Nojiko the Charlatan

"What's a religious faith?"

Nojiko froze for a moment, completely baffled, then asked in a low voice.

Beneath her smooth, light-blue hair, her eyes were filled with confusion, while her long fingers fidgeted uneasily.

Although Nojiko had always been mature and steady...

Nami, whom she had seen just a month ago, had gone out to sea and suddenly wiped out the Arlong Pirates looming over them...

Such a world-shaking turn of events was far beyond what the dark-skinned girl had expected, making everything feel utterly unreal.

Like a dream.

Seeing the nervous dark-skinned girl before him, Kael immediately chuckled.

"Don't be so nervous, Miss Nojiko."

"Since you're Nami's sister, you can be considered half-family."

"There's no need to be so restrained when we're talking among ourselves."

He paused briefly, then continued explaining.

"As for religious faith... it's pretty much exactly what it sounds like..."

As he spoke, Kael nodded toward Nami beside him.

Nami, who had been waiting, immediately understood.

A sweet smile appeared on her face. Like a child showing off an award to her family, she extended her hand before Nojiko.

"Nojiko, do you still not believe that I killed Arlong with my own hands?" Nami asked with a smile.

"Huh?" Nojiko parted her lips slightly and slowly replied, "It's not that I don't believe it. It just doesn't feel real."

The corners of her lips twitched upward as she revealed an awkward yet polite smile.

Everything was simply too dreamlike for her to immediately accept this wonderful reality.

Then, Nami suddenly gave a sly smile.

"Is that so?"

"Then try this!!!"

Whoosh~!!!

As she spoke, a fierce storm abruptly surged from Nami's palm!

The wind pressure was like an invisible hand, running all over Nojiko's body!

"Ah!"

Nojiko instantly let out a cry.

Caught completely off guard, her body tipped backward.

Since she was sitting at an angle, there was no chair back behind her to support her.

She immediately lost her balance and fell backward.

Yet at that moment, another swirling gust suddenly appeared behind her back, as if someone had wrapped their arms around her waist from beneath her arms, perfectly supporting her body.

A trace of mischief flashed through Nami's bright eyes as she grinned.

"How about it, Nojiko? Do you still doubt that I could kill Arlong?"

"I'm no longer the Nami you knew, the one who could only steal things."

"You..."

Feeling the steady wind behind her, soft as bedding, Nojiko's face filled with confusion.

Nami waved her hand, controlling the wind pressure to help her back upright.

The next second, azure divine light instantly filled her eyes.

Wisps of breeze curled around her body like stars guarding the sun, gently lifting her into the air.

Nami stood suspended in midair and showed herself to Nojiko.

"As you can see, Nojiko, after Captain Kael's transformation, I gained a miraculous power called the power of faith!"

"At the same time, I gained the divine authority to control storms!"

"I shall—go with the wind."

A light breeze brushed across Nojiko's face, soothing and gentle.

"..."

Nojiko blinked blankly, staring in shock at Nami, who was surrounded by the breeze.

Though she still did not understand what Nami was talking about...

She seemed to understand one thing...

The Nami before her now...

Was incredibly badass.

"Ahem."

Kael suddenly cleared his throat twice.

When Nojiko turned her gaze toward him, Kael smiled and said:

"Miss Nojiko, just as Nami said, she has now gained divine authority over the power of faith."

"With power like that of a god, she is destined not to be confined to this tiny East Blue."

"Before long, Nami will accompany me into a far broader world!"

"Before that, though, to prevent villains like the Arlong Pirates from persecuting Cocoyasi Village or other villages and towns again..."

"Nami and I plan to establish a [Storm Witch Cult] in the East Blue!"

"The Storm Witch Cult?" Nojiko murmured the name, her brows furrowing slightly.

"That's right!" Kael nodded and explained. "Nami, who possesses divine authority, can communicate with believers through their faith and can even temporarily grant them part of her power!"

"And the deeper a believer's faith, the greater the power she can grant them!"

"As long as Cocoyasi Village has enough devout believers, even if pirates come attacking again, you'll have the power to protect yourselves."

"Do you understand what I mean?"

A glint of light flickered in Kael's dark eyes as he looked expectantly at Nojiko.

"...Yes." Nojiko nodded hesitantly.

She was highly intelligent and had read many books, so she quickly understood what Kael meant.

Yet precisely because she understood, she was plunged into deep shock.

A moment later, Nojiko's eyes flashed, and the way she looked at Nami instantly changed.

She curiously asked, "Does that mean Nami has become a god now?"

"Uh... not quite yet." Kael chuckled. "But in the future, who can say?"

Though Nami's strength was already nearly unmatched in the East Blue, at only level 29, she would merely count as a somewhat stronger Devil Fruit user in the New World or even the Grand Line.

But given time, once Nami, who possessed S-rank potential, used up all three of her awakening opportunities and equipped an S-rank weapon...

With her ability to wield the power of faith, it was not impossible for her to become a god...

A god in the true sense of the word!

Kael suddenly asked, "Then, Miss Nojiko, as Nami's sister, would you be willing to help Nami establish a church in the East Blue devoted to faith in her?"

"I..." Nojiko glanced at Nami, then nodded without much hesitation.

"Of course I am! It's just..."

"Excellent!"

Before Nojiko could finish, Kael suddenly clapped his hands with a smile and said directly:

"As long as you're willing, go ahead and do it! The rest will all be handled by the Dusk Pirates!!!"

Kael suddenly pulled out a nautical chart of the East Blue from beneath his desk and pointed to several islands on it.

"Now that Nami has just wiped out the Arlong Pirates, this is the best possible time to establish the cult!"

"You and Nami can first travel around several islands in this stretch of sea. One of you can display miracles, while the other persuades the people to believe in Nami..."

"You can say Nami is possessed by a god, or that she is the reincarnation of a god. In any case, claims that can't be verified will always convince some people."

"When the time is right, attract large numbers of people to join the church."

"Then gradually develop it and extend the channels of faith to the surrounding islands..."

"..."

Kael slowly laid out the growth plan he had devised for the cult.

"Mhm, mhm."

Listening to Kael's explanation, Nojiko nodded repeatedly in response.

Yet as Kael continued, her expression became increasingly strange.

For some reason, after hearing Kael's plan, a strange thought suddenly arose in her heart...

It seemed that what Captain Kael wanted her to do was trick more people into joining a group that worshipped Nami?

How strange.

It had sounded quite grand and lofty just moments ago, so how had she suddenly become a charlatan?