Chapter 4
The three sailed aimlessly across the sea. Once again, Zoro asked Sol if they were on the right course—their food supplies were almost gone. If they didn't find an island soon to resupply, the whole crew would starve.
"Hang on, let me check the map again... We were here, so we should be around... here?" Sol muttered, fiddling with the compass and chart, gesturing wildly.
Luffy had been sent off to fish for extra food, but he kept reeling in all sorts of weird junk—not a single actual fish.
Zoro walked over to see what Sol was doing. "Sol, aren't you supposed to be the navigator and first mate? How have we not found land yet?"
Sol rolled his eyes. "Who told you I'm a navigator? I'm just winging it."
"Wait—you mean neither of you knows navigation?!" Zoro broke out in a cold sweat. He'd thought they were just unlucky, not completely clueless.
Sol grinned and gave a thumbs-up. "Yep. Sometimes I give random orders, sometimes we just go with the wind."
"And you're proud of that?!" Zoro slapped his forehead in exasperation.
"What about you, then?" Sol shot back. "You've been sailing for years as a bounty hunter—don't tell me you know navigation."
Zoro shrugged. "I set out to find one specific guy... then couldn't find my way back to my village. Bounty hunting was just a way to pay the bills."
Sol snorted. "So you're just a hopeless directionless idiot. Here I was getting excited for nothing."
Suddenly, a yell echoed across the water. Luffy, frustrated with fishing, had spotted a massive bird overhead and decided it looked tasty. He stretched his arm, grabbed it, and launched himself skyward—only for the bird to clamp onto his head and carry him off.
"That idiot!" Sol and Zoro shouted in unison.
The two frantically rowed after him. After a while, the bird apparently got fed up with Luffy's thrashing and spat him out. Luffy plummeted straight down, crashing head-first into a dirt road below.
"What the hell just fell from the sky?!" Two pirates chasing the thief who'd stolen their crew's treasure were interrupted by Luffy's meteoric arrival.
By the time Luffy yanked his head out of the ground, the thief had circled back and hidden behind him.
"Boss, there's way more guys coming the other way—handle it!" The thief was none other than Nami, the orange-haired, sharp-featured, curvaceous young beauty known as the Cat Burglar.
"Boss? You mean me? Guess I really am famous now—too bad Sol missed it!" Luffy laughed, dusting himself off.
The pursuers from both directions closed in, demanding Nami hand over the chart she'd stolen from the Buggy Pirates.
Nami stuck out her tongue, patted Luffy's shoulder, and said, "Talk to my boss if you've got a problem!"
Then she bolted. "Sorry, stranger! I'll light incense for you next year—really, truly sorry!"
She felt a twinge of guilt, but her village came first. Besides, anyone who could fall from that height and walk away had to be tough.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Explosions of fists on faces sounded behind her. Nami glanced back and saw Luffy had already knocked out every last thug.
"So strong!" she gasped. She'd barely taken a few steps, and this goofy straw-hat guy had flattened over a dozen men.
A sly grin spread across her face. This kind of muscle could be very useful.
"Hmm? So this girl's already a fan of yours, Luffy?" Sol asked skeptically, eyeing the newcomer. She looked incredibly familiar, but he couldn't place the name.
Nami stepped forward. "My name's Nami, and I—"
"You're the Cat Burglar Nami!" Sol interrupted. "Now I remember."
It clicked—this was teenage Nami, still a bit youthful and green. No wonder he hadn't recognized her instantly.
Nami's face fell. The pink-haired, handsome guy had seen through her right away. So much for tricking them into helping her rob Buggy's treasure.
"Since you know who I am," she said quickly, "how about a partnership? Help me take the Buggy Pirates' treasure, and I'll copy my Grand Line chart for you as payment."
Luffy laughed and slapped her shoulder. "Welcome aboard—you're my new navigator!"
Nami swatted his hand away. "I never said I'm joining your crew! It's just temporary cooperation."
She laid out the deal: Help her get Buggy's treasure, and she'd give them the chart plus serve as navigator in the meantime.
Sol nodded sagely. "Got it. Luffy's recruited navigator."
A vein popped on Nami's forehead. "I said temporary! Are you even listening?!"
Luffy's stomach growled loudly, cutting her off. The four headed to a deserted restaurant. Nami effortlessly picked the lock and led them inside.
Luffy looked around in awe. "Nami, is this your place? It's huge!"
Sol rummaged through the pantry for ingredients and headed to the kitchen, tossing over his shoulder, "Idiot, she's a thief—of course she can pick locks. Now move."
In the kitchen, Nami watched Sol cook with focused intensity. "What's your name? This actually looks pretty tasty."
"Aetrias Sol Dragneel. Just call me Sol." Cooking was a carry-over talent from his previous life as a serious food enthusiast—basically a transmigrator perk.
Soon, Nami and Sol carried out platters of food. The smell hit Luffy like a siren song; he dove in and devoured everything in sight.
Watching the mountain of grilled meat vanish in seconds, Sol jumped into the fray to protect his share.
Once full, Luffy leaned back with a satisfied sigh. "Man, it's been forever since I had Sol's cooking. Still the best!"
Nami slumped on the table, cheeks puffed. "Ugh, his food's way better than mine. I can't even charge them for it now."
Zoro picked his teeth with a toothpick. "Sol, if you cook this well, why'd we only have hardtack on the ship?"
Sol sipped some juice. "Too much work. I love good food, but cooking every day? No thanks—especially with Luffy the human vacuum around. I'd never get enough for myself."