Alubarna.
North District, Meidi Assembly Hall, backstreet area. Nami leaned against the wall, panting heavily, her chest heaving violently. Orange strands of hair clung to her sweat-drenched face, making her look utterly disheveled.
"Well, well, Nami-chan, you're quite something!"
A teasing voice suddenly rang out, causing Nami's entire body to tense up instantly. Struggling to push herself off the wall, she turned to see the newcomer—and her face flashed with surprise. "It's you!"
The newcomer was none other than Bahr.
Nami's eyes instantly lit up. Her legs weak, she stumbled toward Bahr and threw herself at him, shouting excitedly, "I'm so glad to see you!"
Bahr was taken aback by Nami's sudden enthusiasm. Feeling the trembling body in his arms, he guessed she had just been through a fierce battle and hadn't yet calmed down.
At times like these, comfort was what she needed most.
Wrapping an arm around Nami's waist, Bahr glanced at the striking marks on the wall and couldn't help but admire her. Given Nami's combat abilities, taking down a core member of Baroque Works was truly impressive.
But... that woman was a bit of a waste, and waste was shameful.
Miss Valentine, who had followed closely behind, pouted unhappily at the sight.
She scrutinized Nami up and down, grumbling inwardly, "In terms of looks and figure, I'm not lacking at all. Why is the boss so fixated on her? Does she have some kind of seductive trick up her sleeve?"
As Nami gradually regained her composure, she suddenly noticed a certain hand getting a little too familiar around her waist. Her face flushed bright red, and she shoved Bahr away, yelling, "Can't you ever fix that disgusting habit of yours?!"
Honestly, she had just wanted to catch her breath and calm down, but this guy had to take advantage of the situation. It was downright infuriating.
"Force of habit, force of habit. Don't be so stingy," Bahr said, raising his hands in surrender with a shrug.
Truth be told, sometimes he really couldn't help this instinctive male nature of his.
Nami shot Bahr an exasperated glare. Knowing full well that this was just how he was, she couldn't be bothered to argue further. Instead, she asked curiously, "What are you doing here?"
"It's a long story..." Bahr rubbed his temples, his tone laced with frustration.
Originally, he had planned to try his luck in the black market. After hearing some rumors, he made a detour to "Cateria," only to come up empty-handed.
After some deliberation, he decided to head straight for the capital, Alubarna, intending to discreetly secure an Eternal Pose to Sabaody Archipelago. But the moment he entered the city, he ran headfirst into the rebellion—and coincidentally bumped into Nami.
Funny enough, he had arrived in Alabasta a few days earlier than the Straw Hat crew. But with his leisurely pace—never rushing, never sailing through the night—he had somehow ended up right in the middle of this mess.
Nami was baffled by his explanation, but she didn't have the energy to press for details right now. Grabbing Bahr's arm, she pleaded, "Never mind all that! Come with me to the palace, quick!"
"No way," Bahr refused outright.
He had come here to keep a low profile. The palace was currently the eye of the storm, with the entire city's attention fixed on it. The last thing he wanted was to dive into that chaos.
Seeing Bahr's stubborn refusal, Nami was furious. Then, her eyes gleamed with sudden inspiration. She leaned in close, softening her voice as she cooed, "Yanzu~ Please? Just this once? Vivi, she—"
That sickeningly sweet tone instantly reminded Bahr of that night in Cocoyasi Village, sending shivers down his spine. The soft pressure against his arm was downright overwhelming.
Nami's eyes flashed with cunning as she slowly trailed her fingers down his chest, then suddenly grabbed hold, pressing her red lips to Bahr's ear and cooing, "Help me this once, and I'll do whatever you want. Please~"
"Tsk..." Bahr sucked in a sharp breath. Though he hadn't known Nami long, she'd already pinpointed his weakness perfectly.
Looking down at her flushed face, he was momentarily speechless.
Selfish? Absolutely. Yet at crucial moments, she was remarkably loyal—willing to risk everything for her village. Now, for Vivi's sake, she was forcing herself to act cute despite the embarrassment. It was both endearing and frustrating.
Behind them, Miss. Valentine narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Nami clinging to Bahr. She thought to herself, "So the boss's name is Yanzu... Judging by how boldly she's acting, it seems the boss has a soft spot for this kind of flirting."
In that case, she could do even better.
"Yanzu~" Seeing Bahr hesitate, Nami gritted her teeth and leaned in, lowering her voice. "Back at Whiskey Peak, I didn't refuse you..."
"Alright, alright, you win." Bahr's scalp prickled as he reluctantly gave in. "I'll go with you to take a look, but let me be clear—I've got my own troubles. Don't count on me stepping in."
There was no helping it—he was weak against soft tactics. At Whiskey Peak, Nami had demanded 1 million Berries, but that was just a pretense.
Compromising a little was fine, as long as he didn't draw too much attention.
Nami immediately brightened. With her Straw Hat captain currently missing, this mysterious and powerful Bahr was the perfect savior. Once she dragged him near the palace, she'd find a way to make him act.
Thinking this, she impulsively kissed Bahr's cheek and chirped, "I knew you'd agree! You're the best—I love you!"
Bahr couldn't help but laugh. Did she really think such a fleeting peck would satisfy him? Did she take him for one of the Straw Hat Boy's easily swayed fools?
If she wanted to show real sincerity, he'd prefer if she kissed him somewhere else and earnestly said "I love you"—that would truly satisfy him.
If she did that, he'd chop Crocodile into eight pieces!
Then again, Nami was only this affectionate when she needed his help. Usually, she was indifferent, even disdainfully "scolding" him.
But Nami wasn't concerned with any of that now. Tugging at Bahr, she urged, "Hurry, let's go! Vivi doesn't have time to waste!"
Bahr sighed at her impatience and turned to instruct, "Miss. Valentine, Mr. 5, stay out of the rebellion. Find somewhere to rest for now."
Too many eyes around—better to keep a low profile.
"The boss is so... infuriating!" Miss. Valentine stomped her foot, watching Bahr get dragged away. How could he ignore her, a stunning beauty? Had he forgotten all their intimate moments during their journey?
A woman could never tolerate being overshadowed by another!
Mr. 5 glanced at her, thinking she was completely under the boss's spell, but kept his thoughts to himself. Hearing the distant sounds of fighting, he said, "Let's find somewhere to hide and take a break."
The boss had made it clear—they were to ignore the rebellion.
Miss. Valentine let out a "hmph" but didn't object.
As she was about to leave, her gaze fell on the alluring indentation in the wall, where the unconscious Miss. Doublefinger lay. A sudden thought crossed her mind, and a sly smile curled at the corners of her lips.
Her legs had been too weak to walk properly these past few days... She needed someone to share the burden...