"Very good! Very energetic!" Red grinned.
Immediately, he turned to Nami with a mock-serious demeanor:
"Straw Hat Pirates' navigator, Nami! Obey the order!"
"In the name of the vice-captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, I now command you..."
"Find a hotel for these two guys to stay, and then, go shopping with me!!!"
"As ordered!"
Under the power of money, Nami replied firmly, but then froze mid-sentence.
She blinked, her expression blank. "Shopping!?"
Half an hour later...
After helping Luffy and Zoro find a restaurant and ordering a massive spread of food, Red led Nami onto the streets of Shells Town.
Though the town had been under the oppressive rule of Morgan for years, leaving it far from its former glory, it was still functional. The presence of a Marine base ensured that the island's shops remained relatively well-stocked, sufficient to meet Red's needs.
"So... you dragged me along to go shopping just so I could help you haggle!?"
Nami stared at him in surprise before her expression turned into one of contempt.
Red grinned sheepishly. "Please, please~! I really don't have much experience with this kind of thing."
"So, I had no choice but to rely on the expertise of the world-famous swindler!"
"Really~" Nami sighed, exasperated. "How can you be so clueless? A grown man who can't even buy things on his own..."
She shook her head before letting out a resigned sigh. "Fine. Tell me—what are we buying?"
"Ah!" Red tapped his chin in thought. "Well, not too much, actually. Just daily supplies... some training equipment, and—oh, right!"
"The most important thing—a ship!"
"A ship!?" Nami's eyebrows shot up. "Don't tell me... you don't even have a ship right now!?"
"Exactly!" Red clapped his hands, as if she'd solved a riddle. "As expected of the clever, ice-cold Nami! You're so smart!"
Smack!
Nami planted a hand on her forehead, groaning. "You don't even have a ship, yet you're out here screaming about being the Pirate King or the world's greatest swordsman..."
"How idealistic can you guys possibly be!?"
Red scratched the back of his head with an apologetic laugh. "Well, what can we do? We've just set sail."
"Anyway, let's focus on getting the ship first!"
Nami frowned. "Let me be clear—if you don't have extra funds, you're not going to get anything decent. A few million berries won't cut it."
"It's fine." Red waved her concern away. "We only need a temporary ship—just something with a deck big enough for Luffy and the others to move around on."
"I've got my eye on a proper ship on another island. It'll be ready in a few days."
"What!?" Nami halted abruptly, staring at him in disbelief. "Are you seriously planning to spend millions of berries... just for a temporary ship!?"
"You..."
She bit her tongue, stopping herself from asking, Is your brain even functioning?
Red, on the other hand, remained unfazed, flashing a relaxed grin. "Huh? What's the big deal? It's only a few million berries."
"Only...a few million!?" Nami clenched her teeth, her expression a mix of shock and frustration. "Do rich people really talk like that!?"
Memories of her struggle to earn her first million flashed through her mind, fueling her irritation. For a moment, she entertained the idea of beating Red senseless.
'If I could take you in a fight, I'd have killed you by now!' she cursed internally.
But just as she was glaring daggers at him, Red, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped.
Nami blinked, startled. Did he... read my mind!?
Red turned to face her, his expression unusually sincere. "Nami, you seem... really concerned about money."
"...Huh?" Nami blinked, caught off guard, and instinctively replied, "Of course! Who doesn't like money in this world?"
"No!" Red shook his head decisively. "Plenty of people like money, but there's definitely something off about your obsession with it."
His tone shifted slightly, more serious now.
"So... is there some kind of trouble that needs a lot of money to fix?"
"I..."
Nami froze. Her words caught in her throat as she looked up at Red.
The salty sea breeze swept through, lifting the golden-orange strands of her hair, which danced lightly in the air.
For a moment, as she met his piercing red eyes, she thought she saw something. Hidden beneath their dark depths, there was an unmistakable hint of pity.
It was as if—no, it couldn't be—as if he had seen straight through her pain.
The bustling street around them blurred into the background as townsfolk hurried by, paying no attention to the pair standing still amidst the crowd.
"So..."
Breaking the silence, Red spoke again, his voice calm but firm. "I guessed right, didn't I?"
He stepped closer, now standing directly in front of her.
"Look, I don't know what you've been through, but there's one thing you need to understand."
He pointed at her gently.
"Both I and Luffy sincerely want you as our crewmate."
"So, if you're in trouble, whatever it is, don't hesitate to lean on us!"
Red placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"You've seen Luffy's strength, haven't you? We don't even blink at the Marines."
He grinned confidently. "Do you really think there's any problem in this tiny East Blue we can't solve?"
After a pause, he added, "Just think about it. No pressure. But don't let it interfere with your work, because..."
Suddenly, his serious tone melted away into something more playful.
"I really don't know how to bargain!!!"
Before Nami could react, Red grabbed her arm and pulled her forward, picking up their pace through the streets.
Though familiar with the story's events, Red still wanted Nami to open up willingly. He knew exactly what her "obsession" stemmed from. Yet, instead of pretending ignorance and waiting for the right time to act, he preferred giving her the space and trust to come to them on her own terms.
With Luffy's power etched clearly in her mind, he believed it wouldn't be long before Nami made her decision.
As the saying goes, even a sparrow, though small, has all its organs.
Shells Town wasn't particularly large, but the Marine presence ensured the town boasted three modest shipyards.
Of course, none were grand establishments. They were all run by independent shipwrights who built small fishing boats for locals or performed occasional hull repairs for the Marine base.
After some masterful negotiating from Nami, Red managed to buy a second-hand small sailboat for 3 million berries.
Though the hull was worn and patched in places, it had a functional deck and a few cabins—enough for each crewmember to have a small room.
With the ship secured, Red and Nami didn't stop there. They scoured the shops around town, stocking up on daily necessities and a few other essentials.
Evening.
Excited and eager, Luffy and Zoro followed Red and Nami to the port, where their newly purchased ship awaited.
Docked inconspicuously among other vessels, the small sailboat sat anchored at the pier.
However, as they approached, Luffy and Zoro abruptly stopped in their tracks.
The look of excitement in their eyes faded instantly, replaced by sheer confusion.
"What... is that?" Zoro asked, pointing at the ship.
On the deck, four massive chunks of metal gleamed under the evening light. Two of them were connected by a thick steel pipe.
The ship's severely low waterline hinted at how ridiculously heavy these objects were.
Red, noticing their expressions, paused and then grinned proudly. "Oh, those? That's your training equipment!"
"Our what?" Zoro asked, eyebrows twitching.
"Your training equipment," Red repeated cheerfully. "Those are barbells for you and Luffy. I had the steel vendor use everything in his warehouse to put them together on short notice."
"Of course, this is just temporary. When we get to Loguetown, we can upgrade to something made from higher-quality materials."
"...You're not satisfied yet?" Zoro asked, his voice flat, his gaze even flatter.
"Wait," Zoro added, narrowing his eyes. "You're saying... this is for us?"
Red looked at him as though it were obvious. "Of course! Do you think Nami and I can lift those?"
Zoro stared blankly, his face frozen. His expression seemed to scream:
"Does it look like I can lift those either?!"