Chapter 6: Nojiko and Nami the Cat Burglar
The atmosphere in Cocoyasi Village was suffocating. It wasn't the heat of the East Blue sun, nor the humidity rolling off the ocean. It was a spiritual weight—a heavy, silent blanket of fear that pressed down on every roof, every tree, and every person.
Genzo, the village sheriff with the pinwheel spinning absurdly on his hat, stood his ground. His knuckles were white as he gripped his police baton, his scarred face twisted into a mask of desperate warning.
"Get out," he hissed, his voice trembling. "Arlong... he isn't human. He's a monster."
Suzaku stood casually with his hands in his pockets, the faint hum of his Vermilion Bird bloodline keeping him warm against the psychological chill. He looked at the old man, then exchanged a glance with Rem.
"Don't worry, old man," Suzaku said, a playful, dangerous grin spreading across his face. "We aren't good people either."
He spread his hands, his tone relaxed, contrasting sharply with the tension in the air.
"Didn't my maid just tell you? We are pirates. We killed a Marine Captain yesterday and looted his base. So, strictly speaking, we are criminals."
Genzo's eyes widened, his breath hitching in his throat.
"Besides," Suzaku continued, his golden eyes narrowing slightly as he looked toward the looming tower of Arlong Park in the distance. "We truly don't put mere Fishmen in our eyes. Grilled, fried, or sashimi... a fish is just a fish."
Just as the shock of his blasphemous words began to set in, footsteps approached from the path leading to the orange groves.
"Genzo? What's going on?"
A new figure emerged from the shadows of the tangerine trees.
It was a young woman, perhaps a year or two older than Nami. She had short, cropped hair the color of deep violet-blue, framing a face that was beautiful but etched with a maturity beyond her years. She wore a simple, checkered shirt that had been washed until the fabric was soft and faded, paired with practical work pants.
Despite the sudden appearance of strangers, her gaze didn't waver. She looked directly at Suzaku and Rem, her dark eyes showing clear vigilance, but none of the panic that consumed Genzo.
She stepped between the sheriff and the strangers, placing a calming hand on Genzo's trembling arm before turning to address Suzaku.
"Who are you?" Her voice was calm, clear, and carried a natural authority. "Why are you harassing the sheriff?"
Seeing the newcomer's hairstyle, her protective stance, and the faint scent of citrus clinging to her, Suzaku's eyes lit up. He smiled knowingly.
"If I'm not mistaken," Suzaku said, his tone shifting from mocking to polite, "you must be Nojiko?"
The woman blinked, surprised that this stranger knew her name.
"I am," she replied cautiously. "How do you know that?"
"Fate," Suzaku lied smoothly, his voice carrying an unrestrained confidence. "We originally drifted here by accident—my navigation skills are somewhat abstract—but since the winds guided us to this island, let's allow it to become a destined encounter."
He took a step forward. Rem moved with him, silent as a shadow, her blue gaze assessing Nojiko for threats.
Suzaku's gaze swept over the silent, terrified village before returning to Nojiko's face. His voice dropped, losing its playfulness and becoming heavy with promise.
"The trouble you bear... the nightmare that has plagued this island for eight years... that Fishman named Arlong. We will take care of him."
Nojiko froze. Genzo gasped.
Before they could respond to the sheer audacity of his claim, Suzaku changed the subject abruptly. He pointed a thumb at himself, flashing a hearty, blinding smile.
"As for the reward, it's simple! I don't need money. I just need your sister, Nami, to become my Navigator!"
Ten Minutes Later.
The tension had de-escalated, at least superficially. Perhaps it was Suzaku's charisma, or perhaps it was the sheer desperation of people who had been drowning for too long grasping at any straw.
Nojiko led them to her home—a modest, cozy wooden house perched on a small hill overlooking a vast orchard of tangerine trees. The air here was sweeter, smelling of fruit and earth, a small sanctuary away from the oppression of the village below.
Inside the kitchen, Nojiko moved with practiced efficiency. She pulled a pitcher from an icebox powered by a rare cooling dial—or perhaps just packed with ice—and poured two glasses of vibrant orange liquid.
"Help yourselves," she said, placing the glasses on the simple wooden table. The golden juice formed cool beads of condensation on the glass walls. "It's freshly squeezed. Made from the best fruit in the garden. It's very sweet."
"Thank you for your hospitality," Rem said softly.
She accepted the glass gracefully, adhering to the strict etiquette of a maid even in this rustic setting. She first checked the glass for poisons with a subtle sniff—unnoticed by Nojiko—before steadily delivering one glass into Suzaku's hands. Only then did she pick up her own.
Suzaku took a sip.
"Incredible," he muttered. The taste was an explosion of sunshine—sweet, tart, and refreshing. It washed away the salt of the sea and the fatigue of travel.
Rem took a small sip from her glass.
Suddenly, her large blue eye, which usually held a hint of cool detachment or demonic sharpness, widened slightly. Her lips curved into happy, genuine crescents.
"Rem truly thinks... it is exceptionally delicious!"
Her voice was filled with genuine joy, shedding the layer of professional distance. She even unconsciously tilted her head slightly, the pink flower ribbon in her hair swaying as she revealed a brilliant, cloudless smile.
"It tastes like... happiness."
Seeing the dangerous "demon maid" display such a sweet, innocent, and satisfied smile over a simple glass of juice, Nojiko's taut nerves relaxed slightly.
She leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing her arms.
They are just kids, Nojiko thought, looking at them. Powerful, maybe. Dangerous, certainly. But they are still just kids.
Although she still didn't understand how these two knew about the village's secret, or why they wanted Nami, Rem's heartfelt smile did not seem fake. Monsters didn't smile like that over tangerine juice.
But then, the reality of their situation crashed back down on her.
She sighed, the lines of worry resurfacing on her forehead. Her tone became sincere and earnest, the voice of a deeply caring older sister who had seen too much tragedy.
"Listen to me," Nojiko said softly. "Since you know about the Arlong Pirates, you should understand the danger here even more."
She looked at Suzaku directly.
"Arlong isn't like the human pirates you've fought. He has the strength of ten men. He has skin like iron. He has teeth that regrow instantly. He has crushed Marines, bounty hunters, and rebels. No one leaves Arlong Park alive."
She paused, her eyes filled with concern for their young lives.
"Before those Fishmen discover you, listen to my advice. Take your ship and leave quickly. Don't look back."
Suzaku set his glass down. He didn't interrupt her.
"Being alive is more important than anything," Nojiko continued, her voice trembling slightly. "Only by living safely can the future hold infinite possibilities. You can go anywhere. You can realize your dreams. Don't throw your lives away here for strangers."
Suzaku heard the weighty kindness in her words. He also heard the deep-seated trauma. This was a woman who had watched her mother die for the sake of her children. To Nojiko, survival was the ultimate victory.
He understood immediately. He didn't bother with further verbal explanations or grandiose speeches about justice.
Words were worthless in the face of eight years of slavery. No matter how much he promised, she wouldn't believe him until she saw Arlong's head on a pike.
"Nojiko is kind," Suzaku said simply. "But sometimes, running away means you're already dead inside."
Before Nojiko could respond, a noise shattered the quiet atmosphere.
"Nojiko! Nojiko! Hurry, hurry!"
A hurried, breathless, yet undeniably excited shout came from outside the open window. It was getting closer rapidly.
Thump-thump-thump.
The sound of frantic running on the dirt path.
Nojiko's heart clenched. Her first thought was Arlong. Had the Fishmen come to collect the monthly tribute early? Had Nami been caught stealing?
"Nami!"
She immediately slammed her cup down and rushed out the back door.
Suzaku and Rem exchanged a look. Suzaku grinned, finishing his juice in one gulp.
"The target has arrived," he whispered. "Let's go."
The three of them arrived one after another in the sunny clearing of the orange grove outside the house.
Under the bright afternoon sun, a figure was gesticulating wildly, practically vibrating with adrenaline.
It was Nami.
She was only eighteen years old, her signature orange short hair looking especially vibrant, burning like a flame against the green backdrop of the trees. A few strands of hair clung to her flushed cheeks, stuck there by sweat from her hurried run uphill.
She wore a simple white tank top with blue rings and denim shorts that showed off her long legs, radiating a mix of youthful vitality and desperate wildness.
But what drew the eye was the massive, bulging backpack she carried. It was almost as big as she was, stuffed to the brim, looking heavy enough to crush a normal person.
She completely failed to notice Suzaku and Rem standing in the shadow of the porch. Her eyes were locked only on her sister.
"Nojiko! I did it!"
Nami dropped the heavy bag with a loud thud and a metallic clink. She grabbed Nojiko's hands, her eyes sparkling with tears of unprecedented hope.
"I found an unmanned ship at the civilian port! Some idiots left it completely unguarded! No crew, no guards!"
Suzaku's eyebrow twitched. Idiots?
Nami continued, breathless, "And guess what? I snuck on board... and there's money! Lots and lots of money! I found a safe in the captain's quarters—it was barely locked! There's over one hundred million Berries in there!"
She laughed, a sound that was half-hysterical, half-relieved.
"It's enough, Nojiko! With the money I've already saved... we finally have the 100 million! We can buy the village back from Arlong!"
She excitedly spread her arms, spinning in a circle, as if she could already feel the chains breaking.
"Everyone is free! We won't have to be oppressed anymore! Bell-mère's soul can rest!"
Nojiko looked at her sister, her face pale. She looked at the bag. Then she looked behind Nami, at the two strangers stepping off the porch.
"Um... Nami..." Nojiko whispered.
"What? Are you shocked? I know, it's a miracle!" Nami beamed.
"Um... is there a possibility," a calm, slightly amused male voice interrupted her wonderful fantasy, "that the 'unmanned ship' you mentioned is named the Mad Dog?"
Nami froze.
"And," the voice continued, drawing closer, "that the 120 million Berries you 'found'—which I stole from a corrupt Marine yesterday—also happens to be entirely mine?"
Nami's excited smile instantly shattered. It didn't fade; it broke like glass.
She slowly, mechanically whipped her head around.
Only then did she realize that two unfamiliar figures had been standing there the whole time. A black-haired young man with a dangerous aura, and a blue-haired maid who was looking at Nami's backpack with a gaze that suggested she was deciding which limb to break first.
Suzaku stood there, rubbing his chin, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
She really is the Cat Burglar, he thought. I've been on the island for less than thirty minutes. In that time, she found my ship, picked the lock, cracked the safe, looted the cash, and ran all the way back here. That efficiency is terrifying.
It was impressive. It was also annoying.
Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Nami's demeanor flipped instantly.
She kicked the massive backpack behind her. Her movements were astonishingly fast. She reached behind her back and grabbed the three sections of her wooden bo staff.
Click-clack-snap.
With a flick of her wrist, she assembled the staff and held it horizontally in front of her, dropping into a standard defensive stance.
With a nimble side-step, she precisely positioned herself between the strangers and the treasure, shielding both the money and her sister Nojiko behind her back.
Her gaze was sharp, locked tightly onto Suzaku and Rem. The previous excitement and joy vanished without a trace, replaced by the cold, calculating look of a thief cornered in an alley.
"This money!" she yelled, her voice rising with undeniable resolve, biting off every word heavily. "It's mine! It's all mine now! No one is going to take it from me!"
To Nami, this wasn't just currency. It was life. It was the blood and tears of her village. It was eight years of humiliation. She would fight a Warlord of the Sea with a toothpick before she gave up this bag.
She slightly lowered her center of gravity, the tip of the wooden staff raised slightly, pointing directly at Suzaku's throat.
"I don't care who you are!" she fiercely demanded, her eyes burning. "Take one step closer and I'll smash your head in!"
"Thief."
The single word cut through the air like a whip.
Rem stepped forward. The air around the maid plummeted in temperature.
"You stole from Suzaku-sama."
Rem's eyes narrowed into slits. She instantly prepared to flash forward. Her slender hand reached into the folds of her skirt, her fingers brushing the cold iron handle of her Morning Star.
"Rem will punish the pest."
The maid's killing intent was real. To Rem, Nami wasn't a tragic heroine; she was a thief who had disrespected her Master. A threat to be neutralized.
"Wait."
Suzaku suddenly reached out. His hand clamped firmly onto Rem's shoulder, stopping the maid in her tracks.
"Stand down, Rem."
"But Master, she—"
"I said stand down."
Suzaku looked at Nami. He saw the desperation in her eyes. He saw the trembling in her hands that she was trying desperately to hide. He saw a small beast guarding its food against a predator it knew it couldn't beat.
A thought instantly flashed through his mind.
Beating her is easy. Taking the money back is easy. But that won't make her my Navigator. That will just make her hate me.
He needed leverage. He needed to make an offer she couldn't refuse.
Suzaku smiled, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, though his eyes danced with amusement.
"Relax, Nami," he said softly. "I'm not here to take the money back. In fact... I'm here to offer you a job."
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