On the hilltop of Cocoyasi Village, in front of a weathered tombstone, Genzo stood holding a bottle of wine. He poured himself a glass, the liquid gleaming under the sunlight.
"Bellemere, the Arlong Pirates have finally been defeated!" he said, his voice filled with bittersweet emotion. A wistful smile tugged at his lips. "Haha… Nami looks so much like you. I remember when you ran off to join the Marines without telling anyone!"
He took another sip before chuckling softly. "But she's joined something she calls a 'Private Marine.' Can you believe it? A Marine organization flying a skull-and-crossbones flag! Doesn't that seem… odd?"
Genzo's words drifted in the quiet air as he reminisced in front of Bellemere's grave. He spoke as if she could hear him, as if she might reply with one of her teasing remarks.
When Genzo moved to pour the rest of the wine onto the ground as an offering, two figures approached from behind. Luffy and Ikki stopped a few steps away, watching quietly.
"Uncle Windmill, were you looking for us?" Luffy asked, breaking the silence.
Genzo, without turning to face them, poured the remainder of the wine before the tombstone. "Nami wants to go with you. I can't stop her," he said, his voice steady but tinged with protectiveness. "But if you make her lose that smile of hers… I'll kill you."
Luffy, unfazed, scratched his nose and replied nonchalantly, "That's not gonna happen."
The casual response made Genzo whirl around, furious. "Be serious, you idiot!" he bellowed.
Luffy blinked in surprise, caught off guard by Genzo's outburst. After a moment, Genzo sighed and rubbed his forehead. Spending a few days at the village banquet had been enough to understand Luffy's carefree nature.
Turning to Ikki, Genzo spoke more earnestly. "Ikki, as the deputy captain, I'm trusting you to take care of Nami."
Ikki gave a confident nod. "Don't worry. She's our partner."
Genzo seemed satisfied with the response but asked curiously, "I've got one question, though… what exactly is this 'Private Marine'?"
Ikki explained succinctly, "A Private Marine is a group that serves the people, independent of the World Government."
Genzo nodded thoughtfully, the concept making sense. Meanwhile, Luffy remained silent, chewing on a piece of meat. His quiet demeanor was deliberate—Ikki had advised him not to invite Nami to the crew as a pirate. After all, Arlong's reign had left deep scars on the village. Even if Nami herself agreed, the villagers might not accept her decision if it came from pirates.
The next morning, the day of departure arrived.
At the port, sailors from Fullbody were busy loading supplies onto the Going Merry. The Straw Hat crew waited leisurely by the ship, watching the bustle with anticipation.
When the last crate was secured, a familiar voice rang out. "Set sail quickly!" Nami shouted as she appeared, running towards the port.
The crew was momentarily confused by her urgency but quickly obeyed. The anchor was pulled up, and the sails were lowered as they prepared to leave.
Meanwhile, Nami dashed through the port, dodging villagers who tried to stop her. "Nami, stay for a few more days!" they pleaded, but she skillfully weaved around them, leaving no chance for anyone to catch her.
In just ten seconds, she reached the water's edge and leaped with all her strength, aiming to land gracefully on the deck of the Going Merry.
But fate had other plans. A strong gust of wind filled the sails, and the ship surged forward just as she jumped. Instead of landing on the deck, Nami let out a startled cry as she thought she she would fall into the sea below.
Just as Nami was about to plunge into the sea, a sudden whirlwind appeared, gently lifting her up and depositing her safely on the deck of the Going Merry. The crew turned in surprise to see Ikki, his hand outstretched and a faint smirk on his face. It was his doing.
Nami let out a sigh of relief and patted her chest. "That was close…" she muttered. But before the moment could settle, she adjusted her clothes, and several colorful wallets tumbled out, clinking and scattering across the deck.
The villagers, who had been watching anxiously from the shore, exhaled in collective relief at her rescue—until they noticed the wallets. There was a stunned silence as many reached into their pockets, only to discover their own wallets were missing. Realization dawned, and instead of anger, laughter erupted, mixed with warm farewells.
"Stay safe, Nami!" someone called.
"Try not to rob us next time!" another shouted, prompting more laughter.
Nami grinned mischievously, waving goodbye as the Going Merry sailed away.
Once they left Cocoyasi Village behind, the Straw Hat Pirates returned to their usual leisurely routine. The vast expanse of the sea stretched endlessly around them, and the journey was, as it often was, calm and uneventful.
"I have to admit, sailing can get a little boring sometimes," Ikki muttered to himself. He glanced at a small device displaying his "justice points," which now exceeded 8,000. The number seemed to taunt him.
"Should I go for ten silver draws?" he mused, rubbing his chin.
"No… If I hold out for another 2,000 points, I can do ten golden draws instead."
The temptation was strong, and Ikki felt conflicted. Before entering the Grand Line, he knew he needed to bolster his strength, and the lottery was his best shot. Determined to earn more points, he climbed to the observation deck and began scanning the horizon with a telescope, hoping to spot pirates. Eliminating a few crews could bring him closer to his goal.
His thoughts were interrupted by Nami's sharp exclamation from below. Ikki lowered the telescope and looked down. Nami, Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji were huddled together, staring intently at something.
Curious, Ikki leapt down to join them. His eyes widened as he saw the bounty notice they were holding.
"Wait… Luffy, why is there a bounty on your head? And it's 30 million berries?" Ikki exclaimed, stunned.
Everyone turned to look at him. Luffy simply grinned, as carefree as ever, while Nami frowned, her arms crossed.
"Yeah," Nami said, her tone sharp. "Aren't we supposed to be a private Marine? Why is there a bounty on you?"
She didn't hide her confusion. Despite calling themselves pirates, the Straw Hats behaved more like a Marine unit—helping people, fighting injustice, and protecting the weak. Nami appreciated the freedom they offered and had been relieved that being part of this crew meant avoiding the dangers of being wanted. After all, Ikki carried an official Private Marine letter of appointment, stamped by Marine Headquarters itself.
Under their collective gaze, Ikki scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh… yeah, about that…" he mumbled. Finally, he sighed and pulled out a Den Den Mushi. "Guess I'd better call Vice Admiral Garp and figure this out."
At Marine Headquarters, Garp was lounging in a chair in the lounge, sipping tea and laughing with his old friends Sengoku and Tsuru. They had been reminiscing about old times, their camaraderie as strong as ever.
"I tell you, Sengoku," Garp said, grabbing for the last senbei on the plate, "the Private Marine program is gonna shake things up. Luffy's involvement might even—"
Before he could finish, the Den Den Mushi in his pocket started chirping.
"Huh? Who's calling me now?" Garp grumbled as he fished it out. Sengoku seized the opportunity to snatch the last senbei, popping it into his mouth with a triumphant smirk.
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