Chapter 52: Chapter 52
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Watching little Nami disappear into the depths of the jungle in the blink of an eye, Zyhark's mouth twitched slightly, somewhat at a loss for words.
They were clearly honest businesspeople; how did they come across as the kind of ruthless pirates!
Cough cough, although King does indeed look a bit, well, intimidating...
"What? Pirates are coming? Where, where? Could it be that guy from the Black Cat Pirates with glasses from a couple of days ago? They actually followed us here?!"
Aqua posed ready for a fight, her intelligent eyes darting around, trying to spot the "pirates" mentioned by the adorable little girl.
King scratched his head awkwardly, apologizing, "Um, she might have mistaken me for a pirate."
"Huh?" Aqua tilted her head, unable to comprehend.
"Let's go, we should head into the village and take a look."
Zyhark took the lead, walking up the dirt path towards Cocoyasi Village.
Aqua and King exchanged glances before following him.
Along the dirt road, dense jungles on both sides were filled with wild coconut trees reaching up high, their coconuts dark and slick.
"Zyhark, why are we here? This place looks quite underdeveloped."
Aqua observed the surrounding environment, her eyes filled with curiosity and confusion.
"We're short on fruits on the ship, and this place is known for its oranges."
Zyhark squinted, enjoying the fresh air.
Clearly, he preferred the comfort of being on solid ground over the tumultuous sea travel.
"But we've already been mistaken for pirates by that little girl. Is it okay for us to just go over there now?" King cautiously asked.
"It's a small matter that can be explained. After all, we are customers looking to spend in their village," Zyhark said with a smile.
As they talked, the path ahead suddenly opened up, and the narrow dirt trail reached its end.
"Three, only three pirates?!"
"Damn pirates, our village doesn't have anything valuable for you to rob, better go back where you came from!"
Under the leadership of the village guard Gen, the villagers of Cocoyasi Village, armed with shovels and sticks, gathered together, eyeing Zyhark and his companions warily as they emerged from the direction of the beach.
"Folks, you've got it wrong. We're not nefarious pirates, but businessmen running a maritime restaurant."
"We came here to buy some oranges or fruits like that, and it would be even better if you have meat or beer."
Zyhark stepped forward, directly stating his purpose.
Although these villagers were holding weapons and looked nervous and unapproachable, they posed no threat to him.
His main attention was on Gen, wearing a windmill cap.
This burly guard had no vicious scars left by fish-men on his face.
Dressed in a slightly worn police uniform, his eyes were sharp, and his breathing steady.
He didn't share the villagers' fearfulness, his hands gripping weapons without trembling.
"I see, sorry, it seems we misunderstood," Gen said in a deep voice.
Although the golden-haired man with a scar over his left eye among the three looked quite like a pirate, the young man leading them had a smile that conveyed no hostility.
And the exceptionally beautiful blue-haired girl seemed too dazed to be a brutal pirate.
With the guard speaking out, the villagers finally relaxed, putting away their weapons and wiping the sweat from their foreheads.
"It's okay, kids make mistakes."
Zyhark approached Gen and raised his palm, "Endless Dream maritime restaurant, Zyhark."
"Cocoyasi Village guard Gen, welcome," Gen replied, extending his calloused hand to shake Zyhark's, then turned to shout towards a dark corner not far away, "Nami! Come out, they're not pirates!"
Hearing this, Nami timidly walked over from the corner, clutching a book about navigation.
"Sorry, I misunderstood you guys."
Nami lifted her head and quietly apologized to Zyhark and his companions.
Though Bellemere's parenting was somewhat straightforward, Nami understood basic manners, albeit not much.
Just like how she'd smile and say thank you after stealing books from Gen's office...
While apologizing, Nami also sneakily glanced at Aqua's blue dress.
'So beautiful, just like a princess's dress!'
'I wish I could wear something like that.'
Her eyes were filled with genuine envy.
Currently, Nami was wearing old clothes passed down from her sister Nojiko.
"Aww, no worries, no worries, if they had attacked, we would have just fought back."
The always clever Aqua didn't notice the change in Gen and Nami's expressions and bent down to pat Nami's orange short hair, "Zyhark, look, such a cute kid, just like that little brat Luffy!"
"Hey, what's your name?"
Caught off-guard by the question, Nami hesitated before responding, "Na- Nami."
As soon as she spoke, she quickly jumped back, not allowing Aqua to touch her head.
"Cough cough."
Gen coughed lightly, looking at Zyhark, "You mentioned wanting to buy oranges, right? Nami's family happens to grow oranges, would you like to visit their place?"
Knowing the financial struggles of Bellemere raising Nami and Nojiko, Gen wished to direct business their way, even though other villagers also grew oranges.
Obviously, the villagers watching from afar agreed—they would have come forward to introduce their products if they thought differently.
Zyhark looked down at Nami, who was nervously clutching her book.
He couldn't help but compare her to the beautiful navigator controlling the Straw Hat Pirates' finances twelve years later. The thin and small Nami appeared incredibly naïve, just cute in every way.
After all, she hadn't yet endured the pain of losing her foster mother to Arlong.
"No problem, Nami, right? Please lead the way."
At his words, Nami hesitated, showing no intention of leading the way.
"What's wrong, Nami? If we can sell the oranges, you could make quite a bit of money," Gen said, thinking Nami didn't understand.
Nami fidgeted, finally succumbing to the temptation of money, whispering, "But, I just ran away from home."
She had just argued with Bellemere over food and old clothes.
In her stubborn nature, going back now felt utterly embarrassing.
"Our demand is quite large, so if the deal goes through, you might be able to buy new clothes."
Knowing Nami's family situation, Zyhark made an offer she couldn't refuse.
"Really? Then hurry up and follow me!"
Sure enough, the conflict and hesitation on Nami's face vanished instantly, and she ran towards her home, bouncing joyfully.
(End of Chapter)
Weekly Power Status
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