Kuro slowly landed and cleared his throat. "I just took a look around. This place's architecture … it doesn't feel natural. It seems deliberately made."
Lina's eyes widened, surprise in her voice. "What, man-made?"
Zoro frowned, glancing at Kuro uncertainly.
Kuro pushed up his glasses in that familiar way and continued, "But not by humans. When I checked, I saw that the roofs don't connect to the ground — they seem to be placed directly on the earth. And yet, the foundation of each house matches the ground perfectly, like they were flipped."
Rolan nodded.
Lina, still nervous, stayed close behind him, scanning every shadow as if expecting something to move.
Zoro asked, tension creeping into his voice, "Kuro, what do you mean by 'not human'?"
Kuro's expression turned serious. "There are huge handprints pressed into the foundation of these houses, deeply embedded. And between the prints … I saw grooves, like claws."
He paused, the reflection on his glasses sharp. "Every clue points to a non-human race. Fish-Men. And that sea monster we saw? It didn't feel like a typical East Blue species. More like something from the Grand Line."
He looked at the horizon, voice lowering. "I suspect that this village was invaded by Fish-Men — maybe even massacred. I saw a building earlier, its flag painted like a shark. There could be a Shark Fish-Man inside … maybe even a Great White."
Rolan broke into a quiet smile. "Good thinking, You see things clearly."
Zoro nodded slowly, impressed. "They say Fish-Men have ten times the strength of humans in their wrists … maybe that's no exaggeration."
Lina's grip on Rolan's arm tightened. Her voice trembled slightly. "Rolan, the navigator?… But the Fish-men, what if they're still here? Let's go — now!"
"Calm down. Use your Observation Haki and sense for a moment." Rolan said, tapping her head.
Lina puckered her lips, a little annoyed, but closed her eyes and focused. Suddenly she gasped.
"What… how … are there still people here?"
---
(ADDED PARAGRAPHS BELOW)
A faint breeze rolled across the ruins, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and citrus. As Lina concentrated, the sensation of life signatures spread through her mind like glowing embers in the dark. Some were small, weak, flickering like candles — but they were undeniably human.
Rolan noticed her shiver. "See? Not everyone here is gone."
Lina opened her eyes slowly, still stunned. "Why… why didn't they run? After what happened to this place?"
Kuro answered before Rolan could. "People endure. Even when the world around them is broken." The sharp tone in his voice hinted at memories he had no intention of sharing.
Zoro exhaled, gripping his swords. "Whatever the reason, we'll deal with it. If there are Fish-Men still lurking, I've been itching for a real fight."
Rolan gave a sideways glance. "Don't get ahead of yourself. Fish-Men aren't small fry."
Zoro smirked. "Good. I'm tired of small fry."
---
They made their way to what used to be a large orange grove — the biggest in the ruins of the village.
Rows of orange trees still bore fruit. The sight was strangely peaceful against the backdrop of decay.
Zoro scratched his chin in surprise. "There's an orange field here … even after all this."
Rolan walked to a nearby house, its door hanging slightly open, and knocked gently.
Knock knock knock.
The door creaked. A girl stepped forward.
She had short blue hair held back with a red headband. Tanned skin framed by blue tattoos ran from her chest down her arms. She eyed Rolan warily.
"Who are you looking for?" she asked cautiously.
Rolan smiled. "I saw all these orange trees. Do you sell oranges? I'd like to buy some."
The blue-haired girl's guard relaxed a little. Her voice became gentler.
"Nojiko, who is it?" she called.
A second girl came into view — younger, with short orange hair, bright eyes, and a confident posture. This was Nami, though a younger Nami.
Rolan gave a nod. "My name is Rolan. I'm just passing through. Those trees … I'd like to buy some oranges."
Nami's eyes lit up, excitement and opportunity mingling in her voice. She glanced at her sister Nojiko and then back at Rolan. "I'm Nami, and this is my sister Nojiko. We planted all the oranges here ourselves. How many do you want?"
She hoped he'd buy a lot — maybe enough to make her rich, or at least make an impression.
Nojiko stayed quiet, watching Rolan with a strange mix of recognition and wariness.
"Tell me how many," Nami pressed, her eyes bright like coins.
Rolan nodded, reaching behind him and pretending to pull out a black briefcase. In truth, it came from his system space.
He opened it, revealing stacks of bills — tens of millions of berries, neatly arranged.
Nami's eyes widened so much she nearly gasped. She was used to handling money, but this was… different.
"You've got enough money?" she asked, stunned.
Rolan laughed softly, "More than enough. I want to spend one hundred million berries on your oranges."
Nami's jaw dropped. She blinked. "One hundred million … berries?"
Rolan nodded, expression calm. "Yes, one hundred million exactly."
For a moment, Nojiko stared at him in shock. "That much money…"
Nami, more practical, shifted her tone. "We don't have one hundred million berries worth of oranges here."
Rolan gave her a soft, easy grin. "Then tell me how much more you need to reach that. Let's work something out."
Nami's face flushed. "Over forty million more … but … wait —" She jumped back, voice trembling. "You… you're Rolan, right? The pirate with the two hundred million-berry bounty?"
Rolan nodded again, almost amused. "If there's only one of me, then yes, you've got me right."
Nojiko quickly stepped in front of Nami, folding her arms and glaring at Rolan as though he were a dangerous opponent.
"Look — I really want to buy oranges," Rolan said quietly, and he picked one from the table. He peeled it neatly, offering a segment to Nami.
Nami hesitated, then accepted a piece. Rolan watched as she took a bite.
Her eyes widened at the taste. He chuckled. "Good?"
She nodded, a small smile forming. "You… you're not like other Pirates I've met," she said quietly. "You don't seem… cruel."
Rolan shrugged, "Why lie? I came for the oranges. And I don't give a fuck pretending otherwise."
Nojiko sighed. As she looked at him for a long moment.
---
(ADDED PARAGRAPHS BELOW)
The tension in Nojiko's shoulders eased—just barely. Her eyes softened, though her posture remained guarded. "People with bounties like yours don't usually waste time buying fruit," she muttered, studying his expression as if searching for cracks.
Rolan met her gaze without flinching. "People with bounties don't usually get them for sitting around doing nothing."
Zoro snorted at that, arms crossed. "He's a handful, but he's not the worst one to meet."
Lina nodded vigorously from behind Rolan, though she still clung to his sleeve like he might float away without her.
Nojiko folded her arms again, this time less defensively. "If you really want oranges… then maybe you're not here to hurt anyone."
Rolan raised an eyebrow. "I told you already. I want fruit, not trouble."
For the first time, Nami let out a small laugh — quiet, unguarded, the kind of laugh someone makes when they desperately want to trust but haven't been given a reason in years.
"I still can't believe anyone would pay that much for oranges…" she muttered, cheeks warm.
Rolan shrugged lightly. "Value is whatever people decide it is. And right now, I've decided these oranges are worth one hundred million berries."
Nami stared at him, trying to figure out if he was insane, dangerous, or simply someone who didn't play by the world's rules.
She couldn't know it yet — but this meeting would change her life.