To be honest, it was a bit embarrassing to admit—but facts were facts.
Otherwise, given how Ren always "just happened" to walk past the second-floor bathroom at precisely the same time every day, the two sisters would've already teamed up to punish him.
He never passed by early. Never late. Always then.
Everyone knew why he did it.
But—Nami didn't really hate it.
When Ren "died," she was the one most devastated among the three.
Zoro firmly believed he was still alive, and Nojiko was saddened too, but not to the same degree.
Her affection for Ren stemmed from the Arlong incident—back when the Arlong Pirates were still the nightmare of Cocoyasi's people.
It was Ren's return that shattered that nightmare.
Nojiko's feelings toward him were a mix of gratitude and reliance, but that was about it.
Nami, however, was different.
After Arlong's death, her fondness for Ren had grown dramatically.
If he hadn't robbed her of her treasure that first day, she wouldn't have gone out of her way to nitpick him over small things.
But people change.
On Mys Island, Ren destroyed the Shell Company for her and her sister's ideals.
And afterward, he entrusted the entire business to her without even asking about its vaults or profits.
Looking back now, it was obvious—he'd been selecting his future crewmates even then.
Still, Nami couldn't fault him for it. She even began to feel closer to him.
Part of that closeness was gratitude, affection, and dependence.
When Ren was around, she didn't need to worry about much.
The other part, though, came from a cold calculation—self-interest.
If she stayed close to him, she'd stay safe.
And that mattered, because mapping the entire world wasn't something one person could do alone.
Back then, she was weak and burdened with worry for her sister's safety.
She'd already seen how cruel and merciless the seas could be while stealing treasure during her solo voyages.
Not everyone with power respected others the way Ren did.
That respect wasn't about pretending not to look when a woman's towel slipped—
—it was something deeper.
He never took advantage of her weakness. Never hinted at things she didn't want but might have been forced to accept in a cruel world.
When she first boarded his ship, that had been her greatest fear.
But Ren proved, through time and action, that he was not that kind of man.
In countless small moments, she saw his instinctive courtesy—
—an almost natural "she's a girl, so it's only right I yield" attitude.
In this bloody, brutal era of pirates, that kind of decency in a strong man was almost extinct.
Nami had seen far too many who used strength as an excuse to trample others.
In truth, apart from Ren, she couldn't imagine meeting another like him.
Zoro, for instance, didn't respect women—he simply refused to bully the weak. There was a fundamental difference.
Once she realized this, Nami started thinking seriously.
Ren was probably the best man she'd ever meet. But their relationship at that time was complicated, unstable.
Would he still choose to stand with her if they ever clashed again, like back on Mys Island?
That doubt—whether he would abandon her beliefs for his own—was why she had hesitated when that frail boy begged for help.
No one knew then how many times Ren would later stand up to defend his crewmates' choices.
Even Nami herself hadn't been sure.
Luckily, when the rumor of the "Billion Beli Treasure" came, Ren had taken action without hesitation.
But what about next time?
She didn't know. She didn't understand Ren that well back then.
She hadn't even known his true dream until Zoro told her later.
At that time, her thinking was simple—
If she wouldn't compromise her principles, then she'd find another way.
The simple way: get closer to Ren.
If she could become his girlfriend—or something even more—then even if they disagreed again, she could just… act cute and coax him over.
At worst, she'd indulge a few of his weird little preferences.
Like that time before the Pipi Shrimp sank, when she'd been cleaning his room and found an entire set of revealing "lingerie costumes" under his bed.
That sort of thing didn't really bother her—she was open-minded enough.
Besides, she knew her own looks—and she knew Ren had thought of her that way.
So it wasn't seduction—it was mutual attraction.
The only difference was that Nami understood men far too well: too easy to get means not worth cherishing.
So she made sure to pace things—never revealing everything at once.
Still, once she decided, she genuinely opened her heart.
That's why even when he accidentally saw her naked, she didn't explode in rage afterward.
And when he gifted her the Magical Clima-Tact, she rewarded him with a kiss.
After all, relationships should go both ways—otherwise, it's just manipulation.
That's why when she saw Ren die at Loguetown with her own eyes, her grief was so overwhelming—like a piece of her heart had been torn away.
She had truly fallen for him—and lost him.
It was only later, through her tears, that she realized how deep those feelings had gone.
So when Ren really came back, just as Zoro had predicted, she was the happiest of them all.
Well—one of the happiest. The other was her sister.
When Ren had asked about their plans, she'd "left," but not really.
Later, hearing her sister speak, she realized Nojiko might share her own feelings toward him—
—only that Nojiko's motivation wasn't one person, but two.
They'd grown up sharing everything, so it wasn't strange.
Thus, Nami said nothing—she just carried on as usual.
Of course, she hadn't changed her principle: never let a man get things too easily.
That's why she showed no reaction when Ren came to apologize with gifts.
Her tears back then had been real, though!
Still, on normal days, she'd quietly switch to outfits she knew Ren liked more.
That was her little trick.
Her… "routine."
"Hmm, seems he doesn't really have a preference for colors either," she muttered while climbing the stairs—only to run into Nojiko coming down.
"Still scheming, huh?"
Nojiko looked at her with an amused, teasing smile. Nami's cheeks flushed red as she dove into her sister's arms.
Then, with a mischievous glint, she looked up and said, "Want me to share a few tips?"
"Save it," Nojiko chuckled, poking her forehead. "Ren's not someone who thinks with that part of his brain."
"If a beautiful female enemy lost to him and begged to trade her body for mercy—do you think he'd accept, or just blow her head off?"
"...Probably the latter," Nami admitted after some thought. "He's a normal man, sure, but his bottom line is solid. He separates business from pleasure clearly."
"Then stop overthinking and focus on what's ahead," Nojiko said. "Didn't you hear we might be facing one of the Seven Warlords soon?"
"The Seven Warlords, huh… that sand crocodile guy."
Nami shuddered slightly. "I just hope I can grow the plants I need for the Magical Clima-Tact before the next battle."
"You never know—maybe Ren can help," Nojiko said lightly as they climbed together. "His Devil Fruit ability's practically miraculous. He even came back from the dead. Growing some plants shouldn't be that hard."
"I'd feel awkward asking," Nami murmured. "He's been short on funds lately. Besides…"
She remembered how he'd once tried to cheer her up by gifting her the two greatest weather studies from Weatheria—enough to build a small library—and later even hand-copied his own Weather Plant Research Notes for her.
Thanks to that notebook, she'd already begun mastering weather-plant cultivation.
She'd gained a lot from him… and hadn't yet decided how to give something back.
She couldn't exactly "repay" him by offering herself—that'd be too much.
"You're overthinking it," Nojiko smiled. "But if you insist, you could visit him after training. Zoro's workouts are brutal—Ren's muscles must ache like hell after."
She grinned slyly. "I could teach you how to massage him. A proper massage, of course."
"You can do that?" Nami blinked.
"When you weren't home, I used to help Genzo with his back pains," Nojiko said softly, a nostalgic warmth in her voice. "I wonder how he's doing now."
"With Arlong gone, I'm sure Cocoyasi's people are living much better."
The sisters' voices faded as they vanished up the stairs.
Meanwhile—
Ren and Zoro were using their free time for light training, squeezing every spare moment to grow stronger.
Ren's schedule was packed: morning cultivation of Purple Qi Foundation, daytime Purple Qi Rising from the East, noon research into Phantom Wing Flight, and from afternoon until midnight—intense sword practice.
The only time he ever relaxed was when passing the second floor.
Days passed quickly.
Soon, the towering shape of a continent loomed on the horizon.
"The Red Line…"
Ren raised his crystal spyglass, staring at the massive landmass veiled in mist.
"So tall… how did Fisher Tiger ever climb this thing?" he muttered in awe.
"Hey! Everyone, focus up!" Nami shouted from the helm. "I can see the entrance to Reverse Mountain!"
The most dangerous gateway to the Grand Line had appeared before them.
(End of Chapter)