Norton and the others reached land at daybreak the next morning.
As soon as they reached shore, the attendants headed into town to gather supplies for their next voyage.
Sea Kings were faster than ships, but the ride was far from steady. One careless move could send a rider tumbling into the sea.
After reaching land, even the pirates needed a long rest, while the nobles and ladies kept throwing up.
Only Norton and Sanosuke remained composed and unruffled.
Norton had his powerful constitution to thank, while Sanosuke had grown up in all kinds of harsh environments and was long accustomed to them.
"Is Nami still collecting the scattered treasure?" Norton glanced around but saw no sign of her.
When the ship fell apart, the treasure stored in its hold had scattered across the Sea King's back. Nami had been searching for and gathering it since noon the previous day.
Once they reached land, the Sea King fled, and the wreckage sank into the sea. Anyone who wanted to keep searching would have to dive underwater.
"Yes, my lord." Sanosuke bowed humbly. "Shall I bring her back?"
After this ordeal, Sanosuke had come to accept Norton wholeheartedly. Even the way he addressed him had changed.
Norton waved a hand. "Forget it. That money grubber won't be satisfied until she's recovered every last bit of treasure."
"Understood." Sanosuke lowered his head.
Norton wasn't worried about Nami escaping. She could run if she wanted, but she couldn't escape her ties. As long as Cocoyasi Village remained under Arlong's control, she couldn't leave the East Blue.
Norton was waiting for Nami to ask him of her own accord. He intended to win her recognition fair and square through his strength and commanding presence.
Still, it's a shame that stupid fish destroyed the ship, Norton thought.
The ship had already belonged to him, but he had lost it almost as soon as he acquired it. He would have to find another one, or he wouldn't be able to continue his voyage.
The nobles and ladies left one after another, each saying goodbye to Norton before departing.
"Hurry up and get lost, you useless lot." Norton merely waved them away.
The nobles and ladies looked embarrassed, but none argued back. After two days together, they had grown accustomed to Norton's sharp tongue.
"We'll leave the cooks and shipwrights with you. Goodbye, Mr. Norton. Hopefully, we'll never meet again." The nobles and ladies waved farewell.
Of all the nobles, only the duke, whose status was the highest, stayed behind rather than leaving immediately.
Once the other nobles were gone, the duke approached Norton. "Mr. Norton, thank you for everything."
Norton glanced at him. "Why haven't you left yet? Don't tell me you want to join me. I have no room for useless people aboard my ship."
The duke gave an awkward cough. "Of course not... Mr. Norton, your ship has been destroyed. If you wish to set sail again, you'll need a new one. As it happens, I know an excellent shipwright."
"If you wish, I could introduce you."
Norton raised an eyebrow. "So you do have some use after all."
"You're not looking for a chance to swindle back the money you lost, are you?" Just then, a soaking-wet Nami appeared beside Norton and eyed the duke warily.
She had put a tremendous amount of work into gathering that scattered treasure! She had soaked in the water so long that her skin had turned pale.
"Miss, please don't insult me!" The duke frowned. "I have vast holdings. That paltry sum means nothing to me!"
It might have been a considerable fortune to the other nobles, but to the duke, it was a mere drop in the bucket.
Even the passenger ship had belonged to him.
"Good, then," Nami muttered.
Unable to bear the sight of the short-haired, orange-haired girl's money-grubbing expression, the duke turned to Norton. "Please wait a moment, Mr. Norton. Carriages will be here shortly to take us into town."
"Are you from this island?" Nami asked.
"Yes." The duke nodded.
The suspicious Nami rose onto her tiptoes and leaned close to Norton's ear. "Can we really trust this guy? What if he calls someone to arrest us?"
The other pirates were also watching the exchange. They were Norton's men now, so naturally, they would follow him.
"Do you think I'd be afraid?" Norton asked with a smile.
Nami thought it over, then nodded. "Then I'm counting on you to keep me safe!"
After they had waited a few minutes, a whole procession of carriages came charging over the horizon, gradually slowing as it approached.
At last, the carriages rolled smoothly to a stop before them.
A butler dressed in a bespoke formal suit climbed out of a carriage and looked around. The moment he spotted the duke, he hurried eagerly over.
"Your Grace, forgive my late arrival!"
The duke gave a cool hum of acknowledgment, then slowly climbed into the most luxurious carriage with the butler's assistance.
"What a poser! The moment he's back on his own turf, he starts putting on airs!" Nami leaned toward Norton's ear and grumbled under her breath.
Once inside, the duke drew back the curtain and poked his head out of the window. "Please get in, Mr. Norton. Your men may ride as well, but please keep them in line."
Norton nodded and told the pirates, "Everyone, get in!"
The pirates poked around and stared at everything like country bumpkins. It took quite a while for them all to board. The butler's and drivers' faces twitched, and they couldn't hide the contempt in their eyes.
Still, none of them said anything. These were the duke's guests, and it wasn't their place to criticize.
"Sir, won't you get in?" The butler looked at Sanosuke, who was dressed as a ninja.
"No need. Let's go." Sanosuke bent his knees and leaped onto the roof of the last carriage.
Likes showing off, does he? the butler muttered to himself.
Norton and Nami climbed into the duke's carriage, and the procession began moving, picking up speed. The scenery outside streamed backward as the duke drew the curtains shut and lit some incense.
Yet the carriage wasn't dark. The oil lamp on the table and the sunlight filtering through the curtains kept the private compartment softly lit without any harsh glare.
"Where are you taking us?" Nami asked warily.
"To my castle," the duke said softly.
"Aren't you introducing us to a shipwright? Why are we going to your castle?" Norton asked, puzzled.
"The young lady in question is staying at my castle," the duke replied.
"A young lady? Aren't shipwrights all men?" Nami sounded surprised.
Shipbuilding involved a great deal of hard physical labor, so almost all shipwrights were men. Nami had never heard of a woman becoming one.
"There are women, too." The duke poured himself a cup of tea and sighed. "To tell you the truth, Mr. Norton, the shipwright I wish to introduce is my daughter."
"Your daughter?!" Nami exclaimed in shock.
How could a duke's daughter possibly become a shipwright?!
"Interesting." Norton's interest was piqued. "I'm a pirate, you know. Are you planning to hand your daughter over to me?"
"Of course not!" the duke said hastily. "I only want you to take the ship my daughter built!"