Chapter 8

Eden didn't expect his first encounter with Nami to happen under such circumstances.

Nami, with her short, sharp orange hair, exuded a mix of allure and determination. Her delicate features were flawless, making her incredibly attractive.

From the looks of it, Nami had taken advantage of Alvida and most of her crew raiding another ship to sneak onto their vessel and steal all the treasure.

Upon entering the storage room, Nami had eagerly opened a conspicuous treasure chest, only to find Eden lying inside.

For three seconds, Eden and Nami locked eyes. Before he could figure out how to greet her, Nami sighed, "So, there's no treasure in here."

With a click, Nami closed the chest, leaving Eden in the dark once more.

Seriously? Even if there's no treasure, you could at least help me out! Eden thought, frustrated.

As Eden considered breaking out of the chest, he heard a gruff voice. "Who are you, woman? Trying to steal our treasure?"

"Bold indeed! If Alvida hadn't told us to check the chest, you would've taken everything."

"Good thing we came back in time. Otherwise, Alvida would've killed us with her iron club."

"Let's capture this woman. She's too pretty to be a thief. We need to teach her a lesson."

From the conversation, Eden realized that his presence had inadvertently ruined Nami's heist. She must have locked the chest to keep Eden from getting caught.

"I hate pirates. Do you think you can teach me a lesson? Don't make me laugh!" Nami retorted, pulling out her three-section staff and assembling it into a long stick.

"Insolent! Before you face Alvida, we'll have our fun!" one pirate sneered, followed by several lewd laughs.

Clashes and grunts soon filled the room. Eden heard Nami's soft gasp, indicating she was hurt.

If Nami dies here, how are Luffy and I supposed to sail without her? We'd be lost at sea!

Eden knew Nami had covered for him, a stranger. Her act of kindness made him determined to help her.

Most importantly, those pirates were insulting Nami, a character Eden had always liked.

Rage welled up within Eden. Channeling all his strength, he kicked the treasure chest open.

"I'm gonna take you down!" Eden roared, leaping out of the chest and startling the pirates.

One pirate fell to the ground, clutching his crotch where Eden's kick had landed. Nami, behind Eden, was stunned by his sudden appearance and strength.

Before joining Luffy, Eden had feared pirates attacking his village. As a regular person with no fighting skills, he had dreaded such encounters.

But now, facing these pirates, Eden felt surprisingly calm. There was no panic or anxiety, only a serene determination.

Without a word, Eden charged at the pirates.

"You dare attack us? Do you think you're a Marine?" one pirate yelled.

"Even Marines die! Let's get him!" another shouted, brandishing a sword.

Eden's roundhouse kick shattered the swords of two pirates. Nami watched in awe as he fought off the attackers.

In a flurry of punches and kicks, Eden incapacitated five pirates in under three minutes. The remaining two tried to flee.

Eden wouldn't let them escape. He caught up, smashing their heads together and knocking them out.

Meanwhile, on the other ship, Alvida demanded, "Koby, who is the most beautiful woman on the sea?"

"You... you are the fattest and ugliest old hag on this sea!" Koby shouted, emboldened by Luffy's earlier words.

Everyone was shocked. The timid Koby, usually the target of their bullying, was now openly defying Alvida.

Alvida's rage was palpable. Her forehead veins bulged as she raised her iron club, ready to strike Koby down.

Koby trembled but stood his ground, fueled by newfound courage. "I will join the Marines and lock up every pirate, including you!"

Alvida, seething, asked, "Do you know what you're saying?"

"Yes, I know. I will follow my dreams and put you in jail!" Koby declared.

Back on Alvida's ship, in the storage room, Nami smiled at Eden. "You're really strong. I'm a thief specializing in stealing from pirates. I'm Nami. Want to team up?"

Eden, breathing heavily from the fight, couldn't help but smile back at her. "Sure, let's do it."