A Show-Off Like Me Could Hardly Count on Them...

Sneaking Aboard: Nami

It took Noil a little while to deal with the nameless pirate extras. Being generous, he also moved every coin on their ship onto his own.

Under the pirates' grateful gazes, the ship carrying master and apprentices sailed away.

Noil sat cross-legged on the deck with his eyes closed.

He was getting a feel for the Observation Haki the system had awakened in him.

Normally, Haki required systematic study and training to master. But with the training boosts from Sovereign's Gift and the Way of the Haki Sword, Noil could learn it without a teacher.

That was how he had improved his Armament Haki. Observation Haki would be no different.

His newly awakened Observation Haki was hard to control, but it had already sharpened his senses considerably.

The wind, the temperature, the presence of others—he felt them all more clearly. Stranger still, something like a seventh sense seemed to speak inside him, telling him what was happening around him.

It had nothing to do with hearing, sight, or intuition. It was as if he had simply been born knowing.

For now, Noil's Observation Haki could not passively sense his surroundings. But if he quieted his mind, it still fed him a hazy stream of information.

On this ship, for instance, his Observation Haki quickly sketched four figures in the darkness of his mind.

One was him. Two belonged to Niwan and Niman. And the last was... was...

Huh?

Who the hell was that?!

A tiny figure flickered at the edge of his Observation Haki. Noil's eyes flew open in alarm.

It couldn't be...

Noil sprang up and rushed belowdecks. Niwan and Niman hurried after him.

He burst into the cluttered storeroom. Boxes filled the place, packed with food, drinks, and everyday supplies the villagers had loaded before their departure.

Then a wine barrel caught his eye.

It was wobbling. Someone had clearly just climbed inside.

"Come out! If you don't, I'm chopping that barrel open!" Noil glared at it, his face darkening.

The person inside seemed to hesitate. After a moment, the lid lifted gently, revealing a bright, innocent little smile.

It was Nami, all right!

Noil stared at Nami, who reeked of wine, and asked bitterly, "Why didn't you stay home? What are you doing here?"

Nami climbed out of the barrel, her eyes shining. "You're going to make money, right? I want to come too!"

Noil pinched her little cheeks in frustration. "I'm going to fight pirates. You can't come along!"

Her cheeks reddened under his fingers, but Nami only looked more delighted. "We're stealing pirates' money? Then I definitely want to come!"

"Stealing? It's not stealing when a Pirate Hunter does it!" Flustered and angry, Noil hooked an arm around little Nami's head and gave her a vigorous knuckle massage.

Nami, however, showed no sign of grasping how serious this was. She just grinned and joked around with him.

Noil sighed deeply. They were nearly at their destination now. There was no way to send the little troublemaker home.

And he could hardly throw Nami overboard.

The ship sailed on. Noil went back to lounging in his deck chair, while Nami stood behind him holding a bucket as punishment, looking pitiful.

Noil put Niwan and Niman in charge of watching her.

The two kept their eyes wide open and watched Nami all the way to their destination without so much as blinking.

After being stared at by those two blockheads for the entire trip, Nami was nearly speechless.

Where did my brother find these two? Some kind of headquarters for gullible fools?

Don't their eyes hurt?

On the shore of Tandel Village, Noil's ship slowly docked. Niwan and Niman finally looked away, and Nami breathed a sigh of relief.

Having two people stare at her without blinking for so long had nearly made her little heart give out.

Noil glanced at Niwan and Niman and jumped. Why were their eyes so red?

Did they have rabies?

The two reported with boundless energy, "Master! Nami didn't slack off. We both watched her the whole time!"

Noil stared at them, baffled. "Why didn't you take turns?"

"You can do that?" they cried in amazement. "Master, you're so smart!"

Smart, my ass...

Noil barely stopped himself from swearing aloud.

He had a feeling spending too much time with these sisters might lower his IQ too.

He forced himself to calm down and headed ashore. "You two don't need to come with me. Just keep an eye on Nami."

"Uh... you don't have to stare at her the whole time. Just don't let her run off."

Nami puffed out her cheeks. "Why can't I come? I can help you!"

Noil waved to her with a smile. "Next time, Nami. I'm off to grab some money... I mean, take down some pirates! Ahahaha!"

His brazen laughter trailed behind him as he disappeared from Nami's sight.

Nami pouted and stamped her foot. Then something seemed to occur to her. She turned toward the two sisters, who were grinning foolishly, and a crafty smile spread across her little face.

Heh heh heh (?ω?) ?

Noil crossed a stretch of woods outside the village and soon spotted the settlement ahead.

The people bustling around it did not look like villagers. They looked more like sailors who spent their lives at sea.

This is the place.

Certain of his target, Noil headed toward the village.

Nearby, a group of burly men in sailor uniforms were carrying heavy wooden crates in pairs toward it.

One broad-shouldered pirate had been left without a partner. He eyed his crate in dismay, then spotted Noil walking toward the village. His face lit up. "Hey, kid! Give me a hand?"

Noil blinked, then answered at once, "Oh, sure."

He stepped up and lightly lifted the back of the crate. The burden on the burly pirate eased immediately. "Ahahaha! Thanks, kid!"

"No problem."

They followed the others. At the village entrance, Noil was surprised to find two pirates checking everyone who came in.

But Noil kept chatting idly with the burly pirate as they followed the group. The two guards gave him a puzzled look, then let him through without a word.

Afterward, one guard asked the other, "Do you know that kid?"

"No. I thought you did."

Once they were inside, the burly pirate clapped Noil gratefully on the shoulder, then slung an arm around his companions and left.

As they went, Noil caught a few words of their conversation.

"Hey, who was that kid?"

"No idea. He helped me carry a crate, though. Must be a trainee."

"Oh, right..."

Qingxing, a Skillful Grade Sword

Noil looked around the village. For a pirate captain, this Yuke clearly had some brains.

Bands of fierce-looking pirates patrolled the streets. There were no villagers in any of the houses; the pirates had probably driven them out.

The little village had become the pirates' headquarters.

Yet Noil, a Pirate Hunter, stood among them as though invisible. Nobody paid him any mind.

He shook his head, unconcerned, and caught up with a passing patrol. "Hey, where does Yuke live?"

The pirates froze for a moment before one answered, "Boss Yuke's house is in the middle of the village. Just keep going straight."

"Thanks!"

Noil nodded and strode off.

The pirate stared after him, dumbfounded. "Since when did our crew have a trainee that young?"

His companion looked uncertain. "Could he be... an intruder?"

"Impossible," the first pirate said at once. "Who breaks in and asks pirates for directions?"

"Fair point..."

Noil was making his way through the village without a hitch. Nami, on the other hand, was running into a few obstacles.

Smiling sweetly at her brother's two foolish apprentices, she busied herself pouring them each a drink.

Once Niwan and Niman were comfortably settled, Nami made her move. "Big sisters, can we go ashore and have some fun?"

Niman's face immediately turned stern. "No! Master told us to watch you."

"That's easy," Nami said with an ingratiating smile. "Come have fun with me, and you'll be watching me the whole time."

Niman struggled to follow her reasoning. "Is that what Master meant?"

Niwan looked just as confused. "Maybe?"

Nami pressed her advantage. "Don't you want to sneak in and take all the treasure?"

"Just imagine: when my brother gets back and sees a ship full of Beli, he'll definitely praise you."

She sounded like one of the pyramid-scheme recruiters from Noil's previous life. Her words seemed to carry a spell that left Niwan and Niman thoroughly dazzled.

Seeing that they were tempted, Nami grinned. "So... shall we go?"

Niwan and Niman exchanged a look, then shouted eagerly, "Let's go!"

With two followers in tow, the little swindler crept toward the village.

Meanwhile, Yuke had no idea that an entire family of troublemakers had set their sights on him. He sat in a large house, wine cup in hand, boasting to the underlings gathered around him.

"Congratulations, Boss! You found another fine weapon on the black market!"

"Yeah! That sword came from the terrifying Grand Line. It's worthy of a man as strong as you!"

"Boss, everyone's in such high spirits. Bring it out and let us have a look!"

Yuke basked in their flattery and laughed. "All right, all right. Since you insist, I'll show you."

He reached beside his chair and pulled out a long object covered in black cloth.

He peeled the cloth away, revealing a sword. Its scabbard was ornate, its guard a white cross, and its hilt wrapped in gray, grooved strips that looked comfortable to grip.

"Qingxing, one of the 50 Skillful Grade Swords! It's a Famous Sword even on the Grand Line, and now it's mine!"

Yuke gripped Qingxing and smiled with smug satisfaction.

"Wow, that's impressive. Can I have it?"

"Hahahaha! Of course you can..."

A strange voice had spoken. Caught up in his pride, Yuke had agreed to give the sword away without thinking.

He quickly came to his senses and roared, "Nonsense! Who dares?!"

Every pirate turned to stare at a kid in one of the seats, stuffing his face with food.