Nami's pov
The warm coastal breeze drifted through Port Vellora's streets, carrying the scent of fried seafood and fruit. It should have been a relaxing day. The sun was gentle. The locals were friendly. The crew was finally getting a moment to breathe after weeks at sea.
But something about today made Nami's skin crawl.
She walked through the town square with a small pouch of coins, pretending to browse maps from a shady cart vendor. But her eyes weren't focused on the parchment in front of her. They were watching her crewmates.
Robin sat on a shaded bench with a book, just as she always did. Calm. Graceful. Unreadable.
But that was the problem.
Robin had barely spoken to her since morning. No witty comments. No subtle observations. Just a short nod and a glance she didn't quite understand.
Zoro was across the street, leaning against a wall. Normally he didn't care about anything unless it involved swords, booze, or naps. Today, though, his hand rested lightly on one blade as he scanned the rooftops. Not relaxed. Not tired.
He was watching for something.
Sanji was even stranger. He'd brought her coffee earlier, sure. But he hadn't hovered. Hadn't flirted. Hadn't even offered to carry her weather bag, and that man would normally throw himself off a cliff if she looked slightly inconvenienced.
"What are you three hiding?"
Nami kept walking. She didn't ask. Not yet. She knew how to read tides. And the current between her and her crewmates had shifted.
She spotted him again near the clock tower.
Kael.
He was hard to miss, even if he didn't draw attention. White hair like snow. Blue eyes. A face that was... forgettable in some ways, yet sharp in others. Average looks, average build. But there was nothing average about the way he stood perfectly still, like the whole world was in motion except him.
He leaned against the base of the tower, looking down at the market with the gaze of someone who wasn't buying, wasn't shopping, and wasn't curious.
He was watching.
"That's who Zoro was focused on. Robin too. Kael. Who are you?"
Luffy had spoken with him once or twice, she remembered. Casual conversations. Laughing, even. Luffy talked to everyone like they were already friends. But Nami had seen the way Kael didn't laugh back. Not truly. He nodded. Smiled faintly. Then disappeared.
Now he was here again.
She turned a corner casually, slipping behind a food stall. Then another, weaving between booths like a shopping tourist. But her gaze stayed on Kael. He hadn't moved. Hadn't shifted. Still watching.
"Why hasn't anyone told me anything? Why are they acting like he doesn't matter? Or like they can't say why he does?"
Nami ducked behind a pillar and pulled out her den-den mushi. No signal. Not unusual this far from the ship. But still—the unease was growing. Thick and slow like fog on the sea.
She decided to circle closer.
Kael left the tower after another ten minutes. No sudden move. Just turned and walked. Not toward the Straw Hats, but into a quieter part of town.
Nami followed.
She kept her distance, two streets over at first, watching from gaps between hanging laundry and alley walls. She was good at this. Sneaking. Spying. Calculating.
Kael didn't look back once.
He moved like someone with no fear of being followed. Or maybe someone who always knew when he was.
"He's not heading anywhere random... He's leading."
She turned again, taking a higher path onto a sloped rooftop, stepping carefully across ceramic tiles warmed by the afternoon sun. From here, she could see him cut into an abandoned courtyard near the edge of the old district. Cracked stone. Overgrown grass. No signs. No people.
Nami narrowed her eyes.
"Why here? What are you doing, Kael? What are you looking for?"
And then—he stopped.
Not because he saw her.
Because someone else stepped into view.
A third figure. She couldn't make out the face. Cloaked. Moving too quickly. No sound.
Kael didn't move. He looked at the figure. Then turned.
"What the hell—"
Nami stepped back too fast.
Her foot slipped on the edge of a loose tile. Her ankle twisted. Her balance tilted. She caught herself, barely, against a chimney stack.
A gust of wind took her hood.
"No—no no no—"
Too late.
The third figure looked up.
And vanished.
Nami turned to run.
She made it one rooftop away.
Then everything went black.
Far below, Kael stared at the spot where Nami had stood.
He didn't move.
Didn't call out.
Didn't follow.
"She wasn't supposed to see this."
"They'll blame me."
"This isn't what I wanted."
But he still didn't move.
The storm had started.
And Kael had made himself the eye.