Chapter 4: CHAPTER 4
c4: Nami Please Help Me
Seeing that his attributes had not increased in the slightest, Luo Ye shook his head in disappointment.
It was unrealistic to expect East Blue pirates to yield significant improvements in his abilities.
The sooner he settled the affairs in East Blue, the sooner he could move on to the New World, where true powerhouses awaited his hunt.
Like many traversers, Luo Ye had activated a system upon arriving in the One Piece world The Strongest Hunting.
It allowed him to gain abilities by killing targets. The stronger the target, the greater the ability he acquired.
Over the years, Luo Ye had lost count of the number of pirates he had slain, steadily enhancing his power to what it was now.
But weaklings like Bloody Hand, who only preyed on civilians and had a meager bounty of 8 million berries, contributed nothing to his growth.
"If only I could hunt someone like Golden Lion Shiki again."
Luo Ye sighed, recalling the legendary pirate.
In the original timeline, Golden Lion Shiki had escaped Impel Down but was ultimately defeated by Luffy. However, things had played out differently this time Luo Ye had tracked him down and killed him outright before he could enact his schemes.
The rewards had been immense.
Shiki's Float-Float Fruit (Fuwa Fuwa no Mi) had granted Luo Ye the ability to manipulate objects at will, rendering him nearly untouchable in aerial combat.
It was a fruit that had once shaken the seas, allowing Shiki to command entire islands like weapons. Many powerful figures had fallen to its ability.
To this day, Luo Ye considered it one of his greatest acquisitions.
And unlike most Devil Fruit users, Luo Ye did not suffer from the sea-crippling weakness.
"Theresrosa should be my next stop," Luo Ye muttered to himself.
Doflamingo's downfall was inevitable. If another Admiral had been sent after him, he might have ended up in Impel Down.
But if Luo Ye went, Joker wouldn't live to see another day.
At that moment, Luo Ye's eyes narrowed.
Turning toward the remains of the Bloody Hand Pirates' wreckage, he spoke.
"Come out. There's no point in hiding."
The Marines on deck tensed immediately.
They had assumed all enemies had been dealt with and were preparing to leave. But if Admiral Luo Ye said otherwise, there was still a loose end.
"Damn it, to think I let one slip in front of Admiral…"
Kurz muttered under his breath, feeling ashamed of his oversight.
Just as he was about to send men to investigate, a blonde-haired girl timidly swam out from behind the wreckage.
A woman?
Kurz's eyes narrowed.
Most women who dared to set sail in this world were not to be underestimated. The fact that she had survived meant she was either dangerous or had some tricks up her sleeve.
The moment she saw the Marines readying their weapons, she raised her hands in panic.
"Wait! I'm not a pirate!"
Kurz was unimpressed.
"If you're not a pirate, then why were you on their ship?"
"I… I was stealing their treasure…"
…
There was a brief silence.
The Marines glanced at each other, dumbfounded.
She sneaked onto a pirate ship to steal from them? That was insanely bold!
"My name is Nami. I'm from Cocoyasi Village. Pirates are the people I hate the most, and I would never join them! Please believe me!"
Luo Ye's eyes flickered with recognition.
Nami the future navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates.
At this point in the timeline, Nami was still working alone, stealing from pirates to buy back her village from Arlong, the ruthless Fish-Man pirate.
It seemed she had planned to rob the Bloody Hand Pirates, but before she could finish, their ship had been sunk.
Had Marine not been the ones to destroy the vessel, her fate might have been far worse.
She had witnessed the merciless slaughter of the pirates and understood that if she didn't explain herself quickly, she might be mistaken for one of them.
For the first time, she saw a different side of the Marines one that was nothing like the corrupt Colonel Nezumi, who had worked alongside Arlong to exploit her village.
Luo Ye casually waved a hand.
"She's not a pirate. Let her go."
His adjutant, however, hesitated.
"Mr. Admiral, are you sure about this?"
Admiral?
Nami stiffened at the title.
She knew how terrifying a Marine Colonel could be—Nezumi had used his power to oppress and betray her village.
But an Admiral…?
That was a whole different league.
An Admiral had the authority to shape the fate of entire nations.
If Luo Ye was willing to act, could he free Cocoyasi Village from Arlong's rule?
Her heart pounded. She clenched her fists and shouted:
"Mr. Admiral! I can prove I'm not a pirate! If you come to my hometown, you'll understand!"
Cocoyasi Village?
Luo Ye paused.
If he remembered correctly, Arlong was still in control of the village, extorting money from its residents and killing those who couldn't pay.
And the local Marine branch led by Nezumi was actively helping him.
It made sense why Nami wouldn't expect the Marines to help her.
Luo Ye had already altered the timeline significantly Luffy's journey was off course.
If Arlong had no one to stop him, he would continue his tyranny unchecked.
Luo Ye also needed to clean up the corrupt Marine forces in East Blue.
If left alone, even Windmill Village Garp's hometown could fall victim to the same kind of exploitation.
"Are you serious?" the adjutant asked, frowning.
He still found it hard to believe someone would risk their life stealing from pirates just to save their village.
But when he looked at Nami's trembling fists and red-rimmed eyes, he saw something else.
Desperation.
Determination.
"My hometown is Cocoyasi Village. It's been occupied by the Arlong Pirates for years."
"I stole from pirates because Arlong promised me that if I paid 100 million berries, he would free my village."
"Please, Mr. Admiral! Help us take our home back!"
Luo Ye remained silent, watching her intently.
Fearing he would refuse, Nami quickly added:
"I'll give you every single berry I've saved up. Just please drive Arlong out!"
Luo Ye shook his head.
Nami's heart sank.
Was even an Admiral unwilling to help?
Would she really have to keep stealing and bet everything on Arlong keeping his word?
Just as she was about to lose all hope, Luo Ye spoke again.
"I'll go."
"You don't need to give me your treasure."
Nami's tear-filled eyes widened in disbelief.
"Really?!"
When she saw Luo Ye's calm, unwavering expression, her emotions erupted.
She fell to her knees in relief, sobbing.
"Thank you, Mr. Admiral! Thank you!!"
Luo Ye turned away, gazing toward the horizon.
Arlong.
A lowly Fish-Man who had been left unchecked for far too long.
He had no idea that his reign of terror was about to end.