Chapter 24
Nami’s flat-out refusal catches me off guard. “Whoa, you’re shutting me down that fast?” I say, raising an eyebrow.
“Yup.” She nods, standing up. “If that’s all, I’ll be going. This girl’s got a busy schedule.” With that, she grabs her massive sack of treasure and heads for the door.
“Alright, I’m not one for threats,” I say with a shrug, not stopping her. My finger taps lightly on the table as I add, casual as can be, “Five million berries.”
Her footsteps freeze. In the quiet of the little bar, I hear a distinct gulp.
But she doesn’t turn around. She keeps walking toward the door, though her pace slows to a crawl.
I lean back, smirking. “Ten million berries.”
That hits her like a tidal wave. Ten million berries! I know she’s been scraping together cash for years—our last job cleaning out the Emperor Paradise’s vault got her close to ninety million. This job alone could push her over the finish line for her goal.
Her mouth twitches, like she’s about to say yes, but then her eyes gleam with that money-grubbing cunning. She keeps walking, even slower now, a sly grin creeping across her face. The little thief’s holding out, betting I’ll up the offer. Classic Nami.
If he bumps it to fifteen million, I’ll stop,I can almost hear her thinking.
But I don’t say a word. She shuffles awkwardly out of the bar, the door creaking behind her.
I stay put, sipping my orange juice, my fingers tapping a steady rhythm on the table. The bar’s quiet, save for that soft tap-tap-tap.
One second… two… three… four… five…
Creak. The cabin door swings open again, and Nami slinks back in, looking like she just lost a bet with herself.
I set my glass down, a grin tugging at my lips, and put on my best innocent act. “What’s up, Miss Nami? Forget something?”
Her face screams she wants to deck me, but that ten million berries keeps her in check. She forces a smile, teeth practically grinding. “Uh… maybe we should talk about that partnership, Mr. Bounty Hunter.”
“Changed your mind?” I ask, leaning forward with a teasing smile.
“Y-yeah, totally thought it over,” she says, nodding furiously, her grin strained.
I hold up five fingers. “Then… five million.”
“Wha—huh?” Her eyes go dull, like her soul just left her body.
I swear I hear her heart crack. She looks like she wants to crawl into a hole. If she’d just agreed to the ten million, she wouldn’t be in this mess. But now I’ve got the upper hand, and I’ve slashed the offer back to five.
Her head’s practically buzzing as she snaps, “You said ten million! How’s it five now? That’s not fair! Some ‘top bounty hunter of the East Blue’ you are!”
I chuckle, my grin widening as I take another sip of juice. “Easy, Miss Nami. I was just messing with you, seeing how you’d react.” I set the glass down, feigning innocence. “What, not funny?”
Her face freezes, anger bottled up so tight it’s a miracle she doesn’t explode. But she forces another shaky smile. “Heh… no, it’s… hilarious.”
“Knew you’d think so.” I nod, satisfied, and gesture to the seat across from me. “Alright, take a seat, Miss Nami. Let’s talk business.”
“Fine,” she says, still smiling through gritted teeth. She drags her treasure sack over and plops down, muttering under her breath, “What a jerk.”