"You... you're a king?!"
"Of course! Don't I look like one?" Ryan Quinn turned in a full circle before Nami, showing off her outfit with a teasing smile.
"Y-yeah... totally," Nami said weakly, her voice full of disbelief.
A king? Seriously?
Nami had expected many things from this mysterious woman maybe she was a bounty hunter, or a mercenary, or even a wandering adventurer. But a king? That was nowhere on the list.
Wasn't a king supposed to be... you know, male?
Then again, Nami didn't know much about the outside world. She had no idea that even among the Seven Warlords of the Sea, there existed women who ruled nations like the Empress, Boa Hancock.
But still... what kind of king just wandered around the ocean picking fights with pirates?
Didn't she have a country to run? Ministers? Armies? Advisors?
Or maybe... she had secret bodyguards hidden nearby?
Suspicious, Nami's eyes darted around the coastline, scanning every rock and bush for hidden soldiers.
Thwack!
"Ow!"
Ryan's fist landed squarely on Nami's head. The poor navigator yelped and crouched down, clutching her head in pain.
"What are you staring at? No guards, no escorts, no secret army. I'm alone," Ryan said flatly, flicking her wrist as if dismissing the thought.
"Hehe~" Nami stuck out her tongue, giving an embarrassed little laugh.
"Then how are you brave enough to travel alone? What if something happens to your kingdom?"
Ryan shrugged casually. "Because I'm strong. When you have power, you don't need to hide behind people."
She leaned against the railing, her tone matter-of-fact. "My country runs fine without me. I built it to last. They can manage until I get back."
Nami tilted her head, curiosity winning over fear. "Then why are you so obsessed with money?"
Ryan froze for a second, then gave an awkward cough.
"...Because I eat a lot."
She couldn't exactly say 'Oh, I've got a system that lets me get stronger by spending money', could she? That would sound insane.
So she settled for the simplest truth: she was hungry. Constantly.
Since inheriting the "King's Appetite," Ryan's stomach had become a bottomless pit. No matter how much she ate, she was never quite full.
She sighed dramatically. "I haven't had a proper meal in days... Once we get that bounty money, I'm heading straight to the nearest restaurant and ordering everything on the menu."
Nami chuckled softly at that. This strange "king" really wasn't like anyone she'd ever met.
Before Nami could ask another question, Ryan raised a hand to stop her. "Do you need to tell anyone you're leaving? Or should we head out now?"
"Let me go pack up first," Nami said, glancing back toward her house.
"Alright. I'll wait for you by the shore."
With that, Nami ran off toward the village, while Ryan got to work tying up the Fishmen.
One by one, she bound them together with a thick rope, stringing them into a long, wriggling chain. Then she grabbed the end of the rope and began dragging the unconscious pirates toward the dock, humming cheerfully as she went.
An hour later...
Ryan sat on the yacht's railing, legs swinging lazily as she fished off the side.
One fish.
Two fish.
Three fish.
It was peaceful until she spotted Nami sprinting toward the dock, suitcase bouncing behind her.
Behind Nami, the villagers of Cocoyasi were chasing after her, waving their arms.
"Stop following me! Go back, everyone!" Nami shouted over her shoulder, waving frantically.
The villagers slowed to a stop, smiling fondly as they called out:
"Take care out there, Nami!"
"We'll miss you!"
"If things get tough, come home! We'll always be waiting!"
During that one short hour, Nami had finally reconciled with the people of her village.
All the pain, all the misunderstandings gone.
Now, as she prepared to set sail again, her heart felt lighter than it had in years.
Her eyes shimmered with emotion as she reached the shore... only to freeze.
In front of her was a gleaming white yacht, polished to perfection.
"Is... is this your ship?" she asked blankly.
Ryan looked up from her fishing rod. "Well? What are you waiting for? Get on!"
Still stunned, Nami hesitated for a second, then climbed aboard.
The moment she stepped onto the deck, a voice called out from the shore.
"Nami! Oranges!"
Thump!
A large bag of oranges flew through the air and landed neatly on the deck.
Nami turned to see a woman with tanned skin and short blue hair tied with a red bandanna her sister, Nojiko.
"Stay safe, you hear me?! Have fun out there!" Nojiko shouted, waving both hands.
"Nojiko..."
Nami grinned, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "I will! I promise!"
She leaned over the railing, waving back with all her strength.
Ryan quietly reeled in her fishing line, smiling faintly at the touching scene. Then she set down the rod, stood up, and walked into the cabin.
"Alright," she said, her voice calm but full of purpose. "Let's go."
The yacht's engines rumbled to life, the water rippling behind them as they pulled away from shore.
Cocoyasi Village grew smaller and smaller in the distance, until it was just a memory on the horizon.
"Uh, sis... where are the Fishmen?" Nami asked as she glanced around the deck. The yacht wasn't that big, and she didn't see any sign of them.
Given how greedy Ryan was, there was no way she'd just kill them outright.
After all, live pirates were worth far more than dead ones except maybe the really dangerous ones.
Ryan, still focused on steering, replied offhandedly, "Oh, those guys? They're under the water."
"Under the water?" Nami leaned over the edge to look and froze.
Trailing behind the yacht was a long rope tied to the stern. Attached to it were the unconscious Fishmen, bobbing limply in the waves like a bizarre underwater parade.
Nami blinked. "You... you're towing them?!"
Ryan smirked. "They're pirates. They'll survive."
"But what if they wake up?"
"Don't worry," Ryan said casually. "I knocked them all out cold. They won't wake up for at least three days."
"..."
Nami just stared at her, utterly speechless. A drop of sweat rolled down her cheek.
This woman really was something else.
And somehow... Nami had the feeling her life was about to get a whole lot more chaotic.