Chapter 6 Just TrialThe moment the straw hat touched her, Nami froze, then an indescribable warmth mingled with immense sorrow welled up inside her.
For eight years, she had worn a mask of pretense, stealing, deceiving, enduring scorn, all for that faint hope.
No one had ever entrusted her with something so important, something that seemed to carry some kind of conviction.
This heavy trust, like a key, loosened the last icy barrier in Nami's heart.
Nami raised her trembling hand, adjusted the wide brim of the hat, and through the gap, looked into Luffy's eyes, which now seemed exceptionally bright and sincere.
Tears welled up again, but the corners of her mouth uncontrollably curved upwards, a smile mingled with tears.
Nami's voice was soft, yet carried a resolute strength: "...Okay, I'll go with you and be your navigator."
[Current Perception: Nami's favorability has significantly increased. Overall Score: 47/100. A sense of belonging is beginning to emerge, but it's not yet firmly established.]
47 points.
Luffy nodded inwardly; progress was going smoothly.
The Straw Hat strategy was effective, but 3 points were still needed.
These final 3 points required shared experience and a catalyst.
Luffy took a half-step back, creating some distance, and deliberately softened his tone:
"No rush. Go tell the villagers the good news first. They need you, and I need to clean up this mess."
Luffy pointed to the ruins downstairs and the limp fish-men.
Maintaining distance and giving space shows respect.
This is an effective way to build goodwill, especially with an independent and wary woman like Nami.
Sure enough, a hint of surprise and… a deeper sense of relief flashed in Nami's eyes.
The other party wasn't aggressive, didn't immediately pressure her to fulfill the deal, but instead asked her to appease the villagers, which eased some of the pressure in her heart.
"Okay… okay." Nami adjusted her hat, nodded vigorously, wiped away her tears, and tried to calm herself down.
She gave Luffy one last deep look, turned, and ran downstairs, her orange hair fluttering under her straw hat.
Luffy watched Nami's departing figure, the gentle expression on his face receding like the tide, returning to indifference.
Luffy walked to the third-floor railing, looking down at the chaotic courtyard, the collapsed dragon, the unconscious officers, and the trembling remnants of the fish-men.
The villagers tentatively emerged from their hiding place, gathering around him, their faces filled with ecstatic joy and awe as they looked at him.
[Current Perception: Nami's favorability fluctuates slightly, trending towards stability; under observation.]
Luffy leaped, landing lightly from the third floor beside the dragon.
The dragon, barely clinging to life, stared at him with venomous and terrified eyes.
Luffy crouched down, speaking coldly in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Want to live?"
A glint of survival flashed in the dragon's murky eyes as it blinked frantically.
Luffy crouched beside the limp dragon, watching the glint of life in its eyes, the mocking smile on his lips deepening.
Luffy's voice was low, yet crystal clear: "Want to live? Take your men and get out of the East Blue, and never come back. Deal?"
The dragon blinked frantically, making hoarse sounds in its throat, indicating its agreement.
As long as it lived, as long as it reached the sea… there was always a chance! Hatred grew wildly in its heart.
Luffy seemed satisfied. He stood up, dusted off his hands, and addressed the terrified remnants of the fish-men, speaking in a voice loud enough for all the villagers to hear:
"Alright, our fish-man leader is wise and has decided to take you away from the East Blue, never to return. For that sake of your resolve…"
Luffy paused, his gaze sweeping over the dragon and the unconscious officers on the ground, a hint of magnanimity appearing on his face.
"…I'll spare your lives."
The villagers, hiding in the distance, were initially surprised, then erupted in even louder cheers!
Not only were they saved, but even the dragon had been reformed and driven away! Lord Luffy is amazing!
The dragon was overjoyed, struggling to get up. Just a little time…
Just then…
Luffy's smile vanished instantly, replaced by an icy indifference.
His raised right foot, its dark Armament Haki like the brand of death, was aimed at Arlong's head.
"But, I've suddenly changed my mind." Luffy's voice no longer concealed the cruel glint in his eyes.
"What promises do pirates keep? Letting you go would only sow the seeds of future trouble in the East Blue!"
Arlong's pupils shrank to pinpoints; extreme fear rendered him speechless.
Luffy stomped down, his movements lightning-fast, his tone as calm as a statement of fact: "Therefore, justice may be delayed..."
BOOM!!!
The stone slab beneath his feet, along with Arlong's head, turned to dust, blood and bone fragments splattering everywhere.
Luffy, stepping over the mangled mass of flesh, raised his head to look at the remaining fish-men, a righteous expression returning to his face. His voice echoed clearly throughout the area:
"...But I will not be absent."
The instant his words fell, Luffy moved like a ghost.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! ...
A series of dull thuds rang out, like the drumbeats of death.
The fish-men combatants, who had just shown signs of relief, didn't even see where the attacks came from before feeling heavy blows to their chests or heads, their consciousness instantly fading into darkness.
Luffy's movements were terrifyingly efficient.
He didn't use flashy techniques, just the simplest and most direct punches, kicks, and finger guns, each strike precisely hitting vital points, ensuring instant death.
His Armament Haki-covered limbs, like the scythe of death, slashed through the courtyard, leaving trails of black afterimages.
When the last remaining fish-man collapsed, the main courtyard of Arlong Park was now empty except for Luffy.
The stench of blood filled the air.
Luffy stood on Arlong's shattered head, his shoes soaked with blood.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the scattered fish-man corpses in the courtyard, finally settling on the stunned villagers in the distance.
"Arlong...is dead?" a villager asked, trembling.
After a brief silence, a deafening cheer erupted!
The villagers rushed out of their hiding places, embracing and weeping, eight years of pent-up emotions released in that instant.
Not far away, Nami stared blankly at the figure standing in the pool of blood in the center of the courtyard.
The evil dragon was truly dead. The nightmare that had tormented her for eight years was easily crushed.
Ecstasy, relief, disbelief… a torrent of emotions crashed over her heart.
[Ding! Detected strong emotional fluctuations in target Nami towards the host. Favorability assessment in progress…]
[Current target Nami's favorability: 65/100, exceeding the harvesting threshold!]
Luffy's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
65 points? Too high.
This near-blind worship and dependence not only wouldn't trigger the harvest, but could even become an obstacle to subsequent control.
What he needed was 50 points—half fear, half trust.
Luffy's gaze swept past the cheering crowd and landed on Gen, who was excitedly running towards Nami.
Luffy remembered his past life as the Pirate King. This Gen had killed countless innocent villagers from other villages in his efforts to protect Cocoyasi Village!
"Argen's sins are comparable to one-tenth of Arlong's!" Luffy's sense of justice judged.