Chapter 66: Nami's Little Scheme

Chapter 66: Nami's Little Scheme

"Y-Yes, sir."

The shopkeeper didn't dare say another word and quickly bent down to start loading the supplies.

The man before him was quiet, but the aura he exuded made it clear he was not someone to be trifled with.

"From your accent, you're from the East Blue?" Hawkeye suddenly asked.

"I'm from Loguetown. You could tell just from that?" The shopkeeper was surprised. "Speaking of which, our town is quite famous, you know. The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was executed there. I don't know if you've ever been to visit…"

"I was there when Roger died."

Hawkeye's tone was flat. "That was eighteen years ago. I haven't been back to the East Blue since."

Nor was there any reason for him to go.

"As for this time," Hawkeye said, his gaze distant as he looked toward the horizon, "a few years ago, I heard of a rather famous swordsman who emerged in the East Blue. By my calculations, he should be an adult by now. I can only hope he has grown into an opponent worthy of a visit."

...

Nighttime, in the East Blue.

Under the dim moonlight, the New Gat cut through the waves, sailing at full speed.

In the first-class VIP suite.

"Achoo—"

Shane, sitting on the carpet, suddenly sneezed. He rubbed his nose. Tsk, that little rascal Nami must be bad-mouthing me.

"Good work, Gin. You did well."

He smiled, patting the head of the giant silver wolf before him.

A few damp items lay on the carpet, freshly regurgitated by the wolf: Krieg's severed hand, Gin's tonfas, and Pearl's fluorescent helmet.

Woof… wait, no, awoo!

Happy to be praised, Gin circled Shane excitedly, his tail wagging so fast it was practically a helicopter. The aloof and dignified demeanor he maintained in front of others was completely gone.

Shane took the items Gin had brought and sacrificed them all to the System, gaining a total of 800 points—about the same as he'd gotten from Arlong alone.

Tsk, so the Krieg Pirates talked a big game, calling themselves the Overlords of the East Blue, but they were still a step below Arlong in terms of real power.

Still, points were points, and getting this many delivered right to his doorstep was more than satisfactory.

As for the bounties on the pirates' heads, worth tens of millions of Berries, and the remaining crewmen who had surrendered, Marine Branch 77 would naturally come to handle them. Over the past few years, a steady stream of pirates, all with similar delusions of grandeur, had come seeking to defeat the "Strongest Swordsman in the East Blue" to boost their own fame and bounties.

The outcome, needless to say, was always the same. Each one died a more pathetic death than the last.

It had gotten to the point where Cocoyasi Village and Marine Branch 77 had developed a streamlined system: one reaped the combat honors, the other collected the bounties.

That Captain Sophia had even started stationing a warship permanently nearby. The moment there was any trouble in Cocoyasi, they would immediately come to help clean up the battlefield.

He'd heard that, with all the merits she'd accumulated, she was due for a transfer and promotion to Captain at Marine Headquarters soon.

"Here, your reward."

Under Gin's eager gaze, Shane pulled a large carton of strawberry milk from his pack and handed it over.

Gin took it impatiently, skillfully bit open a corner, and began to chug it down.

Shane rubbed his head, watching him with a fond smile.

Gin's massive size was sustained by plenty of meat and other food, but his favorite treat, without a doubt, was still strawberry milk.

Just as he was about to tie his pack closed again, Shane noticed something inside. He reached in and pulled out a small glass orb.

What's this?

He held it up curiously, examining it in the light. He then saw that there was a magnetic needle inside, and a small note was stuck to the base.

He peeled off the note and unfolded it.

This is a Log Pose I made myself! It's much sturdier than the ones you buy in stores. It's so tough, even a bullet would have a hard time breaking it! The magnetic fields in the Grand Line are chaotic, so a regular compass won't work. You have to take this with you, okay!

—Love, to my dearest, dearest, dearest Big Bro

A Log Pose made by Nami herself?

When did she sneak this in?

Shane vaguely recalled that one of the books he'd bought for Nami did indeed contain instructions on how to make a Log Pose.

He never thought she would actually figure out how to build one on her own.

It must have been a lot of work for a teenage girl to do this.

Looking at the signature on the note, a warm smile spread across Shane's face.

That little rascal. It seems she's really grown up. How thoughtful.

"Hehe, it worked!"

In her bedroom, Nami lay on her bed, holding a similar glass orb. She watched the needle inside tremble slightly and kicked her feet in delight.

That idiot brother of mine is probably crying his eyes out with gratitude right now.

He's probably also filled with regret and guilt for scolding me before he left.

He would never guess that the custom-made Log Pose, in addition to its normal function, was also a tracking device.

As long as the distance wasn't too great, she could use the directional pointer in her hand to sense his exact location.

Not letting me on the ship? Thinking of ditching me to run off with just Nojiko?

Hmph, in your dreams!

"Next, I just have to figure out how to trick Belle-mère. If she calls my brother the moment I disappear, then I'll be in trouble…"

I can't leave today, it's too suspicious. I'll have to wait a couple of days. What kind of excuse can I come up with?

The young girl stared at the nautical chart on her wall, lost in thought…

...

In the luxurious suite.

Shane carefully put the Log Pose away and went to the porthole, gazing out at the dark sea.

The Gat was headed for Sherry Island, an island not far from the entrance to the Grand Line.

The island was famous throughout the East Blue as a capital of both brewing and shipbuilding, with over a dozen shipyards dotting its shores.

Two months ago, Shane had contacted the oldest and most reputable company on the island, the Whale Shipbuilding Company.

For the price of three hundred million Berries, he had ordered a top-of-the-line vessel.

The vast fortune he had received from Sakuraba Itsuki was now more than half gone.

The price was so high because Shane had requested that the main structure of the ship be built using the Whale Company's most prized material—the Adam Wood.

As the strongest wood in the entire world, ships made from Adam Wood were incredibly tough and durable.

With it, they wouldn't have to worry too much about the storms and other natural disasters of the Grand Line.

The shipbuilding company provided the basic design draft, but the interior was customized according to the requests of Shane and his crew.

Shane had requested a training room with walls made of solid steel. Nojiko had immediately asked for an identical one for herself. Kuina had her heart set on an open-air dojo on the stern. Zeff's demands were even more specific: the kitchen had to be fully equipped with the best appliances, and the food storage had to be massive!

Of course, Nami couldn't resist getting involved. She had insisted on having a chart-making room, filled with bookshelves, and a small tangerine grove right next to it.

At first, Shane couldn't be bothered to entertain her demands.

But he eventually caved to her persistent begging and reluctantly agreed.

He figured he'd let her have it as a memento on the ship, something that would remind him of his mischievous sister. He didn't think the room would ever actually be used.

Now, two months later, the ship was complete.

It was just waiting for Shane to arrive on the island and inspect it.

It was a custom-built vessel worth three hundred million Berries. Not just the youngsters, but even a seasoned veteran like Zeff was incredibly excited to see what their new home looked like.

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