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The dark clouds that had gathered during the battle had long since vanished, replaced by an unreserved sun that poured light over the sea, making the horizon bright as far as the eye could see. On the deck of the captured pirate ship, the Blood Demon Pirates were piled like sacks of grain, tied securely with ropes while they awaited the Marines that Zeff had summoned.
Inside the ship's treasure room, Nami stared at two massive chests overflowing with gold and silver, her eyes practically transforming into currency symbols. This wasn't a theft; it was the rightful spoils of war for her and Wukong. After a careful tally, she realized the haul was worth approximately 16,000,000 Berries.
"If half goes to our operating funds and half is mine... that's 8,000,000 Berries," she whispered.
Her expression suddenly froze. With those 8,000,000 Berries, her decade-long obsession—the goal of saving 100,000,000 Berries to buy back her village—would finally be achieved. She stood in the silent treasure room, her breathing becoming heavy and rapid as the weight of her mission neared its end. After a long moment, she regained her composure, picked up a chest, and walked out.
A Secret Journey
"Hey! Wukong! There's another chest inside, move it to our ship!" Nami called out. Wukong, who had been idly wandering the pirate vessel, ran over and happily moved the treasure to the Dream Chaser. He watched with confusion, however, as Nami began moving her personal share of the treasure onto a small, spare boat belonging to the pirates.
"Huh? Nami, why are you putting that over there?" Wukong asked.
"You'll know soon enough," she replied, her eyes steady as she stood before him. She broke into a rare, genuine smile. "Wukong, remember that 100,000,000 Berries I needed to earn? I've finally done it. Now, I have to go resolve the thing I told you about—the thing I absolutely must do. Once it's finished, I'll go to the Grand Line with you."
Wukong's eyes lit up with joy for her success, but his face fell when she insisted on going alone. "Can't I come with you?" he asked.
Nami's expression turned serious as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "No, I have to do this by myself. Stay here and wait for me, okay? Be a good boy and wait right here."
Wukong eventually nodded. "Alright. How long will you be gone? "
"Two days," Nami calculated. "I'll be back within two days."
As she sailed away on the small boat, she waved back at Wukong until he was just a small speck on the horizon. When they could no longer see each other's faces, she cupped her hands and shouted with all her might, "Hey!! Wukong!! If I don't come back in two days, don't wait for me anymore!!". She turned away instantly, tears finally gushing out. Bellemere... I'm coming home.
Back on the Dream Chaser, Wukong scratched his head. "Huh? What did she say? " The wind had carried her words away, leaving him to mutter, "I'll just ask her when she gets back."
The Chefs' Conspiracy
Back at the Baratie, Zeff gathered his staff for a serious meeting. "Everyone listen up. You know Sanji dreams of finding the legendary All Blue in the Grand Line. But he's stubborn; he's stayed here for years for our sake, refusing every invitation to leave. We need to force his hand."
Patty and Carne grinned immediately. "That's easy! We'll just trash his cooking! We'll tell him his food is worthless until he gets so fed up he leaves to prove us wrong."
"Exactly!" Zeff smiled slightly. "As long as he achieves his dream, it doesn't matter if he's angry with us."
The chefs began to bicker loudly about who would become the new Sous-chef once Sanji was gone, their laughter echoing through the hall. They had no idea that Sanji was leaning against the wall just outside the door, hearing every word.
With a cigarette between his lips and his eyes hidden behind his blonde bangs, Sanji muttered quietly to himself, "Heh, how truly conniving...".