"They're all dead?!"
Nami froze for a second, the information slowly processing.
She'd been so completely absorbed in stuffing her bag with treasure that she hadn't even registered the fighting outside had stopped.
A wave of relief was immediately followed by a surge of intense wariness as she stared at the man who called himself Leo.
If he wasn't a pirate from either ship, then his identity was pretty obvious.
A competitor.
He had to be a fellow thief.
"These are my spoils," Nami stated, her voice sharp as she shot him a defiant look. "Don't even think about trying to claim them."
She made a quick grab for the overstuffed bag on the floor.
Soru!
In a movement too fast for her eyes to properly track, Leo vanished from his original position and reappeared, casually lifting the heavy bag before her fingers could even brush against it.
"So fast!" The thought hit her like a physical blow, a cold jolt of fear running down her spine. This wasn't some ordinary thug.
"Damn, this is heavy," Leo remarked, hefting the bag with an appreciative grin. "Nice haul."
"That's MINE! Give it back!!"
Seeing her entire fortune—her village's freedom—in someone else's hands, blind fury took over. Nami lunged at him, nails aimed at his face, driven by pure desperation.
"You're making too much noise," Leo said, his tone almost bored. He didn't even flinch. One hand shot out, effortlessly catching both her wrists in a grip that felt like solid steel, completely immobilizing her. The sheer, effortless strength behind the move made her blood run cold. Fighting was pointless.
Realizing brute force was a losing strategy, Nami's entire demeanor shifted in a heartbeat. The aggression melted away, replaced by a performance of vulnerable femininity. She clasped her hands together by her cheek, her voice softening into a sweet, pleading whisper.
"Please, sir... I risked my life for these things. A kind, strong man like you wouldn't steal from a helpless girl, would you?"
Seeing the complete lack of sympathy on his face, she knew she had to play her highest card. She bit her lip, as if making a difficult choice. "Just... just give me the money back, and I'll... I'll do anything you want." She put every ounce of false promise she could into those words.
Anything? Leo's smile was internal. Perfect. Right on cue.
"Your attitude is much better now," Leo nodded, feigning approval. "Effective immediately, you're the navigator for the Leo Pirates. Join my crew, and I'll consider putting you in charge of managing our finances."
"I accept!!"
Nami agreed without a single moment of hesitation, her voice firm and clear. It was just words. She didn't need to think. The plan was simple: agree, get the money back, and run at the first possible opportunity. She'd done it a hundred times before.
She missed the cunning glint in Leo's eyes as he watched her. He knew her game. Joining his crew wasn't going to be that simple. He was far more interested in the reward the system would give him for truly conquering her.
A brief flash of white light enveloped the heavy bag in Leo's hand, and then it was just gone.
"Wha—?!!"
Nami's jaw dropped. Her eyes bulged comically, as if on springs, straining to see where it had vanished.
Gone.
Ten million Berries. Gone. Right in front of her. It had just disappeared into thin air.
"Where is it?!"
"Where's my money?!"
"You...! L-Leo! Captain! Where did you put it?!"
Nami scrambled forward, patting the empty space where the bag had been, her panic so complete she almost cursed him out. This bastard! Where did he hide it?! That was her village's future!
"First," Leo corrected, his voice calm and maddeningly logical. He held up a finger. "This is the treasury of the Leo Pirates. I haven't officially entrusted it to you yet."
"Second," he continued, raising another finger, "As our newly recruited navigator, shouldn't you be focused on your duties?"
Duties? For a second, Nami thought he meant navigation. That was easy.
But then she saw the look in his eyes. It wasn't about charts or currents.
"What... what duties are you talking about exactly?" Nami asked, her voice trembling slightly. She swallowed hard and instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, taking a small step back. She was eighteen, not a child. She had a very bad feeling about this.
Leo gave a casual shrug, a light, knowing chuckle escaping him. "Between a man and a woman, what do you think I'm talking about?"
The refusal was on the tip of her tongue, but he spoke again before she could. "That is, of course, if you ever want to see that ten million Berries again."
The words died in her throat. He had her. Ten million Berries. If she walked away now, Cocoyasi Village would remain under Arlong's thumb for who knew how much longer. The image of his cruel smile flashed in her mind. She couldn't wait. She couldn't. It was just... one thing. How bad could it be?
After a moment of frantic internal bargaining, Nami took a deep, steadying breath. A sweet, practiced mask of a smile settled on her face as she stepped closer to him, her voice dropping into a low, persuasive purr. "You promise, Captain? After this... the money is mine to manage?"
Leo's smile was answer enough. His arm snaked around her slender waist, pulling her close. He led her to a relatively undamaged cabin, kicking the door shut behind them.
What followed was a lengthy, arduous... negotiation... that stretched on for nearly four hours.
Initially, the proceedings were clumsy and unproductive. Nami was a complete novice, unfamiliar with the protocols and intricacies involved, and she failed to synergize effectively with Leo's directives. But as Leo provided more direct, hands-on management training, Nami's innate talent for negotiation began to shine through. Their collaboration became remarkably efficient. One had to admit, she had a natural gift for this; she quickly grasped advanced concepts and even began to anticipate his needs.
So thorough was the process that Nami, to her own surprise, eventually became fully engrossed in the task at hand, her initial goal of mere financial acquisition temporarily forgotten.
.....
As the negotiations reached their final phase, Nami took the initiative to ensure a thorough and conclusive resolution, leaving no asset unaccounted for.
"It's late. Get some rest; we depart at first light," Leo's voice was unusually gentle as he looked at the exhausted navigator.
Nami didn't argue. The intense, high-stakes bartering session had left her completely drained.
After pulling a blanket over the now-sleeping Nami, Leo quietly left the room and entered another empty cabin.
As intriguing as the finer points of their discussion had been, in the world of pirates, tangible power was the only true currency that mattered. He focused his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Successfully conquered Nami. Reward available. Claim?]
"Claim it," Leo responded instantly, without a shred of hesitation.
This was the entire point. Did she think he was just some simple-minded horndog?
[Congratulations, Host! Obtained the power of the Panacea Beast. Can be optimized for One Piece world compatibility. Proceed?]
"Panacea Beast?" Leo mused, rubbing his chin. It sounded familiar, like a healing-type creature from some old anime, able to cure any wound. An incredible asset.
This world was brutal. Injury was a certainty. With a power like that, unless he was killed instantly, he could afford to take massive risks.
"Optimize it," Leo commanded.
The system would adapt the power, stripping away anything that didn't fit and reforging it into something that belonged here.
[Optimization successful. Congratulations, Host. Obtained the Heal-Heal Fruit.]
System Note:
①: The optimized Heal-Heal Fruit perfectly integrates the Panacea Beast's curative properties. It can regenerate severed limbs and purge numerous negative status effects from the body.
②: System-bestowed Devil Fruits have no weaknesses. The user remains unaffected by sea water and can utilize this power concurrently with other Devil Fruit abilities.
③: If the Host bestows a system-rewarded Devil Fruit upon another individual, the Host will retain a shared access to the fruit's abilities.
This story is rewritten version of a famous fanfic so if you find any similarities please dont mind . Thank you .
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T/N :
Access 25 chapters in Advance on my P@treon: patreon.com/GodFic