"Nami, let me go!"
"What's the problem? You look pretty cute as a little kid." Nami laughed, delighted.
The instant she saw Luffy's side effect, she'd made up her mind not to agonize over things.
Having Luffy and the others help was still too risky. With how cruel Arlong's crew was, they wouldn't show mercy.
One slip and you'd be killed.
After this last job she'd have a full hundred million Berries—enough to buy Cocoyasi Village back from Arlong.
Then she'd come be their navigator… Consider it an advance investment on her salary.
"Nami, you'll regret this," Luffy said, dead-eyed.
Do you know how precious rare rest time is? And you're playing "lift me up."
Besides, he'd just unlocked a passive—this shrinking side effect would fade fast.
Don't blame me for not warning you.
"Hee-hee, I won't regret it. Whoever regrets it is a little dog."
"Worried you'll lose your captainly dignity? Don't worry."
Not that there was much to begin with.
She'd finally caught a chance to tease Luffy, and Nami's mood brightened.
Just as she was about to set him down—
suddenly
little Luffy got big.
Nami didn't have time to react. Her pupils shrank.
"Luffy?!"
She shrieked. Flustered, she didn't know where to grab. His weight dropped straight onto her.
Then, like a little Cat Burglar, she clawed around on instinct.
Luffy wasn't the bulkiest type, but his muscle density was about like Zoro's—built bit by bit since childhood—and for Nami that weight was impossible to shove off.
"Mm!"
When she opened her eyes, Luffy was sprawled on top of her.
They didn't end up in one of those "convenient" situations with lips perfectly touching; his head rested at her neck, breathing steadily.
"Not there! That'll cause trouble!"
Warm breath on her neck—Nami's face went scarlet.
A tingling shiver.
It was her first time that close to a man.
Especially pinned and unable to move, the feeling was stronger.
"Luffy! Get up!" she cried, cheeks burning.
This feeling, it—
"Told you you'd regret it," Luffy said.
"Fine, I regret it!"
"Then bark like a little dog?" he said, smug.
Nami ground her teeth, grabbed whatever her hand landed on, and Luffy howled in pain.
"Sorry, sorry!"
"But I really can't help it. The side effect's still there. My body's back, but I can't move. Have Usopp help," Luffy said, suddenly meek.
So cursed.
If she didn't know his brain was a single straight line, Nami would've thought he was taking advantage on purpose.
And she had no excuse—she was the one who wanted to lift him, and he'd warned her.
Nami: "…"
When you're truly speechless, you can only laugh.
"Zoro, Usopp—give me a hand," Nami said, glancing aside. But the two who'd been right there were nowhere to be seen.
"Pirates! Come out!"
From Luffy's angle, he could see what happened.
A man in glasses with a machete appeared on deck.
A big 海 character was carved on the left.
"You planning to kill my friends? Just a bunch of pirates?"
"Hey—Johnny, why are you here?!" Zoro was stunned.
"Zoro-aniki?!"
Johnny, like he'd found his backbone, ran to Zoro sobbing out a complaint.
He and Yosaku called themselves the Blade God and Sword Saint.
But because of a damned illness, Yosaku was about to leave him. They were planning to rest up on Rocky Hill when a cannonball flew over.
He and Zoro together carried the badly injured Yosaku aboard.
"What the—?" Luffy blurted.
Usopp was spooked too.
Luffy had bounced a cannonball; he'd fired one as well—who knew whose fault this was now.
Nami flinched at Luffy's exclamation, thinking he meant something else.
Listening carefully to Johnny's description, she forced herself to speak. "Sounds like ordinary scurvy. Go get him some limes to eat."
Usopp tumbled off to fetch them. A few limes down and the half-dead Yosaku revived at once.
T-thank goodness!
"Now is feeding time. Begin thirty minutes of food intake immediately."
Luffy had just relaxed. Hearing that voice, he jolted and shouted, "Come help me! Get food ready—now!"
Nami blinked, still not sure what was happening. Then she felt something, a blush blooming over her face like fine rain on pear blossoms.
Strength exploded through her. She pounded Luffy flying.
In the galley,
Nami wiped the moisture from the corner of her lips and glared at Luffy as he wolfed food down.
"Remember everything you did today!"
"Huh? I didn't do anything," Luffy said, shoveling food in without looking up.
Anger practically steamed off Nami's head; she clenched her fists.
Deep breath. Deep breath.
At least she'd made some money just now, right?
Johnny and Yosaku, like Zoro before, were bounty hunters—and very grateful to Nami.
"Just give her the money," Luffy said between bites, still managing to put in a word for Nami.
Like he knew her so well.
Nami muttered under her breath.
But he wasn't wrong.
"Luffy-aniki, aren't you eating too much?" Johnny said. "Will we have enough food aboard?"
It was his first time seeing a man stuff his belly to such an extravagant degree.
No wonder he was Zoro-aniki's captain.
"On long voyages we have to manage food and nutrition. If you binge like this, we'll be broke fast," Nami said helplessly.
She felt like if she left, Luffy would starve to death.
"…We'll just go rob some later. I have to eat for half an hour," Luffy said stubbornly. "Or something big will happen!"
By "something big," do you mean what you just did to me?
Nami nearly snapped her pen while writing the log.
"We really do need a cook."
"If you're looking for that kind of guy, I know a good place," Johnny said, leaning in.
"Where?" Zoro asked.
"Very close to the Grand Line. They say the hawk-eyed man you've been looking for shows up around there."
The floating restaurant—Baratie!
Zoro gripped his swords, thrilled.
Right then, full and satisfied, Luffy grabbed Zoro's shoulder. "Let's go another round!"