I made a mistake in the Chapter number
This Chapter is supposed to co before Hina's seggs Chapter...
I'll fix it later once those who skipped it have read it.
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After a series of first-aid efforts by Vivi and Carina, Nami suddenly gasped and slowly regained consciousness.
The first thing she did upon waking was throw the bounty poster from her hand as if it were sothing disgusting—she didn't even want to touch it.
"Oh... what should I do now? Why is soone this terrifying after you of all people?!
I want off this ship! Let off imdiately! I don't want you to save my village anymore!"
Nami was drowning in regret, questioning why she had ever gotten involved with these people in the first place.
Even if Peter and the others eventually took down Arlong, would the pursuit really stop there? Wouldn't her connection to Peter end up getting Cocoyashi Village completely destroyed?
A pirate with a bounty of seven hundred million! Who knew how many lives he had taken?
Thousands? Tens of thousands? In the end, her village was far too small to make any difference.
Seeing Nami in such a state of panic nearly unsettled Peter, but Carina showed no rcy. She burst into loud laughter and said:
"Hahaha! This is hilarious! Nami, you haven't changed one bit... still a coward through and through!"
"You... how can you laugh?! When that terrifying man cos after our crew, you'll see for yourself!"
Nami couldn't understand Carina's behavior, but the latter had her own reasoning.
She tapped her temple with a finger and sneered:
"You idiot, use your brain a little! Didn't you hear what Hina just said? Mihawk is the only mber of the Shichibukai who can go head-to-head with one of the Four Emperors.
And if Peter crushed Mihawk, that simply ans he's stronger than any of the Emperors. Why would he be worried about so long-tongued idiot?"
She then looked at Hina and added:
"And by the way, bounties don't always reflect actual strength. If that were the case, pirates could just compare bounty posters and skip the fights!"
"Isn't that right, Hina?"
Hina: "... Stop dragging into everything. I'm not even in the Marines anymore."
Though visibly annoyed, Hina began explaining the matter to everyone—especially Nami:
"It's true. A bounty doesn't always reflect a target's true strength.
So aren't that powerful, but they've committed massacres or hijacked nurous rchant ships.
Sotis, a person is considered a threat to the governnt or the Navy, and their bounty is inflated disproportionately.
The best example is Robin, who had a 79 million bounty placed on her at just eight years old!
They claid she destroyed warships, but the truth is, the governnt feared her ability to read Poneglyphs."
Hina lit a cigarette calmly and continued:
"Besides, the news of Mihawk's defeat hasn't spread yet.
Once it does, Peter's bounty will reach at least a billion Berries."
"A billion...?" Nami muttered, looking at Peter, who sat calmly with his arms crossed, casting a cold gaze over everyone.
Suddenly, stars sparkled in her eyes.
"No doubt... this man was sent from the heavens to save ... If it's him, he'll defeat Arlong and free my village!"
Thud! A loud impact rang out. Peter turned to see Nami kneeling on the floor, hands pressed down, saying:
"I'm sorry... I ignored everything and said sothing stupid... Please! Help defeat the Fish-Man Pirates!
Whatever your request, I'll agree to it!"
Peter scoffed and chuckled:
"What a little girl... not bad confidence."
He looked down at her from above and caught an unintentional glimpse of her exposed chest as she was bent over.
"Stand up, I forgive you. And as it happens, I do have a favor to ask of you.
Sit down and tell us your story. Let everyone know what the Fish-Man Pirates have done."
Nami sat by the table and began telling her story—about her family, and the tragedy she endured because of the Fish-Man Pirates.
With every detail, the expressions of the won shifted from surprise to sorrow, then to anger, and finally, deep sympathy.
When she finished, Mikita slamd the table and shouted:
"What the hell was the Navy doing in the East Blue?! How could more than twenty villages be enslaved without a response?! Were they complicit?!"
Whatever the answer, either case warranted outrage—but Hina felt the second possibility was more likely.
As for the rage felt by Robin and Carina, it was directed entirely at Arlong and his crew, who not only murdered Nami's adoptive mother but made her work for them and demanded a shaless condition: "Pay 100 million Berries and we'll spare your village."
To the won, it was obvious this was a trap.
Even if she gathered the money, they would've found a new excuse to break the deal.
But what choice did Nami have? She tried seeking help from the Navy and bounty hunters, but every ti, she just sent soone new to their death.
Nothing changed... until she t Peter, and witnessed his strength with her own eyes.
...
Peter sat back in his chair, rhythmically tapping the table with his fingers.
Despite the chatter in the tea room, the soft tapping echoed like magic, capturing the attention of every woman present until silence spread throughout the room.
Robin raised her eyebrows, staring at Peter with concern. She felt sothing off in his behavior.
He spoke calmly:
"I think I understand the story now."
He lifted his deep, dark eyes, glowing faintly, and looked directly at Nami, whose eyes were full of tears.
"I don't consider myself a good person—in fact, I might be one of the worst.
But I still have a shred of sympathy."
Then he called:
"Carina."
"Huh? Yes!" the purple-haired girl responded quickly, snapping out of her grief.
Peter stood up and declared firmly:
"I want a full feast of fish and Sea Kings—prepare it now!"
Then he turned to everyone and announced:
"The eting's over. You may leave."
He exited the room quietly under the girls' watchful eyes, pushing the door open without looking back.
"Yes..." Carina murmured, still not fully processing what had just happened. She turned to Nami, took her hands, and said seriously:
"No more tears. Go to your room and rest. As for Arlong... leave him to us."
Nami wiped her tears and looked at Carina, who had once been an enemy, now comforting her. A strange warmth filled her chest, and she nodded resolutely.
Vivi stepped forward and offered to accompany Nami in choosing a room to rest.
As they left, the other girls began leaving the room as well.
Mikita and Carina followed, while Hina extinguished her cigarette and prepared to step onto the ship's deck for so air.
But she noticed sothing—Robin was still seated, unmoved.
Though she had only known her for a short while, everyone, including Hina, had co to trust Robin's instincts.
Hina asked:
"What is it? Is sothing wrong?"
Robin answered with a faint smile:
"No, nothing. I just rembered sothing. Let sit alone for a bit, don't worry."
Hina gave her a complex look, examining the face that so rarely revealed emotion. She too knew that Robin's past was full of pain—perhaps even worse than Nami's.
Because of those events... she had been hunted since she was a child, all because of the World Governnt and the Navy.
"Really, what's the difference between what the governnt did and what the pirates do?" Hina thought bitterly.
The only difference was that they hid behind a mask of "justice."
Suddenly, Hina felt like smoking again and reached into her pocket... empty.
Robin smiled faintly and pulled out the cigarette pack from her sleeve, handing it back to Hina, who gave her a side glance and said:
"You're too sneaky for your own good."
Robin chuckled as she returned the pack and said:
"Try to cut down on smoking... it's not good, especially for us won."
"Damn it, I can't quit," Hina replied, turning away.
But as she opened the cigarette pack, she suddenly froze.
She looked back at the door one last ti... then muttered:
"What's with that girl? She's acting just like my mom... even though I'm older than her!"
She shook her head in frustration and started walking toward the stairs.
But then she stopped again!
"Wait... has she stopped drinking? And why has she looked so pale lately?"
She stared at the closed door, eyes wide in shock.
"No... it can't be... is she—?!"
A chill ran down her spine.
Inside the room, Robin opened her eyes quietly, placed a hand gently on her stomach, and whispered:
"As expected of a forr Marine officer... her intuition is amazing."
Then she sighed:
"I probably can't hide this much longer. I need to find the right ti to tell Peter the truth."
She ntioned Peter's na, and imdiately, her thoughts were consud again.
"Ever since we t Nami, he's changed... he's different now. I can't explain it, but it feels familiar... as if we've t before."
But Robin was sure she had never seen him. Sa with Nami.
"Then where is this strange feeling coming from?"
She gently caressed her belly again, a soft look on her face, and whispered:
"Truly... he's so strong, and unbearably mysterious...
Isn't he, my little one?"
Then she bit her lip and said:
"I still don't understand a lot of things... I don't know when the baby will start moving, or what I should eat or avoid. I'll just try to stay away from alcohol and smoking, and eat healthy."
...
In this world, nothing spreads faster than rumors.
As Peter's crew set off toward Cocoyashi Village, news of the battle between him and Mihawk began to spread via eyewitnesses, reaching all corners of the East Blue.
The next morning, at Marineford, the shouts of Marine soldiers in training echoed under the supervision of officers and instructors.
Ever since Sengoku beca the Fleet Admiral, his lifestyle had grown even busier than it was back when he was just an admiral.
He had barely started his day when he entered his official office, hung his heavy Marine cloak adorned with gold trim on the rack, and sat down behind his massive desk...
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