Gawain's expression froze.
Princess.
Princess!?
"Hahahahahaha~!"
The surrounding pirates burst into laughter as they watched the scene unfold.
Even Gin, usually stoic, turned his head and struggled to maintain his composure. But the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed him.
Nami looked around, puzzled.
"What's so funny?"
Kuro gave Gawain a nearly imperceptible glance before replying,
"Oh, nothing. We just really love this movie~"
"Really?" Nami's eyes lit up. She quickly dragged Kuro aside and began passionately discussing the plot.
When it came to the emotional parts, her eyes turned red, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
You really like this, huh?
No, seriously—what's so great about this?
Gawain couldn't even find the words to complain. He caught sight of the pirates around him, all trying (and failing) to suppress their laughter, and chose to retreat into the cabin.
Nami, meanwhile, talked Kuro's ear off for hours—from the movie to the novel and even to merchandise.
Kuro's expression shifted over time: from barely holding in laughter, to detached indifference, and finally to total numbness. He became a nodding machine.
They kept talking late into the night, until Nami finally stopped.
Just as Kuro let out a sigh of relief, Nami leaned close and whispered:
"Deputy Captain, you're not pretending anymore—you really do like this movie~"
"Let's continue tomorrow~"
Kuro stumbled, replying weakly,
"As long as you're happy..."
Night fell.
Under the crew's guidance, Nami entered her assigned room.
Creak~
The door opened, revealing a modest room.
A single bed, a desk positioned near the bow, and shelves lined with books on navigation.
A dim oil lamp flickered with the ship's motion, casting warm light across Nami's face and revealing a complex expression.
Seeing her surprise, the crew member beside her explained,
"This room was prepared for the navigator. Since there are no other available quarters, it's been assigned to you for now. If you don't like it, I can ask the captain to switch it."
"No need," Nami said softly.
"I like it very much."
The crew member nodded, gave a few final instructions, and left.
After a quick wash, Nami sat on the bed, gently stroking the soft, dry quilt. She turned to look out the window, lost in thought.
A few days later.
Nami officially joined Gawain's crew.
She was infamous in the East Blue as a habitual thief, and in her line of work, communication was a vital skill.
Within days, she'd extracted nearly every piece of information from the crew—except for the true identities of Gawain and his close companions, and what they'd been through recently.
"The pirate captain who treated his crew with kindness and refused to harm civilians, betrayed at his most vulnerable moment, forced to draw his sword in defense..."
"The vice captain who fought for over a decade, yearning for a peaceful life, only to realize: once a pirate, always a pirate..."
"The most loyal officer, who once took a blade for his previous captain, only to be heartlessly discarded..."
Nami's eyes grew more conflicted the more she thought about the crew's stories.
But when the faces of her village flashed in her mind, her resolve returned.
She'd considered pitting the two pirates against each other, but after spending time with Gawain and the others, she abandoned that plan.
In her eyes, Gawain's crew stood no chance against Arlong. If they confronted him, they'd only be throwing their lives away.
And now—
She couldn't bear to watch them die.
Woooooo—!
The ship's whistle blew as it docked at port. Gawain had sent Nami and Kuro to help with purchasing supplies, but Nami feigned illness and remained on the ship.
Once everyone had left, she knocked out the lone guard and snuck into the treasure storage.
What she found didn't disappoint.
Dazzling gems. Blinding gold.
Even without counting, she could estimate the staggering value.
Nami packed everything efficiently and was about to leave—but the faces of Gawain and the others lingered in her mind. She glanced at the sky, then rushed back to her room.
There, she left behind a letter addressed to the three of them.
Then she changed into men's clothes, took the treasure, and slipped away under cover of night.
At the port.
Gawain and his companions silently watched Nami's figure disappear into the distance.
Both Gin and Kuro were seasoned veterans. Gawain had seen through her plan from the start, and the others weren't fooled by her flimsy acting either.
"Captain," Kuro asked with a smirk, "why are you letting that woman off so easily? Don't tell me... you love her more than the princess?"
"If you say one more word, I'll cut you down."
Gawain's mouth twitched. His hand instinctively went to his sword.
He led the others back to the ship, opened the navigator's room, and found a letter on the table.
The message was short—just two lines:
"Tomorrow night, 11:30 PM. Dia Port. A storm is coming. Leave immediately after you're done purchasing.
As thanks, I'll be taking the ship's treasure~"
A small windmill symbol was drawn at the bottom.
Kuro read the letter and reacted instantly.
"This girl... she's the navigator you were looking for?"
He snorted.
"If there's any role on a ship that values experience above all, it's the navigator."
"The sea is unpredictable. Even the most precise calculations can go wrong. Predicting a storm down to the minute?"
"Impossible."
He shook his head.
"She's what—fifteen, sixteen? When I started sailing, she was still in diapers."
He glanced sideways at Gawain and added,
"Yet here you are, fucking a princess~"
"Fuck you!"
Gawain's eyes flared red, and he reached for his sword. Gin quickly intervened.
"Captain, calm down!"
"Hmph."
Gawain sheathed the blade, his expression dark.
"She won't get far."
Then, turning to Kuro, he said:
"How about we make a bet? We'll wait a day. If there is a storm tomorrow night, you'll wash everyone's socks—"
"For a month!"
Gin gasped. "Captain... isn't that going too far?"
"Deal!" Kuro agreed before Gawain could protest.
"No way a teenage girl has that kind of skill."
"Predict a storm and its exact arrival time?"
He sneered.
"Gawain, better get ready to wash my socks!"