At night, Cocoyasi Village held a grand celebration for the defeat of the Arlong Pirates.
To honor their hero, the villagers brought out the best ingredients from their homes and carefully prepared delicious food.
At the bonfire party, the villagers presented their finest dishes to Caelan.
They sang and danced around the bonfire, their faces filled with joy and excitement.
For eight long years under the oppression of the Arlong Pirates, the villagers had lived in fear and despair.
Now that their tormentors were gone, they fully released their emotions, dancing passionately in tribute to the hero who saved them—Caelan Alaric.
As he enjoyed the delicious food, Caelan quietly watched the villagers' celebration.
"This is the atmosphere I prefer."
Watching the villagers singing and dancing, a sense of accomplishment welled up in Caelan's heart.
In the six months since arriving in this world, he had been either hunting pirates or traveling to hunt pirates.
He had seen too much cruelty and bloodshed, the cold reality of survival in this lawless sea.
Compared to witnessing pirates running wild, he would much rather see these innocent villagers smile freely.
Before he realized it, Caelan had cleared every dish set before him.
Although the food was not as exquisite as the meals at the Baratie, it carried a special flavor of warmth and sincerity.
"Caelan, thank you."
Nami, who had been quietly watching him from a distance, approached with a plate of barbecue and set it in front of him.
Caelan was a little surprised. He had been planning to go find Nami, but she came over first.
"The Arlong Pirates are gone. What are your plans for the future?"
Caelan asked casually while continuing to eat.
Nami froze at the question. Her plans?
Her greatest dream until now had been to free the village, and that dream had finally been realized.
Her other dream was to chart a map of the entire world.
But how could she accomplish that alone?
She thought about the Straw Hat Pirates. They had been good companions.
But she had betrayed their trust. They would never accept her again.
Besides, they were pirates. After the suffering caused by the Arlong Pirates, Nami no longer wanted to be associated with any pirate crew.
If possible, she wanted to follow Caelan.
A bounty hunter so powerful and righteous was exactly the kind of partner she could believe in.
But she had already owed him such a great debt. How could she trouble him any further?
"I'll stay in the East Blue and work to collect enough money to repay you."
Nami made up her mind.
Rather than joining pirates and risking becoming part of the evil she hated, she would give up that path. She owed Caelan too much. She would spend the rest of her life repaying that debt.
"I need a navigator more than I need Berries."
Caelan saw through Nami's thoughts at a glance.
Thanks to his intervention, the Straw Hat Pirates had never come to aid Nami.
Her impression of pirates remained that of Arlong, a vicious tyrant.
The truth was, pirates like Luffy were the exception. Most pirates in this world were exactly like Arlong.
"Nami, are you willing to be my navigator?"
Caelan finished the last bite of barbecue, wiped his hands clean, and solemnly extended his right hand to Nami.
"Eh!?"
"That's… wonderful!"
Nami's eyes widened in surprise, but without hesitation, she grasped Caelan's hand tightly.
She had hoped to join him but had never expected the opportunity would come so quickly.
In that moment, Nami felt incredibly lucky. Not only could she repay her debt, but she could also pursue her dream alongside Caelan.
"From now on, we're partners."
Caelan smiled. The top navigator was now officially on his crew.
"Yeah!"
Nami nodded enthusiastically, her eyes shining with determination.
From the moment she first met Caelan at the Baratie, to the moment he saved her on the beach, and then watching him annihilate the Arlong Pirates with overwhelming strength…
Though their time together had been brief, Caelan's presence had already left an unshakable mark on Nami's heart.
Seeing the two of them seal their agreement, the surrounding villagers and Nojiko smiled warmly.
They were truly happy for Nami. With Caelan as her companion, they believed she would surely achieve her dream.
Somewhere among the crowd, a villager passed two glasses of beer into Nami and Caelan's hands.
They raised their drinks, joining the celebration once more.
By the time the banquet ended, it was already early morning.
Caelan spent the night resting in the room the villagers had prepared for him.
…
The next morning, at sunrise.
With the help of the villagers, Caelan prepared to set sail.
His old boat remained docked at Cocoyasi Village.
It was far too small to handle a voyage into the Grand Line.
Instead, his new ship would be the Arlong Pirates' main vessel—the Shark Superb.
It was an excellent, large ship.
Much of the wealth Arlong had plundered over the years, aside from what was spent building Arlong Park, had gone into this ship.
Compared to the Going Merry, the Shark Superb was noticeably larger, and its materials were far sturdier.
The ship was fully outfitted with various facilities, including a kitchen, bathroom, sauna, and over a dozen luxurious rooms.
The hull was reinforced with top-quality timber, second only to the legendary Treasure Tree Adam.
This was the ship Arlong had built for himself, intended as the core of his pirate fleet.
If his dream of establishing the Arlong Empire in the East Blue had failed, he had planned to sail this ship back to the Grand Line.
Unfortunately for him, Arlong encountered Caelan.
Now, this fine ship had become Caelan's new vessel.
Caelan was quite satisfied. Compared to the luxury yachts of his previous life, this ship was no worse.
"Caelan, you should raise your flag on this ship and give it a new name!"
Nami wiped the sweat from her brow as she looked expectantly at Caelan.
She and the villagers had worked hard to strip the ship of all traces of the Arlong Pirates.
Now that the ship belonged to Caelan, it was time to replace the emblem.
Caelan picked up a paintbrush and, with just a few bold strokes, painted a new symbol on the blank flag.
There was no skull, no flashy decorations. Only a massive greatsword hung at the center of the flag.
It was his own weapon, a symbol of absolute power.
Like the sword of Damocles, it represented the majesty and authority to judge all things.
"As for the name of the ship… Wind Rider."
Caelan thought for a moment, then gave the ship its new name.
"Wind Rider… riding the wind and waves. What a great name!"
Compared to the chaotic names of many pirate ships, Wind Rider felt far more refined.
Simple, but filled with ambition.
"To rise on the wind and soar straight to the summit of this world—that is the meaning of Wind Rider."
Caelan smiled slightly, correcting Nami's understanding.
His ambition was far greater than simply riding the waves.
In this grand era of piracy, Caelan would ride the momentum and claim the world for himself.
Nami stared at Caelan, dazed.
Compared to a straw hat-wearing boy shouting about becoming Pirate King, the man before her radiated a far greater courage.
Her heart beat faster as Caelan seemed to glow in her eyes.
"I… I'm going to pack my things."
Blushing, Nami turned quickly, a little too embarrassed to face Caelan directly.
(To be continued.)