Chapter 6 Heart A, Killing Poker

On the boat, amidst the chaos of gunshots and screams, Alan looked at the little thief cat, Nami, who had survived the catastrophe. He chuckled lightly, realizing that she was frightened by his previous murderous aura.

"I'm sorry, don't misunderstand. The killing intent wasn't directed at you," Alan said, gazing at the pear blossoms drenched in rain.

Nami, still with tears on her pretty face, wanted to say something but hesitated, fearing his terrifying aura. She held back her words.

"What a beautiful little cat..." Alan raised his right hand, revealing a red rose. With a smile in his eyes, he offered the flowers to Nami as an apology.

"Al? Magic?" Nami was surprised as she took the roses from him. She was amazed by his quick sleight of hand, even as an experienced thief who couldn't detect any abnormality.

Alan continued, "Next, I'm going to find some hot-headed and reckless idiots. If you want to leave, feel free to..."

Before he finished speaking, Alan gracefully jumped from the boat to the merchant ship nearby. Without looking back, he said, "But I have a feeling we'll meet again!"

His tone was teasing, filled with meaning and anticipation.

Nami, feeling angry and relieved at the same time, slumped on the boat. She stuck out her tongue at the disappearing Alan, making faces to vent her frustration. Deep down, she couldn't deny that he was incredibly handsome, explaining the popularity of his performances.

Suddenly, a poker card sliced through the air and embedded itself in the mast of the boat in front of Nami. Startled, she widened her eyes.

"Heart A?" Nami patted her chest, relieved. She realized that it was just a playful gesture from Alan, not meant to harm her.

Pulling out the Ace of Hearts card, Nami noticed that it was undamaged despite piercing through the merchant ship and the mast. She couldn't help but wonder about Alan's strength and questioned if he would be able to defeat Arlong.

However, Nami knew deep down that Alan, as powerful as he was, might not stand a chance against Arlong and his crew, known as the Evil Dragon Pirates. Arlong was not an ordinary murloc but a fearsome pirate from the Grand Line. Despite her initial hope, Nami's optimism waned.

Nami's kindness prevented her from using Alan as a means to fight against Arlong. She couldn't bear the thought of involving the young magician, who had already achieved fame in East Blue, in her personal vendetta.

Meanwhile, Alan had reached the first deck of the merchant ship, where Luffy, wearing his straw hat, and a chubby boy named Usopp faced a group of pirates. The pirates were led by a fat woman with a pockmarked face and a massive mace.

"Luffy, I told you that you were running too fast..." Alan approached Luffy, disregarding the pirates watching them, and asked, "Did you find anything to eat?"

Excitedly, Luffy replied, "Yeah, I ate some apples, and then I encountered these guys!"

"I wanted to give you some meat, but you never listen to me," Alan said, knocking Luffy's forehead playfully. He then gestured with his hands, revealing that he had no food to offer.

While Luffy's mouth watered, the pirate captain Alvida, infuriated by Luffy's audacity, decided to make him her slave and groom him for potential marriage. Some pirates, eager to please Alvida, stood up and aimed their guns at Alan, challenging him arrogantly.

Unfazed, Alan moved with lightning speed, releasing a black and white afterimage.