Click.
The lighter flickered with a blue flame as Bahr lazily took a deep drag from his cigarette, exhaling a perfect smoke ring with an air of smug satisfaction.
This was Nami the Cat Burglar—not only young and beautiful, but also radiating a sly, alluring charm. With the added Buff effect, the experience was downright intoxicating.
Nami snuggled closer into Bahr's embrace, tilting her head up with eyes still glistening, her voice soft and slightly hoarse. "Even though it was a deal… thank you for helping me."
Bahr smirked, tightening his arm around her. "I told you, no need to thank me. You earned this."
The terms were clear—he helped Nami deal with Arlong and his crew, and in return, she was his to do with as he pleased. Fair and square, no tricks involved.
Nami's cheeks flushed pink as she rested her head lightly against his shoulder, watching the glowing ember of his cigarette. Her lashes fluttered, a glint of cunning flashing in her eyes before she looked up again. "By the way… where's Arlong's treasure? I don't see it anywhere."
Bahr glanced down at her sly gaze, his lips twitching involuntarily. Ah, the Cat Burglar's true nature was showing.
"How should I know?" he replied dismissively, flicking the ash from his cigarette.
"That's not right. Arlong's treasure was locked in the vault—it couldn't have just vanished. The only possibility…" Nami suddenly sat up straight, leaning in so close her nose nearly touched his, her tone firm. "You took it!"
Bahr coughed lightly to mask his guilt, tapping his cigarette again. "Don't talk nonsense. If I took it, where is it? It's not like I can make it disappear with magic."
Nami faltered, biting her lower lip in thought. He had a point—piles of Berries and jewels couldn't just vanish into thin air.
Had Arlong moved them?
When it came to treasure, Nami's instincts were razor-sharp. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she poked his chest, her lips curling into a triumphant smirk. "Don't lie. You can pull a sword out of thin air—you must've used the same trick to stash the treasure!"
She planted her hands on her hips, grinning victoriously. "Don't forget, I saw you summon that giant blade myself!"
Bahr sighed in exasperation. This girl was too sharp. While she had gone to notify the villagers earlier, he had conveniently swept the vault's contents into his storage space.
Traveling wasn't cheap, and Berries were hard currency.
Nami saw right through him, her sly smile spreading as she wrapped her arms around his neck like a nimble cat, batting her big, watery eyes. "Yanzu~ That treasure belongs to the villagers—their hard-earned money! The village is in ruins now, and we need funds everywhere. Won't you take pity on us~?"
As she spoke, she nibbled her lip, her soft body deliberately rubbing against him, her voice dripping with sweetness. "Yanzu~ Please~?"
That coquettish tone could melt a man's bones.
Bahr's throat bobbed as he forced a composed cough, about to say something—when suddenly, Nami coiled around him like a vine, her slender legs somehow wrapping around his waist in a move that demanded respect.
This wasn't a Little Cat Burglar—this was a full-blown, enchanting fox spirit!
Feeling Bahr's change, Nami's face turned red, her earlobes burning, but for the sake of the village, she decided to go all out; after all, they were both in this situation, so it couldn't get any worse.
Cursing him as a "lecher," Nami bit her lip and said, "You give me the treasure, and I'll cooperate with you on everything."
Bahr stared at the person in front of him, whose face was flushed yet still trying to maintain composure. He felt a throbbing in his temples; if Nami were unreasonable, he would naturally ignore her, but this kind of soft knife was deadly.
As the saying goes, "Even heroes struggle with beautiful women." If heroes can't get past it, then he certainly wouldn't stand a chance.
"That's not impossible," Bahr whispered as he leaned closer, seeing the expectation and excitement in Nami's eyes. "You help me... and I'll give you one-tenth of the treasure first."
He couldn't resist her soft charm, but he also couldn't let Nami lead him by the nose. He had to take it slow, step by step, to open up Nami's defenses. Otherwise, with her sharp mind, if he gave everything away, it would just be a formality with no real interaction.
"You want me to use..." Nami's eyes widened, instinctively wanting to turn hostile, but thinking of the treasure, she swallowed her words. Biting her lower lip, her eyelashes trembled violently. "At least half!"
"At most one-fifth, no negotiation," Bahr leaned back, adopting an attitude of indifference.
"Fine, deal!" Nami's eyes struggled, then suddenly gritted her teeth, a fierce glint flashing in her gaze. "If you dare to trick me, I'll bite you to death!"
This fierce yet charming demeanor made Bahr's heart skip a beat, a chill creeping up his neck.
This little cat burglar, she wouldn't really bite, would she?
Resolutely, Nami suddenly tossed her orange short hair, blushing as she shot Bahr a glare, cursing him as a "pervert," before diving under the covers like a startled rabbit.
Bahr smirked as he lit a cigarette, watching the outline moving beneath the blanket. Amidst the swirling smoke, a strange sense of accomplishment surged within him.
What nonsense about being the Pirate King? Isn't he more comfortable as the Sea Clam King?
.....
The next day.
Just as dawn broke, Nami peeked her head through the crack of Bahr's room door like a thief, glancing around for a while. Confirming that the corridor was empty, she let out a soft sigh and tiptoed out.
After taking two steps, she suddenly frowned, her face turning bright red as she muttered "bastard."
That jerk was really going to drive her crazy!
"Nami."
As she was going down the stairs, someone unexpectedly called her name, startling Nami so much that she almost stumbled down the steps. Turning around, she saw Nojiko leaning against the wall, holding half a cup of coconut milk wine.
"What are you doing suddenly popping up and scaring me!" She patted her chest, her voice filled with panic.
She hoped Nojiko hadn't seen her coming out of that jerk's room!
Nojiko stared at her sister's messy hair, reddened eyes, and the way she was wobbling as she walked, feeling a pang in her heart. She bit her lip and said, "Aren't you the one lost in thought?"
In fact, she could tell at a glance that something was off with Nami, but she swallowed her words.
Nami didn't dare to meet Nojiko's gaze, her eyes darting around. "I, I'm just going to wash my face..."
Nojiko watched her sister's disheveled retreating figure, biting her lower lip. After a whole night, Nami was even unsteady on her feet. That Yanzu, couldn't he be a little gentler!
She knew very well that this matter absolutely couldn't be exposed. Once revealed, Nami would completely lose face.
What's more, she worried that if things escalated, it might offend the formidable Yanzu. In that case, all of Nami's sincere efforts over such a long time would go to waste.
Besides, the other party was the one who had defeated Arlong's crew and saved their village—and Nami herself had agreed to the reward...
At this thought, her heart ached painfully. After all, this was her own younger sister. She couldn't bear to see Nami suffer, but no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't come up with a good solution to spare her sister from hardship.