One Piece: Who still has dreams?

Most importantly, this combined ship didn't have the messy smells of the previous Buggy Pirates ship. The Buggy Pirates were a bunch of roughnecks, animal trainers and acrobats; the ship they had marinated had an indescribable odor.

"Just like a brand new ship!"

Nami boarded the new pink ship, inspected it inside and out, returned to the deck, looked at Redio, and wondered to herself, "What kind of Devil Fruit did this guy eat?"

Redio spent 1 kilograms of raw meat to feed the lions like animal feed.

"If there are no problems with the boat, then let's set off."

Redio clapped his hands, kicking the bloated lion aside to keep it out of the way. He and Nami unfurled the blank sails and then went to the wheelhouse together.

The brand-new pink ship slowly sailed away from the shore.

"You said you went to sea to find Kuro, the captain of the Black Cat Pirates..."

Nami, gripping the ship's helm, asked curiously, "Even if Kuro is still alive, he must be hiding to avoid the Marines. How do you plan to find him?"

Redio sat to the side with his arms crossed: "He's in Sirob village."

“Sirobu Village…” Nami thought for a moment, then took out a simple sea chart from her pocket. “Found it. It’s a small village on the west side of the Moonlight Islands, not too far from here.”

She turned the rudder to adjust the course, but Redio held her back.

"Let's go to Mirror Ball Island first, it's closer," Redio laughed. "We've picked up so much gold for free, don't you want to do some shopping?"

"It's your ship, you decide what to do." Nami readily agreed, adjusted the course, and smiled, "Oh, how thoughtful. However, gold needs to be exchanged for Berries before it can be used. I've never been to Mirror Ball Island, so I don't know if there's a place to exchange gold there."

Redio asked, "How much money can that gold be exchanged for?"

Nami asked in surprise, "You gave it to me, don't you know what you're doing?"

Redio laughed: "If you could just copy gold anytime, you'd be in trouble too."

Nami was speechless. She estimated, "These are all solid pure gold, each one weighs about 8 kilograms... Based on the gold price in the East Blue, if you add them all up, it would be at least 15 billion Berries!"

Is that enough to buy five emperors?

Redio remarked, "Not much."

Not a lot!

That's 15 billion Berries! Not 15 coins!

Nami took a deep breath, gripped the helm firmly, and calmly changed the subject, continuing, "By the way, how did you know about Kro's whereabouts?"

Redio crossed his legs and said leisurely, "Ever since we met, it seems like you've been the one spying on me. You spent 15 billion Berries, so I'll ask you a question: Why are you so eager for money? Is there something you need?"

Nami forced a laugh and said, "Who doesn't love money? You're a special case."

"Hey, we're friends to some extent, aren't we?"

Redio shrugged, giving her a look that said, "Stop kidding me." "Tell me the truth."

Nami remained silent, staring quietly at Redio, and sighed, "Those people from the Tulip Pirates at most remember what I look like, they don't know me at all. But you seem... I always feel like you've known me well from the very beginning. Including the tone of your voice when you ask me now."

She said softly, "Redio, how much do you really know about my affairs?"

Redio laughed: "You go first, and I'll see how much I know after you've finished."

Nami laughed in exasperation, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. The heavy burden that had weighed on her for the past five years, the pain that had made her feel like she was living a life worse than death, she had never had anyone to confide in.

Complaining to her sister Nuoqi about her troubles? That would only put unnecessary pressure on her and wouldn't help at all.

To complete strangers? What do strangers know? Nami won't accept any sympathy.

Moreover, given how terrifying those fish-men are... if anyone gets carried away and tries to cause trouble for them, they'll only be facing certain death. Nami didn't want her misfortune to affect other innocent people.

So, she carefully chose her words to tell Redio: "My family... owes a lot of money because of some things, and I need to raise 1 million Berries to solve this problem."

“Let’s start over,” Redio said.

"Huh?" Nami was taken aback; Redio's gaze felt like it could burn her.

Ask him for help!

Anyway, doesn't he just like it when people ask him for help?

This is Redio's own quirk. Even if he goes to find Arlong and gets killed because of it, that's his own fault and has nothing to do with me.

Redio is so strong, if it were him...

"Bang!"

The sound of gunfire from that day echoed in my ears once again.

Nami bit her lip, the terrifying fish-man face, like a dragon, and his nightmarish, maniacal laughter echoing in her mind countless times… “Hahahaha! Under my control, those without money will die! Understand, you inferior race!”

Suddenly, a hand pressed down on her trembling hand. "Don't even mention 1 million. Even if you give all 15 billion to Ah Long, he still won't let you off the hook."

"How do you know that?!"

Nami looked at Redio in utter shock, then immediately retorted, "That's impossible! Arlong may be a despicable pirate, but he has never broken a deal involving money!"

"Then let's settle the accounts."

Redio asked, "What's the standard amount of protection money Aaron collects each month?"

Nami gritted her teeth and said, "10 Berries for adults, 5 for children."

"Tell me the total amount, how much does your village pay each month?"

"...2000 million Berries were paid last month."

"Heh, just your village alone can rake in over 2 million a year. How many villages does Ah Long and his gang control in total?"

"...As far as I know, there are about 20."

"50 billion a year, that's 250 billion in five years."

Redio said, "It's so easy and effortless to make money like this. Do you really think he would take 100 million from you and give up one-twentieth of his stable source of income?"

"Moreover, once this precedent is set, it will be terrible if other villages follow your example. Although they can still use violence to suppress them, it will only create a lot of trouble for them. Why would he do that?"

"Furthermore, even if he does keep his promise and lets your village go, fine, the people of your village are free, but then what? Can you break free from his control and move around freely? Aren't you worried that you'll go to the navy to inform on him? Even if you're too scared to inform on him, what if the poor people from other villages beg you to help them ask the navy for help?"

Nami grew paler and paler with each word he spoke, and became increasingly silent. She didn't utter another word until the pink new ship slowly entered the harbor of Mirror Ball Island.

"Don't keep it bottled up."

Redio pulled the silent Nami off the ship, patted her on the back, and said, "I was just saying. After all, it's 15 billion gold. Maybe Arlong will be happy and actually keep his promise. Let's go shopping for a while."

Nami neither agreed nor refused, and just let him lead her along blankly.

Before disembarking, Redio warned the lion, "Dare to step off the ship, and you'll be eating braised lion meat tonight. Do you hear me?"

The paisel, its tongue lolling out, nodded repeatedly and waved its paws as it led the two ashore. As they entered the island, they found themselves on a hilltop marked "FUNKY," a popular commercial island.

……

As it turned out, Nami really wasn't in the mood for shopping. She browsed through a few stores, then sat alone under a parasol by the roadside, lost in thought while waiting for Redio.

But when Redio returned, in addition to carrying more than a dozen shopping bags of various sizes, he was accompanied by someone.

She was a tall and thin woman.

She had long, gray hair styled in fashionable waves, and despite her wrinkled face, she wore a crop top with a piercing around her navel.

What a stylish old lady!

Nami was so surprised that she momentarily forgot her gloom.

Kureha, carrying a bottle of famous East Sea liquor, lifted her sunglasses to look Nami up and down, grinning, "Hehehe, little girl, are you happy?"

Chapter 14 Where Did Dad Go?

"..."

Nami didn't know what to say for a moment, and looked at Redio, who was returning with bags of shopping, and asked with her eyes.

Redio handed her some of the shopping bags, casually saying, "This is Kureha, a 136-year-old lady with a very youthful mindset."

"It's Dr. Kureha!"

The stylish old lady in the crop top tapped Redio on the head with a wine bottle and grinned at Nami, "Want to know my secret to staying young?"

"136 years old?!"

Nami was taken aback. "Dr...you're a doctor?" Carrying the shopping bags, she got up and followed the two back to the port. Looking down, she suddenly realized something was wrong.

"Radio, why are you buying so many little girls' clothes?"

She took out a black lace dress, judging by the size, it was only suitable for a seven or eight-year-old girl. She couldn't help but ask curiously, "Do you have a younger sister?"

"Hehe." Kureha chuckled softly beside her and took a swig of her drink.

“Sister?” Redio said. “You could say that. You’ll see when you get there.”

"Where are you going? Aren't you going to find K..."

Nami was completely bewildered. Carrying all the bags and packages, she followed the two back to the brand-new pink ship. As soon as the three of them stepped onto the deck, a huge lion charged out, only to be kicked back by Kureha.

"Hehe, is that your pet?"

Kureha raised her foot, "Very energetic!"

Nami was surprised. "Old lady, you're the one who's really energetic! What kind of 136-year-old woman can kick such a big lion flying with one kick?"