Invite Nami, Get a New Ship

Night, Cocoyasi Village.

To celebrate the defeat of the Arlong Pirates.

The villagers brought out the finest ingredients from their homes and lovingly prepared delicious food.

At the bonfire party, the villagers presented the best dishes to Luo Wen.

They sang and danced around the fire, their faces filled with joy and exhilaration.

For eight years, the villagers had lived under the oppression of the Arlong Pirates.

Now that the Arlong Pirates had been destroyed, everyone freely released their pent-up emotions, offering their most passionate dances to the hero, Luo Wen.

Luo Wen ate the delicious food while enjoying the villagers' performance.

"Sure enough, I still prefer this kind of atmosphere!"

Watching the villagers sing and dance in celebration.

A sense of accomplishment rose in Luo Wen's heart.

In the half year since coming to this pirate world, Luo Wen had either been killing pirates or on his way to kill pirates.

He had witnessed too much of pirates' cruelty and treachery—the cruelest law of the jungle.

Rather than seeing pirates smug and triumphant, Luo Wen would rather see honest villagers smiling.

Before he knew it, Luo Wen had cleared all the food from the table.

It might not have been as refined and elegant as the food at Baratie, but it had its own unique flavor.

"Luo Wen, thank you."

Nami had been watching Luo Wen's table the whole time. She carried over a plate of roasted meat and placed it before him.

Luo Wen was somewhat surprised. He had been about to look for Nami, but she had come to him herself.

"Now that the Arlong Pirates are gone, what are you planning to do from now on?"

Luo Wen asked casually as he ate the roasted meat.

Nami froze. What plans did she have?

Before, her greatest dream had been to free the village, and now that dream had come true.

Her other dream was to draw nautical charts of the entire world.

But how could she possibly accomplish that alone?

She thought of the Straw Hat Pirates from before. They had been good companions.

But she had betrayed their friendship. They probably would not accept her again.

Besides, they were pirates. After suffering under the Arlong Pirates, Nami no longer wanted to join any pirate crew.

If possible, Nami wanted to follow Luo Wen.

Such a powerful and righteous Bounty Hunter was exactly the kind of companion she dreamed of!

But she already owed him such an enormous favor. How could she dare trouble Luo Wen again?

"I'll remain in the East Blue and collect enough payment for you!"

Nami made up her mind.

Rather than joining another pirate crew for her dream and helping evil do evil.

She would rather give up. Besides, Luo Wen had shown her immense kindness, and she would repay it with the rest of her life.

"Compared to Beli, I need a navigator more."

Luo Wen saw through Nami's thoughts.

Because of his interference, the Straw Hat Pirates had not come to help Nami.

Naturally, Nami's impression of pirates was of vicious thugs like Arlong.

In truth, she was not wrong. Pirates like Luffy were rare; most other pirates were vicious criminals.

"Nami, are you willing to become my navigator?"

After eating the last piece of roasted meat, Luo Wen wiped the grease from his hands with a napkin and solemnly extended his right hand to Nami.

"Eh!?"

"That's wonderful!"

Overjoyed and surprised, Nami seized Luo Wen's right hand without hesitation.

She had just been thinking about joining Luo Wen, yet it had immediately come true.

She could help Luo Wen and fulfill her own dream. Nami felt incredibly lucky.

"From now on, we're companions traveling together."

Luo Wen smiled. The top-tier navigator, Nami, was now in place.

"Mm!"

Nami nodded hard. From the bottom of her heart, she acknowledged Luo Wen.

The stunning first meeting at Baratie, the salvation amid despair on the beach, the heroic sight of him slaying the Arlong Pirates...

Though she had known Luo Wen only briefly, his figure had already been deeply imprinted in Nami's heart.

Seeing the two make their agreement, the surrounding villagers and Nojiko could not help but smile.

They were sincerely happy for Nami. As Luo Wen's companion, her dream would surely come true.

Some villager handed them two mugs of beer.

Nami and Luo Wen plunged back into the revelry of the party.

By the time the feast ended, it was already dawn.

Luo Wen fell into a deep sleep in a room prepared by the villagers.

The next morning.

With the villagers' help, Luo Wen prepared to set sail.

He left his little boat in Cocoyasi Village.

That ship was too small to sail through the Grand Line.

Replacing it was the Arlong Pirates' flagship, the Shark Superb.

It was an excellent large ship.

Aside from building Arlong Park, most of the Beli Arlong had plundered over the years had been spent on this ship.

This ship was a full size larger than Luffy's Going Merry, and its materials were far sturdier.

It had every facility one could need: bathrooms, a kitchen, a sauna, and more than a dozen luxurious rooms.

Its hull was exceptionally sturdy, built entirely from high-quality solid wood, only a notch below Treasure Tree Adam.

It had originally been the flagship Arlong built for himself and the core members of the Arlong Pirates.

If he could not establish the Arlong Empire in the East Blue, Arlong would have sailed this ship back to the Grand Line.

Unfortunately, Arlong had encountered Luo Wen.

This fine ship had thus become Luo Wen's vessel.

Luo Wen was quite satisfied. It was no worse than the luxury yachts from his previous life.

"Luo Wen, hang your flag on this ship and give her a new name!"

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Nami looked at Luo Wen with anticipation in her eyes.

Together with the villagers, she had worked hard to remove every trace of the Arlong Pirates from the ship.

This ship now belonged to Luo Wen, so it was time for a new symbol.

Luo Wen picked up a brush and, with a few swift strokes, drew a design on the blank flag.

There was no pirate skull, nor any gaudy decoration. Only a massive sword hung in the center of the flag.

It was the weapon in Luo Wen's hand, representing his absolute strength.

Like the Sword of Damocles hanging overhead, it carried the majestic tyranny of judging all things.

"As for the ship's name, Windrider!"

After thinking for a moment, Luo Wen gave it a name.

"Windrider, riding the wind and breaking the waves—what a wonderful name!"

Nami immediately praised it.

Compared to those messy pirate ship names, she preferred Windrider.

Though simple, it conveyed a sense of ambition.

"Rising with the wind and soaring high into the sky—that is what Windrider means!"

Luo Wen smiled faintly, dismissing Nami's guess.

But compared to riding the wind and breaking the waves, his ambitions were far greater.

In this magnificent Great Pirate Era, Luo Wen would rise with the tide and rule the world!

Nami stared at Luo Wen in a daze.

Compared to that Straw Hat boy who kept shouting that he would become King of the Pirates, Nami felt that the man before her possessed far greater ambition.

Nami's heart thumped violently. The Luo Wen before her seemed to be shining.

She had a feeling that even in a place like the Grand Line, Luo Wen would absolutely be the brightest star.

"I-I'll go pack my things."

Nami blushed. Right now, she was a little too afraid to face Luo Wen.