Chapter 74: Stealing Hearts Or Stealing People... That's Not Allowed!
"It's alright. The first time... this is normal!"
Ralph paused, then added:
"Sanji just couldn't keep up with our training intensity. He'll get used to it after a few more sessions!"
Lufia blinked, looking at the unconscious Sanji on the ground, when a question suddenly occurred to her:
"He's passed out... who's going to cook for me?"
She rubbed her stomach with a pitiful expression:
"I've been training for so long, I'm starving!"
Ralph was taken aback for a moment before reminding her:
"It's the festival today. There are other chefs besides Sanji at the banquet, and it's still going on with plenty of delicious food."
"Oh right!" Lufia's eyes lit up again.
She abandoned Sanji and skipped cheerfully down the hillside:
"I'm going to eat———!"
Ralph watched her retreating figure with a helpless yet affectionate smile.
He planned to follow her and get something to eat at the banquet too.
But as he turned around, his gaze inadvertently swept over Arlong Park in the distance.
The complex that once symbolized terror and oppression now stood dark and silent in the night.
The celebrating villagers kept their distance from that place—it held painful memories nobody wanted to approach.
Yet Ralph noticed...
On the top floor of one building, a faint light was emanating from a certain room.
Who would go there at a time like this?
Driven by curiosity, Ralph changed direction.
He walked through the quiet paths and stepped once again into Arlong Park.
The courtyard still bore traces of battle—shattered stone slabs, dried bloodstains, collapsed walls... all appearing desolate under the moonlight.
Ralph entered the main building and ascended the stairs.
The light came from behind a door on the top floor.
He gently pushed the door open.
The room was spacious.
A massive drafting table occupied nearly one-third of the space.
Various drawing tools, rulers, and half-finished charts were scattered across it.
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined all four walls, packed with navigation books, chart collections, and meteorological data.
The walls themselves were covered with completed and unfinished nautical charts—of the East Blue, nearby waters, and even sketches of more distant seas.
Each one was exquisitely detailed, filled with dense annotations.
In the center of the room, a person stood before the drafting table, holding an oil lamp while quietly surveying the surroundings.
Her orange short hair glowed warmly in the dim lamplight.
Nami.
Hearing the door open, Nami turned around. Seeing Ralph, she froze momentarily.
"R... Ralph?"
Ralph entered the room, his eyes scanning the chart-covered walls, and understood the situation.
Eight years ago, Nami's adoptive mother, Bell-mère, was shot dead by Arlong.
Nami's extraordinary cartography talent was discovered by Arlong.
Thus, using the lives of all Cocoyashi Village residents as leverage and the faint hope of "buying back the village by saving one hundred million Berry" as bait, Arlong forced Nami to join the Arlong Pirates and draw nautical charts for him.
Creating a world map was Nami's dream.
But being coerced by her mother's killer, with the lives of the entire village at stake, forced to draw charts here day and night...
Even something she loved had become torture.
This chart room had been Nami's most painful place for eight years.
In the original "storyline," this room should have been completely destroyed by Luffy during the battle.
But now, due to changes in some battle details, it had been preserved.
That was why Nami had come here alone during the festive night.
Ralph walked over to Nami, his gaze also falling on the nautical charts as he asked naturally:
"Did you come... to burn this place down?"
He paused:
"Need any help?"
Nami hadn't expected Ralph to ask so directly.
She shook her head with a bitter smile:
"Originally... I wanted to burn it."
She looked up, her eyes complex as she stared at the walls covered with charts:
"But after seeing them... I suddenly couldn't bear to."
Nami lowered her head, her voice very soft:
"Am I... useless?"
Ralph remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, he spoke slowly:
"How could that be? This is only human nature."
He pointed around the room:
"Personally... I think it's better to keep it."
Nami looked up at him, puzzled.
Ralph continued, "Every brick and tile here was built by the villagers under Arlong's coercion. Keeping this place will help everyone remember that time constantly."
He paused:
"Perhaps, passing it down through generations, it will never be forgotten."
"Not to remember hatred." Ralph looked into Nami's eyes, "Just... to remember the suffering, take it as a warning, accumulate strength, so we won't be bullied by others again."
Nami was stunned.
She looked at Ralph, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
She had never thought... this building, these painful memories, could be "interpreted" this way.
Not as a mark of shame.
But as... an inscription of warning.
Ralph noticed his words might have been too heavy, so he smiled and softened his tone:
"Of course, the decision is still yours. Especially regarding these materials you drew. If they represent painful experiences for you, no one would blame you for burning them all."
Nami fell silent.
She turned around and looked at the charts again.
Under the light, glistening tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
But a smile slowly bloomed on her face.
A relieved smile.
"Ralph... you're right."
Nami said softly:
"The wrong ones were Arlong, and those who bully the weak. The charts themselves... aren't wrong."
She took a deep breath, her voice becoming firm:
"If we can keep them as memories of Cocoyasi Village... or even as wealth, perhaps... it might be a good thing."
Ralph smiled.
"It's really strong of you to think that way."
He said nothing more, turned around, and prepared to leave.
When he reached the door, he stopped and looked back to say:
"Don't stay too long. At the banquet... everyone is waiting for you."
After speaking, Ralph pushed the door open and left.
The sound of his footsteps faded away down the corridor.
Nami stood in the room, looking at the doorway where Ralph had disappeared, her lips moving slightly.
In the end, she didn't speak to ask him to stay.
When Ralph walked out of the main building, he encountered another person at the entrance.
Nojiko.
She had apparently noticed the light and come to investigate out of curiosity.
"Ralph?" Nojiko looked surprised to see him, "How did you..."
"Nami's inside." Ralph pointed to the building behind him. "Perfect timing, she... really needs company right now."
Nojiko understood something and nodded.
She entered the building.
Ralph left Arlong Park alone, heading toward the distant celebration where bonfires blazed and cheerful laughter echoed.
In the surveying room.
When Nojiko pushed the door open, Nami was standing before the desk, holding an unfinished nautical chart in her hand, her eyes somewhat dazed.
Hearing the sound, Nami looked up, saw her sister, and smiled:
"Nojiko."
Nojiko walked to her side, gazing at the nautical charts filling the room, and asked softly:
"Decided?"
Nami nodded: "Mm. Keeping them."
Nojiko didn't ask further.
She began helping Nami organize the scattered papers, rolling up each nautical chart and placing them into specialized document tubes.
After quietly organizing for a while, Nojiko suddenly spoke, her voice very soft with a hint of teasing, "Stealing some treasure, gold, or whatever is one thing."
She paused, looking at Nami:
"But stealing hearts, stealing people... that's not allowed."
Nojiko's expression turned somewhat serious:
"You might end up losing yourself in the process."
Nami's face flushed instantly.
"None of your business!"
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