Nami the victim

Back on the boat, Nami was still tied up, struggling against the ropes. When she saw Toshiro return with a rolled-up map in his hand, her eyes widened in surprise and anger.

"sorry, did I kept you waiting?" Toshiro said as he entered his boat

"Yo…u bett.er untie m..e rig..ht now hmf, you je..rk!" she demanded through her gag.

"Oh, right, you can't speak. Let me help you with that."

Toshiro walked over calmly, taking his time to untie the ropes. Once Nami was free, she immediately stood up, rubbing her wrists and glaring at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she snapped. "Kidnapping me like that? Are you insane?"

Toshiro raised an eyebrow. "What's the problem with that? I just wanted to punish a stalker. Besides, it seemed like you were following me anyway."

Nami crossed her arms, her expression still furious. "I was following you because you're a pirate who could pose a threat to civilians. Someone needs to keep an eye on you." she lied without a change in her expression.

Toshiro chuckled. "I remember hearing a rumor about an orange cat robbing people. Maybe that's the reason. Besides, how did you know I'm a pirate? I didn't even know that myself," Toshiro asked, genuinely confused and curious.

"Huh, stop pretending you're not. I saw you leaving the Alvida Pirates' ship," Nami retorted.

"Make sense. but, what are you trying to do?" Toshiro asked with a smile, observing Nami's attempt to leave.

"Are you throwing my kindness away by untying you and trying to leave? And stop it, you know that I know that you cannot escape," Toshiro said, faking a sad face.

Nami face with 💢 on her face shouted.

"Kindness? KINDNESS?? You kidnapped me for no reason, tied me up, and are forcing me to stay, you scum, bastard, asshole," Nami retorted angrily.

Toshiro's eyes narrowed as he spoke with disdain, "What are you going to do about it? You're weak, hehe. Womp womp, cry about it. Just accept your fate."

Nami's shock turned into a steely determination as she gritted her teeth. "And what exactly do you plan to do? And why on earth do you need me?"

"Uh, well then, you have two choices now. I'm in need of a navigator, and you seem quite skilled at sailing in this sea alone. So, you either stay with me, helping me out, or I will kill you right here, right now," Toshiro said with an emotionless face and a cold tone, looking Nami directly in the eyes.

Nami's heart pounded in her chest, her palms growing clammy as she felt the seriousness of Toshiro's demeanor. With each step he took toward her, her anxiety intensified. When he grabbed her chin and forced her to meet his gaze, a shiver ran down her spine.

"With this beautiful face and body, maybe I will change my mind and do something worse than killing you," Toshiro's smirk sent a chill through Nami's veins, her breath catching in her throat. She swallowed hard, trying to maintain her composure in the face of his threat.

Nami's heart sank as she recalled the memories of her village, her sister, and the menacing presence of the Arlong Pirates. With a heavy sigh and a sense of resignation, she bit her lip, resolving her faltering under the weight of her circumstances.

"Ok, ok, just step back off me," she conceded, her voice tinged with bitterness. "I will help you. Happy now?" Her words were laced with a mix of defeat and defiance as she acknowledged the lack of alternatives available to her.

Toshiro's smirk widened at Nami's reluctant acceptance. With a nod, he released her chin and took a step back, his gaze still fixed on her. "you're smart," he remarked casually, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just transpired. "We'll get along just fine, I'm sure."

💢 💢 💢 💢

"Did I even have a choice?" she wondered to herself

Nami's stomach churned with unease, but she forced herself to nod in response. As she contemplated her next move.

As she forced herself to nod in response to Toshiro's plan, a plan of her own began to form in her mind. "I'll send him to his death, just wait," she muttered under her breath, her determination hardening.

"So, what do we do now?" Nami asked, her annoyance evident on her face.

"We are going to the Grand Line," Toshiro responded with a smile, seemingly oblivious to the gravity of his statement.

"Grand Line? Oh, okay then I wil—Wait, what? GRAND LINE? ARE YOU DUMB?!" Nami's realization hit her like a ton of bricks, and she couldn't contain her shock as she screamed at Toshiro.

Before Nami will start yapping Toshiro raised a hand to silence her and spoke with a calm authority. "Let's begin from the start first," he said, his gaze steady as he addressed her.

"My name is Toshiro Arai," he began, his voice firm and unwavering. "And I'm the man who will be the strongest creature in history to walk the world." His words hung in the air, filled with a quiet determination that brooked no argument.

"I did not take your name?" Toshiro asked Nami, concealing the fact that he already knew her name.

"Nami resisted the urge to laugh at his delusional talk and instead replied with a calm demeanor. "My name is Nami," she said simply, her tone neutral. "As you already speculated, I am indeed a thief."

"Let me clear something first," Toshiro began, his tone serious. "Alvida's pirates have nothing to do with me. They were just good people helping me out, so don't speak ill of them."

Nami raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Sure, whatever you say," she replied, clearly not fully convinced.

"Secondly," Toshiro continued, his expression firm, "I'm a gentleman!"

Nami couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter at his declaration. "Yeah, sure," she said, shaking her head in amusement, trying her best to resist the urge to smack him in the face.

"And lastly," Toshiro added with a smirk, "I'm a devil fruit user."