"So this is what the system calls a 'potential customer'? The first buyer just delivers herself to my door?"
Renji Kuro kept facing the sea, not turning around immediately, but all his attention had already shifted to the space behind him.
On the deck, the five cans gleamed quietly under the sunlight, as if waiting for their very first customer.
He slowly turned around, his movement as natural as someone casually changing posture to enjoy the view.
His gaze landed on the figure by the ship's railing—someone who had just steadied herself.
It was a young girl, slender in build, wearing a sleeveless short top and light-colored shorts, revealing sun-kissed, wheat-toned arms and legs.
Most eye-catching of all was her bright orange short hair, dazzling under the sunlight.
She was slightly crouched, her lively brown eyes darting quickly across the deck, her face carrying a mix of alertness and cunning—like a cat ready to slip away at any moment.
Renji Kuro's eyes immediately fell on her left upper arm.
There, a tattoo stood out—a skull with a sun-like design, crossed bones beneath it.
He recognized that symbol instantly.
The Arlong Pirates.
Almost at once, the girl's identity became crystal clear in his mind—
Nami.
A key character of One Piece, the future navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates.
At this moment, she was still trapped in the depths of her tragedy.
Cocoyasi Village, ruled by the fish-man Arlong.
Her adoptive mother, Bellemere, killed by Arlong while protecting her and her sister Nojiko.
Forced to join the Arlong Pirates, enduring humiliation while drawing nautical charts.
Secretly making a deal with Arlong—to buy back her village and her freedom with one hundred million Beli.
No wonder the system had labeled her a "potential customer."
Right now, she was desperately accumulating money, possessing a level of obsession with wealth far beyond ordinary people.
Sure enough—
Nami's gaze quickly locked onto the five radiant cans in the center of the deck.
Her originally sharp, cautious eyes—
The moment they landed on the cans, especially the golden one and the shimmering Platinum and Diamond cans—
Her pupils suddenly dilated, almost turning into glowing Beli symbols.
"So… so pretty… They look so valuable!"
She muttered under her breath, the corners of her lips lifting uncontrollably. A trace of drool nearly slipped from her mouth before she quickly swallowed it back.
Her fingers rubbed together unconsciously as her mind began calculating at high speed.
"That golden one—it's definitely pure gold, right? That big… how much could it be worth? Ten million? No, maybe more! And that shiny one—is that platinum? Oh my… If I could get all of them…"
It was as if she could already see mountains of Beli waving at her.
Her dream goal of one hundred million suddenly felt much closer.
Thinking about how her friend Carina would react if she managed to land such a "huge score"—
The image of envy and jealousy on her face—
Nami couldn't help covering her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly as she let out a soft, mischievous chuckle, like a cat that had just stolen a fresh fish.
She was completely immersed in her fantasy.
"Do you like them?"
A calm male voice suddenly came from behind her.
It wasn't loud—
But to Nami, it struck like thunder.
"!"
All her fantasies shattered instantly.
Her body stiffened, and her neck turned stiffly, like rusted machinery, inch by inch toward the source of the voice.
At some point, a young man—around his early twenties—had appeared just a few steps behind her.
He wore simple dark clothing, his figure tall and well-proportioned.
What stood out most was his face—
Handsome, with sharp features and a straight nose.
Even in Nami's current money-obsessed state, the moment her eyes met his, her heartbeat skipped involuntarily.
There was no malice on his face, his gaze calm, as he simply looked at her.
He didn't seem to have any intention of capturing her immediately.
Nami quickly assessed the situation.
He was alone.
Didn't look like a vicious pirate.
Maybe… she could bluff her way through?
Her eyes spun rapidly.
In an instant, all the cunning and vigilance on her face vanished, replaced by a pitiful, tearful expression. Her big eyes filled with moisture, and her voice trembled with sobs.
"I—I'm sorry! I didn't mean to board your ship! The merchant ship I was on ran into a disaster… I was the only one who survived, clinging to a wooden plank… When I saw your ship, I was so scared—I just wanted to come aboard and ask for help…"
As she spoke, she wiped at the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand—where no tears actually existed—while secretly observing Renji Kuro's reaction.
She had used this trick many times before.
Against soft-hearted merchants or travelers, it usually worked perfectly.
Renji Kuro watched her flawless performance and found it slightly amusing, though his expression remained unchanged.
He didn't follow her "shipwreck" story.
Instead, he asked a question—
One that instantly froze every expression on Nami's face.
"How much are you missing?"
"Huh?"
Nami blinked, not understanding.
"To redeem Cocoyasi Village—how much Beli are you still short?"
Renji Kuro repeated calmly, his eyes locked onto hers.
Nami's pupils shrank sharply.
The pitiful expression on her face vanished instantly, replaced by shock—
And a trace of panic and vigilance.
She took half a step back, her body instinctively shifting into a defensive stance.