Thinking this, Nami closed her eyes, surrendering to fate. She waited for the darkness that would swallow her.
Suddenly, a warm touch caressed her face. A strong hand, yet so gentle, brushed against her cheek. The sensation was indescribable, comforting and reassuring. The hand ruffled her short orange hair, making it sway softly in the sea breeze.
Nami, who had been in a panic, now instinctively opened her eyes. She stared blankly at Luffy. The young man stood before her, with an expression she had never seen before—calm and so incredibly confident.
"Nami," Luffy said, his voice low but firm. "Since you've followed me, then... whether it's a person or a beast, whatever scares you, I will get rid of it."
The moment he finished speaking, a terrifying aura suddenly exploded. A monstrous killing intent radiated into the sky, overpowering the entire atmosphere.
Nami felt as if she had frozen solid. Beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on her forehead. Under her nearly dazed gaze, Luffy raised his arm without turning his head in the slightest.
Nami's eyes widened as she watched Luffy's arm stretch, slowly, slowly. Then, she witnessed a sight she would never forget.
Luffy's arm reached out and suddenly seized the teeth of the colossal creature—a Sea King a hundred meters long. With one powerful motion, the massive beast was thrown into the sky!
The next second, the figure in front of her flickered. In the sky, a crimson lightning flash struck the Sea King, knocking it out instantly. The devastating blow hit its lower jaw, sending it flying far away to crash into a cliff. The Sea King lay sprawled out, dead!
And Luffy was already standing in front of her, propping her up. "I told you," Luffy whispered, a warm smile spreading across his face. "I will always protect you."
Seeing the pale and trembling Nami, Luffy stroked her head. "You're my friend," he said with a smile. "It's not good to cry all the time."
Seeing Nami's nervous gaze, Luffy realized the girl might be afraid of his aura. He sighed, feeling a little helpless. Why was she so timid? He had thought about teaching Nami some moves so she could fight the Fishman herself. But now, he realized he'd have to do it alone. Luffy didn't blame Nami, as he knew Nami was originally like this, cunning, cowardly, and always wanting to run away when something happened.
"Who, who's crying!" Nami, who had thought she was going to die, now breathed a sigh of relief. However, her words were still full of defiance. "I just got sand in my eyes!"
She stared at the young man in front of her, who was about the same height as her, and still couldn't believe what had just happened. Even Arlong, who was so strong, couldn't possibly take down a Sea King that big. And that overwhelming killing intent… it felt like a single glance could make someone kneel and beg for mercy.
He… he was truly incredibly strong!
If he could help, then Coco Village…
Nami began to think. The look in her eyes toward Luffy gradually changed. An indescribable glimmer of hope flickered in her eyes. She softly mumbled, "This guy isn't lying. He's so incredible!" Then, she began calculating in her heart, "I just don't know if he can beat Arlong."
A spark of hope was ignited. She didn't know what kind of person Luffy was, she also wasn't sure if he was a good person. But she could vaguely sense that this man was interested in her. If she could be his bargaining chip, then there was a high probability that Luffy would really go and find trouble with Arlong.
"No! Impossible, what am I even thinking…"
"Arlong isn't an ordinary enemy. He's a Fishman from the Grand Line. The Arlong Pirates are also very numerous and strong. Even if Luffy is strong, he's fighting alone. If he can't beat Arlong, isn't that just asking for trouble?"
Thinking this, Nami's mood, which had just seen a glimmer of hope, plummeted to its lowest point again. She was kind-hearted and didn't want to use Luffy to go up against the dangerous Arlong.
"What are you thinking about?" At that moment, Luffy turned his head and asked her.
Nami forced a smile and shook her head, "Nothing, I'm not thinking about anything."
"Oh, then let's chat for a bit."
"Chat about what?"
"Let's talk about… my childhood, how about that?"
Perhaps Luffy wanted to comfort the crying Nami, or perhaps it was to open Nami's tightly sealed heart. They then chatted very happily, often making Nami laugh out loud.
Seeing her cheerful and smiling face, Luffy was filled with emotion, and at the same time, his killing intent grew even stronger. That Arlong, he couldn't be allowed to die too easily!
We're here!
More than an hour on the vast ocean felt like a flash. Nami and Luffy chatted merrily all the way.
"Huh? We're here already?" Luffy, sitting cross-legged on the bow of the boat, looked surprised. "I thought it would take longer."
Nami stared at the sun in the sky and mumbled, "It's been a little over an hour."
"Then, let's dock!"
With that, Luffy "whooshed" and threw his arm out. His arm instantly elongated, grabbing a rock on the shore.
Then with a flash of light and a scream from Nami, "whoosh," she and the boat were thrown.
After landing, Nami stamped her foot angrily and punched Luffy's head. Although she had no Armament Haki, her fist still made Luffy scream in pain. Is Nami really a tame tiger on land and a king on a ship? Luffy thought. Her punches were even more painful than Vice Admiral Garp's Fist of Love.
"It's so lively here~"
Nami, who had just punched Luffy, was attracted to the town ahead of them. She glanced at Luffy, and her eyes sparkled. He never fought in earnest. This mysterious man was truly unpredictable. His grandfather was a Marine hero, yet he insisted on becoming a pirate. Nami didn't know what was going on in Luffy's head all day.
"Look, that's probably Marine Branch XX." Nami pointed to the distance. A large base was surrounded by an iron fence, with the seagull flag flying.
"Ready? Let's go!"
Luffy excitedly adjusted his Straw Hat. He swung his arm, extending it dozens of meters to grab the building there, "Gomu Gomu no Rocket!"
Nami's eyelids twitched. Her heart was pounding. She tried to dodge, but it was too late. Luffy's arm had already wrapped around her slender waist. With a "whoosh," she flew! Luffy exerted force with both arms and pushed off his feet. Nami had no time to realize what was happening, and she was already carried along, flying with him.