Pirate's Freedom

East China Sea, Cocoa West Village.

A week has passed since the orange juice drinking contest ended in vain.

Out of their worries and anxieties, Noqigao and Ila decided to meet in the bookstore.

"Welcome - ah~! It's Ira and Nokigao~! It's been a long time since I saw you..."

After greeting the smiling shopkeeper, Ira and Nokigao hid in a corner of the bookstore.

"Nami has been depressed in the past few days."

Ila glanced at the comics on the bookshelf listlessly. Even when she saw that her favorite "One Sword Fighter" had a new setting collection, she was not interested in reading it.

"For several days..."

Picking up a single volume of "Sora the Sea Warrior", Noqiu flipped through it absently, her voice becoming more worried.

"Nami has been having nightmares at night, talking in her sleep and shouting [Billion Baileys] and so on... Even Bellemere didn't smile when she handed out pocket money."

"...!!!"

With a "pop", the book in Ila's hand fell to the ground. She never expected that the situation had become so serious.

"Things...can't continue like this!"

Nokigao picked up the book on the ground, patted it and put it back in its place.

"For Nami, we must take action."

……

Early the next morning.

Just like in the past week, Nami got up slowly like an old person, washed slowly, then slowly sat down on the chair, and slowly ate the omelette rice for breakfast.

"Bellemere, it's getting late..."

After finishing breakfast, Nami slowly got up and went to get the basket.

"It's time for us to go work in the orange fields."

"You don't have to do anything today, and neither does Nokigao."

I saw Nami looking depressed at such a young age.

Bellemere put the cigarette in his mouth back and touched Nami's head sympathetically.

"You guys go out and play together."

"Oh……"

Nami responded slowly.

A moment later, wearing a brand new dress, Nami and Nokigao walked slowly down the early morning street.

"Nami!"

Nokigao suddenly pointed at Nami's feet and shouted loudly.

"Look what's there!"

"..."

Nami glanced at it, squatted down slowly, and stuffed a Bailey into her dress pocket.

At the entrance of the alley between the two houses, a small head appeared and looked at Nokigao.

After picking up the money, Nokigao and Nami continued on their way.

"Nami."

Nuo Qigao seemed to mention something casually.

"Have you ever heard of the term [lucky day]?"

"No……"

"It was written in a book I saw in the bookstore yesterday."

Nokigao spoke with a serious expression.

"A person will suddenly become very lucky. It is said that this is God trying to compensate for what she has lost."

"what……"

Nami looked into the distance with a disappointed expression.

"yes……"

but.

"Don't move! Nami!"

Perhaps God wants to confirm Nokigao’s words——

"Look! What is that!"

"Nami! At your feet!"

"There's more! There's more there!"

Along the way, Nami picked up Bailey four times in a row.

"Today must be your [lucky day]."

Nokigao looked happier than Nami.

"what?"

Nami's expression became a little uncertain.

"is it?"

"Welcome - ah~! It's Nami~! It's been a long time since I saw you..."

Surprisingly, even the bookstore owner smiled at Nami.

"Nami, you are the ten thousandth customer since the opening of our store."

It was the first time he smiled so warmly at Nami.

“You can pick a book to take away for free.”

"That's amazing! Nami! You're so lucky!"

Nozhiko exclaimed.

"..."

Nami and the shopkeeper looked at each other for a while, seeing that he could hardly maintain his smile, and then slowly turned his head.

"Ah...is it..."

After a while, Nami hugged the book and left the bookstore with Nokigao.

"Ah! There's a news bird over there!"

Nokigao quickly pointed to the entrance of the alley, where a seagull with a bag on its chest and a hat on its head stumbled out.

"Try buying another newspaper, Nami!"

"But... Nuo Qigao..."

Nami said slowly.

"Just use the money you just picked up and try again!"

"O! O!"

The news bird flapped its wings and wanted to fly. Nokkigao couldn't help but ran over to grab it, opened the bag on his chest and took out a newspaper.

"Oh!! Oh!!"

"Here! I've given you the money! Let's go!"

After stuffing a Bailey, Nozhigao quickly threw the news bird into the air and watched it disappear into the distance in panic.

"Open it and have a look!"

Nami opened the newspaper and a card fell down.

"Wow! This is Xiaopang's [Supernova]!"

Nokigao showed an expression of disbelief.

"Today is really your [lucky day]!"

"Nuoqi Gao...can you..."

Nami sighed suddenly.

"Leave me alone for a while."

……

"The plan failed, Ira."

Nuo Qigao walked to the alley dejectedly.

"Nami doesn't look happy at all."

"I don't want to see Nami like this."

Her little hands clutched her chest tightly, and Ila felt a little out of breath.

"I want to do something...I want to go find Nami!"

"Ira?"

"No matter what the cost...I want to make Nami smile again!"

……

In Dr. Nago's clinic.

"Nami now..."

Bellemel sat next to the hospital bed and said worriedly.

"She feels like she has lost her soul every day. She often loses focus when eating. I heard Noqigao say that Nami lost her money. I never imagined... that she would be so sad..."

Wearing a black turban with a red five-pointed star and sunglasses, the stylish-looking old man with a white beard and a white coat was listening carefully to Bellemeier's statement.

"This should be a strong mental stimulation, leaving some psychological shadow. From the situation you described... the state is already very serious..."

"Um……"

Dr. Nago thought for a while.

"Would you like to try hypnotherapy?"

……

Ira met Nami outside the village.

On a hillside near the sea, the two of them were sitting on a piece of grass.

"Nami..."

Ila secretly glanced at Nami's side face.

"You've been feeling down lately."

"..."

Nami's eyes were sad, staring blankly at the sea in front of her.

"I know! The key is not the [-] million Baileys!"

Ila took a deep breath.

"The key is that ship! The Billion Berry!"

"I've decided! Nami!"

Ila stood up quickly and shouted loudly facing the sea.

"I'll save money with you!"

"..."

Warm and sincere words came from her ears. Although she was still looking at the sea, Nami's small shoulders were shaking slightly, as if she was trying to suppress something.

"I will sell [Pirate Killing], and then..."

After closing her eyes and making up her mind, Ila said with a trembling voice.

“I will never buy a One Sword Fighter comic again!”

"Ira...!"

Nami looked away and looked at Ira in shock.

"The Billion Berry, let's recreate it together. It will be exactly the same as what you have seen!"

One sentence blurted out following the momentum.

"Although I have no dreams, I want to protect your dreams!"

"...!"

Ila's expression was suddenly startled.

"Nami, I seem to..."

Turning around and looking straight at Nami, Ila said blankly.

"Found my dream."

"Ira!"

Nami was so moved that tears filled her eyes. She held Ira's hand and couldn't wait to tell her something.

"actually……"

"Nami-Ira-!"

The shouts came from far away, and a figure with blue hair ran quickly up the hillside and ran in front of the two of them.

"Noqigao?"

"Haah...Bell...haah...haah..."

Nuoqi held her knees high and gasped for a while.

After taking a breath, she raised her head and spoke to Nami.

"Bellemere asked you to go to the clinic. She said... Dr. Nago will find a way to cure your disease-"

"Great! Nami! You're saved!"

Ila immediately became happy, turned around and hugged Nami.

"Nami..."

But looking at Nami's expression, Nokigao felt a little strange.

"Why...are you looking at me like this?"

……

Inside Dr. Nago's clinic.

The layout is simple and the light is soft in a quiet environment.

Nami leaned stiffly on the soft sofa.

"Nami, how do your eyes feel...are they sore...are your eyelids heavy..."

A coin worth one hundred beli was hung on a rope, swinging left and right in front of Nami's eyes.

[Damn...it's so despicable! 】

Nami tried her best to look away, but the coin swinging back and forth exuded an attractive attraction like a magnet, firmly attracting her attention.

【Not good!Something is wrong! 】

Catching a glimpse of Bellemel's gentle and concerned eyes, Nami's heart was dripping with sweat.

【It’s difficult!This is terrible! 】

"If you want to close your eyes, you can close them slowly now..."

Dr. Nago's voice, which had inexplicably become deeper and richer, continued.

【Hold on!Nami!Think of those [-] million Baileys!right!And the Billionaire!I'm so sad...I'm in so much pain...I'm so...desperate...]

"Nami... you're starting to want to sleep... really want to sleep... really want to sleep..."

"..."

Her double eyelids kept opening and closing as if they were about to fight, and Nami's little head moved downwards little by little.

"Nami?"

Dr. Nagou called out tentatively.

"I'm so desperate...I'm in so much pain..."

Nami lowered her head and repeated in a mechanical voice.

"...!!!"

Bellemere's heart suddenly tugged hard, and he held back and kept silent.

"Nami...why do you feel hopeless and painful?"

Dr. Nago's voice was gentle, guiding Nami to express her inner pain.

"Because my money is gone, and my boat—"

Nami's voice rose a little, and she twisted a little.

"My [-] million Baileys...my billions of Baileys..."

"..."

Dr. Nagob and Bellemare looked at each other.

"Nami, your [-] million Baileys..."

Next, Nami told everything that happened in the grocery store, including the origin of the orange drinking contest, the experience of the master ball, and how everything suddenly happened after winning the game after all the hard work. Disappear.

"..."

After hearing this, Bellemeier's eyes were a little moist.

[Sorry, Nami...]

Although she had never been to the Grand Line, Bellemere also knew about the existence of Devil Fruit in the information circulation within the Navy. She was not too surprised by Nami's experience, but focused on Nami's feelings.

[I really want to buy a lot of books...a lot of dresses for you...but as a mother...I can't give you anything...]

"..."

Dr. Nakao also sighed silently.

"Nami, you are lying on your beloved sailboat. The sky is vast and blue. A gust of wind blows, and the sails gradually inflate..."

"..."

Seeing Nami's expression becoming more and more relaxed, Dr. Nagao kept up his efforts.

"The waves of the sea are gently swaying, and your worries and sadness are like the waves on the sea, easily left behind by your sailboat..."

"I'm not sad anymore."

Nami, who had her eyes closed, suddenly spoke.

"...!"

After wiping away her tears, Bellemeier was a little surprised.

It took effect so soon?Dr. Nagao was a little confused, but he didn't have much research on hypnosis, so he said it smoothly.

"As your heartbeat slows down and your breathing slows down, your heart becomes calmer and calmer, and the sad things in the past slowly disappear into the vastness..."

"I'm not that sad to begin with."

Nami retorted fearlessly.

"But Bellemare gave me too much."

"..."

Bellemare narrowed his eyes.

"Nami, since when did you get better?"

Bellemeier's voice was unusually soft and kind.

"..."

She frowned a little uneasily, but under the hypnosis, Nami still confessed honestly.

"The next morning, I woke up and everything was fine, but Bellemeier said he wanted to buy me a small dress and the books I wanted to read..."

After taking one look at her expression, Dr. Nagao silently retreated to the corner.

……

click!

"I have no problem anymore."

Bellemeier lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said calmly.

"Doctor Nago, you can wake her up."

"...When I count one, two, three, open your eyes--"

Dr. Nago sighed regretfully, cheered up and ended the hypnosis.

"one two Three……"

"..."

Nami opened her eyes, and Bellemel was looking at her expressionlessly.

【It's over! 】

"call--"

[Everything is over! 】

Bellemare blew out a beautiful smoke ring.

【My wonderful life is over! 】

"Nami, did I give too much?"

[There is no way...impossible...]

But Nami still wanted to struggle.

"Haha...actually...hehehehe...things are not what you think..."

A sneer appeared on her pink face, and Nami moved back timidly.

Boom!Boom! !Boom, boom, boom! ! !

"Ah! It hurts so much! I was wrong!! Bellemere!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

……

"Jingle bell—"

A customer pushed open the door of the grocery store, walked straight to the counter, and placed a five-hundred-beli note in front of Tata Tot.

"Tata Tot, here's a pack of [Angel Dust]."

Tata Tot bent down, opened the cabinet neatly, took out a bag of salt with angel wings printed on the package and handed it over.

"Chenghui 450 Baileys."

Tata Tot deftly collects the money and gives the change.

"I'll charge you five hundred pele, I'll give you fifty pele."

"Ah! The price has been reduced?!"

The fat aunt’s voice was pleasantly surprised.

“Big discount today.”

The sounds of the little girls' vows still ring in my ears.

"Hahahaha! This is the first time! Did anything happy happen? Tata Tot..."

As Ila cleared away the fog in her heart.

At this point, the gears of fate began to turn slowly.