Time rushed by. In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.
In that week, news that the Ochoku Pirates had lost a top executive spread across the New World, stirring no small uproar.
How do you grade a pirate crew.
Simple. Look at the configuration.
For an excellent crew, aside from headcount, the key is the triumvirate.
Besides the captain, there must be two outstanding right and left hands.
For a powerful crew, there is likewise a triumvirate.
Only this triumvirate does not include the captain.
Before Whole Cake Island, even after the Straw Hat Grand Fleet formed, the Straw Hats could only be called excellent.
Only when Jinbe joined did the Straw Hats qualify as a powerful crew.
After everyone finished their upgrades on Onigashima and Luffy awakened Nika, the Straw Hats finally deserved to be called an Emperor's crew.
When a powerful crew loses a top executive, it not only means a drop in strength, it means their status begins to wobble.
So Elliot Borg's disappearance had the Ochoku side running ragged these days.
Because challengers arrived from every direction.
Even Emperor crews face endless challengers, let alone a great pirate crew below the Emperors.
Even Charlotte Linlin and Kaido, former shipmates of Ochoku, felt the itch.
They thought it over, then shelved the idea.
The Ochoku Pirates had lost a top executive, but trying to gnaw through that bone would still shatter a few teeth.
After so many years, neither Charlotte Linlin nor Kaido knew how much power the other monsters had stored up.
If it hurt their own foundations, a bigger war might descend.
At the same time, no one knew why Elliot Borg vanished, including the two blonde women who had slept with him that night.
Only one person was an exception, Doflamingo.
When Doflamingo received the news, he knew Yami had obtained the Paramecia Teleport-Teleport Fruit.
He felt even happier about it than Yami did.
What remained was combat power.
Once the strongest rookie in history boosted his fighting strength, he could become the fifth overlord of the strongest sea.
By then, with two golden thighs hugged tight, he would be the true king of the underworld.
While the New World grew noisy over the Ochoku business, the fuse itself, Yami, took the girls and left the New World.
Not truly left forever, just stepped away for now to tour other seas.
They would do a group teleport, then take turns spending a day each with Yami in another sea or on another island, exploring or playing.
Today was Nami's turn.
A little homesick, Nami asked Yami to take her back to Cocoyasi Village to visit family.
"Na… Nami?"
Tending the tangerine grove, Nojiko looked up to see Yami and Nami step out of subspace, eyes going wide before she ran over in delight and hugged Nami, tears of joy spilling. "Nami, welcome home!"
"Long time no see, Nojiko."
Nami hugged her back, tears slipping from the corners of her eyes as well.
An unguarded surge of feeling when family reunites after long parting.
When Nami sailed off to steal, Nojiko would often cry herself to sleep, terrified that her little sister would meet with disaster outside.
Only when she saw Nami come home could she finally set down the worry she carried all the time.
Nami knew that too, so every time she stole a haul at sea, she would immediately return to Cocoyasi Village.
Since Arlong's fall, this was the first time Nami and Nojiko had been apart for so long.
For underage sisters, such a reaction was only normal.
Watching the embracing sisters and sensing Nojiko's emotions clear even without Observation Haki, Yami drifted into thought.
After losing Belle-Mère, Nami and Nojiko were everything to each other in the tangerine grove.
After Nami went to sea, she had Yami, and Carina whose standing with her was second only to Nojiko.
Nojiko, after Nami left, had only the silent tangerine grove.
Though the villagers looked after her, it could never compare to family.
At mealtimes and at night, the house held only Nojiko.
When they left Cocoyasi Village, none of them carried a Transponder Snail, and she could not place a call just because she missed Nami.
If it were anyone else, Yami would not care. Even if they died, it would have nothing to do with him.
But Nojiko was Nami's sister. Seeing this lonely, pitiable girl, Yami suddenly felt a touch of pity and silently made a decision.
Nojiko was only sixteen this year, still growing.
At that age, if she ate a top-tier Devil Fruit and had her lineage factor recomposed, then spent a year or two at Amazon Lily to train, she might quickly catch up to Robin, whose potential had been locked down.
Perhaps the Pegasus could add a new member.
"Mr. Yami, thank you for taking care of Nami all this time!"
When the hug ended, Nojiko greeted Yami and bowed deeply.
"No need to thank me. Nami may be my maid, but she is also my family."
Yami slipped an arm around Nami's fragrant shoulder and smiled meaningfully at Nojiko. "And that makes you my family too."
Hee hee…
Happiness bloomed across Nami's face. She hugged his arm and rubbed her cheek against it again and again like a little dog flattering its master.
Nojiko also broke into a radiant smile, her eyes soft as she looked at Yami.
The girl's weakness was Nami.
Treat Nami well, and she would feel goodwill toward that person.
"You haven't eaten, have you. Come home with me, I'll cook."
"Mhm mhm… it's been so long since I tasted Nojiko's cooking. Master hasn't had your food yet either, right?"
"Mm. Last time we left in a hurry, and I forgot to sample Nojiko's cooking."
"Hee hee… then you're in for a treat. Nojiko's cooking is delicious. My own cooking was learned from her."
"Oh. I'm looking forward to it."
The three chatted as they walked toward Nami's house.
Along the way, Nami told Nojiko about what she had experienced during this stretch of time.
Nojiko's horizons had not been broadened by travel, and Nami's tall-tale-like adventures had her gasping again and again.
No matter how absurd Nami sounded, Nojiko did not doubt her in the slightest.
That absolute trust only firmed up Yami's thoughts.
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