Behind Cocoyashi Village, at the private harbor formerly used by the Arlong Pirates, Bane and Zoro stood by the dock.
A single ship was moored there—large, imposing, and frankly, menacing. The vessel's entire design mimicked a massive shark, with a jagged, saw-like prow that looked disturbingly like Arlong's own snout—clearly meant for ramming and intimidation.
Zoro eyed the ship with mild curiosity, while Bane's gaze drifted to the toppled food cart lying on the dock nearby.
"Guess he ran off," Bane smirked, referring to Hatchan. The octopus fish-man's takoyaki cart had been abandoned, and given that Hatchan hadn't shown up during the chaos, Bane figured he'd slipped away when things got dicey.
He didn't really care. No need to hunt down every last fish-man.
Zoro, meanwhile, was skimming through a ship's manifest they'd found back in Arlong Park. "According to this, the ship has a capacity of 640 people and is equipped with 72 cannons. Minimum crew required for full operation: 150."
He looked at Bane with a dry expression. "So where exactly are we gonna find another 147 crewmates?"
"…Come again?" Bane blinked. "One hundred and fifty people? But Arlong's whole crew barely numbered fifty. How were they even sailing this thing?"
"I dunno. Maybe fish-men have some secret maritime technique?" Zoro shrugged.
Just as the two were lamenting the logistics of managing such a massive vessel, cheerful footsteps approached from behind.
Nami strolled up to them with a bright smile.
"You talk things out with Nojiko?" Bane turned to her and asked, "So? You joining us or not?"
Nami stepped closer, teasingly brushing against him. "Well~ Nojiko was reluctant, and the villagers were worried, but…"
She raised her chin proudly and declared, "My dream is to create the most accurate and complete map of the world! And I am—as I may have mentioned once or twice—the most talented navigator in the entire East Blue. Wasting that kind of talent would be criminal. So, in the end, everyone agreed to support my dream."
She crossed her arms and added smugly, "So feel honored! You're about to gain the best navigator in the East Blue!"
Zoro smirked. "You should be the one feeling honored. You're joining the future crew of the world's greatest swordsman."
Bane chuckled. "Welcome aboard, Miss Greatest Navigator."
After a bit of friendly banter, Nami seemed to remember something. "Oh, by the way, the Marines stopped by earlier. They said that Commodore Smoker has arrested that scumbag Captain Nezumi. He'll be put on trial soon."
Bane gave a nonchalant "Oh." Nezumi didn't exactly rank on his list of concerns.
But then a thought struck him. He turned to Nami. "Smoker also told me the Marines would be delivering Arlong's 20 million bounty. So… where's my money?"
Nami's eyes twinkled mischievously. She tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Hey now, don't go rewriting history! Arlong was taken down by yours truly, thank you very much. So obviously, that bounty belongs to me."
"You've got some nerve," Zoro muttered in disgust.
Nami ignored him and pressed on. "Also, in case you didn't know, I'm not just East Blue's top navigator—I'm also its finest financial manager. Bane~ you're sitting on that hefty 360 million bounty, right? You don't seem like the type who knows how to manage money. Why don't you let me handle it for you?"
Bane let out a dry chuckle. "Sorry to disappoint. I already donated 200 million of that to the Marines—just a little contribution to maintaining peace in the East Blue. So now I've only got about 150 million left."
"WHAT?!" Nami shrieked, practically jumping into the air. "That's two hundred million Berries!! You just gave it away?! Do you have any idea how much—?!"
"…How many lives that kind of money might save?" Zoro suddenly said, cutting through the moment with quiet sincerity.
That hit home. Nami fell silent, her expression softening. After a pause, she simply sighed. "…Fine. The past is the past."
Then she perked up again and extended her hand toward Bane. "Well then, you still have 150 million left. Why not let me manage that for you?"
Bane smirked. "Maybe if you manage to keep me in a really good mood… I'll think about it."
Instantly, Nami's demeanor flipped. She plastered on a sweet servant-like smile, scooted close, and started massaging Bane's arm. "Lord Bane~ is this enough to keep you in a good mood~?"
"…Meh. Passable," Bane said with mock indifference. "But here's the real problem—we've seized this massive ship, and we can't even get it moving. Any bright ideas, oh brilliant navigator?"
"Absolutely, Lord Bane~" Nami purred, pulling a whistle from… somewhere in her top.
"This ship doesn't require a full human crew to operate," she explained. "It's powered by—" she blew the whistle sharply.
The water around the harbor suddenly rippled.
A few seconds later, a huge creature surfaced—a sea beast with the head of a cow.
"Moo Moo," Nami announced proudly. "Arlong's pet. It's what they used to tow the ship when they didn't have enough crew. And lucky for you two, I know exactly how to handle it."
Bane blinked. "So that's how they did it…"
Well, that worked out. If nothing else, Moo Moo made for a decent emergency tow—and maybe even emergency rations if things got desperate.
Still, Bane mused, it wouldn't hurt to recruit a few proper crewmates. Someone needed to handle the daily chores, and he wasn't about to do all the heavy lifting forever.
After that, Bane cleared his throat dramatically and declared, "Alright! Since you're in charge of the ship now, I leave it to you. As for me… I'm hungry. Whoever brings me a feast worthy of my greatness… might just earn a generous reward from my 150 million stash."
"On it~!" Nami chirped immediately, jumping into action. She patted Bane's back and flashed a dazzling smile. "Lord Bane, right this way! Please allow me the honor of treating you like a king~!"
Zoro, watching the whole performance unfold, chimed in. "I don't need food. Just gimme two bottles of your best local sake."
Nami turned to him sweetly. "And do you have any money, Lord Zoro?"
"…No."
"Well then," Nami said with a swift tone change, "stay hydrated. Hot water's good for your liver."
Zoro: "…"
Seriously? She's this shameless?!