Cover
Zoro is sitting in a room drinking beer with a rooster, who has already drunk beyond his limit. Another rooster stands over him, holding one of Zoro’s swords, and also appears to be drunk. A third rooster is smoking a cigarette and reading a newspaper with a picture of Zoro’s profile.
Storyline
East Blue, Conomi: Luffy leaves the others because he doesn’t care about Nami’s past. Zoro tells Nojiko not to pay attention to him and tell them everything, even though it doesn’t change anything for them. However, he falls asleep shortly after. Only Sanji and Usopp are still listening to her intently. Meanwhile, Nami wakes up in her childhood home. She sees a bag of oranges and promises Bell-mère that it won’t take her long to buy back the village and plantation.
Flashback 1514 Anno Maris, Kokos: The village policeman Genzo has grabbed Nami, who has stolen a book from the library because she has no money to buy it. He takes her to Bell-mère, the foster mother of Nami and Nojiko. He talks Bell-mère into raising Nami better, but she sees no reason to take it so seriously. Later, she confronts Nami that she should have asked, then she would have bought her the book. She has saved a little money, but since there are too many oranges on the market lately, there is little money to be made from them. The two kids aren’t supposed to steal anything, though. Nami shows her a nautical map she drew with Conomi some time after, and tells Bell-mère of her dream to draw a map of the world later, after she has sailed all the oceans. As they sit together at dinner, Nojiko asks Bell-mère why she doesn’t eat, who replies to be on an orange diet because it makes the skin very tender. Nojiko sees through the lie, however, and accuses her of not eating because they don’t have enough money.
Bell-mère ends the discussion and shows Nami a new dress she sewed over from Nojiko’s old clothes. Nami is angry because she gets worn out clothes again. Nojiko says that’s just how it is being a younger sister. Nami angrily retorts that they’re not really sisters. Bell-mère hasn’t gotten involved in the argument yet, but when she hears Nami, she gives her a slap. Even though they are not blood relatives, she says, they are family and belong together. Fighting tears, Nami accuses her foster mother of being able to live a better life without the burden of having two children. Enraged, she cries out that she’d rather have been adopted by a rich woman. Bell-mère acts stubborn and forces Nami not to have to live in her house. Nojiko tries to settle the argument, but Nami is already running out of the house. Bell-mère sits down on a chair and apologizes to Nojiko. She asks her to go look for Nami and bring her back. She herself wants to cook a delicious meal.
Kokos: Nami has run to Genzo and wants to move in with him. She thinks Bell-mère would be happier without her because the village hates her because of Nami and she would have more money. Genzo listens to her with amusement. He tells Nami that Bell-mère used to be like her. A sassy, rebellious kid who later left the village and returned as a marine. One stormy day she returned, with two children in her arms. She had refused any help for herself and demanded that the children be treated first. Nami was just a baby at the time and Nojiko three years old. Genzo tells how Bell-mère found the children. She was lying on the ground badly injured and had lost all strength to go on living when Nojiko came to her with Nami in her arms. Nami laughed and the two children caused Bell-mère to want to live on. Nami and Nojiko are more than relatives to her. As Genzo finishes his story, Nojiko shows up to take her home. Suddenly, the big ship of the Arlong gang lands in the harbor. The residents speculate that the Grand Line fish people gang has split up. Genzo tells the two children to hide. Arlong goes ashore with his gang and claims the island as his own.
| Manga volumes | Arlong Park Arc (Manga) |
