Straw Hat Luffy

"Enel, just wait here. I'll go bring you some oranges."

"Yeah~ hahahaha~ Never thought you of all people would understand how to respect a god!"

Enel, who had no idea what was going on, assumed this was Cifer's goodwill toward him. As a magnanimous god, he naturally had to accept his admiration!

With all that chuunibyou energy around him, he instead seemed genuine in everyone's eyes. Though he always called himself a god, he truly had acted as their guardian deity.

Tashigi mingled among the villagers. She had not only done nothing on this trip, she had been unable to do anything at all. She could only help the villagers prepare for the banquet to give herself something to do.

The justice of the Marines began to waver in her heart. Everything she had always believed in now seemed like a joke.

"Miss Tashigi, what's wrong?!"

The cheerful villagers nearby saw tears streaming down her face as she helped carry things, and hurriedly gathered around to ask.

If only I were stronger!

She shook her head to show everyone they did not need to worry, but her tears simply would not stop.

"Um... Cifer, your companion seems to be crying. Is she going to be okay?"

As Nami and Nojiko led Cifer toward the orange grove, they noticed the commotion behind them and asked curiously.

"This is something she needs to go through."

"Justice is not as pure as she thinks it is."

After thinking about it, they figured it was probably because of Captain Nezumi. Since Cifer did not seem to care, they had nothing more to say.

Before long, they arrived at the orange grove they were so proud of. As far as the eye could see, it was a sea of glittering gold beneath the sunlight.

"Here!"

Nami considerately peeled an orange and handed it to Cifer.

"Well? Well? Is it delicious?"

"Mm."

Under Nami's expectant gaze, Cifer gave the answer she wanted. Just that one word made her jump happily in place.

To be honest, this was the best orange Cifer had ever eaten in either life. The flavor did not seem all that different, yet it felt different.

Perhaps it was because the owner of this orange grove had cared for it so wholeheartedly.

The warmth of that heart seemed to have passed through the oranges to him.

"You two, do you want to become my companions?"

As he stuffed another orange into his mouth, Cifer's casual question left both women frozen in place.

As characters Cifer knew from the story, there was no need to consider whether these two would betray him.

Besides, one was a cook and the other a navigator, perfectly filling the gaps on his ship. As for waiting for Hina like he had said before, it was perfectly normal for such a large ship to have people sharing the same position in shifts, right?

"Companions? Do you mean in the Marines?"

Nami asked cautiously. She suddenly remembered that when Cifer had ordered Captain Nezumi killed at Arlong Park earlier, he seemed to have said he was not a Marine.

"No, I'm a pirate."

That answer completely stunned them. He was a pirate, yet Tashigi was a Marine. No matter how they looked at it, those two should not have been together.

Moreover, Nojiko still held a certain degree of fear and disgust toward pirates. Nami, however, did not. She no longer hated pirates that much, and she already had a pirate crew in mind.

Then, both of them decisively refused Cifer.

Nojiko's reason was that she needed to guard the orange grove left behind by her adoptive mother. Nami was even more direct, saying she already had a pirate crew she admired.

He was somewhat disappointed by the result, but it was also within his expectations. The Straw Hat Pirates were an incredibly united crew, as solid as an iron wall.

"Oh, right! Cifer, come look at this!"

Afraid that rejecting him might make him unhappy, Nami pulled her over to her little treasure vault. She lifted the turf, revealing glittering treasures beneath.

"This is worth around 93 million Belly. Consider it payment for helping our village deal with Arlong and Captain Nezumi, okay?"

Nami displayed the fruits of her many years of blood and sweat as though showing them off. This money had originally been saved to buy the freedom of everyone in the village. Now, not only were they free, the threat was gone as well.

No matter how money-obsessed she was, she felt this money should be given to Cifer as thanks.

Cifer looked at the treasure underground without a trace of greed in his eyes. He did not lack money at all.

The gold, silver, jewels, and Belly on his ship alone were worth far more than this. Besides, he was the Butcher. Whenever he ran out of money, he could just take a few laps around the Grand Line.

"Keep it for your villagers. If you truly need to pay me to make a move, this is nowhere near enough."

He did not look at the treasure again. Instead, he wandered through the orange grove, occasionally picking an orange, peeling it, and placing it in his mouth.

Seeing Cifer say that, Nami hid the treasure away again. She already knew how to use this money!

This man, just like Luffy and the others, was a good pirate!

"Nami!!!"

Just as she smiled, Luffy's voice came from behind her. She turned around and saw several men running toward her.

They're here?!

Cifer's ears twitched. He had been in this world for nearly two months, and he was finally about to meet the protagonist.

"Luffy!!!"

With Arlong's restraints gone, Nami no longer had anything binding her. At this moment, she wanted to truly become this man's companion.

The group had seen everyone preparing for the banquet when they entered the village. After asking around, they learned that Nami had always had her own hardships.

Then, guided by a villager, they found this place.

"Nami! Be my companion!"

"Mm!"

For the man who had been willing to follow her all the way to Cocoyasi Village, Nami had already agreed in her heart long ago.

Was this the protagonist's charm?

Watching the two embrace, Cifer could not help sighing. His own journey of inviting companions had really been difficult.

He had only tricked one little girl and beaten a chuunibyou into submission. Every other attempt had failed. The companion drop rate was ridiculously low.

Still, that was only a passing thought. Everyone he had invited so far had appeared in the original story, and there was basically no need to worry about them betraying him.

It was just that the success rate was rather low. If he publicly announced that he was recruiting crew members, people who wanted to join him would surely swarm over.

But that would not be any fun!

Cifer had decided that this life would be one of freedom, a life lived entirely as he pleased. He would not seek companions merely for the sake of finding companions.

"You're the guy who helped Nami deal with Arlong? You look really strong!"

"Thank you!"

With an innocent smile, Luffy walked up to Cifer while touching his hat. He remembered what Zoro had said earlier.

"Zoro, do you recognize this flag?"

Seeing the alarmed look on Zoro's face, Luffy's expression turned serious as well.

"As a former Pirate Hunter, there's no way I could be wrong. The owner of this ship is another Shichibukai, one who stands alongside Hawk Eyes!"

"Ulquiorra Cifer, known as the Black Winged Great Demon!"

As soon as he said that, nearly everyone on the ship went pale. Zoro had just been defeated by Hawk Eyes with absolute superiority, and now another monster on his level had appeared. How could they not be afraid?

"It was nothing."

Looking at the little runt before him, Cifer wondered whether he should beat him up and teach him how cruel the world could be.