Luffy kept his eyes on Nami, genuinely satisfied with how much his words were moving her. As he noticed her defenses starting to crumble, he figured it was time to finish what he started. With a quick thought, he activated his System skill, Expression of the Peerless.
Right away, everything changed on deck. A gentle, almost mystical breeze swirled around him, playing with the brim of his straw hat and fluttering his clothes. If you looked closely, you'd spot tiny sparkles of light flickering in the air, making him shine with a kind of divine energy. Suddenly, Luffy gave off an aura of absolute safety and commanding presence—like nothing could shake him.
When Nami glanced up, she froze, barely breathing. For an instant, she felt as if she was looking at something unimaginably magnificent.
Luffy, seeing he had her attention completely, let his expression soften, radiating pure sincerity. "Listen to me, Nami. Even though we fly under a pirate flag, we're nothing like the trash you knew. We won't ever rob, hurt, or terrorize innocent people. I can't stand bullies—those types who use their power to push others around. So, if we ever run into anyone like that, I'll crush them. Keep that in mind."
Those words broke something in Nami. That awful load she'd carried alone for eight years lifted, just a bit. She was so relieved, tears slipped past her lashes and rolled down her cheeks. She looked at Luffy like he was some kind of saint.
Luffy decided to play with her a little. He tilted his head, pretending not to get it. "Ehhhh? Nami, why are you crying all of a sudden? Did I say something wrong?"
Nami jolted out of it, cheeks blazing red. She scrubbed her eyes roughly, the tsundere flaring up to protect herself. "Idiot! There's something in my eye! I'm not crying! Moron! Moron!"
Luffy just laughed, the divine aura fading until he was back to his easygoing self. "Shishishishi! Alright! So... shall we start our adventure for real?"
Nami seemed lighter, but then a shadow flickered across her face. Reality set in. She clutched the ship's railing, looking at Luffy. "But Luffy... The Arlong Pirates are supposed to be terrifying. They're Fishmen, not ordinary pirates. People say they're ten times stronger than humans from birth. Are you really sure you can defeat them?"
Her voice shook a little. Even after seeing Luffy's Conqueror's Haki earlier, Arlong's trauma had dug deep into her.
Luffy cracked up, laughing loud and wild. "Shishishishi! Don't even worry about it! They don't stand a chance against me. Sure, maybe they're ten times stronger than humans—but I'm not your average human."
He leaned on the railing, staring out at the endless blue sea. "Besides, they only look like monsters in the East Blue because this is considered the weakest sea in the world. The second half of the Grand Line, the New World... out there, Arlong's crew wouldn't even be worth one Berry. Just wait. You'll see what I can really do soon. Shishishishi!"
Nami let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, her smile finally genuine. "Idiot! I wasn't worried! Just asking! Idiot!"
Luffy adjusted his hat, grinning. "You know, the main reason East Blue is called the weakest is because of my Grandpa. He's a Marine, and he keeps coming back to clear out any pirates that might threaten the peace."
Nami blinked, her mind racing. "Your grandpa must be unbelievably strong if he can handle all the big threats. Is he a Captain or something? He must be pretty important."
Right at that moment, the heavy training room door slammed open. Zoro stepped onto the deck, sweat dripping as he wiped his brow with a towel. He'd heard their chat, and he walked over, eyes serious. "So, Luffy. If your Grandpa is that strong and hunts pirates around here, what's our plan if he pops up? Are we going to fight him?"
Luffy picked at his ear lazily. No sign of worry. "Nahhh. Maybe? I dunno. If he actually tries to catch us, I'll fight him. If not, we'll just sail away. No need to fight some old fossil unless we have to. Shishishishi." He paused, as if something just occurred to him. "Oh—and Nami, my Grandpa isn't a Captain. He's a Vice Admiral at Marineford. His name's Monkey D. Garp."
The silence hit hard.
Both Zoro and Nami froze, staring at their captain like he'd grown another head. Their eyes stretched wide and jaws dropped.
"Ehhhhhhhh?!!!" Nami shrieked, her voice echoing across the sea. "Monkey D. Garp?! Garp the Fist?! The Hero of the Marines?! Why is he YOUR Grandpa?! Are you insane?! If he comes after us, we're toast! Idiot! I want to live, not get dragged to the grave for your stupid dream!"
She was completely freaking out. Everyone who read the newspaper knew exactly who Garp was—the pillar of the Marines, the guy who cornered Gol D. Roger. Panicking, she grabbed Luffy's collar and shook him, cursing his total absence of self-preservation.
But Zoro's reaction was totally different. He'd already seen Luffy's insane Haki and the effects of the System's pills. He knew Luffy wasn't normal. Instead of fear, his face twisted into a bloodthirsty grin.
"So, Luffy," Zoro said, hand resting on Wado Ichimonji's hilt, "if your Grandpa crosses the Calm Belt to chase us, and we face the Hero of the Marines for real, what are our chances of survival?"
Luffy gently pried Nami's hands away, calming her down. He looked at Zoro, brim full of confidence. "One hundred percent. I'm stronger than Grandpa now. He can't beat me anyway. Shishishishi."
Zoro's eyes nearly lit up with excitement. "So you're telling me you're already stronger than the greatest Marine ever? As your crewmates, we can't fall behind. We have to work ten times harder from now on. I can feel my goal getting closer." He was practically on fire to keep training.
At that, Nami let go of Luffy's collar. Her panic melted, replaced by awe. If Luffy wasn't scared of Garp... maybe Arlong really was nothing to him.
But Cocoyasi Village's fate was still hanging in the balance. She needed to hear him say it. "So, Luffy... are you really going to destroy the Arlong Pirates?"
She wanted to believe, was elated he offered, but it was terrifying to put her whole village in the hands of a pirate she just met. A little doubt lingered.
Luffy reached forward and patted her orange hair, his voice gentle but ironclad. "I never break my word. I'll destroy them."
That settled it. The last wall inside Nami fell apart. Every doubt, every bit of fear, and lie she'd lived with was gone. She was so happy, she couldn't help but sob, tears streaming nonstop.
Zoro looked uncomfortable. "Ehhh? Why are you crying now? Are those Arlong Pirates your family or something?"
Nami realized she could trust these two, finally. She wiped her tears, took a shaky breath, and spilled everything. She told them about Bellemere, the Fishmen invasion, the 100 million Berries deal, and the blood-soaked maps she was forced to draw for eight years.
By the time she finished, the memories overwhelmed her. She dropped to her knees, head bowed.
"Luffy," she choked out, voice raw, "No... Captain. Please. Please destroy the Arlong Pirates for me."
Luffy's face went cold with fury, directed at the Fishmen who'd hurt his navigator. He stepped over, hauled Nami up—firm, but gentle.
"Stand up, Nami," he said, not a trace of playfulness. "You never need to kneel in front of me. I don't want to see any friend of mine kneeling, ever. Don't worry about Arlong again. I'll pay them back ten times for what they did to you. Nobody who hurts my friends gets away unscathed."
Nami looked up at him, eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you so much... I don't know how I'll ever repay you, but I promise I will—"
"You don't have to repay me," Luffy cut her off, huge smile blooming again. "We're friends, aren't we? Shishishishishi!"
Nami was stunned. His warmth was something she hadn't felt since her mother passed. Luffy was so much stronger and steadier than before, Nami found herself trusting him completely, right from the start.
"Alright!" Luffy clapped his hands, shifting gears. "How long will it take to sail to Cocoyasi Village?"
Nami scrubbed the last tears away, switching back into navigator mode. "Not long, really. Depends if we're stopping at any other islands. Going straight, we'd get there in seven days. But if we use that speed-boost system you showed me, we could do it in half a day."
Luffy rubbed his chin. "Hmmm. Let's make a few stops first. Loguetown, Baratie, Syrup Village, then Cocoyasi. We don't need to rush. That okay with you?"
Nami just nodded, trusting him fully now. "It's okay. You're the captain. Tell me where to go, and I'll get us there." She flashed him a genuine smile.
"Great! Set our course for Loguetown first. I've got a few things to take care of there," Luffy said. "We'll use the sailing time to train your Haki."
That afternoon, Luffy explained Haki to Nami, just like he had with Zoro. He quietly took a Haki Awakening Pill and a Body Strengthening Pill from his System Inventory and handed them over.
Nami swallowed the pills and started meditating. But her body was still pretty weak and her willpower hadn't been hammered out in combat. So she struggled more than Zoro. She sweated it out all day under the sun, and finally managed to sense a flicker of Observation Haki just before dinner.
She slumped against the mast, disappointed she didn't master it instantly. Luffy, though, grinned wide, handed her some water, and praised her for sensing the spark on the first day—it was huge. Normally, someone would have needed years of fighting to reach it. The pills just made it way easier.
Meanwhile, far away in the New World, things felt tense in a dimly lit room.
A tall, imposing figure sat deep in the shadows. He picked up the receiver as a Transponder Snail chimed.
"Speak," he ordered, voice powerful. "What's so important you called me here?"
The voice on the other end was nervous but eager. "Hello, Sir. We've found an anomaly in East Blue. Our spies saw a new, massive ship out there. Its technology is nothing like anything in the Marines or local pirates. The operative says it almost feels futuristic. Knowing your interest, I thought you should know. Should I send visuals?"
The man leaned forward, the dim light catching a sly smile. "Go ahead. Let's see what's got you rattled."
The Transponder Snail projected a crisp image onto the wall: the Flying Raijin in shining, gold-trimmed glory.
The man stared for a long while, tapping his fingers on the desk. Then he set the receiver down, ending the call.
"Hmmm. An advanced, mysterious ship popping up in the weakest sea..." He narrowed his eyes. "I should look into this myself. Haven't had a vacation in ages anyway."
Back on the Flying Raijin, Zoro was working hard.
Thanks to his insane drive, he was getting the basics of Armament Haki down. He couldn't keep the dark coating up forever, but his progress was scary. He stood on deck, swinging his swords, forcing the metallic Haki onto the blades about three times out of ten. He just needed a push—a real battle to nail it.
The night was quiet. Zoro and Nami collapsed into deep sleep in their cabins after all the training.
Next morning, dawn painted the sky wild colors. Luffy stepped onto the deck and was pleasantly surprised to find both crewmates already awake and hustling.
Following Luffy's training plan, Zoro lifted absurd weights, while Nami ran laps and pushed herself through conditioning drills. Knowing Luffy could go toe-to-toe with the Hero of the Marines had given them all new motivation. Nobody wanted to be the weakling of the crew—they wanted to stand proud next to him in the New World, not hide behind him.
Seeing their determination, Luffy smiled, heading to the kitchen to whip up a huge, protein-packed breakfast.
Meanwhile, in the New World, the mysterious man stood and stared at the Flying Raijin's printed picture one more time. His eyes drifted to a secure lockbox in the room's corner.
"I should see this ship for myself," he murmured. "It feels weird... almost too advanced for this era."
He crossed the room and laid his hand on the lockbox.
Time rolled on as the Flying Raijin sliced through East Blue's calm waters.
Zoro and Nami kept grinding through their tough training schedules. Nami's physical strength was rising fast to match her smarts. She was starting to sense even the fish swimming below the hull, thanks to her Observation Haki. Her mood soared.
By midday, the sun blasted down on the waves, and an island appeared on the horizon.
It was a busy, sprawling city on a crescent-shaped island. The buildings looked old and packed tight.
Luffy leaned on the railing, nostalgia flickering on his face. He called to his sweaty crewmates.
"Alright, you two! Cut the training. We've arrived."
Zoro sheathed his swords, Nami wiped her brow, and both nodded as they gazed at the harbor up ahead.
They'd made it to Loguetown—the place where the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was born… and where he died.
"Let's split up and look around," Luffy said as he tied the ship off at the docks. "We've got things to do."