One Piece: I Could See Proficiency and Became a Legend

"Is that so?"

An hour later, Aokiji boarded a warship bound for the East Blue.

Meanwhile, Garp, who was still beating up Luffy in Foosha Village, received a call from Harry.

Each of the three Admirals had his own jurisdiction. Akainu Sakazuki led campaigns in the New World, Kizaru served as a mobile force, and Aokiji oversaw the four seas.

That explained why Smoker could be stationed in Loguetown: he was Aokiji's subordinate.

Before Aokiji became an Admiral, Garp had handled some matters in the four seas too. Harry, who had been stationed in Loguetown for nearly ten years, was one of his subordinates.

Dongze had brought Harry considerable credit lately, and he had never acted high and mighty. Harry liked that about him.

Since recommendations came with rewards, Harry decided to recommend Dongze to Garp.

"Vice Admiral Garp! I've found an exceptionally talented swordsman in the East Blue..."

"Is that so?"

"A prodigy from the East Blue!"

"Haha!"

"Got it."

Do You Believe It? That Sword Will Bring a Miracle ### "Mmm..."

"You're awake!"

Robin sat beside the bed, reading a collection of miscellanies.

When she saw Nami wake up, she greeted her.

The sight of Robin finally put Nami at ease.

Back in the cabin, Nami had truly hated that bastard. In the end, Robin had been the one to comfort her. Without Robin, she might have broken down.

Robin was nine years older than Nami. Robin was in her early twenties, while Nami was only twelve or thirteen. Starved of a mother's affection, Nami instinctively wanted to grow close to this caring older sister.

"It's all right now. It's over."

"Mm!"

"Where am I?"

Nami's large eyes darted around as she surveyed the room. She could tell she was aboard a ship.

"In the gentleman's room! He's usually not here, though, so I sleep here."

Nami looked puzzled. "The gentleman?"

Robin covered her mouth and laughed. "Yes! The one from before. He's a famous Pirate Hunter in the East Blue!"

"What? Him?"

Nami looked utterly incredulous. After what she had seen him do, she couldn't connect Dongze with those single-minded Pirate Hunters.

Then Nami's eyes lit up. She stared at the suitcases left casually in the corner and stammered, "Sis! What are those?"

Seeing Nami's expression, Robin smiled softly. She understood exactly how Nami felt.

"Beli! About five hundred million, I think. It's all bounty money the gentleman collected from the Marines!"

"Five hundred million?"

"Ah!"

"I can't take it! I can't!"

Nami couldn't help shrieking at Robin's words.

Her eyes practically turned into Beli signs. Money was what she needed most. Earlier, she had even considered getting some from those unscrupulous merchants.

Or she could wait until those pirates fell asleep, then sneak aboard their ship and steal their treasure.

Now all that Beli sat there completely unguarded. Her heart raced so wildly she couldn't calm it down.

"Oh, right, sis. What's your name?"

Robin thought for a moment and decided not to give her real name, even though Nami was only a child.

"Xiao Yi. And you?"

Nami pressed her hands to her chest in delight. "So cute! I'm Nami!"

Nami's reaction made Robin a little embarrassed. Being called Xiao Yi really was rather mortifying when she was already in her twenties.

"Xiao Yi, what happened to that pirate ship?"

Robin paused. "Did you leave something aboard?"

Nami didn't know how to answer. She hadn't left anything there. What she wanted was the treasure the pirates had left behind—and the Beli in the corner, too. How was she supposed to tell this kind older sister?

"Ah! No... It's just..."

Robin sighed. "That's good. Mr. Dongze has already sunk the ship."

"What?"

Nami shuddered. In her mind, that treasure had already been hers. Now it had all sunk to the bottom of the sea. For money-loving Nami, it felt like someone was carving flesh from her bones!

Years of wandering had made Robin an expert at reading people. Seeing Nami's reaction, she had a good guess what was going on.

"Hehe."

"Little Nami, did you want that treasure?"

Nami answered dejectedly, "What good does wanting it do? It's already at the bottom of the sea!"

"Ugh..."

Robin laughed again. She had never met such an amusing girl. "It's in the storeroom!"

"Wow!"

Before Robin could react, Nami threw herself into her arms and hugged her. Robin stared in bewilderment. The girl had moved absurdly fast.

"Hey, Xiao Yi, where are we going?"

"I don't know! The gentleman's at the helm."

"He knows how to steer a ship?"

"Haha, little Nami, don't underestimate him. He's a genius!"

"Hmph. He's a bad guy! But for the Beli's sake, I'll forgive him for now."

"Haha! Hahaha!"

"Oh, right, little Nami. I forgot to ask earlier—how did you end up on that ship?"

The answer was one of Nami's most painful memories, just as Robin hated remembering Ohara engulfed in flames.

At first, Nami hadn't intended to tell Robin. But Dongze was a bounty hunter, his ship held so much cash, and the older sister before her was so kind.

She wanted to try.

Where dynasties had risen and fallen, countless palaces had crumbled to dust. In prosperity, the common people suffered; in ruin, the common people suffered.

As times changed, both pirates and Marines brought misery to the villagers of Cocoyasi Village.

As Nami spoke, the tragedy that had engulfed all of Cocoyasi Village gradually unfolded before Robin.

The Fish-Men's brutality, their vile words, the villagers' reactions, Nami's actions, the Marines' moves, and that promise—each revelation made Robin's heart sink further.

Nami was still young and saw only the events themselves. She hadn't noticed the connection between Arlong and Captain Nezumi. But Robin had seen enough of the world's darkness to know something was going on between them.

By the end, a rare trace of murderous intent appeared in Robin's eyes. For the first time, she felt those Fish-Men deserved to die.

What Arlong and his gang had done crossed her bottom line.

As she often said, "To be human is terribly shameful..."

But that sentiment began with being human. Fish-Men harming humans had crossed the line she drew as one herself.

After a long silence, Robin reached out and stroked Nami's head. "Why not try fighting back?" she asked wistfully.

"Things might change in an instant."

Robin had mixed feelings as she said it. It was a truth she had learned from Dongze. As a great leader had once said, "Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth!"

Nami shuddered. Without realizing it, she wrapped her arms around herself. "They'll kill us! I've already lost Bellemere. I can't lose anyone else!"

Robin sighed softly. She thought she understood why Dongze had maneuvered this young girl into this position.

Perhaps the villagers oppressed by the Fish-Men were just like the girl before her. They no longer knew how to resist.

But the longer that went on, the darker the end would be. If they had been willing to die rather than submit, perhaps the Fish-Men would not have acted so brazenly.

Robin could even imagine what would happen if the villagers' fighting spirit remained unlit. Even if Dongze took pity on them and saved them this time, the village would be the same when faced with something similar again.

Better to teach someone to fish than to give them a fish.

With that in mind, Robin asked, her expression deeply conflicted, "Little Nami, have you considered what you'll do if you gather that hundred million Beli and the Fish-Men go back on their word?"

Nami shuddered again. Of course she had considered it. But if that really happened, what could she do? She hadn't dared think about it and had spent all this time avoiding that terrifying possibility.

"I..."

Robin said meaningfully, "That man can help you."

Dongze hadn't killed this young girl along with the others, and he had gone to such lengths to maneuver her. Clever as she was, Robin had guessed that Nami must be special to him.

That was why she had said it.

Nami didn't seem convinced. "Can he beat Arlong? Arlong's a notorious pirate with a twenty-million-Beli bounty! Fish-Men are twenty times stronger than ordinary humans. He can lift a whole house with ease! His teeth can even bite through steel!"

"He's a jerk who bullies women, but I don't want Arlong to kill him!"

Robin froze at Nami's words. She remembered Dongze chasing her down and slashing apart a massive sail the size of dozens of buildings with one stroke. Then there was the enormous Sea King that had surfaced earlier. It must have been as big as a small town!

If Dongze couldn't beat Arlong, Fish-Men would have conquered the land long ago. There would be no World Government to speak of.

"He should be able to beat him!"

"But he's awfully stingy!"

"He's always saying, 'Uh-oh, I can't beat them!'"

Remembering how that monster had repeatedly claimed he couldn't win before cutting a pirate ship in two with one stroke, Robin couldn't resist a jab at him.

"But he's gentle, too. If you earn his approval, Arlong will be nothing to fear!"

"Do you believe me? That sword can work miracles!"

Nami Returns Home, the First Notes of Rebellion ### "She's gone."

"Mm."

"And she took a hundred million of your Beli with her."

Dongze's face darkened at the amusement in Robin's voice.

"You just let her walk off with the money? You spendthrift! That was a hundred million Beli. I'd have to kill seven or eight pirates to earn that!"

Robin blushed at Dongze's words.

Holding back her embarrassment, she replied, "Wasn't that what you wanted?"

After speaking, Robin stole another glance at him.

Dongze paused, then turned to study the young woman beside him.

She had pale red hair swept back from her forehead, sunglasses, brown eyes, and a beautiful face. Her figure was flawless, already strikingly curvaceous despite her being barely twenty.

But behind that exquisite face lay a brilliant mind. After spending the past few days with Nami, the perceptive Robin had pieced things together and guessed his intentions.

He gave Robin a pointed look. "Robin, prying into a man's thoughts without permission is dangerous."