Chapter 150: Planning

Lafitte descended the stairs, drawing the attention of Maude and Nami.

Bailey got up, muttered softly, and dashed toward the pile of food.

Eating was undeniably more enjoyable.

Now that his training had paid off, he could digest food rapidly, which made his appetite skyrocket.

It turned out the boss wasn't lying to him back then.

Lafitte cast a glance at Nami, then approached Maude.

"Maude, there should be a skilled navigator on this island," he said, holding up a map.

In truth, Lafitte had initially considered addressing Maude as "Captain" or "Boss," but at Maude's insistence, he used his name instead.

According to Maude, there was no need to emphasize the hierarchical relationship so explicitly.

However, Lafitte personally believed that defining ranks and roles clearly was essential.

Still, since Maude had made this request, he didn't push further.

As for Bailey, he had simply grown accustomed to calling him "Boss" and saw no reason to change.

"Maude, huh..."

Hearing Lafitte's words, Nami finally learned Maude's name.

Maude glanced at the map in Lafitte's hand. He knew these maps were drawn by Nami but decided it wasn't his place to point that out directly.

"Lafitte, if you think this person is worth mentioning, they must be a talented navigator."

"Hoho, indeed."

Lafitte looked down at the map in his hand.

In some respects, his personality was similar to Sol's.

When confronted with clear facts, he didn't downplay them out of petty rivalry.

If someone was exceptional, he acknowledged it—no twists or turns about it.

Hearing Maude and Lafitte's praise of her maps, Nami lowered her head, memories of Bellemère surfacing in her mind.

She recalled the first time Bellemère had praised her for drawing a map.

Lafitte, unaware that these maps were Nami's work, paid little attention to her presence since coming downstairs.

He spread out the map with one hand and said, "Maude, exceptional navigators are rare. I suggest we track this person down and recruit them."

"Aren't you enough?"

Maude's face showed genuine surprise, unable to fathom why Lafitte would propose such a suggestion.

Lafitte calmly replied, "When it comes to navigation, having more than one navigator is only beneficial."

"No need. One navigator is plenty, especially someone as capable as you. I can't imagine anyone outperforming you in this role."

Maude rejected the idea without hesitation.

He understood Nami's capabilities and potential better than anyone—perhaps even better than Nami herself at this point.

But that was something for the future, years down the line.

The critical issue now was that Nami was far too weak to spark his interest.

Besides, with the impending grand tide two years away, Maude needed to focus on his own development. He had neither the time nor the energy to train Nami.

Moreover, a navigator like Lafitte, with such comprehensive skills, was more than sufficient.

Sensing Maude's resolute tone, Lafitte chose not to press the matter further.

However, he tapped his hard-soled shoes against the floor—a small gesture he used to express satisfaction.

As the central figure of this conversation, Nami listened with mixed feelings.

Maude wanted to discuss something with Lafitte, so he turned to Nami and said tactfully, "Nami, we've got some business to attend to..."

"..."

Understanding the implied dismissal, Nami opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing.

Feeling conflicted, she left Arlong's Park.

Once outside the breached walls, Nami patted her cheeks and quickly rallied herself.

"The defeat of the Arlong Pirates is a huge deal. What am I upset about?"

Muttering to herself, she rubbed her temples and began heading toward Cocoyasi Village.

Before long, a cheerful smile spread across her face.

With the Arlong Pirates gone, she was already envisioning a bright future.

As she walked, she noticed a large group of people running toward her from Cocoyasi Village.

She recognized them as villagers led by Genzo and Nojiko, coming to thank Maude in person.

However...

Glancing back at the towering structure behind her, Nami murmured, "Maude probably doesn't care about this at all."

Maude and Lafitte entered the room where a mountain of Beri was stored.

Seeing the pile of money, Lafitte's eyes gleamed.

For a pirate crew with a mere 20 million Beri bounty, the Arlong Pirates had amassed a staggering fortune.

Unlike Maude, Lafitte lacked foreknowledge of these things and was genuinely astonished by the wealth the Arlong Pirates possessed.

Noticing Lafitte's reaction, Maude smiled and asked, "Starting to feel like joining me was the right call?"

Lafitte tapped his shoes on the floor a few times and replied earnestly, "Are there any other places in the East Blue where we can effortlessly reap such rewards? If so, it'd be worth making another trip or two."

"Haha, don't count on it. For now, we should focus on securing a proper ship with decent masts."

Maude walked up to the pile of money and sighed. "The problem now is that our little sailboat can't carry all this cash, and there aren't any suitable large ships nearby. At times like this, I wish a Navy warship would show up."

After a moment of thought, Lafitte said, "This island is indeed peculiar. We hardly saw any decent ships on our way here. However, transporting the money shouldn't be an issue."

"You have a solution?"

"Yes."

Lafitte held up the map and explained, "There's an island nearby—about a four-day sail from here—under Navy jurisdiction, where at least one warship should be stationed."

"So, we clear out the food and water on our ship, leaving just enough for four days, and make room for the money."

"Once we reach that island, there'll be plenty of ways to secure a proper ship."

Lafitte's method involved compressing their maritime supplies to create space for the Beri—a bold strategy only a confident navigator would dare to suggest.

After hearing Lafitte's plan, Maude nodded in agreement. "Sounds good. Let's load as much as we can."

With that issue resolved, Maude turned to Lafitte and brought up the subject of the Hunter's Notebook.

"Lafitte, I possess an ability that allows me to grow stronger through killing."

"Hmm?"

Lafitte was taken aback.

Such a power was unheard of—even Devil Fruits couldn't do that, could they?

Maude continued, "This is the capital I have at my disposal. Do you understand what this means?"

"Hoho."

Lafitte quickly connected the dots.

So that's how it is.

For some reason, an icy chill ran through him, goosebumps rising across his skin, as if his very soul was trembling.

But following that chill came an indescribable excitement.

"So, I've joined a monster of a captain..."

Though Lafitte suppressed his excitement, traces of it were evident on his face.

He had made the right gamble!

The man before him had an immense chance of rising to the very summit!

Looking at Lafitte, Maude asked, "Now, what do you think is the best way to maximize this ability?"

"The position of a Warlord of the Sea."

Lafitte responded without hesitation.

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