Chapter 38: Need a Navigator

"Don't worry. I'm here to help. I'll help you deal with Arlong and the others. How about you work for me in the future?"

Luo Ning never expected to gain Nami's favor so readily. It seemed unrealistic, and his priority remained getting her to safety.

"Are you working for Arlong?"

Nami's vigilance spiked. Though aware of Arlong's manipulations, she couldn't shake the wary feeling he inspired. He was, after all, the very reason she'd resorted to such a desperate plan – collecting a seemingly impossible sum to appease him.

Even if the hope it offered was flimsy, it was all she had. Arlong's trustworthiness was questionable at best, yet Nami clung to that fragile hope, desperately accumulating the 100 million Beli. Now, Luo Ning's sudden appearance sparked a new fear – was he another pawn of Arlong's?

"Forget it. Talking's pointless. Come here yourself. If not, I'll wait for you in Cocoyashi Village."

Luo Ning couldn't be bothered. All this chatter was useless. Actions spoke louder than words.

Nami was stuck. Normally, she'd just pack up and run, but Luo Ning's threat to wait in Cocoyashi Village cornered her.

Despite his words, Nami clung to the treasure, her grip tightening as if daring anyone to take it. Escape, her usual solution, seemed impossible now that Luo Ning threatened to wait in Cocoyashi Village.

"A warship? You're a Marine? But that uniform..."

Spotting the approaching ship, Nami's initial fear was that Luo Ning had joined Arlong's cause. After all, Colonel Nezumi and Arlong were cut from the same cloth. But the crew's attire threw her off.

"Impel Down jailers," Luo Ning explained curtly, ushering Nami towards the ship. Prisoners were visible on board, solidifying his claim.

"Let me be clear," he continued. "I'm not with Arlong or Nezumi. I'm here for you, Nami. I need you as my navigator, and I'll help you deal with both of them."

"To show my sincerity, I propose taking down Arlong first. Then, you can decide about becoming my navigator. Deal?"

Taking Nami with him was his priority regardless.

"Wait, are you for real?" Nami's heart wrestled with doubt. But then she saw the whole pirate ship captured.

If Luo Ning was really with the Marines, taking down pirates wouldn't make sense. As far as Nami knew, East Blue Marines barely bothered pirates, often having some kind of shady deal going on. This knowledge, this disappointment, was exactly why Nami wouldn't dare complain in Rogue Town.

Smoker may be lax, but his sense of justice remains.

"The choice is yours, Nami. Believe me or not," Luo Ning said, cutting his explanation short. He'd let her see for herself soon enough.

"Mr. Luo Ning," a jailer officer approached urgently. "Our ship's cells are at capacity. We have pirates we can't detain."

"Contact Rogue Town," Luo Ning instructed with a glance. "Tell Smoker to send someone to take the minor offenders. Important ones go to Impel Down. Don't tell me you can't handle that."

A bead of sweat trickled down the officer's forehead. He thought his report discreet, but apparently, everyone knew.

"Y-yes sir! I'll get on it right away!" The officer scurried off, relieved he wouldn't be another corpse for his minor transgression.

"How many pirates did you capture?" Nami inquired, surprised. Such a large warship still overflowed with prisoners on deck?

"We apprehended a significant number on the way from the Grand Line," Luo Ning explained. "Since my main objective was you, I held off sending them to Impel Down, leading to this overcrowding."

"Are you from the Grand Line?" Nami's surprise was evident.

"Didn't I tell you already? These are Impel Down jailers, and Impel Down is on the Grand Line's Calm Belt. You should be familiar with Impel Down!"

Luo Ning couldn't help but be puzzled. Back when Nami and her crew were still in East Blue, it seemed information was completely cut off, and they were unaware of a lot of news.

But newspapers and bounties were available everywhere.

He could only chalk it up to a setting issue. The information wasn't as widespread in the early stages. Now, it was more like the real world, and things had changed.

"Th-that's right, I know that," Nami stammered, a blush creeping up her face. "I was just... thinking about Arlong earlier and didn't pay much attention to what you said about Impel Down."