A Bountiful Harvest

...Had he been staring too obviously?

Fine, Li Mingyuan admitted it—he had indeed glanced over a few times without meaning to.

But there was nothing he could do about that.

Compared to Nojiko's looks and skin tone, the truly eye-catching thing about her was the large tattoo spread across her shoulders and chest.

That tattoo had been inked after Nami joined the Arlong Pirates and had their mark carved into her arm. Afraid that Nami would feel inferior because of the Arlong Pirates' symbol on her body, Nojiko got the tattoo herself. In a way, it was a product of an older sister's silent love.

With something carrying such special significance in the story, and with her leaning down to speak to him, wasn't it perfectly normal to look a few extra times?

More than that, though, Li Mingyuan wanted to complain about whether Nojiko had any sense of personal boundaries. Anyone who did not know better would think they were extremely close. Since earlier, she had been standing far too near him.

"Forget it."

Li Mingyuan lightly shook his head and looked away.

Just like Nami, perhaps it was simply the natural closeness that came from having a favorable impression of someone she considered her benefactor. Besides, Nojiko had always been rather close with people in the original story. She had quickly become friendly even with Usopp and the others when they first met.

Her bold personality was not just an empty description.

Li Mingyuan turned his attention back to the villagers gathering around him, focusing on the man at their head.

He had not expected to encounter an old character like Genzo in addition to Nojiko. In a way, it was rather nostalgic.

"Was it you who defeated Arlong?"

"Thank you!"

Meeting his gaze, the scar-covered middle-aged man solemnly lowered his head and gave Li Mingyuan a deep bow. The windmill atop his head spun continuously before Li Mingyuan's eyes.

With Genzo taking the lead, the surrounding villagers seemed to have had some sort of switch flipped. They immediately began expressing their gratitude to Li Mingyuan, some fervently and others excitedly.

Before long, the noise made Li Mingyuan's ears hurt.

"Alright, alright, there's no need for everyone to crowd around me one by one. You're too loud."

Li Mingyuan rose from the lounge chair and repeatedly waved his hands at the villagers. With a headache, he said, "I'm not really someone who likes lively crowds. If you have something to say, save it for tonight's banquet and say it all at once. Nami already told me that you're holding a banquet tonight, right? I'll be there then."

"Ah! Nami already told you?"

The villagers' eyes immediately lit up. One of them leaned forward and anxiously said, "You absolutely have to come tonight! It's not just us—everyone else in the village wants to meet you too!!"

"Where exactly are you from? How were you able to defeat Arlong?"

"Did someone hire you!?"

Although Li Mingyuan had tried to extricate himself from the conversation, the villagers' enthusiasm had completely gotten out of hand. They continued firing question after question at him, and he was soon surrounded so tightly that even moving became difficult.

"Sorry, everyone's just a little too excited."

Seeing this, Genzo beside Li Mingyuan could not help but smile wryly. He barely managed to explain amid the crowded people, "After all... Hey! Don't shove! Cough, cough. Everyone has suddenly been freed from the Arlong Pirates, so they're all extremely worked up right now. Especially after meeting you, their benefactor—they simply can't control their emotions."

This was different from being rescued after an attack by mountain bandits. This island had been enslaved by the Fish-Men for years. Now that they had finally been liberated, people desperately needed to vent those long-suppressed emotions. Some chose to celebrate, but for the villagers who had personally met Li Mingyuan, what they wanted most was to pour all their gratitude onto him.

Li Mingyuan naturally understood that.

But understanding was one thing. For someone like him to become the center of attention was simply unbearable.

So, after reluctantly exchanging a few more words, Li Mingyuan could no longer endure it.

"Sorry! See you tonight—I'm leaving for a while!"

After saying that, Li Mingyuan casually grabbed the cloth bundle containing Arlong's head from nearby. With a light tap of his toes, he suddenly leaped up from the crowd. After stepping across several villagers' shoulders, he shot out of the throng and vaulted over the wall of Arlong Park.

The villagers who saw this were initially shocked by Li Mingyuan's agility. But after they came back to their senses, they grew even more excited and rushed out of Arlong Park after his retreating figure.

In the blink of an eye, the wrecked Arlong Park was left with only Genzo standing where he was.

At the edge of the crowd, Nojiko had already covered her mouth and begun laughing. She had left the crowd early precisely because she had anticipated this.

"Haha, if you hated it that much, couldn't you have just put on a cold face and snapped at them?"

"What a strange person."

Nojiko said, trying to suppress her laughter.

At the same time, apparently having heard the commotion below, a window on the upper floor of Arlong Park opened.

Nami poked her head out and looked down in surprise. "Huh? Genzo, and Nojiko too—what are you doing here?"

"Ah! Nami!"

Nojiko's eyes lit up at once. She waved at Nami and called loudly, "We just met our benefactor! He said he'll be attending tonight's banquet!"

"That person?"

Nami looked a little surprised upon hearing that.

Although she had invited Li Mingyuan to the banquet while thanking him, based on his temperament during their earlier conversation, she had assumed he would not like such a lively place and would most likely not attend. Yet he had agreed?

Just as Nami was leaning out to look outside, Carina, who had finally finished washing up in another room on the upper floor, changed into Nami's spare clothes and opened her window as well.

"Whoa, this view from above is really something."

Carina looked at the river mouth, which was nearly stained red, with astonishment in her eyes. "There are bodies everywhere. How scary."

As she spoke, Carina turned her head toward Nami, whose window was open not far away.

"Nami, why did you come back so quickly?"

"On such a wonderful day, I thought you'd stay with your family and enjoy the freedom of liberation, have a nice talk and all that."

Carina blinked.

"You're the one who took forever."

Nami turned back toward Carina and could not help rolling her eyes. "Both my benefactor and you were still in Arlong Park. How could I just leave you behind and go celebrate by myself? And we agreed to sort through the spoils together. Why were you in the bathroom for so long? Thanks to you, I've been working alone this whole time!"

"Hehe, sorry, sorry."

Carina gave an embarrassed laugh and said, "But thanks to me, didn't you get some time alone with your benefactor? Your expression is much brighter than before. I'm guessing you properly expressed your gratitude while the two of you were alone, right?"

Unaware that Nami's conversation with Li Mingyuan had actually been about Carina's safety, Carina lightly teased Nami.

However, the reason Nami's mood had become so refreshed was because she had just burned all those sea charts that had tormented her for years.

Hearing Carina's words, Nami's face darkened.

She had not even asked about her benefactor's actual circumstances yet. The entire conversation had been spent thinking about how to help Carina out of her predicament, and now she was being teased about it?

"Ca! Ri! Na!"

"Since this matter has been dealt with, how about we continue discussing how you stole all my treasure last time, left me penniless among the treasure hunters, and ran off alone with the money?"

Nami tugged at the corner of her mouth, smiling without warmth. "Thanks to you, I almost died. You don't really think that just because I didn't bring it up, it never happened, do you?"

"Uh!"

Seeing Nami's dark expression, Carina stretched out her neck, gave an awkward laugh, and slowly withdrew her head back into the room.

"Um... Hahaha, I'll be going first..."

"Wait! You little Fox Spirit, don't think you can escape from me!"

One was known as the Fox Spirit in the East Blue, while the other was known as the Cat Burglar. The two were now chasing and tussling within the same building.

Carina fled, and Nami gave chase.

Below Arlong Park.

Watching the little scene unfold above, Genzo could not help laughing.

Even Nojiko smiled as she watched the sight before her, happiness welling up from the bottom of her heart.

"I never expected Nami to have a female friend her own age."

"Was her name Carina?"

"Although this is my first time seeing her, I think I heard Nami mention that name before. She seemed to be a rival she once worked with in the East Blue."

Nojiko rested her chin on one hand and thought back carefully. "I see, so she's Carina."

While Nojiko was still trying to remember, Genzo beside her had already walked over.

"Seeing that expression on Nami's face, only now do I truly feel that the Arlong Pirates are gone. Once this news spreads across the whole island, even more people should begin celebrating."

"That young man is truly remarkable. He looks only a little older than you and Nami, but his circumstances are far beyond anything we can imagine."

Genzo looked at Nojiko and said in high spirits, "He isn't a pirate, is he? If he's a bounty hunter, I wonder where he'll go next. No matter what, though, he probably won't stay on this island for long. It would be nice if there were something we could do to help."

"Alright."

"We've confirmed the situation. Everyone should head back to the village and start preparing. If we get back too late, we won't be able to hold tonight's banquet, hahaha!"

As he spoke, Genzo laughed heartily and turned to leave Arlong Park.

He could see that the villagers who had followed Li Mingyuan out earlier seemed to have lost sight of him. They were wandering regretfully through the surrounding forest, apparently still planning to find the young man.

Genzo was not surprised by this at all.

How could someone capable of defeating Arlong possibly let them catch up if he truly wanted to hide?

"Everyone, it's about time to go back and prepare for the banquet! Tonight, we have to properly entertain our benefactor!"

Genzo called out loudly, gathering the villagers again.

Perhaps the other villagers also understood that finding Li Mingyuan under such circumstances was no different from a fantasy. Though somewhat regretful, they soon followed Genzo away from Arlong Park and set off down the road home.

Only Nojiko did not leave immediately. Instead, she leaned against the wall of Arlong Park and quietly waited.

She planned to leave together with Nami.

Although she did not know what Nami was busy with, now that they had finally been liberated, more than ever before, she wanted to spend time with Nami rather than return home alone to prepare for the banquet.

Even simply waiting here was incomparably pleasant.

Just as Nojiko was thinking this.

Her gaze inadvertently swept over the lounge chair in the distance, and her eyes instantly widened in surprise.

"Huh? You?"

Nojiko stared in astonishment. "When did you come back?!"

The lounge chair that had been empty just moments ago now somehow held a familiar-looking figure. He was once again lying there naturally, still wearing those sunglasses, looking completely composed.

It was Li Mingyuan.

As though he had never left, he was now sunbathing on the lounge chair.

Hearing Nojiko's question, Li Mingyuan did not move at all. He simply replied casually, "Just now, when that man named Genzo left."

"That's incredible. I didn't see you at all."

Nojiko moved close to Li Mingyuan and examined the man before her in amazement, clicking her tongue in wonder. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have thought you never left this lounge chair. How did you do that?"

"Too many questions. I have no obligation to answer them."

Li Mingyuan did not answer Nojiko.

He yawned, rolled over, and turned his back toward the girl.

"If you're that free, why not go back to the village and help prepare for the banquet? The other villagers all looked delighted."

Li Mingyuan's voice came from his back.

Taking the villagers for a little detour had thoroughly drained his mental energy. After all, these villagers were practically Nami's family. Since Li Mingyuan intended to recruit Nami, he had to pay some attention to his image and could not simply put on a cold face and drive them away. It honestly felt more exhausting than fighting.

Right now, he truly wanted to take a nap, and he did not want to deal with the overly familiar Nojiko either.

Nojiko wanted to say something more, but before she could open her mouth, footsteps sounded from the entrance of Arlong Park's main building.

Nojiko turned around and saw Nami and the girl named Carina walking out together.

Both of them were carrying large bundles of things.

At a glance, a faint golden gleam could be seen beneath the heavy cloth.

"Hehehe, what a bountiful harvest!"

Carina hugged a bundle tightly and could not help snickering. "With this much money, we'll be set for quite a long time."

"Don't say something so stupid. It isn't your money, is it? Or was the lesson from getting caught this time not painful enough?"

Nami sighed. She could not be bothered to deal with Carina and instead walked straight toward Li Mingyuan.