Alex and Nami felt as if they'd been struck by lightning when Kaya openly pointed out that they'd had "intimate contact" before.
Their minds went completely blank—they didn't even remember how they'd managed to walk out of Kaya's villa.
Right now, Alex was walking along the road with a black bag in his hand, filled with the fishing rod's parts.
Normally, he'd already be brimming with excitement, eager to fiddle with the new equipment. But now, Kaya's words kept echoing in his head:
"I really envy you two. Your relationship is so good."
Good relationship? So good that someone would mistake us for… that kind of couple?
Since the day he met Nami, this was the first time Alex had ever seriously thought about his relationship with her. He thought so hard his head felt like it was overheating—yet he still couldn't understand why Kaya would think the two of them were an item.
Sure, he'd had a few accidental "close calls" with Nami before, but those were all coincidences. And Nami had never made a big deal out of them—at most, she'd just beat him up and then go back to treating him like normal.
Besides, with how often Nami called him an idiot, there was no way she'd have romantic feelings for him. If she liked idiots, wouldn't that make her an even bigger idiot?
So Alex had never once thought the two of them could be a couple.
That said, he did admit their bond was good. For example, just a few days ago during the fight against Kuro, Nami had stepped in at a critical moment to block one of Kuro's attacks for him—getting hurt in the process.
If their relationship was really bad, why would she risk herself like that?
But to jump from that to saying they were "together"… that was a bit much. Besides, he'd saved Nami several times too.
And it's not like he felt some burning, all-consuming love for her. Life was just… going on as usual.
To Nami, Alex was probably like a man who'd stepped straight out of her favorite treasure chest.
For her part, Nami had always skirted around the topic of her relationship with Alex. Now that Kaya had said it out loud, she felt as if a long-buried secret had been suddenly exposed—leaving her strangely flustered.
She couldn't deny it: ever since meeting Alex, her reliance on him had grown bit by bit. But their relationship wasn't that close… was it?
Besides, she still had the matter of her hometown, Cocoyasi Village, weighing on her mind. The lives of the entire village rested on her shoulders. With that kind of burden, who had time to think about romance?
Nami quickly calculated: with the treasure she'd stolen from the Black Cat Pirates, she was almost at her goal of 100 million.
Which meant the day she parted ways with Alex and the others was coming soon.
Maybe, after that, she'd never see them again.
That's why she wanted to do something for Alex before that day came. She had even been willing to part with a million Berries to buy the fishing rod from Kaya for him.
Nami had seen how he fought with that fishing rod and knew it could be a powerful weapon in his hands. But to her surprise, Kaya ended up giving it to Alex for free.
While Nami was happy, she also felt a strange sense of regret—as if she hadn't even been able to complete the last thing she wanted to do for him.
The two of them walked side by side down the slope. His head tilted slightly left, hers slightly right, both wearing stiff, dazed expressions like they'd just been hit with something huge. Yet, their steps were perfectly in sync.
"Do you have any plans for the future?"
Alex's brain felt fried. He had no clue what to think anymore, so he decided to just ask directly.
"I want to be like Kaya," Nami replied vaguely, still sounding out of it.
"Ah, so you want to be a rich lady," Alex said with relief.
She hadn't mentioned him at all—so clearly they weren't going to "end up together." Kaya's judgment was as questionable as Luffy's eyesight.
But then Nami said, "You're wrong. I just like money."
Alex nearly choked. You could have just said that earlier! I wasted so much brainpower for nothing! This update is available on novel{f}ire.net
It was now clear: compared to money, Alex was worth exactly… nothing in her eyes.
At that moment, they heard a sound from behind. Still half out of it, they both slowly turned their heads—just in time to see a huge "round ball" rolling down the slope toward them.
Before they could react, the ball plowed right over both of them.
That "round ball" was actually Usopp, carrying an enormous bag. He had been preparing for their departure and had packed way too much. Halfway down the slope, the weight had been too much for him—he'd lost his balance and rolled straight into Alex and Nami.
At the bottom, Luffy and Zoro each casually stuck out a foot to stop him—accidentally kicking him square in the chest.
Meanwhile, Alex and Nami were still lying flat on the ground, faint marks from Usopp's "tire tracks" visible on their faces—a stark contrast to Luffy and Zoro's nonchalant expressions.
Alex and Nami lay in starfish position, gazing at the paleening sky. Their fingertips brushed together accidentally, sending a jolt through Nami's heart. She stole a quick glance at Alex, cheeks slightly flushed—before quickly regaining her composure.
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