Chapter 29: Thirty-Five Million
The next day.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
The three of them were startled awake by a roaring voice.
Nami yawned, rubbed her eyes, and blinked at the situation before her.
Genzo stood behind them, glaring angrily, his eyes practically spitting fire.
She and Nojiko were clinging to Apollo, one on each side, snuggled tightly into his embrace.
"Don't look at me."
Apollo looked the picture of innocence. "Look, I haven't moved an inch. You two are the ones who rolled into my arms."
Nami was stunned, realizing that it was indeed true.
Even more exaggerated, she had originally been sleeping in the middle, with Apollo and Nojiko on either side of her. How had Nojiko managed to get past her to Apollo's other side?
At this moment, Nojiko also woke up, smiling apologetically. "I think I moved over myself. It was a bit chilly last night, and Apollo was very warm. I just... got confused in my sleep."
Nami also vaguely remembered.
It had indeed gotten colder in the latter half of the night. They didn't have any blankets, but there was a source of heat nearby like a warm stove. She had unconsciously leaned closer to it.
She had thought it was just a dream, but now it seemed it wasn't.
Apollo smiled but said nothing.
This was where he was different from the natives of this world.
The people in the world of One Piece were strange; their physical strength was terrifying, and their vitality was tenacious, but in many aspects, their resistance was surprisingly poor.
For example, their tolerance to extreme temperatures and poisons was often low unless specifically trained. They got sick easily. Even top masters like Gol D. Roger suffered from incurable diseases, and Whitebeard, at seventy, was already plagued by illness and hooked up to IVs.
They were powerful, yet fragile.
Apollo was different. His strength improvement was holistic—not just an accumulation of combat power, but a sublimation of life itself.
Leaving other things aside, in terms of lifespan alone, he felt that living to two hundred years old would be no problem for him now.
Watching the three of them chatting and laughing intimately while still entangled, steam practically erupted from Genzo's head. He gesticulated wildly and roared, "This is outrageous! Separate immediately!"
Apollo grinned. "Uncle Genzo, I'm your village's benefactor, remember?"
Genzo's face was grim. "I can tolerate anything else, but not this! Get off my daughters!"
"Stop messing around!"
Nami punched Apollo in exasperation, blushing as she tidied her clothes and stood up.
"It's time to go. Luffy and the others are probably getting impatient."
Genzo slapped his forehead. "Right! I came to tell you that. They're already preparing to set sail. Also, everyone is waiting at the port to say goodbye to you."
Nami suddenly showed a mischievous smile. "I have a very interesting idea. Nojiko, Genzo, you two go ahead. We have something to do first. We'll be there shortly."
With that, she grabbed Apollo's hand and ran off.
"Hey, hey! Nami, what are you doing?"
Genzo called out a few times behind them, but the two didn't look back, disappearing from sight in a flash.
He grumbled, "What a willful girl."
Nojiko smiled softly. "Let's go, Genzo. Let's wait for Nami's surprise."
At the Port.
Luffy and the others leaned against the ship's railing, bidding farewell to Johnny and Yosaku.
The two bounty hunter brothers would no longer sail with them; they had decided to return to their old profession.
A large crowd—all the villagers of Cocoyasi—had gathered on the shore.
Usopp muttered, checking the time, "Why aren't they here yet? They're not going to stay behind, are they?"
Last night, Apollo had told them all about Nami's past and the reason for her 'betrayal.' As expected, everyone had immediately forgiven her.
"Even if Nami doesn't come, Apollo wouldn't stay behind," Zoro said calmly, arms crossed.
Usopp showed a look of disdain. "That's not necessarily true. You haven't seen how clingy those two are. If Nami stays, he might not bear to leave, either."
Sanji pounded the railing with both hands, letting out a mournful whine. "Damn it! Why do beautiful girls always look at that guy differently? It's unfair!"
"Oh, ho! Here they come!"
Luffy's shout interrupted their discussion.
The three of them looked up in unison.
Apollo and Nami's figures appeared at the village entrance. Apollo was carrying a large bag, which presumably contained Nami's luggage.
"Hurry up and set sail!"
Accompanied by Nami's shout, the two began to sprint toward the ship.
Apollo leaped directly onto the Going Merry from the side.
"Hey, hey, what are you two doing?" Usopp leaned over, asking with a curious face.
"You'll know soon enough," Apollo said with a chuckle.
Nami rushed through the crowd like a nimble kitten, weaving left and right. Her hands inadvertently brushed against everyone's pockets as she passed, and finally, she leaped up to jump onto the Going Merry, which was slowly leaving the shore.
When the villagers realized what had happened and saw their wallets falling from her clothes onto the deck, they all looked dumbfounded.
Zoro and the others were equally stunned.
Nami said goodbye to her hometown in a way no one expected, yet it fit her style perfectly.
Of course, this was just a joke she played with the people of Cocoyasi Village. She had left behind the nearly 100 million Berries she had accumulated little by little over the past eight years.
Compared to that fortune, the pocket money in these wallets wasn't even worth mentioning.
Amidst the reluctant but fond farewells of the Cocoyasi residents (who shouted for her to give their wallets back with smiles on their faces), the Going Merry slowly departed, finally disappearing over the horizon.
Genzo stared blankly at the sea. After a long time, he sighed. "Is it really okay to leave Nami with them?"
Nojiko pursed her lips, her eyes sparkling with tears. "It's fine. Apollo said Nami's companions are all very reliable people."
"Is that so? That's good."
The Going Merry sailed quietly across the vast sea.
One day, Nami bought a newspaper from a News Coo as usual.
A loose bounty poster fluttered out, causing a sensation on the ship.
It was a wanted poster with Luffy's face on it.
Luffy laughed, holding it up. "We're wanted criminals! And the bounty is 35 million Berries!"
Usopp was also excited, pointing at the background of the photo. "Look, look! I'm on it! That's the back of my head!"
Sanji sat aside, smoking sourly. "It's just the back of your head. What's there to be proud of?"
Nami put her hand on her forehead, feeling faint. "Th-thirty-five million Berries? How can it be so high for a first bounty?"
You had to know, Arlong was only worth 20 million Berries.
Apollo smiled but said nothing.
This was naturally his doing.
That day, unfortunately, Commodore Pudding Pudding and Captain Nezumi didn't have much cash on hand; all together, they only had about three million Berries.
Apollo couldn't directly exchange Arlong's head for the bounty since he wasn't a registered hunter, and he didn't want to carry a rotting corpse around, either.
Ultimately, he sold Arlong's corpse to Commodore Pudding Pudding at a very low price.
Whether it was for the money or the merit, it was an excellent choice for the Commodore. Especially for Pudding Pudding, who might face retaliation from Nezumi's brother (a Marine HQ Rear Admiral) for arresting Nezumi. Having the credit for taking down Arlong would secure his position.
Apollo's only condition was that Pudding Pudding find a way to raise Luffy's bounty as much as possible.
After all, he had essentially stolen their kill, so this was a small compensation.
Now it seemed that Commodore Pudding Pudding was very reliable. Even without the official credit for defeating Arlong going to the pirates, the bounty was actually five million higher than in the original story.
Apollo inwardly gave him a thumbs up.
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