Nami gave a soft hum and said to Alex,
When did this woman become so kindhearted, even willing to spend money to help me buy something?
Alex stared at Nami in shock, as if he'd just seen a ghost.
"What's with that expression? If you don't want it, then fine, I won't bother with you. You can just live your whole life in the shadow of being a thief."
After saying that, Nami turned around to leave.
Live your whole life in the shadow of being a thief… that phrase suits you far better, woman.
Alex thought that if Nami was willing to pay for it, that would be for the best — better to buy it openly than keep something stolen. No harm in trying.
"Uh, hey, don't be in such a rush to go. Let's go settle this together."
Alex grabbed Nami and led her to find Kaya.
A while later, the two arrived at Kaya's room, only to find her staring blankly out the window, completely unaware of their presence. Alex had to knock on the door.
Still no reaction.
Helpless, Alex coughed loudly several times before Kaya finally noticed them.
After inviting them in, Kaya smiled at Alex.
"I called you here because I have a few things I'd like to ask of you."
"What is it?"
Alex was puzzled. His relationship with Kaya was just average — actually a bit worse than Usopp's. Why would she ask him for help?
"Usopp is leaving the village today to go out to sea and become a pirate. If he goes with you, I'll feel much more at ease."
As she said this, she glanced at the window, recalling the times Usopp would stand on the big tree outside and spin his tall tales. A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"I'd like to ask you to take good care of Usopp. He loves to brag, and sometimes he acts recklessly. I just want him to live well. I don't want him to face any danger."
"Miss Kaya, you're underestimating Usopp. He's not the kind of weakling who constantly needs looking after. If he joins us, then we'll be crewmates, and helping each other is natural."
Alex's face grew serious.
"But I'm afraid I can't promise you that. If Usopp truly decides to sail with us, the one most responsible for his life… is himself. If he's always under protection, he'll never grow stronger, and he'll never fulfill his dream of becoming a brave warrior of the sea. You think you're helping him, but you'd actually be hurting him!"
"Why do you have to say it so bluntly? Can't you be more tactful?"
Nami frowned when she saw Kaya's smile freeze at Alex's words. This man was so straightforward it hurt.
"I'm just telling the truth. And honestly, I don't even have the ability to guarantee Usopp's safety forever. None of us know what dangers the sea might hold. If I make such an impossible promise lightly, how can I live with myself?"
Alex said earnestly to Nami.
"Haha!"
Kaya suddenly covered her mouth and laughed softly.
"You really are someone I can trust. Then let's consider the first request complete."
"The second thing is… very important to me."
Not giving Alex a chance to speak, she continued,
"It's about the fishing rod you took from my house—"
"We want to buy it! Is that okay? That thing is very important to him."
Before Kaya could finish, Nami blurted out.
"You really intend to buy it?"
Kaya gave them both a strange look.
"Is there… a problem with that?"
Nami felt a twinge of unease but asked anyway.
A minute later—
"What!? You're saying that fishing rod is worth at least 270 million Berries!?"
Both Alex and Nami clutched their heads in shock, mouths wide open enough to fit an egg.
Cold sweat trickled down Nami's forehead. She'd thought a fishing rod would be, at most, a million Berries — painful, but doable. She could've just forced Alex to pay her back ten- or a hundred-fold later. But this… this was far beyond what she imagined, and it nearly made her want to hit someone.
"Yes. That fishing rod was custom-made for my father before he passed. It was designed for catching giant Sea Kings, and it's made from a special metal unique to the West Blue called Skyshift."
Kaya continued,
"This Skyshift metal shrinks to a fraction of its size in low-air environments, but when exposed to air, it returns to its full size. So the rod you see now, only about twenty centimeters long, can extend to nearly twenty meters when fully deployed."
"In other words, inside that short rod are multiple segments made from the same Skyshift metal, stored inside until they're exposed to air and expand instantly."
Alex finally understood why it could shrink so short yet extend so far.
"Skyshift metal isn't quite as hard as the world's hardest diamond, but it's about 80% as strong. Breaking it is extremely difficult."
Looking at the short, silver-gray fishing rod in Alex's hands, Kaya's expression turned serious.
"So, I'll ask again — do you really want to buy it?"
"Buy!"
Nami answered without hesitation.
Alex had been ready to give it up — such an expensive item, just taken like that, made him feel uneasy. He had thought it was maybe worth a hundred thousand Berries, a tiny loss for someone as wealthy as Kaya, especially after he'd helped solve the Kuro problem. But this… this was far beyond what he'd guessed.
It also proved Nami's skill at valuing treasure was sharper than his — even if she was wildly off this time too.
"Do you even have that much money?"
Alex asked, a flicker of hope in his voice.
"Nope!"
Nami's casual answer immediately deflated him.
"We'll pay on credit!"
Nami said firmly to Kaya.
She'll never agree to that… Alex thought.
But before he could finish the thought, Kaya said,
"Alright, as long as it's useful to you."
"You only took the rod itself. I can give you its attachments as well — for free — if you agree to one condition."
Alex's eyes lit up. If the rod was that good, its attachments must be equally valuable. That would give him both a weapon and a fishing tool.
"In fact," Kaya continued, "this rod was designed for Sea Kings, so of course it isn't that simple. My father's wish was to catch an enormous Sea King with it, but he passed away before he could."
"As long as you promise to use this rod to catch a giant Sea King and have Usopp bring it back, I'll give you the rod and all its attachments for free."
"No problem! I promise I'll catch the largest Sea King in the world to fulfill your father's wish."
Alex thumped his chest. The request didn't seem unreasonable — though he couldn't quite figure out why Usopp had to be the one to bring it back.
Nami, however, quickly understood — Kaya wanted Alex stronger, so that Usopp would be safer traveling with him. It was her way of looking out for him without holding him back.
Not having to pay a single Berry for such a valuable set was truly a windfall.
"I'm really jealous of you two," Kaya suddenly said with a smile. "Being able to sail together."
"What are you talking about? My sailing has nothing to do with this idiot."
Nami's face flushed, and she pointed at Alex, who was fiddling with the rod beside her.
"What did you call me that for, out of nowhere!?"
Alex snapped, putting the rod away.
"You two get along so well."
Kaya gave them a mysterious smile, then, blushing slightly, raised both index fingers and mimed a kissing gesture.
"That day you two fell from the sky — I saw everything. You two… did this, right?"
"Nani!?"
Alex and Nami shouted in unison, frozen in place as they stared at Kaya's two touching fingers — like a pair of lovers kissing. In an instant, they were both petrified…
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