Having raided a town a few days prior, the pirates of the Butcher Pirate ship had cash and were all ashore drinking and seeing sex workers. Only a few crew members remained on the ship, with light only showing from the Captain's cabin.
The oil lamp at the ship's bow provided a weak, firefly-like glow, looking ready to go out at any moment. The two crew members on watch were dead drunk, snoring loud enough to shake the ship.
Seeing the pirates' abysmal standards, Xinán finally understood how Nami, at such a young age, managed to steal 100 million Beli from these kinds of guys.
Nami was a veteran thief. She knew where pirates hid their treasure, and the two began quietly searching the entire ship.
"Damn it, how can there be no money at all?"
After searching several rooms and finding nothing, Nami couldn't help but complain.
"Shh!"
Xinán raised his index finger and whispered, "Nami, keep your voice down! Don't wake the pirates!"
Nami was so used to this that she could only be described as bold due to skill, but Xinán, following her, was constantly on edge.
When they entered the sailors' resting quarters, Nami completely ignored the two drunk pirates swaying in their hammocks. She ransacked the room and even checked the pockets of the two unconscious men.
Seeing Xinán's nervous demeanor, Nami, frustrated by the lack of treasure, clenched her fist and punched Xinán on the head.
Dong!
Nami's punch was truly formidable—it was as if it was naturally imbued with Conqueror's and Armament Haki. Luffy's rubber head would get lumps; Xinán's mere flesh-and-blood head instantly swelled into a large bump.
Nami grumbled impatiently, "Why are you telling me what to do? Look how stressed out you are!"
Then she continued, "This is too slow. You help, too. Go check the pirates' supply room, and I'll look elsewhere."
Dazed from the punch, Xinán subconsciously nodded in agreement. "Alright, fine!"
Creak!
Xinán, holding a kerosene lamp he'd snatched from a pirate, pushed open the door to the ship's supply room and stepped inside.
The storage room contained only a few sacks, some overturned wooden barrels, and wooden crates piled in the corner. Looking at the sparse remaining supplies, Xinán wasn't sure why Nami had sent him here.
After sending Xinán away, the impatience on Nami's face vanished, replaced by a serious expression.
Though Nami seemed relaxed moments ago, if she were truly so careless, her activities would have gotten her killed hundreds of times over, even with Arlong's protection.
Having stolen pirate treasure for so many years, Nami was very familiar with how pirates shared their loot. The captain always took the biggest share, while ordinary pirates barely received anything.
Furthermore, pirates live reckless lives, taking it one day at a time. The moment ordinary pirates got paid, they rushed ashore to spend it on alcohol and sex workers.
This was why most of the crew were ashore, leaving few people on board. But the Captain's cabin light was still on, meaning Butcher Bakal, the captain of the Butcher Pirates, was still on the ship, and the treasure was still aboard.
In Nami's eyes, Arlong was unbeatable, but his bounty was only 20 million Beli. Butcher Bakal's bounty reached 15 million Beli, and Nami understood he was very dangerous. But to earn the money to buy back Cocoyasi Village, she had to take the risk.
Unlike her earlier casual searching, Nami now moved cautiously and lightly toward the illuminated Captain's cabin.
Nami sent Xinán away for two reasons: First, a greenhorn would only complicate her next move. Second, Nami didn't want to involve Xinán. If something went wrong, Xinán would at least have a chance to escape.
Truly, for the sake of Cocoyasi Village, every act of stealing pirate treasure was a gamble with her life.
Inside the Captain's cabin, a bright oil lamp illuminated the room. On the bed, a muscular man about two meters tall was sound asleep, embracing a full-figured woman. Two other women lay beside him.
The women were heavily made-up, clearly sex workers from the island. The subordinates were out drinking and chasing women, so Captain Bakal couldn't resist either. To protect his treasure, he couldn't leave the ship for too long, but the island had no shortage of sex workers willing to come aboard.
Peeking through the window, Nami had a clear view of the situation inside.
Having been at sea for so many years, Nami had seen it all. She barely paid attention to the naked people on the bed; her gaze was fixed entirely on the chest beneath the table holding the oil lamp.
The chest was reinforced with iron bars and secured with a huge lock. It was clearly where the valuables were stored.
Staring at the treasure chest, Nami's greed for wealth was so strong that her eyes had turned into dollar signs ($$).
After a few minutes of observation, confirming that everyone inside was fast asleep, Nami began her operation.
In the storage room, although he knew it was unlikely to contain treasure, Xinán still began searching the crates one by one. After a long time, he hadn't found a thing and was exhausted.
Holding the lamp, Xinán opened a wooden crate meant for fruits and vegetables, looking for a piece of fruit to quench his thirst—and that's when destiny began to turn.
The pirate ship hadn't even had time to restock yet. Inside the wooden crate were only a few shriveled and rotten fruits. The only thing still edible was a long, cucumber-like vegetable.
He didn't recognize it and had never seen this thing before, but the One Piece world is full of exotic produce. Since the pirates kept it in the crate, it must be edible.
As soon as he picked up the fruit, Xinán felt it pulse in his hand, nearly startling him.
Thump! Thump!
The fruit in Xinán's hand seemed to have a life of its own, pulsating like a heart.
Under the lamplight, Xinán could clearly see the fruit's skin change from green to pink. Not only that, but the peel seemed to squirm, and "Arabesque" spiral patterns appeared on its surface.
This process lasted for a dozen seconds. Watching a Devil Fruit reconstitute in his hand, Xinán was stunned speechless.
"Is this a Devil Fruit? Has my cheat finally arrived?"
It was shaped like a rod, the size of a cucumber, with pink skin.
Xinán was so excited he nearly passed out.
Before Xinán could celebrate, a loud boom and a girl's scream snapped him back to reality. The explosion and the scream shattered the quiet of the night.
"Nami!"
Hearing the sound, Xinán instinctively yelled out her name, completely forgetting the danger of being discovered.
Clutching the Devil Fruit in his hand, Xinán threw open the storage room door and rushed toward the ship's bow deck.
On the foredeck, Nami was slumped on the deck, clutching her shoulder. Her eyes were wide with terror, fixed on the Captain's cabin, which now had a huge hole blown through it.
Beside Nami lay a completely naked sex worker, vomiting blood from her mouth.