She slowly crouched down, covering her face tightly with both hands as her shoulders began to tremble uncontrollably.
The tears she had suppressed for five whole years burst forth like a broken dam.
These were no longer the few forced drops she had faked before—
They were real.
A flood mixed with grievance, pain, fear, loneliness… and the overwhelming relief of this moment.
Soft, stifled sobs leaked through her fingers at first—
Then gradually turned into uncontrollable crying.
Five years of endurance.
Five years of suffering.
Five years of carrying everything alone.
All those dark moments she could never share with anyone—
Now poured out freely with her tears.
She cried like a child who had finally found her way home after being lost for far too long.
Renji Kuro didn't disturb her.
He simply stood quietly to the side, gazing out at the vast sea, allowing this girl—who had carried far too much—to finally release everything inside her.
The sea breeze drifted gently, carrying away fragments of her sobs.
After a long while—
The crying gradually subsided, turning into intermittent sniffles.
Nami wiped her swollen, reddened eyes and tear-streaked face with her sleeve, then stood up.
She glanced at Renji Kuro, a little embarrassed—
But her eyes were much clearer and brighter than before.
As if part of the burden had been lifted.
"S-Sorry… I lost my composure…"
Her voice still carried a heavy nasal tone.
"It's fine. This is something worth being happy about."
Renji Kuro replied calmly.
Nami nodded vigorously.
The radiance returned to her face—
A radiance filled with hope.
She patted the backpack in her arms, her tone turning light and firm.
"With this money, Arlong will definitely leave the village! He promised back then!"
Renji Kuro looked at her expression—
That certainty, mixed with a hint of innocence—
And sighed inwardly.
In the end, she was still young.
She had experienced darkness—
But perhaps hadn't fully seen through the deeper, more stubborn greed and malice within certain people.
"Do you really think Arlong will keep his promise after taking the money?"
Renji Kuro asked, his tone neutral, revealing nothing.
Nami paused.
As if she had never truly considered the question—
Or rather, had forced herself not to.
"O-Of course he will! One hundred million Beli isn't a small amount! After getting that much money, why would he stay in our tiny village? He could go somewhere more prosperous and live a better life!"
Her reasoning sounded solid—
As if she was trying to convince him—
Or perhaps, convince herself.
Renji Kuro shook his head slightly, his gaze drifting toward the distant horizon.
"Sometimes, desire is like a stone rolling downhill. Once it starts, it's very hard to stop."
"For some people, once they get one hundred million, they'll want two hundred million… a billion."
"Once they control a village, they'll want to control more."
"When they realize that violence and threats can easily bring them wealth and power, then so-called 'promises'…"
"…are often just tools to extract even more benefits."
"Breaking those promises doesn't require any reason—just the fact that they want to."
The light on Nami's face dimmed slightly.
She frowned, carefully digesting his words.
She wasn't stupid—
Far from it.
His words were like a thin needle, piercing the fragile bubble she had deliberately avoided—
Her belief in Arlong's "honor."
She recalled Arlong's cruel smile.
The undisguised contempt and oppression the fish-men showed toward humans.
Would it really be that simple?
"You… sound like you're implying something."
Nami looked up at him, her eyes now filled with unease and curiosity.
"How about we make a bet?"
Renji Kuro turned to face her and made the suggestion.
"A bet? About what?"
"Whether Arlong will keep his promise."
Renji Kuro said calmly.
"If he takes the money and truly leaves Cocoyasi Village, never bothering you again—then I lose."
"I'll give you another one hundred million Beli as a gift to celebrate your freedom."
"Another hundred million?!"
Nami gasped, her eyes widening in shock.
A free hundred million?
How could something like that exist?
It sounded completely unreasonable!
"Then… what if you win? What do you want?"
She asked cautiously.
There was no such thing as a free lunch—
She understood that well.
"If I win…"
Renji Kuro met her gaze and spoke slowly.
"Then it means you can't buy your freedom with money—at least not yet."
"When that happens, you'll come work as my navigator."
"You'll repay me with your navigation skills and knowledge."
"That way, you won't lose completely. At the very least, you'll have a new place to go… and an opportunity to grow stronger."
"A navigator?"
Nami blinked.
She had absolute confidence in her navigation skills.
It was her natural talent—
And the precious legacy Bellemere had left her.
This bet…
No matter how she looked at it—
She didn't seem to lose.
If she won—
The village would be free, and she'd gain another hundred million Beli.
If she lost—
The village would still be in danger…
But she would gain a way out.
And more importantly—
He acknowledged her abilities.
He even hinted at a chance to become stronger.
Her thoughts raced.
This mysterious can merchant—
Didn't seem like a bad person.
His strength was unknown.
His methods were extraordinary.
If she followed him—
Maybe she could truly learn more… grow stronger…
And one day return to save her village.
Besides—
Even if she lost—
Becoming a navigator wasn't some terrifying condition like being sold into slavery.
It was… acceptable.