snow. Fog.
She could sense it all, shifting at will inside her.
"Try using lightning," Reno instructed.
Nami's eyes lit up. She smirked.
"Alright then—Lightning Strike!"
With a sharp cry, several bolts of silver lightning suddenly crashed into the sea dozens of meters ahead.
Waves surged from the impact.
"W-Wow! Nami-nee is amazing!!" Kaya clapped her hands in awe.
"Storm Blast!"
Nami followed up instantly, launching a twisting gust of wind that tore across the surface of the ocean, sending up pillars of spray.
"Cloud Wall!"
"Century Snow!"
"Rain Arrows!"
One after another, Nami unleashed a flurry of basic elemental techniques.
They were all beginner-level moves—accessible to anyone right after eating the fruit.
Like the lightning strike—it looked flashy, but the bolts were thin and covered only a small area.
Still, it was enough to paint a clear picture of her potential.
In time, with training, those very same moves would become catastrophes.
After finishing her showcase, Nami stood frozen.
She was in a daze.
In her eyes, Arlong had always been the strongest thing in the world.
But that only applied to living creatures.
As a gifted navigator, Nami understood one thing better than anyone:
Natural disasters…
Were beyond the strength of any living being.
Even Arlong couldn't stand against the full force of a storm.
And now—
She had that power.
Because of Reno.
More tears slipped down her cheeks.
"Sniff… R-Reno, you're too good to me…"
Sobbing with joy, Nami lunged into his arms.
She believed it now—
That Fruit really was worth over a billion.
Reno chuckled softly. "Careful. Cry too much and your face won't look as pretty."
But deep down, he could feel it—
Nami's heart had shifted.
"You jerk," she pouted, wiping her tears. "You've made me cry so many times today."
"Hey now," Reno grinned. "I gave you such a rare Devil Fruit. How do you plan on repaying me?"
Nami paused, smirked… then stepped forward and opened her arms.
"Come on, Captain. Today, I'll let you enjoy to your heart's content."