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  --xLOVEx--

  Luffy, always in the heart of the a, ughed and joked with the vilgers, his iious energy spreading like wildfire. Zoro accepted the vilgers' thanks with a nod, fog more on sake. Sanji basked in the adoration, especially from the women, while Usaled anyone who would listen with exaggerated tales of his 'bravery' during his legendary battles.

  As the night desded upon the vilge, a b of celebration enshrouded the onber atmosphere. The streets were alive with vilgers, their faces lit up with the kind of joy that only es from a hard-won freedom. Laughter and music filled the air, creating a symphony of relief and happiness. In the midst of it all, Luffy and his crew were the guests of honor, swarmed by grateful vilgers food, drink, and ehanks.

  Coby, sitting atop a roof, surveyed the se below with a satisfied smile. The cloak he had ed around Nami still draped over her shoulders as she sat beside him. They both watched the celebration unfold, the light of bonfires dang in their eyes.

  Nami, her gaze soft and thoughtful, broke the silehey really adore you," she said, nodding towards the vilgers who occasionally gnced up at them with smiles and waves.

  Coby chuckled, "They're just grateful. yed our part." His gaze lingered on the happy faces below, eae representing a life free from fear.

  Nami leaned back, her eyes trag the stars above. "It's strange," she mused, "to think that just this m, I was ready to give up everything. And now..." Her voice trailed off, lost in the whirlwind of ret events.

  Coby turo her, his eyes serious yet kind. "You never have to faything like that alone again, Nami. You're one of us now, and we look after our own."

  Nami's eyes met his, filled with gratitude and something deeper reflected in them. She nodded, a small smile grag her lips. "I know. Thank you, Coby."

  Nami sighed, her emotions a whirlwind of relief and lingering . "I just wish I could have saved my money from those Marines." She mehe potential loss of her hard-earreasure, the symbol of her long struggle for freedom.

  Coby, sitting beside her, smirked, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Nami, I shifted your stash before the Marines arrived." His words were casual.

  Nami's eyes widened, her expression shifting from despair to excitement in an instant. She searched Coby's face for any sign of a lie, but finding none, she was overe with a burst of spontaneous joy. In a moment driven by pure etion, she jumped onto him, straddling his p, her arms ing around his neck. "I love you! I love you!" she ted, her lips pnting kisses on his face, eae an expression of her overwhelming gratitude.

  Caught iorrent of her affe, Coby's initial surprise melted into a warm, reassuring embrace. He held her waist, seg her close to him as he whispered in her ear, "Really now?" His voice was a low murmur, teasi sincere.

  Nami, suddenly scious of her as, turned a deep shade of red. The reality of her impulsive dispy of affe washed over her, and she attempted to pull away, but Coby's firm yet gentle hold kept her in pce. "Don't run away now," he said, a pyful note in his tone.

  Leaning over to her ear, Coby's rested gently on her shoulder, the sweet st of tangerines from her hair filling his senses. In a whisper ced with a hint of mischief, he murmured, "Now that I remember, I won a bet." Nami, her emotions a mix of te and sudden recolle, leaned her head against his shoulder. She remembered the bet they had made; if Sanji joihe crew within two days, the loser would owe the winner a delicious dinner. She had known Coby would win, the bet more of a test on her part, secretly hoping he might ask for another kiss like their first wager. Instead, Coby had mirrored her terms, asking for dinner.

  As the realization dawned on her, Nami's eyes narrowed pyfully. "Fine, you won," she ceded, her tone carrying a light, teasing edge. "But don't expeything fancy. I'm a thief, not a chef."

  Coby ughed, the sound warm and genuine. "I'll take whatever you give me," he replied, his voice carrying a note of siy that made her heart flutter slightly.

  The atmosphere around them was filled with the sounds of celebration, but in their small er atop the roof, a fortable siletled betweehey both looked out over the vilge, watg the flickering lights and the silhouettes of people dang and rejoig.

  After a moment, Nami slid off Coby's p, standing beside him as they tio watch the celebrations. Coby stood as well, stretg his limbs after the intetle and the emotional aftermath. He gnced down at Nami, notig the thoughtful look on her face.

  "You're thinking about your treasure, aren't you?" he asked, his voice gentle, uanding the importance of the moo her.

  Nami nodded, her gaze still fixed on the vilge. "It's more than just money. It's eight years of my life, my hopes, and my mother's memory," she fessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Coby's expression softened. "I know," he said, pg a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "And you have it baow, all of it. You're free, Nami."

  The word 'free' seemed to resoh her, and a small smile graced her lips. "Yeah, I am," she agreed, turning to look up at him. "Thanks to you and the others."

  Coby shook his head slightly. "We all did this together. It's what nakama do," he reminded her, the word nakama carrying a depth of meaning that extended far beyond simple friendship.

  Holding her hand, Coby led Nami towards her house, where he had safely stashed her treasure. The walk was quiet. Nami's mind was a whirlwind of emotions. At first, her cheeks flushed with an embarrassed anticipation, thinking ight have other iions in leading her away. But as they reached her house and he guided her towards where he had hiddereasure, her embarrassment turo a faint sense of disappoi, quickly overshadowed by the sight of her hard-earned money.

  Outside of the house, Coby pulled back a loose rock, revealing the vast stash of Beli that represented eight years of Nami's life. Her eyes wide the sight, a mix of disbelief and relief washing over her. She hesitated for a moment, then, with a joyful cry, she dove into the money, hugging it close. The Beli kled under her embrace, her face filled with pure happiness.

  Coby watched with a satisfied smile, uanding the profound significe of this moment for her. "Seems everything is in order," he remarked, his tone casual but he enjoyed her childish act of swimming in Beli and gold.

  Nami, still immersed ireasure, looked up at him, her eyes shining. "Coby, I... I don't know how to thank you," she stammered, overwhelmed by a wave of gratitude.

  Coby shook his head, dismissihanks with a wave of his hand. "No need for that, Nami. Seeing you like this is more than enough for me," he replied, really meaning it. Only thing that could top it was seeing her naked.

  Returning to the vilge, they joihe celebrations already in full swing. Luffy, with his iious energy and stant hunger, was immediately surrounded by children and adults alike, all eager to feed the heroes who had helped liberate them. His ughter rang out over the crowd as he eagerly accepted every offered dish, his appetite seemingly endless. The vilgers watched in amazement and amusement as Luffy devoured pte after pte, his spirits as high as the piles of empty dishes around him.

  Zoro, leaning against a wall with a calm and cool demeanor, sipped quietly from a bottle of sake offered by a grateful elder. His cool presend the visible scars of battle drew a respectful and slightly awe-inspired crowd. They asked him about his adventures, and while he answered in his typically brief mahere was a sense gdness in his tone as well. After his lose to Mihawk, he was in doubt, but he khe path was long, and he had much to learn and experience.

  Usopp, with his knack for storytelling, had gathered a group of wide-eyed children and adults around him. He regaled them with exaggerated tales of his bravery, his voice rising and falling dramatically with each advehe vilgers listened, captivated aertained, occasionally bursting into ughter asps at the most eous parts of his stories. Usopp basked iention, his chest puffed out proudly as he spun his tales.

  Sanji found himself surrounded by a group of admiring women, charmed by his suave manners and good looks. He flirted and joked, his cigarette hanging casually from his lips as he prepared food for his new admirers. Sanji's ary skills were on full dispy as he whipped up dish after dish, eaet with praise and delight from the crowd.

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