Nami let out an appreciative whistle, stepping out from behind the wall, arms crossed. "Not bad, rubber boy. You took care of them even faster than I thought you would."
"You tricked me!" Luffy shot back, pouting slightly.
"It's called strategy," Nami winked, a sly grin on her face. "Listen, I have a proposition. A guy with weird powers who specializes in beating up pirates, and a girl who specializes in finding and stealing treasure from pirates. Don't you think we'd make a perfect team?"
"Team up with you?" Luffy tilted his head.
"That's right," Nami said, her voice persuasive. "Together, we could amass a huge fortune."
She glanced at the straw hat on Luffy's head. "By the way, what's so special about that hat? You looked like you wanted to eat that guy alive when he touched it. Are there diamonds hidden inside? A secret treasure map?"
Nami's question revealed her nature: everything could be valued in terms of money.
Luffy just placed a hand on the brim of his hat. "It's much more important than that."
On the rooftop of a bar in the center of town, a loud party was underway. The Buggy Pirates were drinking and cheering.
Seated on a large, throne-like chair was their captain, Buggy. He was dressed in a clown's outfit, his face painted white, and most prominently, he had a big, round, red nose.
A subordinate was kneeling before him, trembling as he reported on losing the map.
"...Captain, that girl was too cunning. We couldn't catch her... But your big nose's... I mean, your great name's reputation will surely scare her into coming back!"
The air suddenly turned ice-cold. The party fell silent.
The smile on Buggy's face vanished. He looked at the subordinate, his voice like ice.
"What... did you just say about my nose?"
"N-no! I didn't mean it! I meant..." The subordinate was in a full-blown panic.
But it was too late.
Buggy's gloved hand suddenly detached from his wrist. It flew through the air, grabbing the subordinate by the throat and lifting him up.
"AAAAAH!" The subordinate struggled helplessly.
The others watched in horror as the disembodied hand floated in mid-air, choking their crewmate. This was the power of the Bara Bara no Mi, the Chop-Chop Fruit, which allowed Buggy to split his body into pieces and control them freely.
"The thing I hate most is when someone makes fun of my nose," Buggy hissed.
He gestured towards a nearby cannon. "Load a special 'Buggy Ball'. Teach him a lesson."
The crew, though terrified, followed the order immediately. They aimed the cannon at their own crewmate.
"Captain! Please, have mercy! I DIDN'T MEAN IT ABOUT YOUR NOSE!"
BOOM!
A deafening explosion roared. The unlucky subordinate was vaporized.
Buggy dusted off his hands as if he'd just swatted a fly. "Alright, party's over. All of you, scour this town for me! Find that little thief and any treasure you can get your hands on! Burn houses, loot, do whatever it takes!"
His command was a death sentence for the town's peace.
In an abandoned house, Nami was explaining the situation to Luffy.
"This town is practically empty because of that clown and his crew. They've occupied this place for a few days now."
She looked out the window, her expression growing serious. "Buggy is a cruel man. He loves using his cannons. I heard he once blew up an entire town just because some kid made fun of his nose."
Luffy, however, didn't seem to be listening at all. He was trying to catch a fly that was buzzing around the room.
"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!" Nami yelled, losing all her patience.
Luffy was startled. "Huh? Oh yeah, the red-nosed guy, right? Is he strong?"
Nami let out a long sigh. This idiot's carefree attitude was infuriating.
She sat down, her expression turning thoughtful. "I need money. A lot of money."
"How much?"
"100 million Beli," Nami said, her gaze firm. "I'm going to use it to buy my village back from another pirate."
This was the first time she had revealed her true purpose. She wasn't just a greedy thief. She had a reason, a burden.
"The map of the Grand Line that I stole," she continued, "is the key. I'll go there, where the most notorious pirates gather. Their treasure will surely be greater than anywhere else."
Luffy heard the words "Grand Line" and "map," and his eyes lit up.
"Awesome! So you're a navigator! Join my crew, Nami! Let's go to the Grand Line together!"
Nami looked at him. "Wait. Your crew? Who are you?"
"I'm a pirate!" Luffy declared proudly.
Instantly, the smile on Nami's face vanished. It was replaced by a cold, distant look.
"A pirate?" she said, her voice full of distaste. "The thing I hate most in this world... is pirates."
She stood up. "I only like two things: money and mikan oranges. Our conversation is over."
"But why?" Luffy asked, confused.
Nami looked at his hat again. "There has to be something. No pirate would get that mad over an old straw hat."
Luffy placed a hand on his hat, his eyes softening. "It's my treasure."
He told Nami about Shanks, about the hero who had saved his life, and about the promise to become a great pirate and return this hat.
Nami listened in silence. A sentimental pirate? A fool who didn't care for material treasure but cherished a promise?
He wasn't like the pirates she knew. He was... simple. Predictable.
And easy to use.
An idea sparked in her mind. The sly grin returned to her face.
"Okay, okay," she said, her tone doing a 180-degree turn. "You've convinced me. I'll team up with you... for now."
"Really?!" Luffy beamed.
"But," she said, "you have to prove yourself first. Come with me to see Buggy. If you can face him, I'll believe you."
Luffy didn't have a single doubt. "Alright! Let's go!"
As they neared Buggy's base, Nami suddenly pulled out a coil of rope.
"What the—"
Before Luffy could react, Nami, with expert skill, had tied him up completely.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Luffy yelled, trying to struggle.
"Sorry, rubber boy," Nami said, her voice sweet but her eyes cold. "It's just business."
She dragged Luffy, who was tied up like a sausage, into the bar where Buggy and his crew were based.
Inside, a subordinate was reporting. "...we couldn't retrieve the map. The girl had a really scary boss with her. He's the one who took down Domingo and the others."
Buggy growled. "A boss?"
"CAPTAIN BUGGY!" Nami suddenly yelled, shoving Luffy into the middle of the room.
Everyone turned, surprised.
"I am Nami!" she declared. "I've heard of your great name for a long time and wish to join your crew!"
She held up the map. "This is a gift to show my loyalty. And this..." she kicked Luffy, "...is my former boss. We had a little disagreement. I've brought him to you as a present."
Buggy looked at Nami, then at the bound Luffy, then at the map. He burst into a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha! Excellent! Very good! A smart and resourceful girl!"
He gave an order. "Throw him in a cage!"
Luffy was dragged away and thrown into a small iron cage. "NAMI! YOU TRICKED ME!"
Nami just turned, gave him a quick wink, and then turned back to raise a glass with Buggy, playing the part of a traitor perfectly.
At the same time, at the town's port.
A small boat docked. Zoro stepped onto the shore, followed by the three Buggy pirates he had "recruited."
"So this is your base?" Zoro asked, looking around at the chaotic town.
"Yes," one of them trembled in reply. "Captain Buggy and the others are searching everywhere."
Zoro frowned. Where had Luffy gone? That idiot couldn't have gotten into this much trouble this quickly.
He needed information.
And the best place to get information about what was happening... was from the man in charge.
"Take me to Buggy," Zoro commanded.
The Pirate Hunter was walking into the clown's den. A fiery confrontation was about to begin.