"Bounty hunter?"
Kairos Flint frowned, puzzled by the sudden question. He didn't understand why she was bringing this up.
But after thinking about it for a moment, the reason clicked.
"You're trying to team up with me to split the money, aren't you?"
She wouldn't bring this up for no reason—especially not someone like her, with her money-obsessed personality. Today's haul of several million Berries had clearly lit a fire in her eyes. She must've seen an opportunity in bounty hunting. The problem? She didn't have the strength to pull it off herself. So naturally, her attention turned to him.
"Smart as expected."
Nami smiled, confirming his guess.
It had taken her eight grueling years sailing these seas to save up tens of millions of Berries in pursuit of her 100 million goal. And yet, this guy—this newcomer—just casually wiped out the Great Sword Pirates, snagging a 6 million bounty, plus another 3 million Berries from their ship. Nine million in a single day.
That kind of profit? It was enough to make anyone greedy.
Just thinking about the kind of money you could make hunting pirates with bounties made her seriously consider becoming a bounty hunter herself.
But she knew her limits.
Years at sea had taught her exactly how dangerous pirates were. She didn't stand a chance against them. So she took a step back. If she couldn't fight, then she'd partner up with someone who could—someone like Kairos. Worst case, they'd split the profits.
"I'm not interested."
Kairos rejected her offer without hesitation.
If he really wanted to be a bounty hunter, he didn't need a partner. He could handle it on his own. Why share the cash?
Still, he had to admit—it was a decent idea.
Becoming a pirate? Not for him.
As for joining the Revolutionary Army—he didn't even need to consider that. Life under Dragon was a miserable grind. It'd be like running with Brother Crow: constantly starving and constantly struggling, all for uncertain rewards.
Definitely not worth the effort.
And the Navy?
Forget it. He hated being tied down by rules.
Especially now that he had Goldfinger—a power that let him grow stronger with every step. If he kept going like this, it wouldn't be long before he reached Admiral-level strength. And once you're that strong in the Navy, guess who's giving the orders?
Those twisted Celestial Dragons.
Who the hell wants to take orders from those pompous scumbags?
Nope. The Navy was off the table too.
So what did that leave?
Be a regular worker and live a normal life? Not exactly thrilling.
Be an adventurer? In this pirate-filled era, that was practically asking to be arrested. Raise the wrong flag, and the Navy might label you a pirate anyway.
Then there was Nami's suggestion—bounty hunter.
Honestly, it wasn't bad.
In this world, pirates and the Navy dominated. Then there was the Revolutionary Army founded by Dragon, but they had no clear ideology—just an uphill battle against the Navy and World Government. Becoming a revolutionary meant painting a giant target on your back.
But a bounty hunter?
They had their place, especially early in the age of pirates. Even Zoro had made a living that way before joining the Straw Hats. Sure, bounty hunters had mostly vanished in the later stages of the era, but it was still a path—especially while the system still rewarded it.
And those bounties were no joke. Some of the Supernovas alone had combined bounties nearing a billion Berries.
In fact, rumor had it: anyone entering the New World two years from now would need a bounty of at least 100 million Berries just to be taken seriously.
If you didn't have that kind of number attached to your name, you'd be laughed off the seas.
"Thinking about it now..."
Kairos's eyes sparkled with possibility.
"...being a bounty hunter doesn't sound half bad. As long as I'm strong enough, I could rake in billions of Berries from just one trip to the New World. I'd answer to no one, and I wouldn't have some Navy dog chasing me around all day yelling about arrests."
What had started as Nami's spur-of-the-moment money-making idea suddenly looked more like a legitimate career path.
Freedom, independence, and a near-endless supply of cash. In an era dominated by pirates, being strong meant that every pirate was basically walking money.
"I'm a navigator," Nami quickly added, sensing his shift in attitude. "Sure, you're strong—but out at sea, without someone like me, you could get lost or starve. With me onboard, that'll never happen. I'm the perfect partner."
"Sailing with someone like me means real profit."
She flashed a bright, confident smile.
Kairos remained unimpressed.
"Nami, you're not the only navigator in the world. If I wanted, I could just pay someone else to join the crew."
Hearing that, Nami winced. This guy was not easy to persuade.
"I can also cook and clean!" she blurted. "How many skilled navigators can say that? If you agree to work with me, I'll handle all the chores on the ship!"
She leaned forward, palm outstretched, her smile unwavering.
"I'm not asking for much—just a 50/50 split. Deal?"
Kairos stared at her hand. "That's pretty bold of you."
She really was something else.
Still... maybe it wasn't such a bad idea.
"I might be open to it," he finally said, considering the offer.
Nami's eyes lit up. "Then just tell me what conditions you have."
"Fine. I won't argue about the chores or the cooking. But I do have one small condition. If you can agree to it, we can work together."
"Name it." Nami leaned in, eager.
"Tell me the story behind the Dragon Pirates tattoo on your arm."
Kairos's gaze dropped to her forearm, his voice low and serious.