One minute ago.
A certain sea area in the East Blue.
A luxurious cruise ship banquet, officially sanctioned, was underway.
All attendees were without exception wealthy magnates and merchants from various islands and countries.
Of course.
Besides the wealthy, male and female waiters in tuxedos moved through the banquet.
The banquet atmosphere was lively, and no one noticed that...
A young female waiter with short orange hair quietly slipped away.
"Hehe, a great harvest~ a great harvest~"
Looking at the wallets of one wealthy person after another in her backpack, the girl's eyebrows curved into crescent moons.
This haul alone would earn her at least several million Berries, bringing her a big step closer to gathering one hundred million Berries to buy back her village.
Just as the girl was thinking this.
The next second.
Without warning.
Ripples like water waves spread through the void.
Immediately after.
A fishing hook appeared out of thin air, snagging one of the wallets.
"Mine! Mine! That's my wallet!"
The short orange-haired girl, who valued money more than her life, was quick-eyed and quick-handed, decisively grabbing the wallet.
And then...
With a whoosh, the wallet, along with the girl, disappeared into the ripples of the void.
...
...
Time returned to the present.
On the calm sea, a short-haired girl with orange hair thrashed in the water, struggling to grab the wallet hanging on the fishing hook.
However, each time she was just a little short, and it slipped through her fingers again.
After several such attempts, the girl completely lost her composure.
"Robber! Thief! Give me back my wallet!" the orange-haired girl cursed in exasperation.
"Oh, are you sure this is your wallet, Miss Little Cat Burglar?" Roland asked, narrowing his eyes and smiling at the girl in the water.
Roland was, of course, very familiar with the little tail that had been hooked along with the wallet.
Nami, the Thief Cat!!!
The navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates!!!
After leaving Shimotsuki Village, Roland had also thought of meeting the little money-grubber, Miss Nami.
However, even Roland never expected that their first meeting would be in such a bizarre way.
"Of course! I worked so hard to snatch that from the banquet! Give it back to me!" Nami said, her words bold despite her lack of reason.
"Hmm, compared to the ownership of the wallet, you should be more concerned about protecting yourself from being eaten by sharks right now!" Roland kindly reminded her.
"Huh?" Nami froze, instinctively turning her head.
When she saw the fin heading straight for her not far away, Nami shrieked.
With a shriek, Nami quickly flailed her hands and feet, grabbed the gangway at the fastest speed, and climbed ashore in one fluid motion.
"Here, wipe yourself off!" Roland casually tossed a clean towel.
Nami didn't stand on ceremony, taking the towel to dry her hair, and then her body under her clothes.
As she wiped, her large eyes remained fixed on Roland... and the wallet in his hand.
"Alright, alright, it's just a broken wallet, I'll give it back to you!" Roland shook his head and returned the wallet to Nami.
"Wow, thank you! You're surprisingly nice~" Nami immediately beamed with joy.
However...
The next second, the smile on the girl's face froze.
Because she discovered that the once bulging wallet was now empty.
"Here's your wallet back. Consider this the fee for the towel!" Roland said, fanning a stack of thousand-berry bills with a brilliant smile.
"What?! Ten thousand Berries for one towel? Are you robbing me? I don't want it! Give it back to me!" Nami immediately became anxious, quickly flinging the towel, which carried a faint scent of milk, onto Roland's face.
"I was just joking with you, and you got all worked up!" Roland shook his head helplessly.
"The towel is free. This ten thousand is for saving you from the shark, and also for the ride!"
"I..." Nami started to speak but forcibly held back, her small hands gradually clenching.
She had already accepted the reality, knowing that this money was likely not coming back.
Furthermore, this was now his territory.
Her most urgent task now was to prevent Roland from discovering the other wallets in her backpack.
Besides...
Nami's big eyes rolled.
A free ride!!!
Roland said it himself.
Ho ho ho!
How dare he offer me, the infamous Little Cat Burglar of the East Blue, a free ride?
Then I'll teach you what it means for a thief not to leave empty-handed.
When I disembark, it will be when you are bankrupt.
Nami had made up her mind, determined to plunder all the treasures on this ship before leaving.
Thinking of Roland's exasperated expression after discovering he had been robbed, Nami couldn't help but let out a snicker.
"Heh."
Roland could probably guess what Nami was thinking, but he didn't pay it any mind.
Just then...
"Roland~ Roland~"
"Brother Roland~"
Thor and Kuina, who were busy preparing lunch in the kitchen, noticed the 'quarrel' on the deck and quickly pushed the door open.
"Roland, who is this girl?" Thor asked, looking at Nami curiously.
"Oh, a castaway. I happened to meet her and rescued her. This is her thank-you fee and fare!" Roland explained casually.
"Hello, my name is Nami!" Nami greeted them warmly.
Before taking action, she certainly had to gain their trust first.
"Thor!" Thor nodded.
"I'm Kuina. Miss Nami, you're all wet. Go take a bath before lunch. It'll be ready soon!" Kuina greeted her enthusiastically.
"Then I'll trouble you, Kuina-chan~ Thor-chan~!" Nami said, making herself at home.
In just a short minute, the three girls had already become close.