"I'm the navigator! I'm busy enough making charts already! And things like gathering intel should be covered by the ship's budget, right? Who's going to buy newspapers out of their own pocket without the captain's say-so?
"I still owe you money, too! A hundred Beli for a newspaper is outrageous!"
Nami shook her head, slipping free of his grasp, and huffed self-righteously. "You're the captain, and you don't even buy the daily paper! Why should any of us crew members bother?"
Ren fell silent.He'd just realized something… awkward.
Because he looked so much like the captain—no, because he was the captain—the others naturally deferred to him in everything.
In the Age of Sail, a captain's authority was near absolute. For countless reasons, there couldn't be a "second voice" on board.And Ren was that only voice in his group.
That was why, without him noticing, the rest had simply stopped questioning his decisions.
"…Starting tomorrow, we'll subscribe to the World Economic Journal."
Ren sighed, rubbing his temple. Then his attention returned to the real headache—the mysterious pirate crew that had appeared out of nowhere.
Just then, a timid voice spoke up.
"Um… I think I know who they are."
"Who?"
Ampar immediately turned toward the speaker and spotted the lame boy leaning against the wall. "You? How would you know who they are?"
Ren stayed quiet, though he, Nami, and the others all turned their gaze toward the boy.
"I—I saw them. Back in my hometown. They wear clown makeup… they're called the Buggy Pirates. Their captain's a man with a red nose. There's also a swordsman who fights while riding a unicycle… and a tamer with a lion. And… and a lot of other pirates."
The lame boy's voice grew shaky with emotion as he spoke, his words tumbling out unevenly.
"Unicycle? Right! I did see a guy riding one!" one of the patrolmen exclaimed. "He's the one who threw that bomb!"
That sealed it.
It was the Buggy Pirates!
Ren recognized the description instantly. In the East Blue, only Buggy's crew matched those peculiar traits.
"How can you be sure?" Nojiko asked softly, her clear eyes fixed on the boy.
"I saw them! With my own eyes! In my hometown!"The boy bit his lip, hatred burning in his eyes. "They came one day out of nowhere—testing cannons or something. There were explosions everywhere. My dad was blown apart, and my mom… she burned so badly she barely made it another day.
"Then they took over the whole town, made it their base, and drove everyone else away."To survive, my uncle sold me. Got some money and escaped to another island.
"I'll never forget them. Not for the rest of my life!"
Ampar let out a weary sigh. "A non-member nation, huh? That's how it always goes."
The crowd fell silent.Ever since the Great Pirate Era began, this had become the norm.
Only nations allied with the World Government could receive Marine protection from pirates. But that protection required paying the "Heavenly Tribute"—and who among ordinary folk could afford that?
"Yes," the boy muttered, "my home wasn't a member nation."
His voice grew small again, but then, suddenly, his eyes brightened with desperate hope. He stepped forward, tugging timidly at Nami's sleeve between his fingers and thumb.
"You're good people… right? Can you avenge my home? Those pirates are monsters… I can— I can…"
But the words trailed off as he realized he had nothing to offer them. His face fell in shame.
The people of Mys Island had been able to pay seventy million Beli in gratitude. But he—he was just a child. What could he give?
Just because they were good people?
"Everything will be taken care of," Nojiko suddenly said, resting her hand gently on the boy's head.
Nami hesitated, glancing between Ren and her sister, words forming and dying on her lips.She wanted to help the boy. She really did.
But after today, she understood something clearly.
Ren wasn't the kind of man who would sacrifice everything just to help anyone in need.Their group allowed everyone to pursue their own goals, to help each other along the way—but that didn't mean anyone could impose their will on the others.
They'd already helped the people of Mys Island. That was enough.
Ren noticed Nami's conflicted look and rolled his eyes. "You're getting slow, Nami. Nojiko figured it out before you did."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Nami blinked.
"It means you don't need to worry about me refusing," Nojiko said calmly. "Because we're already being targeted. Mys Island doesn't matter as much now.
"If they flee, the Buggy Pirates might not even chase them—because they've already found a bigger prize."
Zoro looked at the newspaper in Ren's hand and smirked. "Those Marines are something else. A billion-Beli headline, huh? Heh."
"Let's drop that," Ren said, waving his hand. "We've got bigger things to deal with."
"I've heard of the Buggy Pirates," Ampar said, smiling faintly. "Their captain's supposed to be a clown with a red nose."
Then he hesitated, stepped closer to Ren, and lowered his voice."We're already planning to evacuate. Most of the island's people are elderly, women, and children—hardly any young men left. We don't have much strength, but…"
He looked over at the patrolmen's bodies, then at the crates of food, and gritted his teeth. "If you're planning to fight the Buggy Pirates, the people of Mys Island will stand with you."
Ren raised an eyebrow, impressed. "You've got guts, old man. But this one's on us."
He refused without hesitation.
The reason was simple: there was no need.
The explosions had stopped, and the people of Mys Island were already celebrating. They'd decided to sail for a new, uninhabited island to start fresh.
With the wealth and supplies they'd seized from the Shell Company, they had enough to survive the hard early days.
Ampar had also warned Ren that the Shell Company was backed by the Don Krieg Pirates—a massive pirate fleet numbering in the thousands.
The company was clearly one of Krieg's financial fronts. Ampar urged Ren to stay cautious of that powerful group.
Ren thanked him for the warning, then told him to take the children and leave.
Before departing, Nami casually remarked, "Maybe we'll come visit you someday—see how you're living."
"I understand," Ampar replied, smiling bitterly as he nodded again and again. "They'll never be mistreated. I promise."
"Then… farewell."
Ren watched as the people of Mys Island boarded the Shell Company's ship and set sail, before turning back toward the Pipi Shrimp.
The ship's stores were overflowing with tuna, gifts from the islanders, and Nami had brought back seventy million Beli.
Since they were a crew, they had to divide the spoils.But as captain, Ren naturally got the lion's share.
Zoro had contributed greatly but wasn't an official member, so he wasn't included in the split.
Nami, however, still owed Ren four hundred and ten million Beli, and Nojiko had surrendered her share to help pay her sister's debt.
So, in the end, every last Beli of that seventy million ended up in Ren's hands.
Earned at sea, spent at sea—don't even think about taking it home.jpg!
(End of Chapter)