Chapter eight

Nami carefully, quietly sneaked into the Marine Base. 'It seems that no matter what, Nami is meant to be a sneaky cat.' she mused with amused. She dodged and avoids any marines as she continues searching for the office.

Once she is down the hallway, she immediately hid in the corner when the door opened. A large Marine man with an iron jaw and ax hand walked out with a couple of Marines followed by. "My statue should be done by now." He walked down the hallway, opposite from Nami's direction. Nami glanced around her surrounding, then went to the office.

Nami closed the door behind her, locked it and went straight to the desk. She ransacks through paperwork and documents. "These are just bunch of junks, ranks, and marines' profiles." She frowned, then ravaged through the drawers. "Ah-hah!" she took out a worn leather book, sat down on the rolling office chair as her feet prop up on the desk and fold her ankles. Making herself very comfortable as she took off her red cowboy hat onto the desk. "Now, let's see what information you have written down, "Stupid Captain." She grinned widely as she opened the book.

"March tenth, year Golden Age of eighteen. Taxes law are accepted signed by Captain Morgan. Huh…" Nami read the testimony. "It seems that he gets to charge the taxes and made his men collected it once a month for townspeople who live here. First, it was ten percentage taxes…" she flipped a few pages after she carefully read it. "The number of percentages increases and most of the beli are paid to build the statue?" she snorted in disbelieved and disgusted. "The leftover goes to himself, of course. Barely give Marines' paycheck. Their paycheck is very low, lower than average minimal wages." It seems that Nami has found herself an account book that could destroy the reputation of Marine 153rd Branch.

"Now… what to do with it. Should I call the other Marine Base, or keep it for blackmail? Or maybe I should hold on to it and see what happen first?" Nami tilted her head back and forth. "Decision. Decision." Her eyes scanned the office with boredom until it landed on a picture on the wall. She blinked, then chuckled. "No way… Captain Shitty captured infamous Captain Kuro the Black Cat?" she remembered that Captain of Black Cat is somewhere alive, and hidden. "Oh, this is too good." Nami shook her head with amused.

Then she leaned back, reached for the drawer that is close to her without need to move. She opened it, dug in with curious and boredom. Until she found an Eternal Pose which surprises her. "Oh… what Captain Shitty is doing with this?" she lifted up and read the island title. "Marineford." Nami did not expect to see this at all. 'Although, it kind of makes sense why Captain Shitty has this. After all, Marineford is an island of the base of operations for Marine Headquarter.' Nami mused, she decided to keep it with her just in case.

"Well… nothing else interesting here." Nami stood up, grabbed her red cowboy hat and placed it on her head. She put the Eternal Pose and account book in her backpack. Then suddenly, a loud explosion and shouted are heard. She turned to the window and saw half of the statue fell from above to the ground. Nami blinked. "Oh, he's here already?" then grinned wide.

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Nami arrived at the courtyard and blinked at the scene in front of her. Marines are defeated on the ground, Captain Shitty raised himself from the ground, Luffy is staring at Captain Shitty's son who is pointing his gun at the little pink-haired boy while Zoro has his three swords. 'Aw… I miss the entire party?' she mused with disappointed.

However, Nami took out her silver revolver and pointed at the direction. 'Remember Nami… it's rise… aim…' she pulled the triggered. "…and shoot." She whispered with a smirked While the bullet was covered in wind to increase it's speed.

Bullet hit Helmeppo's shoulder as Luffy's stretched his fist to the blonde-haired face. Knocked the blonde-hair boy out while Zoro cut up Captain Morgan. All heads turned to Nami with surprised and shocked.

Nami blew the smoke from her revolver and placed it in her gun holster with a grinned on her face. "What? I wanna join the party too." She shrugged her shoulders with playful eyes.

"Shishishi." Luffy chuckled then turned to his First Mate. "Nice job, Zoro!"

Zoro smirked at his captain. "Thanks… Captain." Then he narrowed his eyes at the marines who are left standing. "If you still want to arrest us, come and get us."

The silence between the marines who glances at each other and then…

"Long live marines!"

"We are out of Morgan's control!"

"We're free!"

"YES!"

They cheered happily and relief.

Nami understood why they were celebrating right now after Captain Shitty's defeated. However, it doesn't change the fact they should've done something for the Shells Town.

"What's going on? They seem to be happy that Morgan was defeated?" Luffy asked with curious and confused. Zoro leashed his swords back in sheaths.

The pink-haired boy smiles widen. "Everyone hated Morgan. That's why they are celebrating!"

Nami walked toward them as her heart was pounding with anxiety and excitement. She is meeting the famous Monkey D. Luffy! Before she could say anything to the straw-hat boy, Zoro fell backward that surprised them.

"Zoro!?"

"Zoro-san!"

Luffy and pink-haired boy checked Zoro with concerned and found out that he was starving. Nami smiles as she placed her hands on her hips. "Let's head to the bar and feed this hungry Swordsman."

Luffy glanced at Nami then grinned. "Shishishi, yes, lets!"

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"I'm full! Haven't eaten for three weeks. Almost starved to death!" Zoro sighed happily as he pats on his full stomach with a big grinned on his face.

"Which I'm impressed that you've managed to survive this long." Nami said with amazed. Normally, she knew that the average person died after a month of no food and without water, they would die in a week. Something tells her that someone gave Zoro water enough to survive long or…

It's another anime logic.

"Then it's impossible for you to last an entire month!" Luffy said then continued eating meats.

Zoro leaned forward as he is eyeing at his captain with disbelieved. "Your so scrawny, how come you can still eat more than me?" then he glanced at Nami with suspicion and curious. "So, who exactly are you? You did mention about business?"

"Ah, that…" Nami entwined her fingers as her elbows rested against the table. "…don't worry about it. It's a completely different situation from you and your captain." She said with a smile. "And I did tell you, my name is Nami."

"You're not marine or bounty hunter?" the pink-haired boy who introduced himself earlier was Coby. He asked her with curiosity.

Nami shook her head. "Nope. I'm just something." She said with amused eyes.

"Oh yeah…" Zoro glanced at Luffy. "What are your plans next?"

Luffy swallowed his meal. "I am going to head for the Grand Line!" he answered.

"WHAT?! You're saying crazy things again! Just you two, how can you enter the Grand Line? Don't you understand? The world's strongest pirates all gather there!" Coby protected with worried.

Zoro hummed. "We're going for One Piece. It won't hurt to head that direction." He grinned widely with excited eyes.

"Zoro-san, even you're saying this rubbish?!" Coby stared at the swordsman in horror.

The swordsman furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you so worried about, it's not like you are coming with us."

Coby slammed his hands against the table as he stood up. "Even though I'm not going, I will still worry! Can't I? Can't I worry about you guys?" he turned to the straw-hat boy. "Luffy-san, even though we just met, but we are friends!"

Luffy laughed. "Yep! Even though we have to part, we'll always be friends." Nami smiles at this.

"I never had friends growing up…" Coby glanced down with an excited smile. "Every-time I would be picked on, no one would ever stand up for me. But the two of you taught me to live by my dream."

Luffy finished his food and gulped ever last water from the mug. "That's why we're heading for the Grand Line." His First Mate agreed.

"Hmm, that's true." Coby understood then he snapped. "No! NO! What I meant is, you're too reckless!"

Zoro frowned as he tapped one of his swords handles against Coby's forehead. "First of all, you'd better worry about yourself." Coby asked why and Zoro answered. "Don't underestimate the marine's ability to gather information. If they know your past, they won't let you join for sure. Even though you were just doing chores on a pirate ship, you're still a small pirate." He explained which interested Nami.

'Is that so? I'm not entirely surprised that a bunch of marines does have some skill to gather information. However, how come no one finds anything suspicion behind Captain Shitty's crime for the past three years? That doesn't make sense… unless, there is someone, a mole that covered the crimes?' Nami mused with distrust.

Then a Marine opened the door and announced. "Excuse me!" all heads turned to him. "We are wondering, are you real pirates?"

"Yes, I just found my first crewmember. So that would make us pirates now!" Luffy answered, happily.

The Marine nodded his head. "Even though you are pirates, in reality… you saved our town and base. For that we are grateful. But since, you are pirates…" Nami narrowed her eyes. "…as marines we cannot allow you to stay any longer. Please leave this place immediately. As for the events that occurred here, we will be reporting to the Headquarters." He explained.

Townspeople protected and shouted at the marines while Nami clicked her tongue with annoyed. She took out her silver revolver, pointed above her and pulled a trigger.

BANG!

Silence greeted in the air as all attention turned on Nami. She lowered her arm as her face was blank. "Now that I've got your attention, I want to tell you, Marines, something." She stood up as she placed her revolver in a gun holster. Nami put her hand on her hip and lean against her leg.

"For the past three years, that Captain Shitty was left charged on this island and he committed crimes. He got away because there was a mole inside of your dumb-ass branch. Unfortunately, I don't know who this mole is. Fortunately for me, maybe for the world that I came across the evidence of crimes on this island. Marine Captain is corrupted, steal beli, raised taxes knowingly that could bring townspeople's lives hard to survive. He gathered over thousand of hundred beli and most of it goes to the statue and the rest leftover goes to him." Nami took out an account book from her backpack and wave it in the air.

"All accounts, information, taxes, and whatnot are all written in this. Now, I was thinking… I should release this evidence to the world and show them how Marines truly are. Untrustworthy. Never did anything to save this village. Never even attempt to call out for help from another Marine Base. Instead, hiding in the shadow because ya'll dumbasses afraid of Captain Shitty and his shitty-ass son!" Nami snapped with irritated. "So, you want them to leave? The pirates that actually give a shit for this town and saved them from Captain Shitty. They did your job. You are supposed to be marines who sworn to bring protection and justice!" Nami scoffed. "Some crappy marines you lot are."

"Yeah!"

"She's right!"

"You lots are cowards!"

"You never try to help and protect us!"

"Get out!"

"Go away!"

The marines step back as they do not want to engage attack against the innocent villagers. The Marine stared at Nami calmly then he closed his eyes. "…to prevent the crimes to release outside of this island… what can I do?"

Nami raises her eyebrow. "So, you are willing to keep crimes in silent and I give you this account book for something exchange?" she elaborates carefully.

"Yes." He answered without hesitation.

The orange-haired lady hummed. "…normally I want to keep this and show the world, since it is a start, however, since I'm feeling rather generous." A smirk appeared on her face. "Let this boy become a marine, ignore his past and make sure he is actually part of the Marine. Make him a good marine. If I find out that any one of you, marines or whoever the hell is in charge… attempt to make him a bad marine… I won't hesitate to use the information. Remember, everyone here, heard it. I can use witnesses."

"And I will be that witness." Ririka voiced up with determined and smiles at Nami who winked at her.

The Marine nodded his head. "Fine."

"Good! You may have this account book." Nami handed the marine the book, who not unkindly grabbed it. "Pleasure doing the business with you, sir." She said with a victory while Luffy and Zoro were impressed as Coby stared at her in awestruck and gratitude. "Now then, shall we leave?" Nami asked Luffy and Zoro with a smile. "I want to discuss something with Luffy, that is if you don't mind?"

Luffy shook his head. "Not at all." He turned to Coby. "Become a good marine and someday, we'll meet again. Shishishi!" he said his farewell while Zoro tipped his head and followed his captain out of the bar. Nami grabbed her backpack and follow the straw-hat boy and swordsman.

After they get away from townspeople, and close to the dock. Nami turned to Luffy. "First thing first, you said that your swordsman is your First Mate, correct?" Luffy nodded his head while Zoro narrowed his eyes at her. "Okay, do you both have any skill as a navigator?" the straw-hat boy and swordsman shook their heads unison. "Then, let's make a deal."

"What deal?" Luffy tilted his head with curious.

Nami grinned widely. "I don't want to make it like I'm arrogant but, I am one hell of a navigator and you won't be able to find someone with my skills on the ocean better." This caught their interests. "I'll be your navigator and in exchange, I want you to do something for me, a favor. I won't say what favor is it since it's not yet a right time. But someday soon, I hope you can do it without hesitation, without any doubt and second thoughts. Deal?"

"Shishishishi! Deal! Plus, I like you!" Luffy shook Nami's hand.

The orange-haired lady grinned widely that mistaken as a D. "And I like you too, Captain."

And now, she is the second crewmember of Straw-Hat Pirate.