The next morning.
Lynn slowly woke up.
He gradually opened his eyes, and his blurred vision sharpened bit by bit.
"So, I'm not dead... Who saved me?" Lynn muttered, his lips dry and cracked.
"Yeah~"
"You're awake? Genzo is out. He asked me to keep an eye on you."
A somewhat childish and crisp voice reached Lynn's ears.
From the tone alone, he could tell immediately that it belonged to a little girl. He lifted his gaze toward the source of the voice.
A cute girl, about eight or nine years old, with vibrant orange hair, holding a book in her hands and squinting slightly, stood before him.
Isn't this Nami when she was a kid?
Young Nami!
"Uh... H-Hello. My name is Lynn. What's your name?" Lynn looked at the little girl standing near him, and for some reason, his cheeks suddenly flushed with embarrassment.
He would never admit that he was shy! He was just thinking about what Nami would look like when she grew up!
Grown-up Nami!
Who could resist the future Nami?!
"So, your name is Lynn? I'm Nami!"
"By the way, how did you fall from the sky yesterday? If it weren't for Bell-mère and Genzo, you might have drowned in the sea," Nami asked sweetly.
"Ah?"
"Well... Nami, do you know about Devil Fruits?" Lynn scratched his head, unsure of how to explain it.
After all, to ordinary people, Devil Fruits were almost mythical.
"Devil Fruit? What's that? Is it a fruit that devils eat? Do devils really exist?" Nami's big eyes sparkled with curiosity.
It was the first time she had heard of something so magical, and her little head was already spinning with countless questions.
"Uh... how should I put it? Nami, could you get me some water first? I'm really thirsty. I'll explain everything once I drink something." Lynn licked his dry lips and spoke softly.
Since arriving here, he hadn't had a single drop of water (and seawater didn't count!).
"Oh, okay! Wait a moment." Nami obediently agreed, carefully placing the book she was holding beside Lynn before turning toward the table.
The table was a bit too high for her, and she had to stand on her tiptoes just to reach the kettle.
Lynn quietly watched Nami's small figure bustling around, a warm feeling rising in his heart. His initially tense mood gradually eased.
Looking at the adorable Nami in front of him, Lynn couldn't help but smile. His spirits lifted instantly.
His gaze fell on Nami's book—it was about meteorology. So, top-tier navigators really did start training from childhood!
"Here's your water! Drink up!" Nami handed him a glass of water and then stood beside him, waiting for his answer.
"Thanks, Nami." Lynn accepted the cup politely and gulped the water down in a few big sips.
The warm liquid flowed into his mouth and down his throat, bringing him back to life. Though, truth be told, his awakening had been quite dramatic.
"I'm done drinking, so I'll explain Devil Fruits now."
"Mm-hmm, go on, Lynn~"
Lynn gathered his thoughts before speaking. "Devil Fruits are known as the sea's secret treasure. They're the embodiment of the Sea Devil's power. When someone eats one, they gain special abilities, but in exchange, they become unable to swim, forever rejected by the sea. Even so, because of the immense power they grant, many people in the world dream of obtaining a Devil Fruit! And even the cheapest ones cost at least 100 million berries!"
"One... one hundred million berries?!"
The moment she heard that number, little Nami's face froze in disbelief.
Her mouth hung open so wide that it looked like it could fit an entire egg.
Her eyes widened dramatically, as if they were about to pop out of her head.
Then, her once innocent big eyes suddenly morphed into the shape of berries, sparkling with sheer greed.
As if pulled by some invisible force, Nami instantly grabbed onto Lynn's arm and asked excitedly, "Ne, Lynn! You just said you ate a Devil Fruit too? Is that true?!"
One hundred million berries!
She had never seen so much money in her life!
Now, in her eyes, Lynn wasn't just some ordinary person—he was a walking treasure chest worth 100 million berries!
Lynn was stunned by her reaction. So Nami's money-loving nature had been this strong since childhood?!
"(⊙o⊙)…Yeah, I ate a Devil Fruit that lets me fly, which is why I fell from the sky." Lynn suddenly felt a little nervous looking at Nami's expression.
She wouldn't try to sell him for berries, right?
"Sugoi!!"
"Lynn, you actually ate 100 million berries just like that!" Little Nami let go of his arm, her eyes gradually returning to normal.
But her heart was filled with turmoil. One hundred million berries—that was a fortune!
"Actually... the fruit I ate might be worth more than that. It could be around... 3 billion berries," Lynn said casually.
"WHAT?!"
"WORTH THREE BILLION BERRIES?!!!"
A deafening scream shook the entire village of Cocoyasi. Lynn swore that every single villager had probably heard her voice.
Little Nami's eyes grew even wider, almost as big as dinner plates, and her mouth formed a perfect "O" shape.
Her entire body trembled uncontrollably, overwhelmed by shock.
"(⊙o⊙)…..N-Nami, calm down. It's just 3 billion berries, no big deal."
Was she serious? His fruit was a Mythical Zoan! Even 30 billion berries wouldn't be enough to buy it, let alone just 3 billion!
But when Nami heard his words, she felt as if he had driven a dagger into her heart.
"Woooooo...!!!"
"Three billion berries! You actually ATE three billion berries!!!"
Nami couldn't take it anymore—she burst into tears, her face streaked with sorrowful tears.
"Ah… this~~"
"Nami, don't cry! Three billion berries isn't that much. I'll help you earn even more in the future! I know a place with tons of gold—way more than just 3 billion berries!" Lynn said with a mysterious glint in his eye.
"Really?!"
"Gold?! You're not lying to me, right? That's 3 billion berries! Where are you going to find that much gold?!" Nami instantly stopped crying, grabbing Lynn's shoulders excitedly.
"Of course! I'm absolutely sure there's more than 3 billion berries worth of gold there!" Lynn replied with confidence.
"That's amazing! Lynn, you can't lie to me!" Nami's cute little face beamed with joy as she leaned in closer to him.
"Nami, what do you mean by 3 billion berries?!"
At that moment, the door banged open, and Nojiko rushed inside, looking anxious.
She had heard Nami's loud scream from the tangerine orchard, so Bell-mère had sent her back immediately to check.
Young Nojiko!