Chapter 41: The Master Thief's Gamble
Nami stood in the shadow of a large tree just beyond the walls of the Marine base, her eyes narrowed as she studied the layout in front of her. The base was an imposing structure, a combination of military efficiency and arrogance, built to tower over the rest of Logue Town. Tall walls surrounded the compound, with patrolling guards keeping a vigilant eye on the streets and the interior. It was late in the afternoon, and the changing of the guards created brief windows of opportunity—moments she knew she could exploit.
Her heart pounded in her chest, but her nerves were steady. Years spent working under Arlong had taught her how to move undetected, how to case a place and slip through cracks others didn't even see. She had been a thief and a burglar long before she joined Goku's crew, and her time with the Fish-Man had sharpened those skills to a fine edge. Now, she would need every trick in her arsenal.
She adjusted the hood of her cloak, which she had stolen from a merchant's stall earlier, to better conceal her face. Goku had been right—she wasn't just his woman, she was the navigator of this crew, and if they were going to survive the Grand Line, they needed that Log Pose. She was determined to prove herself useful, and sneaking into the Marine base was her specialty.
In her mind, she went over the plan one last time. She needed to find the Log Pose, which Goku had described as a strange compass that didn't point north. Instead, it would lock onto the magnetic fields of islands in the Grand Line and lead the way. Nami had memorized Goku's description of the instrument, picturing its unique spherical design. She knew exactly what she was looking for, but the challenge was finding it in the maze of military bureaucracy.
Taking a deep breath, Nami edged toward the wall. The base was large, and she would have to be patient. The first step was getting inside without drawing attention.
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Nami pressed herself against the cold stone of the Marine base's outer wall, her senses on high alert. Two guards passed by, their footsteps heavy on the cobblestone path. She remained perfectly still, her body tense as they walked within inches of her hiding spot. When they moved on, she slipped silently along the wall, heading toward the far corner where the shadows were thickest.
She reached a narrow alley between the wall and a storage shed, where a large crate was piled haphazardly next to a stack of barrels. This was her entry point. With practiced ease, she used the crates to boost herself up, finding a small ledge on the wall just wide enough for her to balance. From there, she shimmied along the wall, her movements fluid and graceful.
At the top of the wall, she crouched low and scanned the courtyard below. Marines were stationed at regular intervals, patrolling the perimeter in groups of two or three. Luckily, the shift change had thinned the guards for the next few minutes. Timing was everything, and Nami waited patiently for the perfect moment.
When the guards turned their backs, she dropped down silently, landing in a roll to soften the impact. She moved quickly, darting behind a stack of supplies and slipping into the shadows. Years of practice had honed her ability to move without making a sound, and as she crouched behind the crates, she listened carefully, making sure no one had seen her.
So far, so good.
Her first objective was to find the main building—the most likely place to house the Log Pose. It would be heavily guarded, and the challenge would be navigating the labyrinth of rooms and hallways without being spotted. She knew the general layout of Marine bases from her time working for Arlong, and that knowledge would prove invaluable now.
As she edged along the side of the building, she noticed a half-open window on the second floor. It was small, but it looked like it led into an office or storage room. Without hesitation, Nami grabbed hold of a nearby drainpipe and began climbing, her muscles straining as she pulled herself up. The climb was slow, but her movements were deliberate and careful. If she rushed, she could make a mistake, and mistakes could be deadly.
When she reached the window, she paused, listening for any signs of movement inside. Hearing nothing, she slipped through the window and landed silently on the floor. The room was dimly lit, and the scent of parchment and ink filled the air. Papers and maps were scattered across the desk, and shelves lined the walls, filled with books, charts, and instruments.
Nami quickly surveyed the room, noting that it appeared to be a general's office. It wasn't the map room she was looking for, but it was a start. She rifled through the papers on the desk, her hands moving quickly as she searched for anything related to navigation or the Log Pose. Nothing stood out, so she moved on, her eyes scanning the shelves.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from outside the door.
Nami's heart leapt into her throat, and she ducked behind the desk just as the door creaked open. A Marine officer stepped inside, muttering something under his breath as he rummaged through a pile of papers. Nami remained perfectly still, her breath shallow as she watched the officer from her hiding spot. He seemed to be looking for something, grumbling in frustration as he flipped through stacks of documents.
Minutes passed, and Nami's muscles began to ache from holding her position, but she didn't dare move. Finally, the officer sighed in exasperation and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Nami exhaled slowly, her pulse still racing. That had been too close.
Shaking off the tension, she quickly slipped out of the room and into the hallway. She kept low, her eyes darting from side to side as she made her way through the maze of corridors. Her instincts told her the map room would be in one of the larger sections of the base, possibly near the command center. She followed the faint sounds of activity, keeping to the shadows as she moved deeper into the base.
At one point, she nearly ran into another pair of patrolling Marines, but she managed to duck into a small storage closet just in time. The two guards passed by, laughing and chatting about something trivial, oblivious to the master thief hiding just feet away.
When they were gone, Nami emerged and continued her search. After several wrong turns and a few more close calls, she finally found what she was looking for—a door marked "Map Room."
A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. This had to be it.
Nami slipped inside, closing the door softly behind her. The room was large and well-lit, with rows of maps and charts spread out on the tables. Globes and various navigation tools lined the walls, and in the center of the room, on a pedestal, sat the object she had been searching for.
The Log Pose.
It was exactly as Goku had described—a spherical compass encased in glass, with a needle that didn't point north but instead locked onto the magnetic field of the nearest island. The instrument seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy, as if it was attuned to the mysteries of the Grand Line itself.
Nami approached the pedestal cautiously, her eyes scanning the room for any signs of traps or alarms. This was a military base, after all, and she knew better than to assume it would be unguarded. But after a few moments of inspection, she was satisfied that the Log Pose was safe to take.
She reached out and carefully lifted the Log Pose from the pedestal, holding it in her hands for a moment. It was lighter than she expected, yet there was a weight to it—a weight that signified its importance. This small object would guide them through the most dangerous seas in the world, and without it, their journey would be impossible.
Just as Nami was about to slip the Log Pose into her bag, the door to the map room swung open.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she spun around, clutching the Log Pose tightly to her chest. A Marine officer stood in the doorway, his eyes widening in surprise as he saw her.
Without thinking, Nami darted toward the nearest window, throwing it open and leaping out into the cool evening air. She landed on the grass below, rolling to break her fall, and immediately took off running. The officer shouted after her, but she didn't look back.
Her heart pounded in her ears as she sprinted across the courtyard, her eyes scanning for an escape route. The walls were too far away to climb in time, and the alarm was sure to be raised any second. She had to think fast.
Nami spotted a wagon near the gates, loaded with crates and supplies. Without hesitation, she dove into the back of the wagon, covering herself with a tarp just as the sound of running footsteps echoed behind her.
The Marines rushed past, their voices loud and frantic as they searched the area. Nami held her breath, her entire body tense as she waited for them to move on. After what felt like an eternity, the commotion died down, and the wagon began to move.
She stayed hidden beneath the tarp, her grip on the Log Pose tight as the wagon rolled out of the base and into the streets of Logue Town. Only when she was sure she was safe did she peek out from under the tarp, watching as the base faded into the distance.
A triumphant smile spread across her face. She had done it.
Now all she had to do was get back to the ship and reunite with Goku and the others. With the Log Pose in hand, their journey to the Grand Line was one step closer to becoming a reality.
Nami crouched under the tarp in the back of the wagon, her heart still racing from the close call inside the Marine base. She held the Log Pose tightly in her hands, its cool glass surface pressed against her palm. The wagon rumbled through the streets of Logue Town, and with every turn, she could feel the distance between herself and the base growing. Relief began to wash over her as the sounds of the Marines' frantic search faded into the background.
She peeked out from under the tarp, seeing the crowded streets of the town ahead. People were going about their day, oblivious to the chaos happening behind her. A few more minutes, and she could slip into the crowd, make her way back to the Going Merry, and show the crew the prize she had risked so much to retrieve.
Carefully, Nami climbed out of the back of the wagon, landing softly on her feet. She straightened up, tucking the Log Pose into her satchel and pulling her hood lower over her face. The tension in her body eased slightly as she began walking down the narrow alleyways, blending into the flow of townspeople.
"Almost there," she muttered to herself, keeping her pace steady but quick. The thought of reuniting with Goku and the crew filled her with a sense of accomplishment. Despite the close calls, she had done it. They were one step closer to navigating the Grand Line, and she had proved to herself—and to Goku—that she wasn't just someone to be protected. She was a vital part of the crew.
But just as she rounded the corner of a quiet side street, her instincts screamed at her to stop.
Nami froze mid-step, her heart skipping a beat as she looked up and saw him. Standing in the middle of the alleyway, blocking her path, was a tall and imposing figure. He wore a long, white marine coat draped over his shoulders like a cape, and a pair of large cigars hung from the corners of his mouth, both burning steadily.
Captain Smoker.
His eyes, sharp and piercing, locked onto hers with a look of cold indifference. A heavy atmosphere hung around him, like the calm before a storm. The air around him seemed to shimmer with the faint trace of smoke, coiling like serpents from his arms and shoulders.
Nami's throat tightened, her body tensing instinctively as she backed away a step. She had heard stories about Smoker, the infamous Marine captain who wielded the powers of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit. He was known for his relentless pursuit of pirates, and now here he was, standing in her path.
"Well, well, well," Smoker said, his voice low and gravelly as he took a slow puff from his cigar. His eyes narrowed as he looked her over, noticing the way her hand instinctively reached toward the satchel that concealed the Log Pose. "What do we have here?"
Nami's breath caught in her throat as her mind raced. She had been so careful, but now she was face-to-face with one of the most dangerous Marines in the East Blue. There was no way she could take on someone like Smoker, not in a direct confrontation. But running wasn't an option either—not with his ability to turn into smoke.
She had no idea how she was going to get out of this one.
[A/N: Please don't forget to vote with the power stone for this novel. I appreciate them as they are a great help. Please be advised the novel will now have a regular unchanging schedule for the forseeable future. It will now be 3 chapters a week namely mon-wed-fri. For patreon members the schedule will still be 5-10 a week. A shoutout to the latest member of my patreon David_Seun91. I appreciate the support and thank you. For now you too can read 10 chapters ahead available on patreon.com/saiyanprince novels.]