At the same time, a strange voice sounded inside Luffy's head. It was a notification that only he could hear.
[Ding, the host has successfully relocated the Pirate King beauty "Nojiko" and has fused with all of her current (and future) power!]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining Nojiko's Fruit ability: The Time Fruit (Optimized Version)!]
"Wow, you two seem to be having a good chat!"
Nami's voice broke the slightly awkward silence. From a distance of eight meters, she, Zoro, and the rest of the crew walked closer. Nami, though smiling, laced a faint, dangerous tone into her voice. Both Luffy and Nojiko were startled and instinctively looked up.
"Nami?"
Nojiko, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly stood up straight. A wave of sudden guilt and embarrassment washed over her. What is wrong with me? How could I become such a terrible person! she wondered to herself, feeling ashamed.
"The conversation was just fine." Luffy, whose desires had been fulfilled, was in an excellent mood. He sat down to Nojiko's right and pulled Nami to his left.
"You guys..." Nami murmured softly, her gaze unhappy as it fell on Nojiko. Even her own sister was trying to steal her man. Still, a smile appeared on her face. "Did I interrupt something beautiful, Big Sister? Did I come at a bad time?"
"Don't, don't talk nonsense!" Nojiko's face flushed bright red, and her expression instantly became serious. She glared at Nami. "Luffy and I didn't do anything, Nami, you're going too far!"
"My, my, what's the rush? I didn't say anything," Nami teased. After seeing Nojiko grow even angrier, she quickly shifted her gaze to Luffy. "What were you two whispering about just now? I saw you feeding Nojiko something?"
"You saw that, huh." Luffy shrugged with a smile. "Then I'll tell you, there's nothing to hide anyway."
"I gave Nojiko an upgraded version of the Time Fruit. It can take you back to the past to save Belle-mère."
"You said... Mmm mmm mmm!" Luffy covered Nami's mouth, who was in shock. "I'm serious, but to avoid trouble, don't tell anyone about this, not a soul."
Mhm mhm mhm!
Only when Nami nodded repeatedly did Luffy release his hand.
"Then, can it really save Belle-mère?!" Nami's eyes lit up like light bulbs, and she grabbed Luffy's hand excitedly. If it were true, then she could see her foster mother, whom she thought about day and night! She and Nojiko had been raised by Belle-mère since they were little, and to her, Belle-mère was closer than a birth mother. Upon hearing this, she was so excited that she almost wanted to hug and kiss Luffy right then and there.
"It's true." Luffy nodded. His gaze drifted to the slightly shy Nojiko. "However, this Fruit is god-tier, and awakening it is very difficult. You need to be mentally prepared."
"Of course, Nojiko and I are of one heart. The abilities she has, I also have. But even I can't cultivate it in a short amount of time!" Luffy continued, thinking about the formidable power. "No matter how high one's comprehension, it's useless, it can't do everything. Otherwise, I wouldn't be awakening my Nika form now. But I have a feeling that my Nika form isn't far off." He added, "The premise is to wholeheartedly focus on the research of the fruit's Awakening. If the foundation isn't solid... The life force needed by the Nika Fruit might be depleted in just a few minutes! Ah, now with that Repair Fruit, we can try to research it. Hmm... maybe we should study it together with the Time Fruit."
"I..." Luffy's sudden mention of being "of one heart" made Nojiko's face immediately turn red. She lowered her head, hoping Nami hadn't noticed.
Right now, Nami didn't care. She was so excited she was practically jumping. "That's great, Luffy! As long as Belle-mère can be resurrected, I'll wait as long as it takes!" She pressed Luffy's head to her chest, her cheek to his, and whispered. "Luffy, I like you so much! Ever since I met you, good things have kept happening! You've truly changed my life!"
With her personality, such words would normally be hard to say. But now, she couldn't hold them in. Her heart was filled with emotion, this man had given her everything she had dreamed of! Arlong, the village being saved, a dreamlike love, and now Belle-mère would be resurrected! All of this told her that he was the perfect partner she had yearned for! Unconsciously, she gently breathed into Luffy's ear.
Then, with eyes so tender they could well up with water, she whispered in his ear:
"Tonight, my room."
After killing Arlong, the finishing touches still needed to be done.
"Everyone~" Luffy, who had gained Nojiko and received a reward, was in a great mood. He was much more polite to the villagers: "I have three points to tell you all."
"First, regarding the destruction of the Arlong Pirates and Colonel Mouse, if the Marines ask... Just talk about the Straw Hat Pirates, tell them the truth."
Upon hearing this, those who had previously had some doubts about Luffy suddenly felt a surge of heroic spirit.
"Second, the treasure from the Arlong Pirates belongs to the Straw Hat Crew. Don't you ever think about it."
The villagers: What the heck?
"Who just called him a hero?" they muttered.
Nami's mouth twitched, dispelling any thoughts of keeping the treasure herself. "No choice, whatever my man says, goes."
"Third, not only Nami, but Nojiko has to get on board as well. If you want to see Luffy... don't hold back, and don't make trouble, my temper isn't good!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Genzo and the others were stunned. "What's with this 'my temper isn't good'? What is it?"
Fortunately, Nojiko herself stepped forward and said that she was voluntarily going with Luffy. She also said she wanted to take care of Nami, which made the villagers feel a little better.
"Nami, he's already taken me, why is he still thinking about Nojiko?" Nami looked at Luffy strangely. Does he like to grab people, or does he like to take advantage?
But then again, Nojiko had that ability, so going with Luffy was indeed the right decision. Besides, Nami wasn't comfortable leaving Nojiko here alone. More importantly, she also had to urge Nojiko to awaken the Fruit and resurrect Belle-mère.
"One last thing!" Luffy stared at the grim-faced villagers below, then suddenly grinned: "Arlong is gone, everyone can celebrate to their heart's content!!"
The air seemed to solidify for a moment. Immediately after, cheers echoed in the sky.
They weren't sure if Luffy would be more terrifying than Arlong. But seeing Luffy's brilliant smile, the burden on their hearts was finally lifted.
"Luffy, what a great hero!"
The villagers' perception of Luffy completely changed.
Nami secretly snuck to Luffy's ear and whispered, "Don't be too wild, I still need to find you tonight."
Luffy was taken aback: "When did you become so proactive?"