"You can rest easy. None of this could possibly affect us."
For a while, the group settled into a peaceful life. The days grew a little dull.
Nami looked at Apis in confusion, her eyes full of questions.
"Apis, I'm still curious. How did you end up like this?"
"A little girl like you should be at home. How did you suddenly find yourself in this situation?"
"If you stayed home, you could be living comfortably."
"So why did you leave home and set off on an adventure?"
"Going on an adventure means putting yourself in danger at every turn. Things could go badly wrong."
"A girl out on her own needs to protect herself. Always remember that safety comes first. Looking after yourself is what matters most."
The little girl slowly lowered her head and twisted her fingers together.
"I didn't want this either, but I had no choice. I actually escaped from the Navy."
"I ran into you while I was fleeing."
Naruto's expression turned strange, as if he were trying to piece something together.
"If you managed to escape from the Navy, you can't have been anyone important there."
"And you clearly aren't one of them. But if that's the case, they wouldn't have let you leave for no reason."
"Even the way you're talking makes it sound like there's more to this. If I'm right, we could be in for quite a challenge."
"How did you end up in this situation? Why did you run away?"
"You make it sound as though you're a serious criminal."
"But you don't seem like you've done anything wrong."
"Forget it. I'm sure you don't want to talk about it. If you don't, we'll leave it there."
The little girl's eyes widened. She hadn't expected them to let her avoid