Nami's expression stiffened at his request.
There was no doubt—he was asking her to reveal her past.
Her instinct was to refuse. But when she thought about today's gains, and what it could mean to become a partner with Kairos Flint, the temptation was hard to resist. Working with him meant her income could skyrocket compared to what she could ever steal alone. It could even help her raise the nearly 100 million Berries she needed in a much shorter time.
"Don't want to talk about it? Then you're free to leave."
Kairos saw her hesitation and knew this was the moment to press her.
"Alright. I'll agree to your condition," Nami finally gritted out. "But don't even think about cheating me out of the 50-50 split."
"Of course. I'm not the kind of guy you think I am," Kairos said, nodding calmly. His tone carried the weight of someone whose word could be trusted.
Naturally, as someone who had traveled from another world, he already knew Nami's backstory well. But he had his reasons for asking her to open up.
When the idea of becoming a bounty hunter first struck him, his immediate thought was to bring Nami aboard as his navigator. Rather than hiring some stranger, he preferred someone familiar—someone he could understand.
And Nami, in the early part of the story, had stolen not for personal greed, but to save her village from the grip of the Arlong Pirates. That motive set her apart. She wasn't dangerous, just desperate. She might try to snatch a few Berries now and then, but she wouldn't threaten his life. And besides, with the golden cheat ability he had—his pocket space—stealing from him wasn't something even a Yonko could pull off.
By asking her about the tattoo of the Arlong Pirates, he was also trying to close the emotional gap between them. Though, of course, it was entirely possible she might feed him some fabricated excuse. If she lied, his opinion of her would take a serious hit—even if she had technically saved him when he first arrived in this world.
Then, Nami finally began to speak—revealing her life story.
She could have just made up a quick lie about the tattoo. But instead, she laid everything bare—from her childhood up to the present moment. Kairos was briefly stunned. Was she... getting a little too emotional?
In truth, this moment was simply the opening of the emotional floodgates for Nami.
She had kept everything bottled up for so long. Her burden had been heavy—too heavy—and there had been no one along the way she could confide in. Some things, once buried in the heart for too long, can explode when the right pressure point is touched.
"...So now, I'm broke. Kairos, you'll help me, right?"
After finally getting it all off her chest, Nami felt noticeably lighter.
"Of course," Kairos replied with a nod.
"In that case... how about we split the profits 90-10? You get 10 percent, I get 90?"
Nami gave him a sideways glance, trying her luck.
Kairos' face instantly darkened.
"Not a chance. We said 50-50. That's final."
He rejected her without hesitation. Give her an inch, and she'd take a mile—he knew her type.
But he wasn't truly mad. Her greedy reputation was well-known. Any opportunity to scrape a few more coins off him, she'd take it.
Money, for now, was only a moderate concern. His real focus was growth—getting stronger.
In the world of pirates, strength was everything. You could own all the riches of the world, but if you couldn't defend them, they'd be stripped away in an instant.
So he didn't obsess over money. What he really cared about was increasing his power. With strength came freedom—and endless opportunities. That was why he didn't mind giving Nami an equal share.
That said, a pretty and capable woman was always a bonus. Let's face it: when you work closely with someone every day, things can happen. With her charming looks and his own decent appearance... well, time would tell.
"Cheapskate," Nami pouted, crossing her arms.
It had been a long time since she showed this kind of playful, mischievous side to anyone. But after today's emotional outpouring, she felt lighter—almost like her old self again. And that side of her naturally revealed itself to Kairos.
"Yeah, I'm stingy. Better than being a bloodsucker trying to take 90 percent."
Kairos rolled his eyes in mock annoyance.
Then he asked, "Where's this passenger ship headed, anyway?"
"Loguetown," Nami replied.
"Loguetown, huh? Perfect. I can safely cash in the bounty there."
Kairos smiled at the news.
The Navy had its fair share of corrupt officers—everyone knew that.
Turning in pirate corpses for a bounty could be risky. If you ran into someone like Captain Nezumi or Axe-Hand Morgan, they'd take the bodies and kick you out without a single Berry in payment. Or worse.
So, location mattered.
Loguetown was different. At least Captain Smoker, stationed there, had a reputation for being fair. And since Kairos wasn't a pirate, he didn't have to worry about getting tricked or arrested when claiming bounties.
It was the ideal place to begin his career as a bounty hunter.