stonecrandall Page 59
Page 59
"I have to go!" Nami hurriedly stood up, glancing reluctantly at the sea chart. "Can I come back tomorrow?"
"You're welcome anytime," Robin said with a smile.
Nami ran a few steps, then turned back and secretly slipped an orange to Robin: "This is a thank-you gift!"
Watching her cheerful figure disappear into the distance, Guina raised an eyebrow: "That child is quite interesting."
Robin gently stroked the pages: "A heart yearning to explore the world cannot be confined."
Liu Jiu stood at the door, gazing into the direction where Nami had disappeared, his eyes filled with longing.
From that day on, Nami became a regular at the cabin. She always arrived with countless questions and left with new knowledge. Sometimes she inquired about navigation, and sometimes she was curious about the customs and cultures of the outside world.
As she learned more, she gradually developed different ideas about the small village ruled by the dragon.
Perhaps we can buy Cocoyasi Village from the evil dragon!
A few days later, Nami ran excitedly into the cabin, her face flushed with excitement.
"I've got a great idea!" she announced eagerly. "I'm going to make a deal with the dragon!"
Kuina, who was wiping the blade, paused, and Robin also looked up from between the pages of the book.
"I'll buy Cocoyasi Village for 100 million Berries!" Nami's eyes lit up. "Then everyone will be free!"
A brief silence fell over the room.
Kuina and Robin exchanged a glance, both with indescribable expressions on their faces.
"You..." Kuina chose her words carefully, "Are you serious?"
"Of course!" Nami nodded vigorously. "Arlong and the others just want money, right? As long as we gather 100 million Berries..."
Robin gently closed the book: "Do you think a pirate crew that lives by plunder would abide by such an agreement?"
"Why not?" Nami retorted, unconvinced. "This is a fair trade!"
Kuina couldn't help but facepalm: "Kid, are you trying to reason with pirates?"
"But..." Nami wanted to argue.
"No buts." Kuina interrupted her, "If pirates kept their word, would they still be pirates?"
Nami's face fell, but her eyes remained defiant: "We have to try! What if they agree?"
Robin sighed. "Do you know what the Arlong Pirates have been doing in the East Blue all these years?"
"They..." Nami was speechless.
"Raiding villages, trafficking people, killing those who resist," Robin calmly listed. "Do you think a pirate crew like that would lay down their weapons for just 100 million Berries?"
Nami bit her lip, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.
Kuina sheathed her sword, her tone unusually serious: "Listen, kid. Some enemies can't be appeased with money."
"What should we do?" Nami looked up, her eyes filled with confusion.
This time, it was Liu Jiu, who had just come out from the inner room, who answered her:
"Use force. If you've thought it through, you can contact us anytime!"
His voice was very soft, yet it sent a shiver down Nami's spine.
Nami glanced at Liu Jiu, then at the sword at Kuina's waist, and finally her gaze fell on Robin's books that contained knowledge from all over the world.
She seemed to understand something, yet she also seemed even more confused.
"I...I'll head back now."
Watching Nami's dejected departure, Kuina shook her head: "Has this child gone mad from reading too much?"
Robin said thoughtfully, "She just really wanted to protect the village."
Liu Jiu stood by the window, gazing in the direction Nami had gone, his eyes deep in thought.
After that day, Nami didn't come to the cabin for a whole week.
When she reappeared, she was carrying a stack of meticulously drawn nautical charts.
"You're right," she said, spreading the chart on the table, "so I've decided to try a different approach."
The nautical chart shows the layout of Dragon Park, the patrol routes of the fish-men, and even the tide times in detail.
"This is the result of my observations over the past week," Nami said, pointing to the blueprints. "If we're going to take action, it's best to do it on a night with high tide."
Kuina and Robin looked at her in surprise.
"You..." Guina didn't know what to say for a moment.
Nami grinned slyly: "Since we can't buy the village, then we'll ask for your help in defeating the dragon!"
She turned to Liu Jiu, her eyes resolute: "Uncle, is there anything I can do for you?"
The sea breeze rustled the window curtains, carrying the sweet fragrance of the orange grove.
The orange-haired girl's growth rate exceeded everyone's expectations.
Chapter 65 Nami's Deal
That afternoon, when Moo Moo the manatee strolled to the vicinity of the hut as usual, Nami, who was studying the sea chart, suddenly stood up, her face turning pale instantly.
"It's a manatee from the dragon's gang!" she whispered in alarm. "What's it doing here? Is it here to spy on us?"
Kuina continued wiping the sword without looking up: "Don't be nervous, it's just a glutton."
As if to prove her point, Moo Moo twitched its wet nose and stared longingly at the plate of oranges on the table outside, its saliva almost dripping onto the ground.
Robin gently pushed the fruit plate: "It comes to freeload every few days."
Nami stared in disbelief as the manatee clumsily pawed at the threshold with its pectoral fins; its endearing appearance was completely at odds with its status as an "accomplice of a vicious pirate."
"But it's a servant of the dragon!"
"To be precise, it's a pet of the evil dragon." Kuina casually tossed an orange over.
Moo Moo nimbly caught it, let out a cheerful "Moo," and swallowed the orange, peel and all, in a few bites. After finishing, it looked at Guina with expectant eyes, its tail slapping the ground in a cheerful rhythm.
Nami hesitated for a moment, then picked up an orange and carefully approached the manatee to feed it. Moo Moo immediately lowered its head obediently, letting Nami stroke its rough skin.
"You see," Guina shrugged, "this guy only thinks about food. You can take him out to play anytime you want."
Nami tentatively walked towards the sea, and Moo followed behind her, wobbling along. When they reached the shallows, it even bent down, gesturing for Nami to sit on it.
"Is it taking me for a drive?" Nami turned around in surprise.
Robin followed behind, smiling and nodding. "It seems it likes you very much."
Under the sunlight, the manatee carried Nami leisurely along the nearshore waters. The orange-haired girl's silvery laughter drifted back to the shore on the sea breeze.
When Nami returned to the cabin, soaking wet, a long-lost bright smile graced her face: "It's so gentle! Completely different from those fish-men!"
Kuina tossed her a dry towel: "I told you, he's just a big, dumb oaf."
From that day on, MooMoo became Nami's personal mount. Sometimes it carried her to measure the coastline, sometimes it accompanied her to practice swimming, and occasionally it would help her retrieve some unusual seashells from the deep sea.
That day, as Nami was drawing the coastline on MooMoo's back, she suddenly thought of something: "Since MooMoo is so obedient, could we...?"
Her eyes lit up, and she hurried back to the cottage.
"I have a new plan!" she exclaimed excitedly, unfurling her newly drawn nautical chart. "We can get MooMoo's help!"
The nautical chart clearly marks Moomoo's activity route and the defensive loopholes in Dragon Park.
Kuina and Robin exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.
This orange-haired girl always seems to bring unexpected surprises.
Robin asked, somewhat puzzled, "What do you need it for?"
Kuina looked at Nami's meticulously drawn sea chart, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Go ahead and do it if you want. We'll cover for you."
Nami's eyes lit up, but then worry returned: "But what about Arlong and the others..."
"We already know their strengths and weaknesses." Kuina casually twirled her sword. "Those fish-men are indeed stronger than ordinary pirates, but that's about it."
Robin thought for a moment and added, "Based on observation, Arlong's arm strength is about ten times that of an ordinary human, Croobi is proficient in Fish-Man Karate, Chu's saliva shot is quite powerful, and Hachi's Six-Sword Style is also quite remarkable."
Nami was stunned: "How do you know so much?"
"We didn't stay here for nothing," Guina scoffed. "Watching them swagger around on the island every day, we've been itching to get our hands on them."
"Then why haven't you made a move yet?" Nami asked anxiously.
At this moment, Liu Jiu came out from the inner room and calmly replied, "We're waiting for the right opportunity."
"The Arlong Pirates have been operating in the East Blue for many years, and they may have connections to many other forces," Robin explained. "Taking action rashly would not be a wise decision. It's said that everything the Arlong Pirates do is legal, and they have close ties to the Shichibukai Jinbe!"
Kuina patted Nami on the shoulder: "Don't worry, we'll definitely take care of the Arlong Pirates ourselves before we leave."
Nami found it hard to believe. Everyone, from the villagers to Bellemere, told her that pirates were all bad people.
"Legal?" Her voice rose in shock. "How can it be legal for those fishmen to burn, kill, and plunder, extorting money from us every month?"
Robin calmly closed the book in her hand: "The World Government granted the Seven Warlords of the Sea special privileges, and their subordinates were naturally protected as well."
"What are the Seven Warlords of the Sea?" Nami asked blankly.
"They're legal pirates recognized by the World Government," Kuina interjected, her tone laced with sarcasm. "As long as they hand over a portion of their treasure on time, they can obtain a license for legal plundering."
Nami's face instantly drained of color: "So... Arlong and the others are allowed to do whatever they want?"
"That's certainly true in theory," Robin nodded. "That's one of the reasons we haven't acted yet. Directly confronting a Shichibukai's subordinates would attract the Navy's pursuit."
Nami slumped into a chair, her hands trembling slightly: "Is there really no other way?"
"It's not like there's no way out."
Liu Jiu's voice made Nami suddenly raise her head.
"Lure out the forces that are colluding with the evil dragon and eliminate them all at once."
Guina's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea. It saves us the trouble of searching for them one by one later."
A flicker of interest crossed Robin's eyes: "If that's the case, it'll probably take quite a while. Putting aside the risk of being dismembered as an undercover agent, secretly gathering information will have to wait until the Arlong Pirates themselves reveal a weakness."
Nami, however, volunteered to take on the task: "Leave this to me!"