On the way back, Nami was happily fiddling with the weather stick in her hand.
"How's it going? Suits you well, right?" Ace asked, smiling at her joyful expression.
"Yeah, it's really nice," Nami replied, her pretty face full of joy. Now, she finally had considerable strength, giving her more protection when stealing treasures from pirate ships in the future.
Suddenly, Nami stopped and bit her lip.
"What's wrong, Nami?" Ace asked slowly, sensing something but not pushing her.
"It's nothing, I just think it would be nice to be your navigator, Ace," Nami said, smiling.
Ace nodded and rubbed Nami's head.
When they returned to the villa, Melly ran over excitedly. "The ship is built and ready to sail anytime!" he announced, a mix of happiness and reluctance on his face.
"Melly, please help me take care of my house," Kaya said with a smile.
"Don't worry, Miss!" Melly assured, patting his chest confidently.
"Let's go see our pirate ship," Ace said with anticipation.
At the seaside, a ship wrapped in cloth was parked. Melly proudly unveiled it.
"This is the Going Merry!" Melly announced proudly. The ship featured a fast sailing design, with a jib for the mizzen mast, a central rudder for the stern, and a sheep's head for the bow. The top of the mainmast was where the pirate flag would be hoisted, though Ace's pirate flag was yet to be decided. The hull housed four cannons, and there was an orangery on the deck.
"Oranges? Why?" Nami murmured, staring blankly at the orange grove on the deck.
"Well, my navigator once muttered about oranges in her sleep. As a captain, I had to take that into account," Ace said with a slight smile.
Nami bit her lip and remained silent.
"Okay! Move everything up, we're sailing tomorrow!" Ace announced, clearly in a good mood.
"Okay!" Kaya responded excitedly, her face flushed. Nami also responded but somewhat disinterestedly. Ace just smiled and didn't say anything more.
Soon, everyone enthusiastically moved everything onto the ship. Kaya brought cash and some gold jewelry for easy trade, totaling more than 30 million beli. No wonder Crowe had wanted to manage the Kaya family's wealth.
After preparing everything, Ace proposed spending the night on the Merry to adapt quickly to life on the ship. Kaya readily agreed, and Nami nodded with a complicated expression. The three chose their rooms, decorated them briefly, and went to sleep.
That night, Ace, having taken a hot shower, fell asleep in his bed. The door to his room quietly opened, and a figure walked in cautiously.
Nami squatted beside Ace's bed, quietly watching his sleeping face. After some time, she bit her lip.
"I can't get you involved, Ace. And Kaya, even though she's in good health, facing Arlong and his gang... If I don't leave, I might want to go to the Grand Line with you, Captain," Nami murmured softly. The fear of Arlong had deeply penetrated her heart. Despite seeing Ace's power, she was still afraid of involving him and Kaya in the dangers she faced.
Nami placed a written letter on Ace's desk, took a bag of money and the weather stick, and stood in the orange grove for a long time. Finally, under the cover of darkness, she rode a lifeboat towards Cocosia Village. Little did she know, after she rowed into the darkness, Ace's eyes suddenly opened.
Early the next morning, Kaya anxiously ran to Ace's room. Seeing him half-dressed, she quickly withdrew with a blush.
"Come in, Kaya. It's time to sail! We're going to bring back our stupid navigator," Ace said, smiling while holding Nami's letter.
The letter read:
"Ace, I took the money! Hehehe. I'm too bad of a thief to be your navigator. I hate pirates the most!"
At the end, there were traces of tears carefully wiped away.
"Wouldn't it be better to rely on the captain, my stupid navigator?" Ace murmured with a slight smile. Despite Nami taking the money, she had only taken 30 million beli, still short of the 100 million she needed.