"Now, about that so-called most beautiful woman…" Zino began, glancing at Alvida with a half-smile. "I'm not exactly sure what she looks like. But the rumors say she's incredibly powerful. Maybe not quite on Mihawk's level, but her feats are still nothing to scoff at."
Alvida raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. "So, you're saying I'd have a hard time matching her?"
Zino nodded seriously. "It won't be easy, that's for sure. She's known as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea for a reason. If you really want to compete with her in beauty or strength… you'll need to push yourself far beyond your limits."
Alvida didn't look discouraged. In fact, she smiled—calmly, yet with fire in her eyes. "Good. That means I have a worthy rival. It gives me a clear goal to strive for."
Zino nodded in approval. He could see the determination in her gaze. Then, after a moment of quiet, Alvida asked curiously, "Zino-kun, what about you? What's your ambition?"
"Me?" Zino blinked, then quickly looked away. "That's a secret."
"Come on," Alvida insisted with a slight pout. "You already heard both of ours. Don't hold back."
Zoro chimed in too, arms crossed. "Yeah. What are you aiming for, Zino?"
Zino hesitated, then sighed with a wry smile. "Fine. Just don't laugh when you hear it, alright?" He paused for a second, then looked up at the sky and said, "I want to escape the restraints of this world… and travel beyond it—into the far reaches of the universe."
Both Alvida and Zoro were stunned.
"Escape this world?" Alvida repeated in disbelief.
"You mean escape the Government's control or something?" asked Zoro, narrowing his eyes.
Zino shook his head. "No, I mean it literally. I want to leave this planet. Travel through space. See what's out there in the stars."
There was a moment of stunned silence.
"For that," Zino continued, "I need to become someone powerful enough—someone no one can restrict or control. Maybe even the strongest in the world. Only then will I have the freedom to chase a dream as insane as that."
As he said that, Zino lifted his gaze skyward once more. Something shifted in the air around him—an invisible pressure, a quiet but undeniable aura of ambition. Zoro and Alvida both felt it. They couldn't explain it, but for a brief moment, they were captivated—drawn into Zino's vision like moths to a flame.
It stirred something inside them. Not just admiration, but a shared hunger to reach beyond what they thought possible.
'My acting skills are still pretty good,' Zino thought smugly to himself. But deep down, he knew it wasn't all an act. His words were mostly true. As a transmigrator, he wasn't bound by this world's logic or limits. This was his chance to gain power far beyond the norm. One day, he believed—if he survived long enough—he just might find a way to return to Earth… or even go beyond it.
If not today, then someday.
As Zino, Alvida, and Zoro stood on the deck of their ship discussing future ambitions, a sudden thud echoed from the side of the vessel, lightly rocking it.
"What was that?" Zoro asked, instantly alert.
"Something hit us," Alvida replied, stepping toward the edge.
The three of them leaned over the side and saw a small, battered boat bumping gently against their ship. Onboard was a young girl with orange hair slumped over the side, clearly exhausted. Beside her was a treasure chest—weathered, but suspiciously positioned for display.
"A girl?" Zoro raised an eyebrow. "What's she doing out here alone with that thing?"
"Did she drift out here by accident?" Alvida mused aloud.
Zino's expression shifted the moment he laid eyes on the girl. He recognized her — the orange hair, the clever eyes peeking out between exhaustion — it was Nami, the notorious cat burglar of the East Blue.
Slowly, the girl looked up at them. Her voice was weak, but deliberate. "Please… help me. I have a treasure chest here. You can take whatever's inside… just help me get to safety."
She gestured weakly at the chest beside her.
Zino, Alvida, and Zoro glanced at each other. But none of them moved right away. Their silence was telling.
"Should we help her?" Zoro asked, watching her carefully.
"Wait," Zino said, raising his hand slightly. He narrowed his eyes and addressed the girl. "Who are you? Why are you drifting out here by yourself?"
Instead of answering, the girl's tone shifted, just a bit sharper. "I'm just someone who got caught up in trouble. Just take the gold and help me, okay?"
Zino stared at the chest. Something about it didn't sit right with him. It looked like it had been intentionally placed there for maximum attention, almost like bait.
"I've heard rumors," Zino said, his voice calm. "There's a thief in these parts. A girl, fast and clever. Known for stealing from both pirates and marines. Goes by the name… Nami, the Cat Burglar."
The moment he said the name, the girl's eyes widened slightly in shock before narrowing with guarded suspicion. She stiffened.
Zino gave a thin smile. "Judging by your reaction, I think I'm right."
Seeing that her cover was blown, Nami made a snap decision. Without wasting another word, she reached for the paddle and began rowing away with sudden urgency. Her motions were clumsy, but desperate.
"Huh? She's running," said Alvida, amused.
"Hey, don't run away!" Zino called out, surprised by how quickly Nami tried to escape. He hadn't expected her to react so decisively. His intention had only been to expose her identity—not scare her off completely. He still wanted to talk.
Seeing her paddling away in panic, Zino jumped off his ship. But instead of falling into the water, he kicked at the air beneath his feet.
"Geppo!"
Under the stunned gazes of Zoro and Alvida, Zino began stepping through the sky as if running on invisible platforms. With each kick, he soared higher, leaping through the air like he was weightless.
"He… he's flying?" Alvida gasped.
"No… it looks more like he's running on the air itself," Zoro muttered, his eyes wide in disbelief.
Neither of them could believe what they were seeing. Zino moved quickly, reaching the small drifting boat in seconds. He landed lightly on the deck beside Nami, who was not yet aware of his presence.
"Hey, why are you running?" Zino asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Ahhh!" Nami shrieked, startled by his sudden appearance. She backed up instinctively, clutching the edge of her boat. "H-How did you get here?!"
Zino grinned casually. "Huh? I just walked over and stepped aboard."
Nami's mouth opened slightly, unable to respond. This boy—no, this marine-looking guy was there on his ship a moment ago, and now he silently appeared here, as if he just teleported. How is that possible?
"So, Nami," Zino said calmly, "I'd like to invite you to my ship. I have a few questions I'd like to ask."
"...Can I refuse?"
Zino gave a charming smile, but his eyes told a different story—serious, determined, and not taking no for an answer.
Nami sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine. I'll go to your ship. But… would you at least like to see my treasure?" she asked, gesturing toward the chest beside her.
"No need," Zino said immediately. "That chest is empty."
Nami froze. "How do you—"
"You just admitted it."
"...Tch."
Zino crouched slightly, giving her no time to recover from the surprise. "Let's go."
"Wait, what are you—AHH!" Nami yelped as Zino suddenly scooped her up in a princess carry.
Before she could struggle or protest, Zino leapt high into the air, once again using Geppo to sprint back toward his ship through the sky. Nami instinctively grabbed onto his shirt, clutching tightly as she realized how high off the water they were.
"You better not drop me!" she cried, face pale.
"Don't worry. I've done this plenty of times," Zino said casually.
Within moments, they landed gently on the ship's deck. As soon as Zino put her down, Nami quickly jumped back, eyes narrowing as she stepped away from him with clear wariness.
"Relax," Zino said, holding up both hands. "I'm not here to hurt you."
Nami didn't say anything. She stayed on guard, clearly unsure of what kind of person this young man really was. First, he knew her identity. Then, he exposed her empty chest scam. And now he'd carried her through the sky like some kind of monster from a storybook.
One thing was clear to Nami—this wasn't going to be an ordinary encounter.
"So, Nami, you're a navigator, right?" Zino asked, his voice calm yet probing.
Nami glanced at him warily, eyes flicking over his face. This boy—it bothered her how much he seemed to know about her. How could he possibly gather all that information? She shook her head slightly, trying to keep her composure. "...Why do you say I'm a navigator?"
Zino smiled faintly. "Because I noticed things. A young girl traveling alone on the sea, who never seems lost or fearful of being adrift—only someone who truly understands navigation could move like that. Anyone else would be reckless. So yes—I believe you are a navigator. Am I correct?"
Her lips parted in surprise. For a moment, she looked at him as though seeing him for the first time. Then she responded quietly, "I… I know a little about navigation."
"Then," Zino leaned forward slightly, his tone earnest, "would you be willing to join my crew? My ship doesn't have a navigator yet."
"You want me to join you?" Nami asked, shock flashing in her eyes.
"Yes. Will you join us?"
She looked down, processing. "What's in it for me?"
Zino's eyebrows rose. "Well… what do you want?"
Nami immediately replied, almost without hesitation: "Money. Give me money!"
The speed and bluntness of her demand made Zino stare at her in stunned silence for a moment. He felt speechless.
"...How much money do you want?" he asked, trying to mask his surprise.
"100—no, 200 million Berries." She held up two fingers, her eyes shining greedily like she was picturing the numbers in gold.
"No! We don't have that much money," Zino shook his head. He looked genuinely regretful.
She scoffed. "You don't have money? Tsk."
Zino paused, then offered: "How about this: you join us, and I will let you handle the money—whatever treasure or earnings we get aboard the ship. Surely that prospect should be appealing enough, right?"
Nami's expression screwed up in skepticism. "You don't even have money now. What good is that promise?"
Zino chuckled lightly, regaining his composure. "You shouldn't judge us by what we have at this moment. Just because we don't have riches now doesn't mean we won't in the future. We will earn it. We will fight for it."
Nami thought back to the courage she had witnessed earlier, how he had flown through the air as though walking on clouds. This boy clearly had some unusual strength. She looked to Zoro, gripping the three swords at his side, and then at Alvida, clutching that massive club. They weren't ordinary people. They were dangerous — in a way that she had come to understand as necessary in her world of pirates and thieves.
After a moment's hesitation, she finally asked softly, "So... what do you do to earn money?"
Zino answered plainly, "We are pirate hunters."
Zoro and Alvida exchanged glances but remained silent. Perhaps they trusted the captain's plan. It struck Nami as odd that they didn't fly a pirate flag, yet called themselves pirate hunters.
She pondered for a few seconds, measuring her options. The sea was dangerous, lonely, and full of people willing to kill. She needed allies. She needed protection. Here was someone offering both, with the promise of treasure and autonomy.
At last, Nami nodded. Her voice was quiet but firm: "Alright. I will join your crew."
Relief, excitement, and curiosity flashed across Zino's face all at once. "Welcome aboard, Nami," he said, extending a hand. "I promise: we'll make this journey worthwhile."
Zoro grinned slightly, sheathing one of his swords. Alvida eyed Nami skeptically but nodded. The terms were set, the crew taking shape.