The sun had dipped lower, casting long shadows across the East Blue as a small rowboat drifted away from Shells Town. Three boys sat inside—one rubbery and grinning like a fool, one stoic and sword-silent, and one leaning back with his arms behind his head and eyes closed, as if deep in thought.
Rex.
[…Muscle regeneration complete. Remaining internal injuries: none. Blood flow stabilized. Focus levels optimal.]
"Yo, Rex," Luffy said, lazily poking him with his foot. "You've been quiet."
"Thinking," Rex replied without opening his eyes.
"What about?"
"…About how we're going to catch up with a certain orange-haired girl before she disappears again."
Luffy blinked. "Oh! You mean the one with the pretty legs?"
Zoro snorted from the back. "Tch. Priorities."
Rex opened one eye.
"She's not just a thief. She's a navigator, a master of maps, and from what [Michael] scanned, she's using her knowledge to track Grand Line charts that most pirates would kill for."
[…Target 'Nami' has entered proximity range. Estimated distance: 421 meters. Trail identified. Residual scent, footprints, and fiber fragments mapped.]
Rex sat up.
"She's close."
Zoro raised a brow. "You're serious?"
Luffy grinned. "He's always like this. It's fun!"
Rex pointed to a rocky outcrop ahead, where a small hidden cove lay shrouded in trees.
"There. She's hiding there. Alone."
Zoro reached for his sword.
"I say we charge."
"No," Rex said, standing up. "Let me handle this."
Luffy's eyes widened. "Oooh, you like her, don't you?"
Rex paused for a second. "…Maybe."
Then he jumped from the boat—and vanished.
His body flickered like a shadow moving between light.
[…Stealth sub-mode engaged. Sound suppression at 92%. Optical presence blending: 83%.]
Nami sat on a broken crate inside a ruined stone storage building near the water. Her satchel lay beside her, half-open, revealing gold coins, a rolled chart, and a log pose hidden beneath a false bottom.
She exhaled, brushing a few loose orange strands from her sweaty forehead.
"Damn it… Why do I keep thinking about that idiot with blue eyes?"
"I was thinking about you, too."
Her whole body froze.
Rex stood right at the doorway, arms folded, his black hair falling over one side of his face like he'd stepped straight out of a movie.
Nami instantly grabbed her dagger. "How long have you been there?!"
"Long enough to hear you curse me out in your head."
She narrowed her eyes.
"How did you find me? No one can track me this far."
[…Emotion: pride. Statement categorized as self-confirming bait. Recommended response: casual dominance.]
Rex took a few steps closer, boots clicking lightly on the old stone.
"I don't follow scent. I follow patterns. You always choose higher elevation, you seek open exits, and you never stay close to open ports."
Nami's jaw clenched. "Who are you?"
He smiled slightly.
"The one who's going to convince you to join our crew."
She stood now, defiant.
"I don't join pirate crews."
"You will."
"Why would I?"
He moved in one swift step—so close she could smell his scent: clean, sharp, but not artificial. Her heart skipped, and it made her even more irritated.
"Because I see what's behind those eyes," Rex said softly. "Pain. Rage. Revenge. And a dream."
Nami blinked. "You know nothing about me."
"I know enough."
She didn't realize her grip on the dagger was loosening.
"I don't trust pirates," she muttered.
"Then trust me."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not a pirate…"
His eyes shimmered with something beyond this world.
"…I'm a storm. And I'm going to rip this whole sea apart."
[…Romantic interest resonance increased. Target: 41%.]
Nami looked away, cheeks burning slightly.
"…You're annoying."
"But handsome," Rex said.
She sighed, exasperated. "You're worse than Luffy."
Suddenly—
BOOM!!
A cannonball exploded not far from the cove.
Nami spun toward the entrance. "What the hell—?!"
Outside, the Jolly Roger of Buggy the Clown appeared on a large pirate ship approaching the island.
"Buggy?! He's already here?!"
[…Warning: High Threat Pirate approaching. Estimated bounty power: moderate. Suggest immediate evacuation or full confrontation.]
Rex turned to Nami. "Are you with us or not?"
Nami hesitated.
But something in her chest thudded with clarity.
"…Fine. Just don't get us killed."
He smirked. "Never."
Back at the boat, Luffy was bouncing with excitement.
"BUGGY'S HERE! I WANNA FIGHT HIM!"
Zoro rolled his eyes. "That clown? I'll slice him."
Rex landed beside them with Nami trailing behind, arms crossed.
Luffy's eyes widened. "You brought her?!"
"She came willingly," Rex said.
Nami muttered, "Barely."
Zoro gave a slow nod. "Now we've got a navigator."
Luffy beamed. "Now we just need a ship!"
"Correction," Rex said, stepping toward the water, his voice serious. "We need a victory."
He turned toward the coast, where Buggy's crew was docking.
Cannons rolled. Pirates laughed. Explosions echoed.
Nami clenched her fists.
"That bastard has the Grand Line map."
Rex's eyes flashed blue for a moment.
[…Combat preparation complete. Martial arts archive rotating: Capoeira, Military CQC, Systema, Ninjutsu. Auto-injection sequence locked. Reaction time reduced to 0.21 seconds.]
"Then we take it back," he whispered.
Luffy flexed. "Race ya."
"Try to keep up," Rex said, launching forward.
Zoro drew his swords.
"Let's cause hell."
Nami looked up at the chaos—three men, charging into a pirate crew ten times their size.
"…What did I just join?" she muttered.
And deep inside her heart…
She wasn't regretting it.
Not one single bit.