Chapter 30: Lister Was Nearly Toyed to Death
Night.
After the banquet ended, Lister and Nami returned to their room. The moment the door closed, Nami wrapped her arms around Lister's neck.
Smack!
Lister patted her peach-soft rear with a teasing look. "Why so proactive tonight?"
"Lister, the time you kissed Kaya in the garden—I saw it," Nami said impishly.
"So? Jealous?" Lister teased.
"I'm not jealous. Don't think I don't know why you left Akatome on the Money to 'stand by.' If I wanted to be jealous, I could've sabotaged your plan long ago—but I didn't," Nami said.
"Then what do you want?"
"Same as Kaya—let me see your Overclock," Nami said.
"Fine." Lister didn't hesitate and switched on Overclock.
"That feeling…"
In an instant, Nami felt he looked even better—more magnetic. Her gaze turned molten, and she leaned in to kiss him. Once their lips met, it spiraled out of control…
Fifteen minutes later, Lister was wrung out, face pale, breath ragged. In Overclock, if he didn't do anything strenuous he could last thirty minutes, but once things turned intense, even fifteen minutes was too much.
"You're trying to kill me," Lister glared.
"I'd never. Rest first—I'll bring you meat. Then hold out a little longer," Nami said, satisfied, and slipped out. Soon she was back with over a hundred jin of meat and desserts.
Lister devoured it while activating Six Vaults Immortal Thief to accelerate digestion. Only after polishing off the whole spread did he manage a long breath.
"Lister, round two!"
"Out. That just drained me—one hundred jin of meat isn't nearly enough to get me back to baseline. I need more food," Lister yelped, bolting from the room.
Nami stayed behind with a blissful smile, savoring the afterglow.
The next morning.
Lister was up early as always, his body locked into the habit. Akatome and the others had turned in early and now followed him through basic drills.
In just a few days, their movements had begun to look proper. Akatome, Hill, Yulan, and Shizuka progressed faster than Lister expected, pulling clearly ahead of the other eight girls. Among them, Akatome had the strongest physique and the fiercest drive. Yulan and Shizuka had the best comprehension: show them a move once, and they got it. Hill's body wasn't as sturdy as Akatome's, nor was her grasp as sharp as Yulan and Shizuka's, but she was a born fighter—no training foundation at all, yet the moment she held a katana her body knew how to swing it. Lister could teach and teach without it sticking, but in sparring she would rely on instinct to suppress Akatome, Yulan, and Shizuka again and again.
He knew that instinct alone wouldn't keep Hill ahead. Once the others grew stronger, she wouldn't be able to suppress them just by feel. So he used Overclock and observed Hill for days, then drafted a regimen tailored specifically to her.
After morning practice, everyone ate together.
"Lister, we're getting close to Cocoyasi Village," Nami said suddenly.
"Got it."
He understood what she meant. "In a minute I'll have a dinghy lowered and your funds loaded. Go redeem Cocoyasi from Arlong first. If the deal fails, come straight back and I'll settle the score. If it succeeds, I'll give you three days to clear your name. Three days later, I'll lead the Money Pirates to strike Arlong's territory."
"All right." Nami hesitated a beat, then nodded.
After this time together, she'd fallen for Lister and for life with the Money Pirates. If it were just her, she wouldn't keep playing nice with Arlong—she'd choose to fight alongside Lister without a second thought. But she wasn't alone; the village was her weak point. Until there was no other road, she wouldn't gamble with it.
Breakfast finished, Lister had a boat lowered, loaded Nami's funds aboard, and watched her shove off.
Cocoyasi Village.
Nami beached the dinghy in a secluded spot and quietly carried home the wealth she'd scraped together this voyage.
"Nami, you're back?"
Nojiko opened the door, blinked in surprise, then smiled in pure relief.
"Nojiko, I'm back," Nami smiled too, hugging her. After more than a month apart, she'd missed the only family she had, even if not by blood.
"Come in."
Nojiko drew her inside, sat her down, poured water, then asked, "How long can you stay this time?"
"I don't know. But this time… it should be the end of it."
Nojiko's shoulders trembled. "You got the money together?"
Nami paused—so Nojiko knew about her pact with Arlong. "You knew?"
"Everyone does. We just… feel guilty letting a girl carry the village's burden and can't find the words. We're all ordinary folk with limited means. Just the monthly head tax from Arlong drains what strength we have. You're different—you're extraordinary. If anyone can pull the village out of this pit of despair, it's you. You're Cocoyasi's only hope."
"Don't worry, Nojiko. The nightmare's about to break. Cocoyasi will get better, little by little," Nami said, solemn and sure.
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