After the banquet, the villagers dispersed one by one. The "Paradise" once occupied by "Arlong and his crew" had now temporarily become Bahr's resting place.
With nothing to do that day, Bahr put on a loose short-sleeved shirt and sat by the pool fishing, his legs crossed. The pool was connected to the sea, and schools of fish could often be seen swimming by.
Just as he was dozing off, Nojiko approached with a drink in hand, smiling as she said, "Mr. Yanzu, try this. It's freshly squeezed juice mixed with honey."
Bahr took it and gulped it down in one go, feeling refreshed all over. Casually, he asked, "Where's Nami-chan?"
Nojiko explained, "She's been busy these past couple of days with the village reconstruction, working nonstop with everyone."
Bahr didn't respond and continued staring at the water.
Nojiko studied Bahr's profile, hesitating for a long while before finally mustering the courage to speak. "Mr. Yanzu, on the night of the banquet, I saw Nami enter your room... and I heard you two talking about a deal."
Bahr abruptly turned his head, visibly surprised.
It had never occurred to him that someone might have been eavesdropping outside the door. After all, he hadn't activated his Observation Haki at the time, and the person had no hostile intent. Plus, his focus had been entirely on Nami, so it was natural he hadn't noticed.
After scrutinizing Nojiko for a moment, Bahr frowned and asked, "What are you trying to say by telling me this?"
He didn't believe the girl in front of him would bring this up without some ulterior motive.
Nojiko quickly clarified, "I don't mean anything by it. I know Nami agreed to it herself, and you've already helped the village so much. But that girl has suffered too much, so I just wanted to beg you... could you be a little kinder to her in the future?"
Over the past few days, Nojiko had noticed how Nami could barely walk properly. As her older sister, it pained her to see, and after wrestling with her thoughts for days, she had finally gathered the courage to approach Bahr.
Hearing this, Bahr felt somewhat relieved. After all, it had been a consensual arrangement, and being guilt-tripped about it would have left a sour taste in his mouth.
"Don't worry, I know my limits." In truth, Bahr felt he had already been quite gentle. But given his strength, it was sometimes genuinely hard to control.
Nojiko suddenly blushed, staring straight at Bahr as she stammered, "There's one more thing... if there's anything you need help with, you can always come to me. I just ask that you let Nami rest more—she's been pushing herself too hard lately."
After days of agonizing over it, she had steeled herself to do something for her sister.
Bahr was taken aback, looking Nojiko up and down as she shyly turned her face away. "There's really no need for that," he said. "I know how to handle things. I won't make things difficult for her. Besides, I won't be staying here much longer—I'll be leaving soon."
The Sea of Stars was a man's true pursuit. He had no intention of settling in Cocoyashi Village for long, nor did he plan to keep Nami by force. In a few days, he would be ready to depart.
The "Sea Clam King" would never be hooked by a mere "clam."
Nojiko bit her lip and continued, "Thank you for understanding. If you don't mind... please give me a chance."
In her heart, she knew that as long as Bahr remained in the village, Nami would have to keep accompanying him. As her sister, she couldn't bear to see her suffer like this and wanted to shoulder some of the burden so Nami could happily focus on rebuilding the village with everyone else.
In the past, Nami had always carried everything alone. This time, Nojiko wanted to step forward and protect her sister.
Bahr asked again, "Are you really sure about this?"
To be honest, Nojiko was beautiful, and her gentle, intellectual aura was incredibly appealing. If he agreed, he definitely wouldn't be losing out. But taking advantage of someone's situation still gave him a slight sense of guilt.
"I'm certain!" Nojiko nodded firmly.
Seeing her resolute attitude, Bahr stopped trying to dissuade her. "Alright, since you've made up your mind, I'll agree."
Everyone had seen it—he'd laid out the situation clearly. Nojiko had volunteered; he hadn't forced her. So while there was a bit of guilt, it wasn't much.
Nojiko let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you!"
Bahr stood up and casually slung an arm around Nojiko's shoulders, half-joking, "Since you're taking on your sister's burden, we might as well start now. Let's head to the room to discuss the details."
Nojiko's face flushed even redder. She thought to herself, This guy really doesn't waste time... But at least this way, Nami can relax a little. I made the right choice.
...
"Nojiko! Nojiko!"
Nami shouted at the top of her lungs in "Paradise," but after calling for a while, there was no response. She scratched her head, puzzled. "Didn't she say she was bringing drinks? Where is she? Where'd that girl run off to now?"
"Nami-chan~"
A teasing voice suddenly rang out. Nami looked up to see Bahr leaning against the second-floor window, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he exhaled smoke. She frowned and grumbled, "Smoking all day—you're gonna kill yourself at this rate!"
"None of your business," Bahr retorted, rolling his eyes. Ever since I got familiar with this Little Cat Burglar, she's turned into a nagging housewife.
Nami stood on her tiptoes and yelled up at him, "Have you seen Nojiko?"
"She's in my room," Bahr replied, raising an eyebrow with a deliberately mischievous smirk.
"Cut the crap!" Nami planted her hands on her hips, glaring fiercely at Bahr. "I'm only tolerating you because of our deal. If you lay a finger on Nojiko, I swear I'll bite you to death!"
Bahr's lips twitched. This Little Cat Burglar really lives up to her reputation as the Straw Hat crew's infamous hothead. He flicked his cigarette ash irritably and said, "Your sister dropped off the drinks and left ages ago. Who knows where she went?"
As Nami pondered her sister's whereabouts, Bahr looked down at her from above, his gaze sweeping over her figure. He teased, "It's still early. Why don't you come up, and we can—"
"In your dreams... We'll talk tonight!" Nami's face burned red as she cursed him under her breath. Just as she was about to turn away, she suddenly remembered something and immediately switched to a sweet, smiling expression, waving her hand. "The village needs funds for reconstruction. Hand over the money!"
Bahr nearly choked on his smoke. That demanding tone... feels oddly familiar!
"You'll get it tonight," he said flatly. He wasn't stupid—if he gave Nami the money now, that ungrateful little thief would definitely slack off.
Nami stomped her foot in frustration, shot him one last glare, and stormed out of "Paradise."
Once he was sure Nami was truly gone, Bahr tossed his cigarette butt out the window and glanced down at Nojiko. Her face was still flushed, and she was panting heavily, clearly not yet recovered.
"Relax, she's gone," Bahr said, unable to hold back a laugh.
"That scared me to death. Who knew she'd suddenly show up?" Nojiko let out a long breath, her voice still trembling. "If she'd found out, I wouldn't have known how to explain it to her!"
When Nami first arrived, she'd been so frightened she wanted to hide in the closet. But instead, Bahr had dragged her to the window to talk to Nami, making her heart leap into her throat with panic!
Bahr smirked smugly. Earlier, when Nojiko had turned pale with fear, clutching his sleeve and trying to shrink back, he'd pulled her right to the window and boldly engaged Nami in conversation.
He knew perfectly well - the harder you try to hide something, the more suspicious it looks. Better to meet things head-on.
Of course, watching Nojiko sweat nervously had been rather amusing.
"Nami-chan really is protective of you. She almost came at me earlier."
"She's all bark and no bite," Nojiko murmured, a complicated emotion flashing through her eyes. "Ever since we were kids, she's shouldered all the hardships herself while making sure I got the benefits first..."
Hearing this, Bahr reached out and ruffled her hair. Nojiko's face burned even hotter, and she pressed her lips together, burying her face lower.
Watching Nami's retreating figure, he couldn't help wondering - if Nami knew what her sister Nojiko was up to now, would she really bite him?