The Pirate World is a world full of fantasy and madness, yet it also has inexplicable absurdities, especially in the realm of emotions, where women always seem to be more susceptible to deception.
Take Portgas D. Rouge, Ace's mother, for example. Her beauty, while not enough to topple kingdoms, was still rare, and she was in the prime of her youth.
Yet, she fell in love with Gol D. Roger, a man old enough to be her father.
Whenever Yun Lie thought of this, he couldn't help but wonder to himself, what kind of charm did Gol D. Roger possess to make Rouge so infatuated?
Was it his age, weathered by the passage of time, or those two tufts of large nose hair that swayed freely in the wind?
To Yun Lie, all of this seemed incredibly unbelievable.
And Usopp's mother, her plight was equally regrettable.
Usopp's father, Yasopp, for the sake of so-called 'love for freedom,' 'the call of the pirate flag,' and 'the pursuit of his own dreams,' unhesitatingly chose to abandon his wife and son, embarking on the path of becoming a pirate.
In Yun Lie's eyes, this was undoubtedly an extremely irresponsible act.
However, the most outrageous part was that Usopp's mother, until her last breath, showed no hint of regret; everything was so willingly accepted.
This distorted concept of emotion is not an isolated case in this Pirate World; similar stories are constantly unfolding, making Yun Lie sigh, 'This is a sick world, where people's worldviews have long been different from ordinary people.'
In this absurd world, Yun Lie has his own persistence and pursuits.
He deeply knows that since he has transmigrated here, he cannot let this wonderful encounter go to waste.
And Nojiko's appearance has given his heart new concerns.
"Nojiko, let's set sail together!"
Yun Lie looked at Nojiko beside him, his eyes filled with determination, and he spoke without hesitation.
In his heart, since Nojiko had become an important person in his life, he would never abandon her like those irresponsible men. This adventurous sea was waiting for them to explore.
Nojiko was startled when she heard this, then reached up to touch her eyes, asking with disbelief, "Eh? Are you a pirate!?"
Because the Arlong Pirates had been lording over this sea area for years, cruelly oppressing Coco Village, Nojiko had an extremely poor impression of pirates. In her mind, pirates were synonymous with burning, killing, and looting.
Yun Lie quickly and earnestly explained, "I am not a pirate. Pirates are just a bunch of scumbags who plunder everywhere under the guise of freedom. I am a traveler, or rather, an adventurer. Are you willing to set sail and adventure with me?"
His eyes were full of anticipation, hoping to gain Nojiko's approval.
Nojiko's big eyes instantly lit up when she heard Yun Lie's explanation, as if she saw a glimmer of new hope, but they quickly dimmed again. Her tone was a bit low: "But I'm very weak, not as strong as you. Going out to sea will only drag you down..."
She was very clear about her own position, understanding that on this dangerous sea, without strong power, one could fall into despair at any time.
Long ago, she had heard the elders in the village say that traveling in the ocean not only required facing harsh weather and fierce sea beasts but also guarding against various pirates. One careless mistake could lead to being buried at sea, and she did not want to become a burden to Yun Lie because of her weakness.
Yun Lie immediately understood Nojiko's concerns. He patiently explained the existence of Devil Fruit to Nojiko: "Nojiko, there is a great treasure in the ocean called Devil Fruit. Eating a Devil Fruit can grant powerful abilities, just like me. I am a Space Human who ate a Spatial Devil Fruit."
Saying that, he demonstrated his ability, and the surrounding space seemed to subtly distort.
"Even the most common Zoan Devil Fruit can give ordinary people powerful combat abilities if they eat it."
"Wow! Really!?" Nojiko's eyes sparkled with excitement when she heard this, clearly showing a strong interest in Devil Fruit.
"Of course, I would never lie to you," Yun Lie said with a smile.
For the next while, the two talked for a long time. From the vastness of the sea to the mysteriousness of unknown islands, under Yun Lie's continuous persuasion, Nojiko finally relented and agreed to set sail with him.
However, a new problem arose.
They didn't have a suitable ship for sailing. They couldn't possibly take Nojiko out to sea on the simple wooden boat Yun Lie had made; that would undoubtedly be gambling with their lives.
Just as they were worrying about this, a "squeak, squeak, squeak" sound came from outside the door.
Yun Lie got up and opened the door, finding A Jian holding Little Kong.
Little Kong was constantly flapping his limbs in the air, seemingly expressing his longing for Yun Lie.
"This little guy slept at my place last night, and when he woke up this morning, he kept asking for you."
A Jian handed Little Kong to Yun Lie and explained.
"Thank you, Uncle A Jian."
Yun Lie said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
A Jian was like a father to Nojiko.
He had only confirmed his relationship with Nojiko last night, and today he was asking someone else to help take care of his little companion, which made him feel very awkward.
"Hmph! Treat Nojiko well! If I ever find out you bully her, I won't let you off even if I die!"
A Jian was stunned for a moment when he heard this. Although his tone sounded very stern, his slightly raised lips still betrayed his true thoughts.
In fact, A Jian was well aware of Yun Lie and Nojiko's relationship.
After all, his daily task was to patrol the village, and he had always paid special attention to Yun Lie, who had suddenly appeared and won Nojiko's heart.
"Don't worry, Uncle A Jian, I will never let Nojiko suffer. Oh, by the way, Uncle A Jian, are there any shipwrights in the village?"
Yun Lie quickly promised, then immediately asked if there were any shipwrights in Coco Village.
"A shipwright, huh… There isn't one in Coco Village, but there is one in the neighboring Gosa Village. Why, are you going to abandon Nojiko and become a pirate?"
A Jian thought for a while and said, his voice growing much heavier towards the end. His fists were tightly clenched, and his eyes showed vigilance, as if he would take action if Yun Lie's answer displeased him.
"I am a traveler and won't stay in Coco Village for long, but I will take Nojiko with me; I won't abandon her!"
Yun Lie was first delighted to hear this; having a shipwright meant hope for setting sail. Then, to avoid unnecessary trouble, he explained his plan to take Nojiko with him in detail to A Jian.
"You're smart. Building a ship will cost a lot of Berries, but the Arlong Pirates have bounties. This afternoon, you can come with me on the fishing boat, and we'll go exchange the bounties."
A Jian breathed a sigh of relief, his clenched fists relaxing as he spoke.
It turned out that yesterday, he and the villagers had already thrown the bodies of the Arlong Pirates into the sea to feed the fish, but they had kept their heads, intending to take them to the Naval Base to exchange for bounties.
And his visit to Yun Lie this time, bringing Little Kong back, was just a side trip; the most important thing was to discuss the bounty matter with Yun Lie.
"No problem!"
Yun Lie agreed without thinking. Because he suddenly remembered something, the nearest Naval Base to Coco Village was controlled by Marine Captain Nezumi.
This Captain Nezumi was incredibly greedy, and Yun Lie was worried that A Jian would get into trouble if he went to exchange the bounty alone. Given Captain Nezumi's character, A Jian might not only fail to get the bounty but also be framed and detained by Captain Nezumi.
To protect A Jian and ensure they could successfully get the bounty, Yun Lie decided to accompany him personally.