"Huh? You know me? Hello! I'm the man who's going to become the King of the Pirates!"
Luffy answered as single-mindedly and nonsensically as ever.
Zoro, who had defeated Cabaji, came over, dragging his injured body. He and the wary Nami both breathed a sigh of relief. They had thought a new enemy had appeared.
But after hearing Moya's answer and seeing his attitude, they instinctively assumed he knew Luffy and wasn't an enemy.
"Have you forgotten? Back when the Alvida Pirates attacked that passenger ship, there was a man who couldn't understand what anyone was saying."
Moya narrowed his eyes and spoke calmly.
Then he turned to Nami and said in a deep, icy voice,
"My little Nami, that groin-crushing kick of yours last time scared me half to death! You shouldn't treat your future husband like that!"
With that joke, Moya struck first and declared Nami his fiancée, laying the groundwork for competing with Luffy for her later.
"Baka! I don't know you at all, you perverted lecher!" Nami's expression instantly crumpled as she yelled in a frenzy.
"Nami is my navigator!"
Luffy shouted, but Moya ignored him.
"Nami, hear me out. I promised a lot of people I'd protect you."
Moya thought, I'm speaking on behalf of all the Nami-loving fans back on Earth.
"You should know those two can't beat that Fishman. We shouldn't drag them into this.
Give me some time. I'll defeat that Fishman. Trust me!"
Moya spoke firmly to Nami, his handsome face serious.
Nami's pupils contracted. She was shocked that Moya knew about Arlong.
Moya used Fast Slide to move beside her, then whispered softly in her ear,
"Bell-mère's spirit asked me to take good care of you."
Moya lied through his teeth, his words like a devil's whisper.
But Nami's mind felt as if it had been struck by a magnitude-ten earthquake.
Bell-mère—that most important name in her life.
Nami grabbed Moya by the shoulders, tears streaming down her face as she frantically demanded,
"How do you know Bell-mère?! Why do you know Bell-mère?! Where is she now?! I want to see her! I want to see her—I miss her so much!"
Nami sobbed. Her knees gave way, and she sank helplessly to the ground.
Seeing Nami so heartbroken, Moya—who had been feeling rather pleased with himself over the success of his despicable plan—suddenly felt weighed down.
He seemed to have overlooked just how important Bell-mère was to Nami.
He shook his head, casting those thoughts aside. Perhaps feeling a little guilty, he crouched down and gently pulled Nami into his arms.
"Go ahead and cry, little kitten. You've had a hard time all these years. Let it all out! I promise I'll drive Arlong out of Cocoyasi Village!"
Moya declared loudly and resolutely. Nami cried even harder when she heard him.
"What are you doing?! You made my navigator cry! I'm gonna knock you flying!"
Luffy shouted angrily, swinging his arm as he charged at Moya.
Zoro might have been a hopeless direction-finder, but he wasn't stupid. He could tell what was going on between Moya and Nami, so he immediately grabbed Luffy and whacked him hard on the head, raising a huge bump.
"She's dealing with her own personal business! Why are you butting in?"
Luffy struggled in Zoro's grasp. With his current level of intelligence, he couldn't understand why Nami was crying.
When Nami had cried enough, Moya stroked her head and said gently,
"From now on, I'll protect you. Leave your dream of becoming a navigator and the threat of Arlong to me!"
"But... I don't need you meddling! Arlong is too powerful. You can't beat him! I won't let anyone else risk their life. I'll gather a hundred million Beli soon and buy Cocoyasi Village back myself!"
Nami pushed Moya away and wiped her tears.
"Don't be so naive, Nami. Arlong won't let you leave so easily.
"And as far as I know, he's already in league with Captain Nezumi of the Marines. Can you guess what will happen in the end?"
Moya ruthlessly laid out the truth, his expression stern.
Hearing the news, Nami's heart crumbled into despair again. Tears began streaming down her face once more. She braced herself on the ground, lifted her head, and looked at Moya.
"I don't know. I don't believe it. What should I do? Who can help me?"
Moya wiped away Nami's tears, his expression tender.
"Leave everything to me!"
Looking at Moya's handsome, solemn face, Nami couldn't help but lose herself for a moment.
Just then, Luffy broke free of Zoro's hold.
"Nami is my navigator! I'll knock that whatever-his-name-is Arlong flying! Isn't that obvious?"
Seeing that Luffy still insisted Nami was his navigator, Moya's expression changed. His face grew stern, dark clouds gathering over it.
"You say Nami is your navigator, but have you asked what she thinks? Did she agree?"
Faced with Moya's question, Zoro fell silent.
But Luffy stubbornly insisted, "I don't care! I want Nami to be my navigator!"
Moya's mood darkened too. When he'd watched the anime, he'd thought Luffy's stubbornness was endearing.
But facing him in person, Moya really wanted to punch his lights out!
Considering that Dragon of the Revolutionary Army might be secretly protecting Luffy, Moya continued to argue his case.
"Nami isn't property. You can't just claim her because you want her! I respect Nami's choice!"
"Nami, join my adventure group and become my navigator!"
"Nami, join my pirate crew and become my navigator!"
Moya and Luffy invited Nami at the same time.
Everyone immediately turned to look at her. Hearing their invitations, Nami—who had only wanted to use Luffy as a scapegoat—had no intention of becoming a pirate at all.
Though she hesitated a little, she still turned to Luffy and said,
"I'm sorry, Luffy. I don't want to become the kind of pirate I hate!"
"Moya, is an adventure group a pirate crew?" Nami asked him.
"Of course not. Our adventure group focuses on exploring and searching for treasure, as well as wiping out wicked pirates and bullies! We do a little business on the side, too."
Moya explained, making sure to dangle an irresistible temptation in front of Nami.
"Besides, I've already found the location of the famous Golden City treasure! I hear the place is overflowing with gold."
As expected, Nami paused for a moment, and her sorrowful mood instantly brightened. Her eyes flashed, turning into Beli symbols, and she immediately grabbed Moya's arm.
"Ah! Captain, you're my boss from now on!"
The people in the world of pirates really did have unpredictable moods. They changed far too quickly.
Seeing Nami like that, Luffy looked as if someone had snatched the meat right out of his hands. He shouted at Moya indignantly,
"Moya, I challenge you to a duel!"
Moya also wanted to test the results of his recent training and gain some practical experience.
"Fine, I accept."
"But let's deal with the Buggy Pirates first. I don't want my spoils of war escaping."
Everyone swiftly rounded up the remaining members of the Buggy Pirates, tied them up, and locked them away.
Before long, in an open space...
Moya and Luffy faced each other from a distance.
"Gum-Gum Gatling!"
Luffy shouted and struck first. He stretched out both arms and attacked Moya rapidly and fiercely. Countless afterimages of his fists filled the air.
Seeing that Moya seemed not to react, Nami and Zoro both looked confused and worried.
The members of Moya's Adventure Group, however, watched their captain with complete confidence.
They seemed certain of victory, cheering him on from the sidelines.
Before you continue