Later that day, another island gradually appeared on the horizon ahead of the White Dragon. According to their nautical map, they had entered the waters of the Conomi Islands.
The Conomi Archipelago was comprised of roughly twenty small, peaceful villages. Nami's hometown, Cocoyasi Village, was one of them. Geopolitically, this entire sector fell under the jurisdiction of the Navy's East Blue 16th Branch.
In the original timeline, the only reason the Arlong Pirates were able to violently conquer and tyrannize this region for eight agonizing years was due to the corrupt Captain Nezumi of the 16th Branch actively covering up their atrocities for a cut of the profits.
But right now, Arlong was still rotting in an Impel Down cell, and Cocoyasi Village remained a perfectly peaceful, tranquil little farming community.
The White Dragon dropped its anchor near the shores of Cocoyasi Village, and Bardock's crew disembarked. The local villagers had spotted their massive white galleon approaching from a distance. However, until they could definitively confirm whether the newcomers were merchants or ruthless pirates, none of the adults dared to approach the docks.
Well, almost no one.
A tiny, incredibly bold little girl with bright orange hair bravely marched up to them.
"Are you guys here to buy tangerines?!" she asked, her small hands clutching the hem of her shirt, staring up at Bardock with intense, nervous anticipation. "Our family grows the absolute most delicious tangerines in the entire village!"
She looked absolutely terrified that they might say no.
Bardock knew exactly why she was so desperate. Because Bell-mère was determined to provide a good life for Nami and Nojiko, the retired Marine spent absolutely every single Belly she earned on her two adopted daughters. The family was so incredibly destitute that Bell-mère couldn't even afford proper meals for herself. She frequently survived by eating nothing but her own tangerines, to the point where the skin on her hands was actively turning yellow from a severe vitamin imbalance. Nami desperately wanted to help her mother.
Bardock instantly recognized the little girl. At this point in time, Nami wasn't the infamous, cunning 'Cat Burglar' of the Straw Hat Pirates. She was just an innocent, fiercely loyal 'little kitten'.
Who could have possibly guessed that this harmless, sweet little girl would grow up to be the terrifying navigator who frequently beat the future Pirate King so brutally that his own mother wouldn't recognize him?
"I'm going to go buy some tangerines," Bardock said, suddenly feeling a surge of profound amusement. He looked back at his crew and delivered a deadpan translation of a famous, highly specific internet meme from his past life. "You guys wait here. Don't move around."
Robin and the others stared at Bardock in utter bewilderment. The phrasing sounded bizarrely paternal and completely out of context, but deciding not to overthink their Captain's eccentricities, they simply nodded.
Hearing that Bardock actually wanted to buy her fruit, Nami jumped into the air with absolute joy. "Yay! That's wonderful! Come this way! Our tangerines are all freshly picked! They're super juicy and sweet, I promise you'll love them!"
Nami practically skipped ahead to lead the way, completely transforming into a tiny, hyper-energetic salesperson as she endlessly praised her family's crop.
Following behind her, Bardock noted that Bell-mère's tangerine orchard was located quite a distance outside the main village's protective borders. It was a good thing Bell-mère was a highly trained, battle-hardened former Marine who possessed the combat skills to protect herself. Otherwise, a single mother living alone in the wilderness with two little girls would be incredibly dangerous.
"BELL-MÈRE!" Nami began screaming excitedly at the top of her lungs before they even reached the house. "I BROUGHT A CUSTOMER!"
Hearing the commotion, a woman with a tough, punk-rock undercut and a lit cigarette dangling from her lips stepped out of the modest house. A young girl with light blue hair—Nojiko—trailed closely behind her.
"Oh my! Look at you, Nami! You're absolutely amazing! You're already helping the family sell our harvest!" Bell-mère praised warmly, gently affectionately ruffling Nami's orange hair.
Receiving her mother's praise, Nami's eyes crinkled into happy little crescents, absolutely beaming with pride.
Bell-mère then turned her attention to Bardock, her merchant smile firmly in place. "Welcome, customer! How many tangerines were you looking to buy today? The harvest has been exceptionally good this year. We can pick them straight from the trees for you. I guarantee they are completely fresh and perfectly sweet."
Bardock looked past the house at the sprawling orchard. The vibrant green trees were heavily burdened with plump, bright orange fruit. It truly looked like an excellent crop.
"I'd like to taste one first, if you don't mind," Bardock said politely. "If I'm satisfied with the quality, I'll be placing a massive order."
"Of course! Please, help yourself! Taste as many as you'd like!" Bell-mère gestured grandly, possessing absolute, unwavering confidence in the quality of her life's work.
Bardock reached out, plucked a bright tangerine directly from a nearby branch, peeled it, and popped a slice into his mouth. It was exactly as Bell-mère promised—incredibly sweet, bursting with refreshing juice, and possessing a perfect, tangy snap.
He nodded approvingly. "These are fantastic. I'll have my crew come up here and help you pick them."
Instead of pulling out a Den Den Mushi, Bardock simply looked up at the empty sky and spoke directly into the air. "Enel. Tell everyone to come up to the orchard."
Nami and Nojiko huddled together behind their mother, exchanging confused whispers.
"Who is he talking to?" Nojiko whispered, looking around. "There's literally no one else here." "Who cares?!" Nami whispered back fiercely, her eyes shining with Belly symbols. "As long as he buys all our tangerines, he can talk to ghosts for all I care!"
Bardock merely chuckled at their hushed conspiracy and began casually chatting with Bell-mère about the local weather and crop yields.
A few minutes later, Enel and the rest of the White Dragon crew arrived at the orchard.
"Whoa! Look! Tiny people! And a raccoon dog standing on two legs!" Nojiko gasped in absolute shock, staring wide-eyed at Leo, Mansherry, and Chopper.
"Eh?! They really are tiny! I didn't even notice them!" Nami added, her jaw dropping.
"I'M NOT A RACCOON DOG, YOU BASTARDS! I'M A REINDEER!" Chopper instantly roared, furiously waving his hooves in the air.
"A-Ah! I'm so sorry!" Nojiko immediately bowed, apologizing with genuine sincerity.
Faced with a genuine, polite apology from a little girl, Chopper instantly melted. He blushed furiously, waving his hooves in frantic embarrassment. "N-No, it's fine! Don't worry about it!"
"Aww! He is so incredibly cute!" Nami and Nojiko squealed in unison, their eyes sparkling with stars as they looked at the bashful reindeer.
"S-SHUT UP! Even if you praise me, it doesn't make me happy at all, you bastards~!" Chopper cursed, completely failing to hide his massive, goofy grin as he broke out into his signature, wiggly noodle dance.
Watching the bizarre, adorable spectacle, a wave of warm, genuine laughter erupted from the entire crew and Bell-mère's family.