Chapter 14: Don't Worry, Everything is Under Control!
The atmosphere on the deck was somewhat peculiar. Beside the aromatic food, Luffy was devouring roasted meat and bread with whirlwind speed, while the newly arrived orange-haired girl remained frozen in place, her expression shifting uncertainly.
Zoro stood with his arms crossed, unable to let his guard down around this girl. His gaze fell on Nami, filled with undisguised suspicion, as he asked, "Hey, didn't you say you hadn't eaten for days? The food's right here—why aren't you touching it?"
Nami's heart skipped a beat, realizing her earlier awkwardness had aroused suspicion.
Reacting swiftly, she immediately plastered a weak and grateful expression on her face, rushing to the food and mimicking Luffy by grabbing handfuls and stuffing them into her mouth. Mumbling through the food, she said, "Ah... I-I was just so hungry, it took me a moment to process... Thank you, thank you for the food..."
She tried her best to act like a genuine castaway, but her "eating manners" were utterly outclassed by Luffy's.
Anyone comparing the two would think Luffy was the one who had been drifting at sea for three days and nights without a single grain of rice.
Just then, Zoro, who had been watching coldly all along, casually used his scabbard to flip open the lid of the treasure chest that had come aboard with Nami.
Clang!
The lid swung open, revealing an empty interior—not a single Berry in sight.
The deck fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of Luffy chewing food remaining.
Nami, who had been shoving bread into her mouth, froze mid-action, her heart nearly stopping!
Damn it! So focused on acting and fuming, she'd forgotten this fatal flaw!
In her daze and nervousness, the large chunk of bread in her mouth choked her.
"Hehe!" Luffy beside her laughed at her flustered state—being made of rubber, she never had to worry about choking.
Ralph, seeing Nami's discomfort, felt uneasy too and handed her a cup of water.
Nami instinctively took the cup, mumbled a "thank you," and gulped it down. However, halfway through, it suddenly dawned on her—this water was offered by that scumbag pirate leader who deceived and exploited ignorant girls!
Could there be something wrong with it?
Pfft—!
At that thought, Nami spat out the entire mouthful of water, squarely splashing Ralph's face.
The scene instantly turned utterly absurd.
"Ahahaha—!" Luffy, who had just caught her breath, saw Ralph drenched and stunned, and burst into hysterical laughter, clutching her already round belly as she rolled around on the deck.
Ralph silently wiped his face. Though he didn't understand why, making Lufia laugh was worth it.
Truthfully, Ralph had a lingering worry.
One thing concerned him deeply: in the future, the Straw Hat crew's banquet sessions would inevitably involve clowning and antics—Lufia loved such things, but Ralph feared he couldn't deliver.
Strength could be trained, skills honed, but this sense of aesthetics and humor was innate—either you had it or you didn't.
Thus, this "shortcoming" could only be compensated for in other ways.
For instance, if Luffy could be innocent, carefree, and unbothered by details, then Ralph had to be more attentive, noticing the nuances Lufia might overlook, clearing obstacles for her in advance, and ensuring everything was in order.
For instance, at this very moment—
He dried his face and turned to Nami, whose flickering eyes betrayed her attempt to conceal panic.
"Miss, could you now explain to us the situation with this empty treasure chest?"
Living up to her title of "Cat Burglar," Nami immediately adopted the most fitting reaction for her current "helpless woman" persona.
With a thump, she dropped into a formal kneeling bow, forehead pressed against the deck, her voice trembling with feigned tears:
"I'm sorry! I'm truly sorry! I... I was just so hungry, driven to desperation, that I... I fabricated the lie about treasure! I only wanted to survive... Please, honorable sirs, have mercy on me, considering I just wanted to stay alive!"
She performed with such convincing sincerity, vividly portraying the image of a pitiful girl pushed to the brink by starvation.
Unfortunately, even Zoro couldn't be fooled by a lie of this caliber.
He had just experienced firsthand what hunger truly felt like.
Zoro and Ralph exchanged a glance.
Ralph gave a slight blink, signaling that he would handle this mysterious girl himself.
Zoro frowned but chose to trust this temporarily reliable "captain," saying nothing more as he turned toward the food.
"Hey, woman, how can you eat so much? If you take it all, what's left for me?"
Hearing the playful squabbling between Luffy and Zoro over the last piece of meat behind him, Ralph felt an inexplicable sense of amusement.
Lufia probably... wouldn't like a man who fought her for food, right?
Then again, maybe she'd find such competition made the meal tastier.
He decided to keep observing, ready to adjust his "strategy" at any moment.
As for Nami kneeling before him, Ralph—fully aware of her plans and struggles—had already devised a way to let her "reasonably" stay without causing her too much embarrassment.
"You were starving, and we provided a life-saving meal. Doesn't that count as a life-saving favor?"
Nami's body trembled slightly against the deck, and she hurriedly replied, "Yes! Of course! Thank you all so much for saving my life!"
"Good." Ralph nodded. "Then, to repay this life-saving favor, you'll work temporarily on the ship, using labor to compensate. You have no objections, do you?"
Nami's heart stirred—she had been worrying about how to stay and carry out her "treasure-stealing rescue" plan!
She immediately lifted her head, face brimming with gratitude and submission, nodding vigorously. "No objections! None at all! I'm willing to work! Thank you for giving me this opportunity!"
She perfectly played the part of an ordinary civilian forced to submit out of fear of pirates.
Ralph found it amusing internally but maintained a neutral expression, deliberately following the script she expected. "So, what skills do you have? We don't carry idle hands on this ship."
Mentioning her expertise, Nami's confidence resurged a bit. She stood up, unconsciously straightening her posture as the sea breeze ruffled her orange short hair. Her eyes sparkled with pride in her professional domain, her tone carrying a hint of self-assurance:
"I have considerable knowledge of navigation and maritime weather studies! I wouldn't call myself the best, but in these East Blue waters, I believe I'm second to none!"
She was being quite modest; in reality, her talent for navigation was nothing short of monstrous.
Sure enough, as soon as Luffy—who was busy fighting Zoro for food—heard the words "navigation skills," her ears perked up instantly. She whipped her head around, a half-eaten piece of meat still dangling from her mouth, eyes wide with excitement as she shouted:
"Perfect! You'll be our navigator from now on! We're heading to the Grand Line! Can you take us there?"
Nami was momentarily taken aback. She hadn't expected this seemingly unreliable trio of pirates to have such an "ambitious" goal—aiming straight for that devilish sea known as the "graveyard of pirates."
But this suited her perfectly!
Quickly suppressing her inner glee, she put on a convincingly troubled and earnest expression. "Going to the Grand Line? That's no simple matter. First, you need a specialized sea chart to guide you there. I... don't have anything like that on me right now."
Then, shifting her tone, she looked at Luffy with "sincere" eyes. "But I know where we might find one!"
"What are we waiting for then?" Luffy exclaimed, punching the air excitedly and making the decision for everyone. "Let's set off right away!"
Amid Lufia's cheers, the ship, which had been drifting aimlessly, swiftly adjusted its sails and rudder under Nami's command, heading toward a clear destination—Orange Town.
While Nami was fully absorbed in directing the voyage, Zoro quietly approached Ralph, furrowing his brow and lowering his voice. "Hey, Ralph, do you really trust this woman who came out of nowhere? She's full of lies and clearly has ulterior motives."
Ralph watched Nami's busy figure at the bow and smiled faintly, his tone calm and assured. "Why not? Even if nine out of ten things she says are lies, at least her mastery of navigation is real. That's enough." He patted Zoro's shoulder. "Don't worry, everything is under control."
Zoro gave him a skeptical look, clearly not entirely convinced. In his view, Ralph's skills were decent and his thinking meticulous, but such blind confidence might not be a good thing on the perilous seas.
Without another word, Zoro hugged his swords and moved aside to rest with his eyes closed.
Ralph watched Zoro's retreating figure without urgency. Armed with the advantage of knowing the plot, he had enough patience and resources to prove himself.
He not only knew that the sea chart needed to reach the Grand Line was currently in Nami's possession but also knew exactly who she had stolen it from.
That person was none other than Buggy the Clown—a former crewmate of the Pirate King Roger, a Bara Bara no Mi user, childhood friend of Shanks, one of the current Four Emperors, and a future contender for the title of Emperor himself, renowned for his legendary Conqueror's Haki-level luck!
Nami's plan was simply to use the three of them as a distraction to draw Buggy's attention, allowing her to seize the opportunity to steal the treasure he had amassed.
And all of this was precisely within Ralph's calculations.
Buggy also possessed something he was after!