Navigation: The Intuition is Against Heaven, and the Deduction of the Start is a Cremation

Chapter 29: My Foolish Navigator!

As they made their way back to the mansion, Nami was beaming with excitement, twirling the newly crafted Clima-Tact in her hands.

“So? What do you think?” Ace smirked, watching her enthusiasm. “It’s perfect!” Nami nodded rapidly, her face lit with joy. Finally, she had a weapon of her own. She could now protect herself when sneaking aboard pirate ships to steal treasure.

But suddenly, her smile faltered. She bit her lip, hesitating.

Ace noticed everything immediately,  but He simply asked—

“What’s wrong, Nami?”

Nami looked at him. Then, after a moment of silence, she forced a smile. “Nothing…” She laughed lightly. “Ace, being your navigator… isn’t so bad, you know?”

Ace’s eyes softened. “I see.” With a grin, he ruffled her hair.

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“Lady Kaya! Ace! Miss Nami!”

A cheerful voice called out as they reached the mansion gates. Merry ran toward them, his face filled with excitement. “The ship is ready! We can set sail at any time!” His voice was both proud and emotional. He was proud because his dream ship, the Going Merry, was finally complete. He was emotional because Lady Kaya was about to leave the village.

Kaya smiled softly, “Merry, I’ll be counting on you to take care of things here.” Merry straightened up, placing a hand over his chest. “Of course, Lady Kaya! I will protect the mansion with my life!”

Ace chuckled, patting Merry’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s see our ship.”

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At the shoreline, a large structure was covered by a white cloth, concealing the ship beneath it.

Merry stepped forward. With a dramatic flourish, he pulled the cloth away.

Fwoosh!

“This is the Going Merry!” Merry announced proudly. The ship was a fast caravel with a triangular lateen sail on the rear mast and a central rudder. At its bow, a distinctive ram’s head was carved, symbolizing its spirit and charm. The main mast stood tall, ready to fly a pirate flag—though for now, it remained bare. More than that, this version of the Going Merry was larger, sturdier, and enhanced. Thanks to Ace’s Realm of Enlightenment, Merry’s shipbuilding skills had far exceeded his original capabilities. The most surprising addition was a small orange grove on the deck. Nami froze. Her breath hitched. She stared at the neatly planted orange trees, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“W-Why…?”

Her voice was barely a whisper.

Ace chuckled. “Well…” He turned to her with a teasing smirk. “A while ago, I heard a certain navigator mumbling about oranges in her sleep.” “So, as your captain, I figured I should take that into account.”

Nami’s lips quivered. Her hands clenched at her sides. Ace didn’t say anything else— He simply grinned. And for the first time, Nami couldn’t find a single word to argue back.

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That night, after moving all their supplies onto the ship, the crew decided to stay aboard to get used to their new home. Kaya had even brought along gold and jewels totaling over 30 million Berries. Ace did a quick calculation. Kaya’s family fortune had indeed been immense. It was no wonder Kuro had wanted to steal it all. By the time the last crate was loaded, the crew was exhausted. So, they settled in for their first night aboard the Going Merry. But as the moon rose, one crewmate remained awake.

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In the dead of night, Ace’s breathing was deep and steady.

Creak.

His door opened slowly. A shadow slipped inside, moving cautiously. Nami knelt beside his bed, watching him. She hesitated, then bit her lip. Her heart felt heavy.

“I can’t drag you into this, Ace.”

“And Kaya… Even if she’s healthy now… She wouldn’t stand a chance against Arlong.”

“If I stay any longer…”

“I might actually want to go to the Grand Line with you…”

“But what about Cocoyasi Village…?”

She swallowed hard, then pulled a small letter from her pocket. Setting it gently on the table, she turned away. She grabbed a bag of money, her Clima-Tact, and stopped by the orange grove. For a long time, she simply stood there, her eyes filled with emotion. Then she disappeared into the night. As she rowed away, heading toward Cocoyasi Village, she had no idea that behind her, Ace’s eyes snapped open.

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“Ace! Nami, she—!”

Kaya rushed into Ace’s room. But as she entered, she froze, her cheeks turning pink. Ace was half-dressed, still buttoning his shirt. Ace chuckled, waving her inside.

“Come in, Kaya. It’s time to set sail— And bring back our foolish navigator.”

Kaya blinked in surprise, “You already know?”

Ace held up a letter. Nami’s handwriting scrawled across the page.

“Ace, I took the money! Hehehe!”

“I’m a thief, remember? I’d never be your navigator!”

“I hate pirates!”

Ace’s eyes softened as he traced his fingers over the ink.

The last lines of the letter had small, faded spots, as if someone had cried while writing it… Then tried to wipe away the tears.

Ace chuckled quietly.

“You should’ve just relied on your captain, Nami.”

He folded the letter, then turned to Kaya.

“Let’s go get her.”