'Of all the stupid ideas I've gone along with in my life, this has to rank somewhere near the top!!!'
WHOOOOOOOOSH!!!!
I gripped the railing as we soared through the air, my cloak whipping wildly behind me, and I was using my other hand to stop my hat from flying away.
The giant sea cow that was pulling our small ship crashed at full speed at the shore, the impact launching our ship—and everyone on it—high into the air above the island!
'And naturally, I'm the one who's going to have to figure out how to get us out of this mess.'
The view was amazing, how the greenery of the forest contrasted with the light of the sky, but none of us was in the mood or had any intention to appreciate the view. Well, except for one rubber-brained idiot.
"WOOOOHOOO! THIS IS AWESOME! WE'RE FLYING!!" Luffy's voice cut through the wind, his arms stretched out like he was embracing the entire experience.
Meanwhile…
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!"
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Sanji, Yusako, Delgado, and I were screaming our lungs out.
"HIKIGAYAAA!!!" Sanji's voice cracked with panic. "DO SOMETHING!!"
I turned to look at the cook, his usually pristine appearance now completely disheveled due to our aerial acrobatics.
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?!" I shouted back, my voice barely audible over the rushing wind.
"YOU'RE THE WIZARD HERE! MAKE US FLOAT OR SOMETHING!!" His answer came with wild gesticulations. "WHATEVER IT IS JUST MAGIC SOME SHIT UP!"
"MY MYSTICAL POWERS DOESN'T WORK LIKE THIS!!"
"THERE'S NO TIME FOR THAT!" Yusako shouted. "WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIEEEE!"
"MASTEEEER!" Delgado's face was pale with terror. "WE'RE GONNA BE PANCAAAAAKES!!!"
"I CAN FUCKING SEE THAT!!!" I snapped back, my analytical mind already working through our options.
'We're approximately seventy meters up, falling at an increasing velocity, and our ship is nose-diving toward what looks like solid ground.'
'The ship's going to hit nose-first, which means the impact will drive the bow straight through the deck, and we'll all be crushed by our own vessel before we even hit the ground.'
To adjust our landing and save our lives, I moved to the front of the ship and pulled my custom flintlock while taking a deep breath according to the Hamon rhythm.
The familiar breathing pattern centered my mind, the sun-like ripples flowing through my body like a warm current.
And from the second muzzle of the pistol, the Hamon Ether spread out in the shape of a magic circle, I positioned it parallel to the arc of the bow.
WHOOOOMM!
The intricate shapes within the circle pulsed with ethereal light, casting dancing shadows across our faces.
"What The Hell Is He—" Sanji started.
"Just Let Him Work!" Delgado cut him off. "Master Knows What He's Doing!"
'Do I, though?' I concentrated on maintaining the Hamon flow, sweat beading on my forehead despite the rushing wind.
'This technique was designed for training purposes and as a link for higher ones, not for emergency aircraft control. But then again, most of my life these days involves improvising with whatever tools I have.'
From the magic circle-like Hamon Ether, a fast gust of wind was released as if the Ether turned into some kind of fan.
VOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
The stream of air flowed from the circle with tremendous speed, the sound like a giant's breath being released all at once. The golden light of the Hamon circle flickered and danced as it channeled the wind currents through its ever-changing patterns.
The gust of wind was enough to push the bow of the ship up, making the stern of the ship the first to make contact with the ground.
CRASH! BOOM! CRACK!
We landed on the trees, but with the momentum of the ship still there, we ended up sliding through the forest-like area, crushing all the trees on our path.
Trees snapped like twigs beneath our hull, their branches scraping along the sides of the ship with ear-splitting shrieks. Leaves and bark exploded around us in a storm of green and brown debris.
"Woah! We Landed Safely!" Luffy shouted!
"We're Still Going Too Fast!" Yusako cried out, clinging to the mast for dear life.
'No kidding.' I gritted my teeth as we bounced and careened through the forest. 'At this rate, we'll end up as a ship-shaped crater somewhere in the middle of this island.'
But we were still going at a very fast speed, the ship bucking and jolting with each impact!
Not a few moments later, we emerged from the forest, and just as we emerged, someone was standing right in front of the place where my ship emerged!
'You've got to be kidding me.' I stared at the figure ahead of us, recognizing the distinctive green hair immediately. 'Of all the people to be standing in our crash-landing zone, it had to be him.'
Just one look was enough to tell he was Roronoa Zoro, who clung to the ship that crashed into him like a monkey as if his life depended on it, and it actually did!
THUD!
The impact sent vibrations through the entire ship as Roronoa's body collided with our bow. Somehow, instead of being crushed or thrown aside, he managed to grab onto the ship's bow with what could only be described as superhuman reflexes.
"WHAT THE—!" Zoro's voice was muffled as he pressed his face against the ship's hull, his fingers digging into the wood with desperate strength!
"MASTER!! I THINK WE SLID OVER SOMEONE!!" Delgado's voice cracked with panic.
'Yes, I Noticed!' I glanced down at Zoro's green hair whipping in the wind below us.
The ship was now sliding over a rice field heading towards a hillside.
At this velocity, we'll hit that hillside with enough force to turn this ship into kindling and us into a very unpleasant splatter pattern, and Roronoa would definitely take the full brunt of it!
'OH SHIT!'
I took another deep breath according to the Hamon rhythm, taking out the spare Hamon Ether bottle from my waist bag, and combined it with the already formed Ether circle, doubling its size.
WHOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!!!
The golden circle expanded dramatically, its intricate patterns becoming more complex as the additional Ether merged with the existing formation. The light intensified, casting an almost divine glow across the rice field.
"WHOA!! It Got Bigger!" Luffy's eyes sparkled with childlike wonder. "That's So Cool! How Does It Work? Is It Really Magic?"
'If only it were that simple.'
I focused on maintaining control of the expanded circle, feeling the increased strain on my concentration!
The larger magic circle-like formation was pointed in front of us as I used the same technique again, making a larger gust of wind!
VRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
The enhanced wind stream was tremendous, it sounded like a jet engine for a moment. The force was so intense that it created visible pressure waves in the air, and the rice stalks in the field bent nearly flat from the displaced air currents.
It was a technique that made the Hamon Ether circle act like it was a fan by pushing the air currents phasing through the Ether.
'This technique was never meant for this kind of application.' Sweat dripped down my face as I maintained the complex breathing pattern required.
'It's supposed to be a training technique, and a prototype for a higher one. But desperate times call for creative applications of otherworldly mystical breathing techniques.'
The ship was slowing down, and I grunted as I was using the Propeller technique, which needed a lot of focus and was sticking my legs to the deck with Hamon at the same time.
The dual application of Hamon was like trying to solve a complex math problem while doing gymnastics. Every muscle in my body was tense with concentration, and I could feel the Hamon reserves in the Ether draining rapidly.
'Multi-tasking with mystical energy to survive. Just another day in paradise.' Despite the strain, I maintained both techniques – the wind propulsion and the adhesive effect that kept me anchored to the deck.
"COME ON, MASTER! YOU GOT THIS!" Delgado's voice was filled with the kind of faith that people develop after seeing someone do impossible things repeatedly.
"DEAD-EYE-ANIKI! YOU CAN DO THIS!" 'My Eyes Are Normal, Healthy Eyes!'
"AWESOME! SO COOL!" Luffy bounced excitedly despite our precarious situation. "YOU REALLY ARE LIKE A WIZARD!"
Their enthusiasm is touching, if misplaced. I gritted my teeth against the increasing fatigue.
'Should I use my stand…?'
Using my Stand would definitely stop the ship instantly. The question is whether I want to reveal that particular card yet.
But thankfully, due to my Hamon Propeller and the resistance of the land, the ship slowed down further and further until it stopped a few meters from the hillside.
SCREEEEEECH!
The hull ground against the earth with fingernails on a chalkboard like sound, throwing up clouds of dust and dirt.
SCREEeEEEeEEeEeEeeeeeeech!!!
Finally, mercifully, we came to a complete stop.
Whoooosh!
Every one of us stood still for a few seconds, processing how close to death we had been.
The silence stretched out, broken only by the settling sounds of our abused ship and the distant calls of birds that had been disturbed by our dramatic arrival.
Everyone seemed to be taking inventory of their limbs and checking that they were, in fact, still alive.
I looked around at my fellow air passengers, all of whom seemed to be having their own quiet existential moments. It's like the universe's way of reminding you that existence is fragile and absurd, and sometimes the only appropriate response is stunned silence.
'Well, that's one way to make an entrance.'
I took back the Hamon Ether circle, the golden light fading as I stopped the breathing technique and took back the Ether.
'Not exactly the stealthy arrival I was hoping for, but at least we're all still breathing.'
"Everyone…still has all their pieces?" I called out, slipping the Ether bottle back into my belt pouch. My voice sounded oddly casual considering we'd just survived what should have been a fatal crash.
"I can't... I can't believe we're not dead," Delgado stammered, patting himself down as if checking for missing parts.
Yusako just nodded mutely, his face pale and his hands shaking slightly.
Sanji lit a fresh cigarette with trembling fingers. "That was way too close. Way, way too close."
'At least the cook has his priorities straight.' I observed his ritual of lighting up after a near-death experience. Some people pray, some people cry, some people smoke. Different coping mechanisms for the same fundamental terror of mortality.
And then there was Luffy.
"THAT WAS AMAZING!" The rubber boy laughed with genuine delight, his arms stretched above his head in celebration. "Can we do it again? That was like the best ride ever!"
I felt a vein throbbing in my head from anger when I heard the rubber brain's cheerful laughter, but held myself, as this was also my fault for agreeing with the idea.
'Count to ten, Hachiman. Count to ten and remember that violence solves nothing.' I took a deep breath that had nothing to do with Hamon technique.
'Though in this case, violence might be therapeutic. The kid just treated our near-death experience like a carnival ride. There's optimism, and then there's whatever psychological condition Luffy has.'
Still, I had to admit that his attitude, while infuriating, was probably healthier than my own tendency to find existential dread in everything.
'At least...one of us is enjoying this nightmare of a world.'
I looked under the bow at Roronoa, who was still hanging there, his sword somehow still secured to his waist despite the chaos.
His grip on the ship's hull was so tight that his knuckles had gone white, and there were actual finger-shaped dents in the wood where he'd been holding on.
"Oi! Roronoa, you alive down there?" I called down to him.
He looked up at me with an expression that suggested he was questioning his life choices.
"What the hell were you people doing?" His voice had that strained quality of someone who'd just experienced something beyond their normal scope of insanity.
"I don't know," I replied honestly. "You should ask your Captain." I gestured toward Luffy, who was still grinning like an idiot.
'Good luck getting a coherent answer from that one.'
I jumped from the ship to the land beneath it, and the ship was now resting in what looked like a rice field.
The ground was soft beneath my boots, still muddy from rice fields. The rice plants had been completely flattened in a ship-shaped pattern, creating what was probably the most expensive crop circle in the history of agriculture.
'I'm sure the local farmers are going to be thrilled about this.' I surveyed the destruction we'd caused. 'Nothing says "mysterious sorcerer" quite like crash-landing your ship in someone's livelihood.'
Maybe I should leave some money to pay for the damages.
Examining the hull of the ship, I found out that the keel of the ship was completely scraped out, rendering the ship completely unusable.
The damage was extensive – long gouges in the wood where we'd scraped against rocks and trees, several planks completely missing, and what looked like a keel of a ship one day. It was the kind of damage that would make you buy a new ship.
'Well, that's inconvenient.' I ran my hand along one of the deeper gouges. 'Though I suppose it could be worse. We could be dead. That would be significantly more inconvenient than needing a new ship.'
"It's totaled, Master," Delgado said, shaking his head as he examined the damage. "Hull's completely compromised. Even if we patched the holes, she'd never be seaworthy again." He looked at me hopefully. "Unless... you could maybe magic it back together?"
"Possible, but not at the moment," I replied, adopting the tone I'd learned to use when people asked about my abilities. Vague enough to maintain mystery, specific enough to suggest I knew what I was talking about. "I want to focus on our enemies more."
The main consideration is that I'd rather not use my abilities on a large scale in front of witnesses. I've learned that the less people know about the exact mechanics of my abilities, the more useful they become. Mystery is often more powerful than explanation.
'Besides, we're currently on an island controlled by fishman pirates who would probably love nothing more than to add "The Sorcerer-kun" to their collection of defeated humans.' I glanced around the peaceful-looking rice field, which could be hiding any number of hostile observers.
'If I want to fix it, I would have to carry it in the Box all the way back to the shore. While the risk is most likely small, I would like to focus on the more important matters for now.'
Looking over at Roronoa and Luffy, who were arguing over something.
"Usopp? Oh crap!" Zoro was saying as he finally let go of the ship and dropped to the ground. "Now's not the time to be wasting time!"
"Uh! What's wrong?" Luffy asked.
"That idiot got himself caught by Arlong! If we don't hurry up. He'll be k—"
"IT'S TOO LATE!"
But before Zoro could move further, the other bounty hunter—Johnny is his name, I think—burst through some nearby bushes, looking like someone in genuine distress. His sunglasses were askew, and his clothes were torn.
"It's…already too late!" he declared dramatically, though his voice cracked slightly.
"Johnny?" Luffy's voice had lost its playful tone entirely.
"Usopp-aniki is..." Johnny's voice broke as he spoke, actual tears streaming down his cheeks from behind his sunglasses. "USOPP-ANIKI IS DEAD! That woman... that Witch Nami... SHE KILLED HIM IN COLD BLOOD!"
'Well, that's unexpected.' I felt a cold shock run through me.
'I don't remember much of the original plot, but I'm pretty sure Usopp doesn't die here. Which means either my presence has changed things, or Johnny is mistaken, or...'
The possibility that my butterfly effect had actually gotten someone killed was deeply disturbing. For all my cynicism about this world and its inhabitants, I'd never intended for anyone to die because of my actions.
'This is bad. Very bad.' My mind raced through the implications.
My hands were actually shaking slightly as I pulled the Sparrow Compass from my pocket. The familiar weight of it was reassuring, but the implications of what I might find were terrifying.
'Please be alive, you long-nosed coward.' I opened the compass with more urgency than I'd felt in months. 'If you're dead because of something I did or didn't do, I'm going to have to live with that for the rest of my time in this hellscape.'
The Compass gave me directions, the counter gave me the distance, and the sundial above the compass disk was totally lit, indicating that he was in good condition.
And the stars in the star chart on the lid were bright, which, from what I understood, meant that the path to his location was safe, much to my relief that the long-nosed boy wasn't dead.
'Thank whatever god governs this insane world.' The relief was so intense that I actually felt my knees go slightly weak.
'He's alive. Not just alive, but in good condition and apparently safe. Which means either Johnny is wrong, or this is some kind of elaborate misunderstanding.'
Over the past two years, I had come to understand that this compass was actually different from the Sparrow Compass in the movies.
'And thank God for that difference.' I studied the compass readings with practiced familiarity. 'A simple directional compass would be useful, but this enhanced version has saved my life more times than I can count.'
Unlike the one in the movie, which could only give you the direction of what you wanted, this one gave you the direction, distance, state of the target through the sundial, and the safety of the path through the star chart on the lid.
The sundial was completely shining, indicating optimal condition. The distance counter suggested Usopp was relatively close –a few kilometers.
And the star chart... well, I still couldn't read most of it, but the general brightness pattern usually meant the path was clear of immediate dangers.
'Divination through the stars was never in a school subject, even after I got transported to a world where mystical compasses actually work.' I traced one of the brighter star patterns with my finger. 'But I've learned to read the basic indicators. Bright stars generally mean good, dim stars mean caution, and no stars mean "you're probably going to die if you go that way."'
I didn't exactly understand why the Compass was different from its movie counterpart. I was aware it had something to do with my Stand's exchange ability.
'The Stand's exchange system is still mostly a mystery to me. I asked for Jack Sparrow's compass, but what I got was something more powerful and more complex.'
Which suggests that the Stand doesn't just copy things exactly – it interprets requests and provides something of equivalent or greater value depending on what it is given. But I still didn't know what value system the Stand ran with.
'Power, utility, rarity, symbolic significance, plot importance...' The possibilities were endless and mostly useless for predicting what the Stand would do next. 'For all I know, it operates on some cosmic joke principle where everything I get is technically what I asked for but with unexpected complications.'
Unless I get lucky to discover a hint or do some kind of extended research for years, I will get nowhere.
While I was still at it, I also checked where my Barbossa sword was, and found that it was somewhere in the Arlong Park that could be seen from here, judging from the direction and distance the compass was giving.
'Of course, it's in the heavily fortified base of the fishman pirates.' I looked toward the distinctive architecture visible in the distance.
'Because getting my property back or doing anything in this world is never simple. It's always "infiltrate the enemy stronghold," or "fight the pirate army," or "navigate that dangerous sea." Just once, I'd like to find something important just lying around unguarded.'
I also checked where the direction of our money was, and to my surprise, I found that it was in the opposite direction of the sword, like it was somewhere in the village.
'Interesting.' The compass was pointing toward what looked like a small coastal village.
'So Nami has the money. Which means she either hasn't delivered the payment to Arlong yet—because I am sure she got a huge amount of money enough to finish her deal with Arlong—or she's keeping the money for some other reason.'
For whatever reason, Nami hadn't given the money to Arlong yet, and from what bits I remembered from the manga, it would be stolen soon.
'Right, the corrupt marines.' Fragments of the plot came back to me. 'They're supposed to steal all of Nami's money just before she can buy her village's freedom. Which means we're getting close to the climax of this event.'
When I decided to check where Nami's location was, I found that she was surprisingly very close, and the sundial had part of it being dark, which usually indicated an injury.
'She's hurt?' I looked up from the compass, scanning the area around us. 'Close, injured, and... there.'
But when I looked in that direction, I found her moving toward us, looking surprisingly fine.
'The compass says she's injured, but she looks unharmed.' I studied Nami as she approached, trying to reconcile the conflicting information. 'Either the injury is minor, or she's very good at hiding it.'
"YOU'RE LYING!" Luffy's voice had an edge to it that I didn't hear before. "NAMI WOULD NEVER KILL USOPP! THEY'RE BOTH MY CREWMATES!"
"It is okay if you don't want to believe it…!" Johnny wiped his tears with his sleeve but maintained his dramatic posture. "I was there! I watched that witch put a blade through Usopp-aniki's guts! He fell into the ocean and didn't come back up!"
'Either this Johnny is a very good actor, or he genuinely believes what he's saying.' I observed his body language and vocal patterns. 'The tears seem real, the distress is consistent, and he's providing specific details.'
'But the compass says Usopp is alive and well. So either Johnny is mistaken about what he saw, or this is some kind of elaborate deception.'
"Just who did you call crewmates, Luffy?" It was then that Nami was close enough for us to hear, drawing everyone's attention to her approach.
"Nami!" Luffy's face lit up when he saw her, completely ignoring Johnny's accusations.
Now that she was close, I could see her features clearly.
She was…undeniably beautiful—the kind of beauty that would make men do stupid things and women either hate her or want to be her.
Bright orange hair that caught the sunlight like spun gold, brown eyes that seemed to hold both intelligence and secrets, and a figure that was... well, let's just say she was well-endowed in all the right places.
'Focus, Hachiman.' I mentally slapped myself. 'You're in the middle of a potentially hostile situation with a woman who robbed you and may or may not have just committed murder. This is not the time to be appreciating her physical attributes.'
She was also on the taller side for a woman, nearly as tall as I had been when I first arrived in this world, but I'd gained around 10 centimeters in height since then.
'But that expression.' I recognized it immediately because I'd worn it myself countless times. 'It's the look of someone who's trying to hurt others before they can be hurt themselves. The defensive cruelty of someone who's protecting something precious by sacrificing everything else.'
It was a familiar expression because it was one I'd perfected during my own darker moments – the calculated coldness designed to drive people away for their own good. Or what you convinced yourself was their own good.
"Why did you come to this island?" Nami's voice was steady, but I could hear the slight tremor underneath. She was working hard to maintain her composure.
"Because you're my crewmate!" Luffy replied without hesitation. "I came to bring you back!"
'Back, huh…?' The word hung in the air with more weight than it should have. 'For Luffy, 'back' isn't a place, it's the people around him. For Nami... well, home is probably the village she's trying to save.'
"It was just temporary cooperation," she said, each word carefully chosen to inflict maximum damage. "You're nothing but a nuisance to me now."
'Ouch.' Even knowing this was probably an act, the words had bite to them. 'She's very good at this. The tone, the dismissive body language, the way she's looking at him like he's something unpleasant she stepped in. If I didn't know better, I'd believe she meant every word.'
"How could you kill Usopp-aniki like that, you witch!" Johnny's voice cracked with renewed emotion. "He trusted you! We all did!"
Nami turned to him with that same cold expression. "And what are you going to do about it?" Her voice was flat, almost bored. "Do you want revenge? Because if you do, you're welcome to try."
Johnny actually took a step back, his bravado crumbling in the face of her direct challenge.
'Interesting. She's not denying the accusation, just daring him to do something about it. Looks like someone had a lot of trust in this island's oppressors, or most likely, it is just deep trauma.'
"Because of Zoro's idiotic stunt," she continued, gesturing dismissively toward Roronoa.
"Arlong wants all of you dead now. And no matter how monstrously strong you may be, you can't compare to real monsters." The shrug she gave at the end was perfectly calculated – casual indifference to their potential deaths. "Well, not like I care what happens to any of you anyway."
'Real monsters, she said? So, it was trauma.' I considered her words.
She's not wrong. Arlong and his band of fishmen are significantly more dangerous than most of the pirates I've encountered in East Blue. Not to mention whoever is using my sword right now.
'But her calling him a "real monster" suggests she's either genuinely afraid of him, or she wants us to be afraid of him. Probably both.'
The performance was impressive, but I was starting to see the cracks in it.
The tension around her eyes that suggested she was fighting some internal battle. The fact that she was trying too hard to sound casual about their potential deaths.
And the way her hand was gloved and always still at her side, like it was hurting, and what looked like bandages underneath the glove.
'So, is that what happened?'
Suddenly, someone decided it was time to make his introduction.
"Ah! Nami-san!" Sanji practically glided forward. I watched his transformation from a competent person to a hopeless romantic with the kind of morbid fascination usually reserved for train wrecks.
'And here comes the lovesick cook! The man has hearts literally appearing in his eyes. Because nothing says "appropriate timing" quite like hitting on a woman who just allegedly committed murder.'
"Please, sail with us! Your beauty could light up the darkest seas!"
I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on.
'In a world where people can stretch like rubber and breathe life energy, the cook's ability to manifest cartoon hearts when he sees a pretty woman somehow still strikes me as the most unrealistic thing I've witnessed.'
"Oi! Shut up!" Roronoa growled, his hand moving instinctively toward his sword hilts. "Can't you see you're making things more complicated by butting in?"
"Huh? Don't you know that love is a hurricane?" Sanji spun around to face Roronoa, his demeanor shifting from romantic to combative in an instant. "It cannot be contained or controlled! It strikes like lightning!"
'Love is a hurricane.' I stared at Sanji with the kind of expression usually reserved for people who make stupid claims.
'He just used a weather metaphor to justify hitting on someone during a murder accusation. And he said it with complete sincerity. I'm starting to think the rubber boy isn't the only one with brain damage on this crew.'
Roronoa turned back to Nami as if Sanji hadn't spoken at all, which only served to make the cook's eye twitch with suppressed rage.
"Where is Usopp?" His voice was deadly serious, the kind of tone that suggested he was prepared to cut down anyone who gave him an unsatisfactory answer.
"At the bottom of the ocean," Nami replied with the same casual indifference she'd shown earlier. No hesitation, no change in expression, just a flat statement delivered like she was commenting on the weather.
SHING!
"I've had enough of this," Roronoa's voice was low and dangerous as he bounced forward with his sword drawn.
'And there's the swordsman's solution to complex emotional situations. When in doubt, draw your sword and threaten to cut the problem in half. It's simple, direct, and completely misses the point of what's actually happening here.'
WHOOSH!
Sanji's leg cut through the air where Roronoa's head had been a moment before, the cook's dress shoe missing by millimeters.
"Don't you dare raise a weapon against a lady!" Sanji's voice had taken on that particular tone of righteous fury that he reserved for anyone who threatened a woman, regardless of the circumstances.
Roronoa twisted away from the kick and immediately brought his sword up in a defensive position. "Stay out of this, cook! This woman just admitted to killing our friend!"
"I don't care what she did!" Sanji declared, lighting a fresh cigarette with practiced ease despite being in a combat stance. "A true gentleman never raises a hand against a woman!"
'A true gentleman never raises a hand against a woman.' I stared at them with the kind of weary resignation that comes from watching people prioritize their personal codes over practical reality.
Meanwhile, the woman in question is standing right there, probably planning her next move while these two argue about chivalry versus justice.
"You're both idiots," I muttered under my breath, though apparently not quietly enough because Delgado nodded in agreement beside me.
Seeing that the talk was not advancing, I stepped forward.
'Enough of this nonsense.' I moved past the arguing cook and swordsman, my boots tapping against the unpaved road.
'I don't have time for dramatic revelations, romantic posturing, or philosophical debates about the proper treatment of alleged murderers.'
"Oi! Woman," I said, addressing Nami directly while pointingly ignoring the ongoing argument behind me. "I don't know what kind of relationship you have with these people, and frankly, I'm not interested in finding out."
'Keep it simple, Hachiman. Business transaction. No emotional investment.' I met her eyes directly, using the same tone I'd perfected for dealing with unreasonable people and hostile pirates. 'Professional, direct, and just threatening enough to be taken seriously.'
"But you stole my money," I continued, my voice carrying the kind of casual authority that I'd learned to project when dealing with people who might try to take advantage of me.
"And I want it all back."
…
A/N: That's it for now.
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