Chapter 28: Second Bounty
The next few days in Cocoyasi Village were filled with celebration. A three-day festival unfolded, with the villagers rejoicing in their newfound freedom. Luffy, as expected, indulged in as much food as possible, grinning from ear to ear.
On the evening of the third day, most villagers collapsed in exhaustion, still basking in the joyous atmosphere. Inside Nami's house, however…
"Clover... stop, Nuoji-san will be back soon," Nami lay on the bed, pushing against Clover Benson's chest, her voice trembling with embarrassment.
"She won't come back just yet," Clover whispered in her ear, his warm breath causing her cheeks to turn bright red.
The next moment, Clover's lips met Nami's, and his hands began to wander. Nami, flustered, grabbed his wrist. "You're not going to take that five million beli from me, are you?" she asked, smiling shyly.
"You're still thinking about that now?" Clover chuckled.
"Hmph, even if you want it, I won't give it to you. That money is for the village," Nami said proudly, her smile defiant.
"Don't worry, I won't take a single berry. Now, let's get to the important part..." Clover murmured eagerly as he lifted Nami's clothes.
"Ah~"
---
Morning on the fourth day arrived with the villagers gathering at the pier. They helped load large boxes of food and supplies onto the Going Merry, preparing to send off the crew. Luffy and the others were saying their goodbyes.
"Where's Nami-san? Why isn't she here yet?" Sanji anxiously looked down from the ship, his eyes darting around for any sign of her. He then glared at Clover, suspicious.
"You didn't... do anything to Nami-san, did you?" Sanji asked, his eyes narrowing.
"How could I possibly do something like that?" Clover shrugged, but couldn't help grinning as memories of the previous night played in his head.
"Where's Nami?" some of the villagers asked.
"I don't know."
"What?! Nami kept all the money? The 100 million beli?" Genzo exclaimed, surprised as he turned to Nojiko.
"Yes, she left a letter as well," Nojiko nodded.
"How can this be? She can't go out with no money!" Genzo replied, alarmed.
"She said it's fine, Clover has plenty of money," Nojiko glanced at Clover on the ship.
"Eh?!" Clover's face immediately tensed. He frantically searched his pockets, and sure enough… the five diamonds he had taken from Don Krieg were missing.
"Nami! Nami!!!" Clover shouted, lying down on the deck in exasperation, nearly crying.
"Set sail quickly!" Nami's voice suddenly came from the distance, and they saw her running toward the Going Merry.
"What's going on? Why is she running?" Usopp asked, confused.
"She told us to sail," Luffy said casually.
"But…?"
"Let's get going," Clover, currently acting as the helmsman, went to steer the ship without any hesitation.
"Alright," Zoro nodded, pulling up the anchor. Sanji unfurled the sails, and Clover navigated the ship, quickly leaving the shore.
"Wait! We haven't thanked you yet!" the villagers shouted as the ship pulled away.
"Nami! At least let us say goodbye properly!" Genzo called out, running after her.
Nami sprinted through the crowd, deftly avoiding them, and jumped onto the ship. Then, she lifted her shirt to reveal countless wallets falling from her body.
"Heh, everyone, take care!" Nami turned back and smiled at the villagers.
"You brat! You little thief!"
**"Get back here!"
"Give me back my wallet!"**
Despite the scolding, smiles spread across the villagers' faces. Some even shed tears. All the laughter and shouting soon turned into words of affection.
"Please come back often!"
"Take care of yourself!"
"Thank you for everything!"
As the villagers said their goodbyes, Luffy and his crew set sail once again, leaving Cocoyasi Village behind.
---
Once on board, the crew rearranged the sleeping quarters. With some effort, Clover finally managed to secure a room with Nami, officially beginning his new life. Sanji, overwhelmed with jealousy, seemed ready to throw himself into the sea, but in the end, there was nothing he could do about it.
Several days passed on the calm seas. Nami, having purchased a newspaper from a News Coo, was busy bargaining with the seagull as usual.
Meanwhile, Clover sat at the stern of the ship, contemplating how to use his latest modification points. Defeating Arlong had earned him a talent point, but he wasn't sure where to spend it just yet. He was, however, eager to draw from the lottery he had earned after helping Nami.
He activated the old computer in his mind and selected the lottery. Five treasure boxes appeared on the screen. With a grin, Clover mentally selected the fourth box.
"Number four, it's you!" he thought confidently.
As the treasure box opened, a flash of purple light emerged. When the glow subsided, a 1.5-meter long katana appeared on the computer screen.
The katana's scabbard was jet black, as was the handle.
The next moment, the sword materialized in Clover's hand. The blade itself was black, with a dragon motif coiling around the hilt and lower part of the blade.
[Congratulations! You've obtained the Black Blade: Dragon Roar! (Classified as one of the Supreme Grade Swords)]
[Storage space unlocked. Black Blade: Dragon Roar has been stored in your modifier inventory. You can summon it with a single thought!]
"A black blade, huh?" Clover muttered. Though the blade was a rare Supreme Grade sword, Clover didn't specialize in swordsmanship. For him, it was more of a collectible than a practical weapon.
Suddenly, screams rang out from the bow of the ship. Luffy, Nami, and Usopp were all shouting in disbelief. Clover, Sanji, and Zoro rushed to the front of the ship to see what was going on.
Luffy stood there, grinning widely, holding two wanted posters.
"Hehehe... We're all wanted now!" Luffy laughed, proudly waving the posters in the air. One featured Luffy, and the other... Clover.
"Monkey D. Luffy, Dead or Alive, 30 million Beli. Clover Benson, Dead or Alive, 28 million Beli?" Usopp read aloud, astonished.