Hair Bound Together, Hearts Tied in Knots

Valencia Town,

The lively celebration is underway!

Enough food to eat one's fill, fine wines retrieved from the cellar—even the most frugal person wouldn't feel it's a 'waste' at this moment. Because for ordinary people, everything else seems insignificant compared to life.

Dreams? Freedom? Ambition?

I'm sorry, those are things reserved for the strong. Ordinary people just want a peaceful and stable life.

The coastline was filled with laughter and singing and dancing civilians. Although the city had just been breached by pirates, fortunately, the pirates had planned to keep the civilians as 'bait' for a trap. In addition, Roman's Team 211 arrived in time, so the casualties were not too heavy.

Moreover, thanks to Nami, the "second" Mobile Fountain, a single day was enough to energize everyone to offer blessings and celebrations for the return of peace.

"What a lively yet familiar atmosphere~~"

Looking at the joyful and lively coastline before her, Nami couldn't help but recall the Straw Hat crew's journey: their desperate battles against pirates, the smiles on everyone's faces, the boisterous celebrations... Compared to before, it didn't seem out of place at all. Moreover:

"An, how about we go grab a drink?"

Seeing Isca's rare smile, Nami smiled and shook her head.

"No, I'll stay and watch the ship. You go ahead."

"Okay, then—"

The beautiful lieutenant colonel, who had walked to the ship's railing, Guotou and looked at Nami.

"An, you can't just wait around when it comes to men, or you'll end up like me..."

It's too late for regrets!

Anyway, good luck!

Isca, making a 'striving' gesture with his fist, jumped off the warship on Geppo to accept the thanks from the mayor of Valencia and the garrison on behalf of the Team 211.

Although alcohol is theoretically prohibited in the military, after a major victory that saved an entire town, the officers on the ship turned a blind eye to the wine, food, and applause offered by the civilians. Moreover:

"Haha, don't worry."

Borgin, having taken a large gulp of wine, waved his hand heartily amidst the crowd.

"I've already called my dad... cough cough, and asked headquarters to send people to guard this place. Safety is definitely not a problem."

"Thank you, thank you~~"

"Thank you, sir..."

Long live the Navy!

Looking at the crowd with their "I'm a second-generation rich kid and I'm proud" attitude, Nami rested her chin on her hand.

"Wow, what an energetic bunch...?!"

Leaning against the side of the warship, Nami, wearing a colonel's coat, looked towards the shore. A little girl and her mother were waving to her from afar, and Nami happily waved back.

"Big sister, I will protect Mommy~~"

"Don't say that, quickly thank the navy officers for their protection."

Nami chuckled as she watched the woman bowing down to the little girl.

"This is what we should do."

·······

Ga,

As Roman pushed open the cabin door, he saw Nami in a good mood.

"What, do you really enjoy banquets that much?"

With a casual wave of his hand, two white chairs appeared side by side on the deck. Roman sat down, looked at the lively scene not far away, and shook his head.

"What's there to be happy about? It's not as good as mine—"

As Roman turned the page, another page appeared, showing two symmetrical human figures on the left and right.

"Swap Page, what a great thing!"

Roman beamed with delight. After learning from Isca that the pirate captain 'Phantom' Klein had a metal hand, Roman figured out how the other party had escaped:

He hides one of his hands on another island and replaces it with a metal prosthetic. In a crisis, he can use this 'displacement' to teleport himself directly to another distant place.

This method can guarantee that Klein even has the ability to escape the Admiral's pursuit! Of course, the premise is that you have to be ruthless to yourself: not everyone can take the initiative to 'hold back a trump card'.

These are not problems for Roman at all! Not to mention that Roman himself has the ability to actively split his flesh and blood, the 'Life Return' that can quickly regenerate hair is equivalent to being immune to the cost of activating this Devil Fruit ability.

"Heh, I'm actually hoping that Klein doesn't die."

In high spirits, Roman sat in a white chair and casually said to Nami beside him, "Otherwise, wouldn't the 'Swap Page' I just got be useless?"

"Hehe, I wonder who got shot six times and pierced seven times yesterday, almost killed on the spot."

Nami her eyes at Roman. Although it was to protect her, Roman's miserable state had almost scared Nami to tears. —With Roman's strength, how could he have been hit by a mere gun if it weren't for protecting her?

"Don't panic,"

Roman, who had been shot six times and had seven holes in his body, calmly waved his hand.

"These are just Seastone Bullets. Even if they can suppress my Devil Fruit ability and affect my Armament Haki, they won't suppress my Observation Haki or 'Life Return'."

Why was Roman so envious of the 'Life Return' skill in the past? Because it truly is a god-tier skill!

"The instant I was shot, I controlled my muscles to converge on the wound, moving my internal organs out of the bullet's trajectory. Despite being shot six times and suffering seven holes, it was really just 'flesh and blood wounds.' One of the shots was even calculated to avoid accidentally hitting you; I directly controlled my muscles to 'make way' and let the bullet pass through your body..."

As Roman went on and on about how to minimize damage, Nami sighed again.

This man is hopeless!

Depend on--

?

Facing Nami sitting in the chair next to him with her head resting on his shoulder, Roman finally snapped out of his efficient 'battle' of explaining.

Quiet--

While the coastline and town are bustling with revelers, two people lean on each other on the deck. Compared to the vibrant rhythms across the water, this place is Tranquil Garden.

Leisurely white clouds drift by, allowing the sun to scatter dappled sunlight across the sky; the wind gently sweeps across the mast, and the sound of waves lapping against the ship's side echoes; occasionally, a few white-bellied, black-winged seabirds fly overhead.

Roman shut his mouth, his gaze slowly extending into the distance, gradually rising above the town and the Marine base, to an endless expanse of ocean and sky. Roman suddenly realized that it had been a long time since he had leisurely sat down to admire the scenery.

When was the last time? In this world... it seems like I've always been fighting and training, maybe only in my past life?

The first three years were a struggle for survival, filled only with bloodshed and slaughter; after joining the Straw Hat crew, he was always faced with enemies so powerful they were almost hopeless. He seemed to be constantly pushing forward like a taut spring, though Roman didn't regret his past. However:

Roman turned his gaze to Nami beside him. The girl had also raised her head at some point and was gazing at the distant sky, not to observe the weather, but simply lost in thought.

Nami leaned her head against Roman's shoulder, her shoulder-length orange hair cascading down, a few strands brushing her face. Her expression was serene and calm. It was neither her usual lively confidence nor the occasional cunning or weakness she displayed. Roman was speechless for a moment, simply staring at her blankly, as if he were seeing the girl beside him for the first time.

Roman had never seen Nami so quiet and demure. Most of the time, Nami seemed lively and cheerful, her emotions readily apparent: loud laughter, loud crying, gulping down drinks, running away in tears...

When she directed the ship's direction, she radiated confidence. It was as if, with her there, no sea was too wide to cross, no island too high to reach. Even when Roman forced her to develop "The Art of the Thief" every day, she secretly worked diligently beneath her lazy and cunning facade.

At this moment, the girl leaning against him seemed to have completely forgotten these past 'images'. Nami now resembled a pure and innocent girl, naively leaning on the man's shoulder, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds, and sketching out her dreams for the future.

At this moment, setting aside all those nonsensical titles like 'genius navigator,' 'magical girl,' and 'professional thief,' Roman suddenly realized that this younger girl companion beside him was more than just a companion...

"Roman".

"Um?"

Nami pointed to the ordinary people laughing and celebrating on the shore, and then to the little girl whose tiny hand was holding her mother's index finger, the light in her eyes indescribable:

Is it envy, or...?

"I suddenly think this is pretty good."

?

"If our brief battle can bring smiles to the faces of thousands of ordinary people, then this kind of work seems worthwhile..."

??

"Ah, I just want to capture a few more captains with bounties so that I can be promoted and it will be beneficial to the next plan."

When faced with the emotional Nami, Roman gave a factual answer.

"As for saving people, it was just something I did on the side. I have no intention of fighting for strangers. Just thinking about Luffy and his bunch of troublemakers is enough to give me a headache."

·····

"Pfft,"

Roman tilted his head, looking puzzled, at Nami's sudden burst of laughter.

"It's nothing," Nami Roman, leaning on Roman's shoulder and staring at him from the side, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"I just think that you really are Roman, you don't know how to win a girl's heart at all."

"That will disappoint you."

Roman rolled his eyes.

"Devil Fruit?"

"Yeah?"

Snap,

A hand grabbed Roman's collar and pulled him outwards. —Naturally, Nami couldn't possibly move Roman with her strength. But as the saying goes, every action has a counter-action; since Roman didn't move, then what moved was:

A streak of orange hair magnified in his pupils, and the next second their lips met, the soft touch carrying a refreshing orange scent. Roman's pupils involuntarily dilated and contracted!

"Na..."

"Isn't now the time to talk?"

When faced with the whispers of the girl who had 'crossed the line' from the chair next to him and was now lying on top of him, Roman was certainly not stupid enough not to understand what she meant.

He reached out and pulled the girl into his arms; she was as soft and warm as jade, as pure as cream. Their eyes met, and their lips intertwined.

"Major... Major!"

Amidst the pointing and gesturing of a second-generation idiot with his mouth agape in an 'O' shape, Borgin's ruthless iron hand landed on the other man's head, forcefully twisting his face and turning it Vice Admiral! He then casually shoved a chicken leg into his mouth.

"You're short of a head, aren't you? You don't even have that much sense. -- Don't say you're working for me, you're a disgrace!"

Borgin shook his head smugly.

"Just women, you're in Sabaody... wait! Every time we go to Sabaody you make excuses, could it be that you actually—"

Faced with Borgin's increasingly strange gaze, the second-generation leader who had just glanced at the warship blushed and tried to explain:

"How could that be? You all know how brave I am..."

"I don't know, I don't know!"

The others around, laughing and joking, took the opportunity to kick him while he was down.

"You're super brave, huh? Let's see what you've got~~"

······

"Cough cough,"

On the warship, Nami, who was sitting upright, turned her Guotou away with a blush on her face, causing Roman looked on with lingering relish, to seriously touch his chin.

It seems... to be just as good as Devil Fruit, huh?

Interesting.

P. S.: Ahem, please don't be too critical of the romance scenes... (Looks up at the sky)