Starting as a pirate, he rose to become the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society.

Chapter 20 Nami: Master Bane, please let me entertain you properly!

The back mountain of Cocoyasi Village, which is also the Arlong Pirates' private dock, is where Bane and Zoro are standing at this moment.

There was only one ship anchored in the harbor. The ship was large, magnificent, and menacing, exuding an aura that was not to be trifled with.

The ship's overall shape resembles a giant shark, and its prow is serrated like Ah Long's nose, suggesting that it can also function as a ram.

Zoro was curiously examining the ship, while Bane's gaze fell on a takoyaki cart that had fallen over and was lying on the ground on the dock.

"They must have run away, right?" Bane smiled and stopped worrying about it.

That takoyaki cart is probably Hachi's possession. I didn't see Hachi when he was wreaking havoc in Arlong Paradise. I guess he wasn't there originally, but ran away when he realized something was wrong.

However, Bane had no intention of exterminating them all, nor did he bother to pursue them.

"According to the specifications, this ship can hold 640 people and has 72 cannons. It needs at least 150 people to operate." Zoro held the ship data he had retrieved from Arlong Park, muttered a few words, and then looked at Bane, saying, "Where are we going to find the remaining 147 people?"

"What? It takes 150 people to start? The Arlong Pirates don't even have that many people in total. How do they usually operate their ships?" Bane was also dumbfounded.

He had only thought that the ship was big and imposing, a large three-masted sailing ship with excellent performance, capable of traversing the Grand Line, which was why he wanted to use it.

He forgot that the larger the ship, the more sailors are needed to operate it. Their three-person team simply couldn't operate such a ship. Even if they were given one, he wouldn't be able to use it!

"How would I know? Maybe the fishmen have some special boat-driving skills?" Zoro shrugged.

Just as Bane and Zoro were discussing how to mess with the ship, they heard a noise behind them, and soon, the orange-haired girl Nami walked over with a smile.

"Have you discussed it with Nojiko? Do you want to come out to sea with us or not?" Bane turned to Nami and asked.

"Although Nojiko was very reluctant, and the villagers were also worried, but~" Nami playfully leaned closer to Bane before saying, "But, my dream is to draw the most accurate and comprehensive nautical charts in the world. Besides, I consider myself the most talented navigator in the East Blue. It would be a waste not to use my talents. So in the end, everyone supported my dream~"

After saying this, Nami proudly raised her chin and said, "So be proud! Your soon-to-be new companion is the most skilled navigator in the East Blue!"

"You should be the one who's proud, because you're about to join a team that will become the world's greatest swordsman in the future," Zoro said proudly.

Bane smiled and said, "Welcome, the most amazing navigator, Miss Nami."

After chatting for a couple more minutes, Nami seemed to remember something and said, "Oh right, the Navy people just came by. They said Admiral Smoker has imprisoned that bastard Rat, and they'll give him a proper trial later."

"Oh," Bane replied indifferently; he had no interest in that rat.

But then, as if remembering something, he looked at Nami and said, "If I remember correctly, Smoker told me that the Marines coming this time would also be bringing the 20 million Berry bounty for Arlong. So, where's my money?"

Nami's eyes darted around like a pretty little fox upon hearing this, then she said matter-of-factly, "Hey, don't ignore the facts, okay? I personally killed Arlong, so his bounty naturally belongs to me!"

"You're really shameless," Zoro said, looking at Nami with disdain.

Nami completely ignored Zoro, and even went further, saying, "Speaking of which, you might not know, but I'm not only the best navigator in the East Blue, but also the most talented financial manager. Bane, you should still have a huge sum of 360 million Berries, right? You're obviously a man who's bad at managing money, so why don't you hand it over to me to keep it safe!"

"Heh," Bane looked at Nami, who was obsessed with money, with amusement before saying, "I'm sorry, I donated 200 million Berries to the Navy so that they could better contribute to the peace and stability of the East Blue. So I only have a little over 150 million Berries in my hands now."

"What?!" Nami nearly jumped up in shock, exclaiming in anguish, "That's 200 million Berries! How could you just give it away like that? Do you even know what 200 million Berries means? How much can you make with that money?"

"Perhaps those two hundred million Berries could reduce the number of poor people like you who have suffered such a fate," Zoro suddenly interjected from the side.

His words directly pierced Nami's defenses. After a moment of silence, the money-grubbing little thief shook her head and said, "Forget it, what's past is past."

Then, she rallied her spirits and reached out to Bane, saying, "Then, I'll keep the remaining 150 million Berries for you, okay?"

"Heh, maybe I'll consider it when you make me happy," Bane said without any hesitation.

Upon hearing this, the little thief cat immediately switched to the demeanor of a maidservant, leaning close to Bane and massaging his arm, saying, "Master Bane, will this make you happy?"

"So-so," Bane replied casually, then continued, "Now I have a problem that's bothering me. I've captured such a large ship, but I can't seem to get it to sail away. Do you have any good suggestions, my navigator?"

"Of course, it would be my pleasure to serve you, Master Bane~" Nami said, taking a whistle from her Nami Valley.

"Ah Long's ship isn't propelled by sailors or anything like that, but by..." She said, then suddenly whistled.

At the same time, Zoro noticed that something big seemed to be coming up from under the dock.

In just ten seconds, the sea near the dock became turbulent, and soon, a huge sea monster with a cow's head emerged from the water.

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!

"Moo," Nami introduced, "This is Arlong's pet, and also the power source for this ship. When we're short-handed, it's responsible for towing the boat, and I happen to know how to train it!"

"I see!" Bane looked at the huge sea monster and suddenly realized, "Oh, that's how it is!"

That's good too; it'll be like having an extra supply of food on the road.

However, he couldn't keep using this moo-moo to pull the boat. In addition, considering his own status and such, he should indeed recruit some underlings to avoid having to do all the trivial things himself.

We need to find an opportunity to recruit some ordinary crew members.

Having resolved the ship issue, Bane cleared his throat and said in a pretentious tone, "Alright, since you have a solution for this, I'll leave it to you. Now, I'm getting a bit hungry. If anyone can serve me a sumptuous dinner, I might consider taking a portion of my 150 million Berries to reward them!"

"Alright~" Nami perked up at the words, diligently patting Bane's lower back while attending to the lord, and said, "Master Bane, come with me, please let me entertain you properly!"

Seeing this, Zoro chimed in, "I'm not picky about the food, but I'd like two bottles of the local specialty wine."

"Master Zoro, do you have any money?" Nami asked Zoro, rubbing her hands together as if she were happy to serve him.

"No," Zoro replied instinctively.

"Okay, then there's nothing for you to do. Drink more hot water, it's good for your health." Nami's expression changed instantly, and she waved her hand at Zoro with a look of utter disdain.

Zoro? ???

No, are you really that materialistic?

(End of this chapter)