“These are the tools you asked for.” Nojiko wiped the sweat from her forehead as she set the equipment down.
“See if they’ll work.”
Kai checked through the pile before nodding in satisfaction.
“Yeah.
This is more than enough.”
After Nojiko left earlier, he had wandered around the yard and discovered several materials that could be used to make explosives.
A very pleasant surprise.
“And what exactly are you planning to build?” Genzo asked cautiously.
Even though Nojiko had already explained who Kai was, Genzo still kept his guard up around the unfamiliar young man.
Instead of answering directly, Kai looked at him calmly.
“Can you really stand by and keep watching Nami suffer?”
Genzo froze.
Then his expression darkened instantly.
“What do you know about that?”
“I know enough,” Kai replied coldly.
“I know exactly how hard that girl’s life has been.”
“She steals from pirates.
Every single time she risks her life.”
“One mistake is all it takes for her to die.”
And sometimes…
For a young woman captured by pirates, death wasn’t even the worst possible outcome.
Genzo fell silent.
How could he not understand that?
That was exactly why he was so afraid.
If anything went wrong now, all of Nami’s sacrifices would become meaningless.
“Arlong promised her that if she collected one hundred million Beli, he would free the village…”
“And you actually believe that?” Kai interrupted sharply.
“Wake up, old man.
What do you think pirates are?”
“They’re criminals.”
Shaking his head, Kai stopped wasting words and picked up the tools from the ground.
“Relax.
I’m not planning to do anything reckless yet.”
At least not until Captain Nezumi showed up.
Nami needed to see Arlong’s true nature with her own eyes.
Not every pirate crew was like the Straw Hats.
Glancing at the sky, Kai estimated it was still early morning.
There was plenty of time left.
Watching Kai disappear into the storage shed, Genzo remained silent for a long moment before turning toward Nojiko.
“Do you really trust him?”
Honestly, he couldn’t figure the young man out at all.
Was he secretly some kind of powerful fighter?
“I think he’s trustworthy,” Nojiko answered softly.
“You know what kind of life Nami lives.”
“Anyone willing to stay beside her after learning the truth probably won’t betray us.”
More importantly…
Nojiko simply couldn’t imagine any human willingly siding with Arlong’s crew.
Not with the way they treated people.
“A scientist…” Genzo muttered under his breath.
“I hope he’s the one who finally ends this nightmare.”
“Hm?”
After finishing his work and stepping out of the shed, Kai immediately noticed Nami’s pale expression.
He blinked in surprise.
“What happened?
Why do you look so upset?”
Nami suddenly grabbed his hand tightly, her eyes filled with desperate hope.
“Kai… you’re really a scientist, right?”
“You can create powerful weapons?”
“Of course.”
“Then…” Nami hesitated before lowering her gaze.
“Never mind.”
“I’m almost done saving enough money anyway.”
As long as she reached one hundred million Beli, she could finally buy back the village.
Kai sighed inwardly.
Such a naïve girl.
“Tell me what happened,” he said gently.
“Something clearly upset you.”
After a moment of hesitation, Nami finally explained everything that had happened earlier.
“I see.” Kai nodded slowly.
“You’re worried they’ll go back to Arlong Park and get themselves killed.”
“But honestly… I think you’re underestimating them.”
“If they came all the way here searching for you, then they probably aren’t afraid of Arlong’s crew.”
As he spoke, Kai carefully lifted her injured hand and placed a strange medical patch over the wound.
“This is something I made.
A universal healing patch.”
“It can treat external injuries incredibly fast.”
Then he frowned slightly while looking at the cuts on her arm.
“You really went too hard on yourself this time.”
“I had to,” Nami said quietly while staring at the bloodstained bandages.
“If there wasn’t enough blood, they never would’ve believed I killed Usopp.”
If anything truly happened to Usopp because of her…
She would never forgive herself.
After all…
Her time aboard the Straw Hats’ ship had been the happiest period of her life.
That was why she risked herself to secretly save Usopp and Roronoa Zoro earlier.
“Huh?”
A surprised sound escaped Nami’s lips as a warm tingling sensation spread across the wound.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“It’s already working?!”
“Well, obviously.” Kai crossed his arms proudly.
“I made it, didn’t I?”
“It’s just a simple healing patch.”
Compared to the inventions he could create in the future, this was nothing special.
Still, Nami stared at him with shining eyes.
“I think I’m finally starting to believe you.”
This was the first time she had ever seen something so unbelievable.
And for the first time since meeting him…
She truly began to wonder if Kai might actually change everything.