Hearing Sandy's words, Luffy couldn't help but remind him, "I don't care how you do it, but I'm the one who's gonna punch Arlong!"
Sandy rolled his eyes. "Suit yourself. But we're staying here for a few more days anyway. Since that's settled, where should we go now? Sleep?"
Nami, who was in a great mood, snapped back, "It's broad daylight! Sleep? Are you a pig?"
Sandy raised a brow with a teasing grin. "We don't have to sleep… we could go make a baby instead."
"Pfft—!" Zoro, who had been quietly drinking, spat his wine everywhere. "Hahaha!"
Usopp looked at Sandy and Nami with a weird expression, while Luffy blinked in confusion. "Make a baby? Is it fun? I wanna try too!"
Bang! Bang!
Blushing furiously, Nami smacked both Sandy and Luffy on the head. "You two idiots!"
Flat on the ground, Sandy grumbled, "What the hell, Luffy? Go eat your damn meat. This isn't something your stretchy rubber body can get involved in."
Luffy pouted. "So stingy! If you don't wanna play, fine. Hey, why don't we go outside and fight?"
"Fight?" Usopp tilted his head. "You guys sure are full of energy."
Sandy's eyes lit up mischievously. This rubber-brained captain always ruined his fun—he'd make sure to pay him back later with a nice Armament Haki punch.
Seeing that look, Zoro swallowed hard. "Hey, hey, Sandy, what kind of bad idea are you brewing this time?"
He had every right to be suspicious—Sandy had tricked him more than once before.
Sandy quickly smoothed his hair and flashed a bright grin. "Someone as handsome and charming as me, admired by countless women and envied by countless men—how could I ever have bad ideas?"
Usopp immediately interrupted, "Hey! How come you can brag even more than me?!"
Zoro smirked. "More like a pervert than a hero if you ask me."
Sandy turned to Usopp with half-lidded eyes. "Usopp, is that long nose of yours giving you trouble? Want me to fix it for you?"
"You bastard! You wanna fight?!" Usopp barked, pulling Luffy over. "Come on!"
Sandy rolled his eyes. "Luffy, even though Usopp's nose is long, it's… uh, a unique feature. Doesn't that make him perfect for the crew?"
Nami frowned. "So you're inviting him just because of his nose?"
"Of course," Sandy said matter-of-factly. "It helps highlight how balanced and handsome our noses are."
"Hahaha!"
Everyone burst out laughing.
Usopp pointed at Sandy furiously. "You jerk! I challenge you to a duel!"
Not long after, Usopp officially joined the Straw Hat Pirates. After a round of jokes and noise, everyone went back to their own business.
Later that evening, on the quiet coast, Nami stood alone, staring at the endless blue sea where the water met the sky. She didn't know what she was feeling—maybe longing for her hometown.
Sandy walked up beside her and sat down quietly. "What's wrong? Still thinking about your home?"
Nami nodded. "I guess I am. I tried so many times before—hired bounty hunters, begged good people to help—but they all lost to Arlong and his crew…"
Sandy looked at her gently. "You've been living a hard life, huh?"
The salty breeze brushed past them, and Sandy's heart stirred uncontrollably at the faint fragrance around her.
Nami smiled faintly. "Hard? I don't even know how I got through it. Maybe it was just the belief that I could save my village someday."
Sandy turned to face her. "You sound like you've forgotten how to live. Nami, you should embrace hope again—be bright, be bold. Life's always gonna throw crap at us, but that's exactly why we have to smile through it."
For a moment, they both fell silent.
In Sandy's eyes, Nami saw a warmth she hadn't felt in years. It reminded her of Belle-Mère's kindness—of that strong, optimistic view of life she once cherished.
Looking at the sunny boy beside her, she found herself smiling faintly. It had been so long since she'd seen a smile like his.
It hit her then—somewhere along the way, she had forgotten Belle-Mère's words, forgotten what it meant to truly live and dream.
"Hey…" Sandy nudged her lightly. "You alright?"
"Ah?" Nami blinked, face suddenly red. She turned away and muttered, "Who do you think you are, lecturing me like that, you self-indulgent pirate…"
Silence filled the coast again. Only the waves and the wind spoke.
After a while, Nami said softly, "Thanks, Sandy. You made me remember something important. I… feel better now."
Sandy smiled and slipped an arm around her waist.
Nami blushed and swatted at him. "Why are you always like this?!"
He grinned. "What? The sea breeze's strong—I'm just worried you'll catch a cold."
Her face darkened. "It's blazing hot out here, you idiot."
Then she turned to him with a sly smile. "But if you really wanna hug me, that'll be 100,000 Belly. You already owe me a million!"
Sandy groaned. "You really think I'm rich? I'm broke! If you want payment, take it in flesh!"
Nami scoffed. "No thanks. I'll stick with Belly. Now come on—let's see what those noisy idiots are doing."
As Sandy followed her back, he muttered, "What's the point? It's never peaceful with that bunch…"
But just as he turned, Nami suddenly leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
She smirked. "Satisfied now?"
Sandy froze, eyes wide—then grinned. "Nami, you actually dared to take advantage of me! Oh no, I have to kiss you back—!"
As he kissed her on the lips.
Moments later, Nami's furious shout echoed across the coast.
"Sandy, you bastard!!"