Chapter 58: Ralph, What Do You Think!
On the deck, Nami gripped the golden short staff Usopp had given her and took a deep breath.
"Lufia, there's something... I need to tell you all."
Lufia sat cross-legged on the deck, chin resting in her hands, her straw hat tilted back on her head.
She blinked her large eyes and nodded: "Mmhm, go ahead Nami."
Zoro leaned against the mast, arms crossed.
Sanji lit a cigarette, smoke curling around him.
Ralph sat on the gunwale, fiddling with his cross.
Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku stood slightly further away, looking tense.
"I..." Nami bit her lip, "I'm a member of the Arlong Pirates."
Silence.
Only the sound of waves hitting the ship's hull.
Nami continued speaking rapidly, as if afraid that if she stopped, she'd lose the courage to continue:
"Eight years ago, the Arlong Pirates occupied my hometown, Cocoyasi Village. They killed my adoptive mother Bell-mère... I joined them, became their Navigator."
Her voice began to tremble:
"Arlong said... as long as I saved up 100 million Berries, I could buy the village from them and free the villagers. So all this time... I've been stealing, cheating, saving money..."
She didn't elaborate on the suffering.
Like how Arlong threatened her with the villagers' lives, how the fish-men trampled on humans at will, how she kept waking up in the middle of the night, and the endless sea charts in Arlong Park's mapping room.
But everyone could feel the weight from her trembling voice.
"I've already saved 93 million Berries..." Nami lowered her head, "Just give me a little more time... steal a few more ships... I can..."
"Nami."
Lufia suddenly spoke.
She stood up and walked over to Nami.
The Straw Hat Girl's expression was serious and earnest.
"So," Lufia said, "only by defeating the Arlong Pirates can you truly be free, become our partner, and pursue your dreams... right?"
Nami froze.
She had imagined many possible reactions.
Sympathy, anger, even disappointment.
But she never expected Lufia to be so direct, without a hint of hesitation.
"Then let's go find Arlong directly!" Lufia grinned, showing her white teeth, "We'll take him down and solve Nami's troubles!"
She said it so lightly, so matter-of-factly.
"Wait! Wait!"
Nami quickly waved her hands, the earlier sadness somewhat dispelled by Lufia:
"Don't be so hasty! Arlong has many fish-men officers under him, each very strong! We need to plan carefully..."
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself:
"I plan... to return to Arlong Park first as one of their officers to gather information. Meanwhile, you all go to Cocoyasi Village's shore, find a hidden cove to hide in, and wait for my signal."
Lufia tilted her head: "So troublesome... wouldn't it be better to just go straight to their door?"
She turned to look at Ralph: "Ralph, what do you think?"
All eyes focused on Ralph.
Ralph was silent for a few seconds.
"I agree with Nami's plan."
Ralph spoke slowly, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Moreover, this time we not only need to defeat the Arlong Pirates but also save Nami's hometown."
He looked at Nami, "It's most appropriate for Nami, who knows the situation best, to arrange the battle plan."
Nami's eyes lit up slightly.
"Thank you..." she said softly.
But deep down, Nami knew she had no detailed plan at all.
She was just... afraid.
Afraid of leading these newfound companions to face a monster like Arlong.
Afraid they would get hurt, afraid they would die because of her, just like Bell-mère.
So, she needed time, a buffer, and... some mental preparation.
Of course, Ralph noticed Nami's hesitation.
He supported Nami not because he genuinely thought the plan was good, but because he knew Lufia would never follow any plan.
In the end, the battle would inevitably turn into a chaotic, improvised affair centered around Lufia.
His real reason for supporting Nami was to buy some time.
Time for him to think things through.
How could he both win Lufia's favor and enjoy himself thoroughly in this "rescuing the princess from the evil dragon" scenario?
Hmm...
A cold glint flashed in Ralph's eyes.
In this world, the Fish-men were clearly an oppressed race.
The World Nobles treated them as slaves, humans discriminated against them, and the World Government ignored them.
Yet Arlong, this racist, shifted the oppression the Fish-men suffered from the World Nobles onto ordinary people in the East Blue.
How ironic.
How pitiful.
The more he despised the World Nobles later, the more he despised Arlong now.
Ralph had set a fundamental life principle for himself in this world:
If he encountered World Nobles, he would kill them without fail.
As for scum like Arlong... he wouldn't let him die too easily either.
That part was simple.
The tricky part was how to gain the "hero's" favor in this "hero rescues the princess" story?
The princess was Nami.
The evil dragon was Arlong.
The hero was Lufia.
He, Ralph, was at best a "helper."
To earn the hero's favor, he could only offer assistance during the rescue.
Aside from fighting alongside her in the final battle and playing a supporting role, there seemed to be no other opportunities.
Even... if he dealt too much damage, it might not make Lufia dislike him, but it could still upset her.
How could he solve these two problems?
Ralph pondered for a moment.
Then, he had an idea.
Why fight Arlong in one big battle?
Why not break the battlefield into smaller pieces and fight multiple skirmishes?
Arlong, don't you care deeply about your fellow Fish-men?
Each fight would be another provocation, another slap in the face to you, you racist.
At the same time, multiple battles would increase the chances of gaining Lufia's favor.
Every fight alongside her was an opportunity.
Moreover, with more fights, he might even level up his skills further.
Having made up his mind, Ralph felt assured.
Now, it was about how to implement this plan while adapting to the situation.
Not long after, under Nami's direction, the Going Merry approached a hidden cove.
"This is the place," Nami said quietly. "Hide the ship here and wait for my signal. Don't do anything rash!"
She paused, then added:
"Especially... don't go ashore. If the Fish-men discover us and we alert the enemy, it'll be troublesome."
Lufia nodded: "Got it, got it!"
Zoro grunted in agreement.
Sanji bowed gracefully: "As you wish, Miss Nami."
Ralph smiled: "Don't worry."
Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku also agreed in unison!
Nami looked at this group who agreed so readily and felt... somewhat uneasy.
But she didn't have time to dwell on it.
Gritting her teeth, Nami jumped off the ship and stepped onto her hometown's soil.
The sound of her footsteps gradually faded away, disappearing into the night.
On the Going Merry, complete silence fell.
About ten minutes passed.
Sanji cleared his throat: "Well... Miss Lufia's appetite is quite large, and our food supplies are running low. I'll go ashore to buy some ingredients."
Zoro stood up and stretched: "Been sitting too long, my legs are numb. I'll take a walk on shore."
Lufia tilted her head at a 45-degree angle, looked up at the sky, and pouted:
"It's not like I want to see the Fish-men or anything... I just... feel a bit stuffy on the ship!"
Ralph suppressed a laugh and said: "I have no objections. Wherever Lufia goes, I go."
Only Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku, watching the powerful fighters planning to disembark one by one, began trembling slightly.
"We'll guard the ship!" Usopp's voice trembled, "Leave the ship to us three, don't worry!"
Johnny nodded vigorously: "Th-that's right! We're professionals!"
Yosaku added: "We ab-absolutely won't let the ship get stolen!"
Lufia grinned: "Then we're counting on you!"
The four jumped off the ship, and Zoro instinctively started heading toward the nearby woods.
"Hey." Ralph called out to him, "You're actually going for a walk?"
Zoro turned back, frowning: "What?"
"If you get lost," Ralph said, "don't blame us for not calling you when the fighting starts."
Zoro snorted disdainfully:
"I don't get lost."
With that, he plunged into the woods.
It was an orange grove.
Neatly arranged orange trees, with fruits still hanging among the branches and leaves, emitting a faint fragrance.
Ralph raised an eyebrow as he watched Zoro's back disappear into the depths of the orange grove.
This orange grove... wouldn't happen to be Nami's family's, would it?
Planted so orderly, Zoro probably wouldn't get lost here, right?
Even if he did get lost...
Ralph remembered that Nami's sister Nojiko should live in a small house deep in the orange grove.
If he ran into her, she could probably give him directions.
"Let's go." Ralph withdrew his gaze and said to Lufia and Sanji.
The three followed the main road toward the town.
Along the way, Sanji couldn't resist commenting:
"So that green-haired swordsman is directionally challenged? Seems pretty serious... Who would plunge into the woods instead of taking the main road?"
Not long after, the three arrived at a... strange town.
The scene before them made everyone freeze.
The town was completely empty.
In the middle of the road, there was a huge trench, as if something massive had crawled through.
And the strangest thing...
All the houses had been turned upside down.
Windows below, doors above, chimneys stuck into the ground.
Some houses even tilted sideways, like toys carelessly tossed aside.
"Wow..." Lufia widened her eyes, her mouth agape. "The people here... why do they live in such strange houses?"
Sanji crouched down, carefully examining the foundation of an inverted house.
His fingers traced the clear cracks in the wood. "This is the result of someone with tremendous strength pulling the house directly from its foundation and placing it upside down."
He stood up, his expression grave:
"This should be the Gosa Village mentioned in the intelligence... The town destroyed by the Arlong Pirates."
Lufia's smile vanished.
She looked at those inverted houses, at the empty streets.
"Then... where are the villagers?" she asked softly.
Sanji didn't answer.
But his gaze fell upon some dark brown, dried stains by the roadside.
Bloodstains.
Ralph glanced at Lufia.
The Straw Hat Girl remained silent, her expression serious.
Those large eyes that always brimmed with happiness now reflected the shadows of ruins.
Indeed.
Even someone as carefree as Lufia wouldn't be able to laugh or exclaim "How amazing!" in such a scene.
"According to the intelligence," Ralph spoke, breaking the silence, "we've come the wrong way. We need to go back along that road, continue straight, pass Cocoyasi Village, and that's where the Arlong Pirates' base—Arlong Park—is located."
Lufia raised her head.
She clenched her fists.
"Then let's hurry over there."
Her voice was low. "Thinking about Nami having to meet with the people who caused such destruction... it makes me angry!"
Sanji took a deep drag from his cigarette and exhaled smoke:
"Miss Lufia, you've spoken my very thoughts."
Just then, "Rustle..."
A sound came from the nearby ruins.
All three turned simultaneously.
A figure emerged from behind a collapsed house.
Tall in stature, at least two and a half meters.
Skin presents an indigo blue with a glossy sheen.
A fin protruded from its head, its mouth full of sharp teeth, with webbed structures between its fingers.
A Fish-man.
It grinned, revealing pale white teeth:
"Are there still humans who slipped through the net in Gosa Village? Unlikely! Judging by your attire... you must be outsiders."
Its gaze swept over the three of them, "I'm going to capture you and hand you over to Arlo—"
Before it could finish speaking.
Lufia's fist was already flying toward it.
Her rubber arm stretched to its limit, "Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
"Bang!"
A solid punch landed squarely on the Fish-man's face.
"Urgh—!"
The Fish-man let out a pained cry, flying backwards and crashing through half a wall behind it, buried under bricks and stones, motionless.
Lufia retracted her arm, curling her lip:
"So this is a Fish-man... really ugly indeed."
No sooner had she spoken.
"Stop—!"
A shout came from nearby.
A figure rushed out from an alley.
It was a young woman with short hair, tattoos on her arms and chest.
She looked at the Fish-man buried under the rubble, then at Lufia and the others, her face pale, "You outsiders, who gave you permission to act recklessly?!"
Her voice was sharp with agitation:
"Here, humans are not allowed to attack Fish-men! Once a Fish-man is attacked, the entire village will suffer Arlong's retaliation!!"
These words sounded deeply uncomfortable.
It felt like intervening for justice only to be warned about meddling in others' affairs.
But Ralph could understand.
Under Arlong's years of brutal rule, the people here had grown accustomed to endurance, accustomed to following these absurd rules.
All to survive.
Lufia frowned, about to say something.
Ralph stepped forward, positioning himself in front of her.
He walked to the rubble, cleared away the bricks, and pulled out one foot of the unconscious Fish-man.
Then, dragging the Fish-man, he returned to Lufia's side.
"We'll take him away," Ralph said to the short-haired woman. "To prove your village didn't attack the Fish-man."
He paused before adding:
"Besides, we're not ordinary people. We're Pirates."
A smile spread across Ralph's face—he was increasingly realizing how free this profession truly was!
"It's perfectly normal for Pirates to attack anyone and do anything. We'll drag this 'dead fish' to Arlong Park. So you needn't worry."
The short-haired woman stood frozen.
She looked at Ralph, then at Lufia, then at Sanji.
Finally, her gaze fell upon the being dragged Fish-man.
After several seconds of silence,
She took a deep breath, stepped back, and cleared the path.
"If you're looking to die, I won't stop you!" she murmured. "Head west, through Cocoasia Village, and you'll see Arlong Park."
Ralph nodded.
"Thank you."
The three left Kasha Town, with Ralph dragging the Fish-man while Lufia and Sanji followed behind, watching with curiosity.
[Ding!]
[System Notification: Due to your proper handling, Lufia's favorability towards you +5%]
[Current Favorability: Close Friend Level 20%]
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