Chapter 17: The Temporary Helmsman

Garen, who had just delivered his speech on justice, could hardly shamelessly ask Wallace to write another check, even though Miss Nami was vocally supportive of the idea.

He had no choice but to focus on handling his "first bucket of gold," which was already in his hands...

Garen truly had no experience dealing with such things.

Fortunately, the worldly, seasoned middle-aged sheriff offered Garen a bit of help.

Moments later...

Garen gazed at the exquisite box in his hands, unable to shake a peculiar feeling.

The box had been specially prepared for him by the sheriff:

It was crafted entirely from naturally preserved pine, fitted with waterproof sealing rings, lined with a lime base, and coated in sea salt.

Inside was nothing other than the head of Captain Steelblade, worth ten million Berri.

It was odd, really...

Garen feared no living villain, but after his adversary became a boxed corpse, a chill ran down his spine.

In this, Miss Nami was far braver than Garen.

Her eyes were glued to the box containing the head, the figure of ten million Berri flashing again and again in her mind.

She nearly forgot it held a gruesome human head.

"Well then..."

Without a trace of emotion, Garen tucked his "first bucket of gold" behind him, murmuring to himself with a sigh:

"The next stop is Loguetown."

Wallace quickly stepped forward, speaking in his refined, gentle tone:

"As it happens, I must return to Loguetown for my duties at the East Sea Daily News."

He hadn't said much before the cultured reporter grew excited again:

"I hope, Sir Knight, you will allow me to travel with you!"

"Of course, that's no problem."

As a rookie fresh out of the starter village, having a local NPC as a guide was more than welcome.

So Garen agreed to Wallace's request without hesitation.

Then, thoughtfully, Garen turned to Nami, who was still focused on the ten million Berri:

"Nami, what about you?"

"Where do you plan to go?"

Nami answered without thinking: "Where you go, I go!"

The sentiment was genuine, but not quite complete.

More precisely, what she meant was, "Where your money goes, I go."

Nami's desire for wealth was overwhelming...

She couldn't steal Garen's flying sword, nor the armor he wore, but the ten million in cash he would soon exchange for the head would be an easy target.

Although she felt a twinge of guilt toward the armored knight who had saved her, Nami still decided that he could be a bit more generous to a helpless girl.

Garen, well acquainted with Nami's nature, instantly grasped the true meaning behind her words.

He knew her obsession with money and understood why she was so desperate to amass wealth now...

So Garen said nothing, falling into a silent contemplation that no one else could decipher.

But Wallace misunderstood.

He quietly took out his notebook, jotting down the cliché plotline: "The righteous knight saves the beauty, and the lovely maiden's heart begins to stir," thus adding an emotional thread to his major feature story on "Knight Garen."

His gaze toward Garen and Nami now sparkled with the excitement of gossip.

"Ahem..."

Nami, realizing the misunderstanding, hurriedly protested:

"I'm worried you won't have a navigator and will get lost at sea."

Wallace reflexively countered:

"Loguetown isn't some remote backwater; we can just hop a passenger ship and be there."

"Hmph!"

Nami snorted coldly, folding her arms with a show of confidence:

"A passenger ship can't compete with sailing ourselves!"

"I'm a genius navigator, intimately familiar with every route and weather pattern in the East Sea. With me at the helm, we'll save at least two days!"

"Alright, alright..."

Garen, lost in thought, suddenly snapped out of it, waving his hand with a smile:

"Navigator, you're hired."

"Hired?"

Nami savored the word, redolent of cash, and her tone softened:

"How much are you paying? Five million Berri?"

"One hundred thousand Berri, not a Berri more."

Garen replied seriously:

"And besides, it won't be so easy for you to steal my ten million Berri..."

"You!"

Nami was so flustered she couldn't speak, her pale cheeks flushed a deep red.

This armored knight wouldn't be easy to fool.

"Steal?"

Wallace was startled, his gaze suddenly wary of Nami: "Miss Nami is actually a thief?"

"What?!"

Nami, resigned, admitted:

"Yes, I'm a thief! Nearly turned your knight into a pauper!"

"So that's it..."

Wallace's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed excitedly:

"I never expected Sir Garen's virtue to be so lofty!"

"Even faced with a chance acquaintance who was a thief, he risked his life to save her..."

"A light never before seen, illuminating the bleak life of a fallen maiden..."

After imagining the scene, Wallace scribbled further in his notebook, fleshing out the simple plot of "the righteous knight saves the beauty, maiden's heart begins to stir" into "the knight returns good for evil, and the beautiful thief turns to the light."

"Hey, hey!"

Nami, embarrassed and annoyed, tugged at her orange hair, snapping:

"What nonsense are you writing?!"

"Stop it!"

Wallace didn't even bother to raise his eyes, continuing to let his pen fly across the page:

"Sorry."

"Nothing in this world can stop the pen of a journalist."

"......"

Having suffered repeated setbacks, Nami wished she could punch someone with her invisible, forceful fist.

"Alright..."

Garen stepped in again to mediate, turning to Nami:

"Though I pay little, I can offer you another form of reward."

"Another reward?"

Nami was puzzled.

Garen raised his broad sword, saying:

"Friendship. The friendship of a righteous knight."

"What do you mean?"

Nami's mind spun, but she kept asking.

"I can help you fight."

Garen spoke plainly, with a hint of deeper meaning:

"For example, those villains you can't handle but desperately want to defeat."

"You..."

Nami's gaze grew profound, silently studying Garen for a long time.

After a moment's thought, she suddenly covered her mouth and laughed softly:

"Don't joke..."

"I have no mortal enemies."

"I'm just speaking hypothetically."

Garen smiled casually, though his eyes were determined:

"But..."

"If such a person does exist, I'll make sure they face justice."

Once again, the two fell into a strange silence.

"You won't manage it."

Nami showed a helpless, slightly mocking expression and patted Garen's cold chestplate:

"Your abilities are odd, I'll grant you that, but you're only about as strong as Steelblade. Don't get ahead of yourself..."

Arlong's strength couldn't be judged by his twenty million bounty alone. The power he wielded far surpassed that figure; he was the hidden overlord of the East Sea.

And those terrifying fishmen had become nightmares Nami could never resist.

"Then consider it a debt!"

Garen laughed carelessly:

"You can stay by my side and see for yourself whether I can repay this reward!"

His smile brimmed with a unique confidence:

"And don't underestimate me."

"My progress will be faster than you imagine."

"Tch..."

Nami snorted disdainfully.

Yet, for reasons unknown, as when she was held hostage by Steelblade, a faint glimmer of hope and light returned to her heart—a feeling she hadn't known in so long.

Perhaps this so-called knight before her really could save her.

In the end, a slender, jade-like hand slowly reached out to Garen.

He took it with knowing ease, smiling:

"Then let's work well together, my navigator!"

"Temporary hire, that's all."

"When we reach Loguetown, you'd better watch your ten million Berri!"

Though her words were sharp, Nami's grip was anything but gentle.

"Haha..."

Garen laughed it off without concern, suddenly feeling energized as he called out:

"Then let's set off!"

"Destination: Loguetown!"

"Wait!"

A familiar middle-aged voice sounded from behind:

"Don't rush off yet, Sir Knight!"

"Huh?"

Garen turned around abruptly and saw, with a face full of misery...

The restaurant's duty manager.

"Chasing after the bill?"

Garen, dining and dashing for the first time, was thoroughly embarrassed.

"No! It's not about the bill..."

The manager, wiping sweat from his brow, said breathlessly:

"It's your mount!"

"It, it..."

"It has eaten all the other guests' horses..."