As a ninja, Sanosuke was extraordinarily sensitive to danger.
The instant his kunai struck the silver-haired man’s lower back, he felt as though the Grim Reaper had wrapped a hand around his throat.
The blade hadn’t pierced the man’s body.
The moment it made contact, the man’s muscles had tensed like forged steel, stopping the weapon cold.
“So it wasn’t that he failed to notice me…
From the very beginning, he never considered me a threat!” Sanosuke thought in shock.
Norton never stopped eating.
He didn’t even bother turning around, as if nothing had happened.
Yet Sanosuke no longer dared to attack.
The invisible sense of danger surrounding the man hadn’t diminished in the slightest.
Redbeard finally lost his patience.
“Sanosuke!
What the hell are you doing?!
Are you scared?
If you don’t have the guts to fight, then go die!”
Cold sweat poured down Sanosuke’s face.
He didn’t even have the strength to answer.
The pressure only kept growing heavier, making him feel that even the slightest mistake would cost him his life.
He didn’t dare move.
At that moment, the pirates who had stormed into the cabins returned, escorting the captured nobles and noblewomen back onto the deck.
Elsewhere, the guards had already been defeated by Redbeard’s fighters.
“Captain!
We’ve hit the jackpot!”
A towering pirate threw a burlap sack onto the deck.
The sack burst open, spilling Berries, gold, and valuables everywhere.
At a glance, the treasure was worth well over ten million Berries.
“I also caught a woman hiding in the cabins,” the large pirate reported.
“She’s a thief.
Good thing we moved fast, or she’d have stolen all this treasure before we did!”
“What?!” Redbeard barked.
“Where’s that little thief?”
“Here she is, Captain!”
Another pirate shoved an orange-haired girl to the ground before him.
“Hehe…
Hi.”
Nami forced an awkward smile and gave him a small wave.
Redbeard glared at her.
“So you’re the brat who tried to steal my treasure?”
The surrounding nobles exchanged speechless looks.
His treasure?
Since when had their belongings become his?
“Mr.
Pirate!” one noble pleaded.
“Please spare us!
We’ll hand over every last Berry we own!”
Redbeard stroked his beard thoughtfully.
These nobles clearly came from wealthy families.
The valuables aboard this ship were probably only a fraction of their fortunes.
“Very well…”
Just as he was about to agree—
“Captain!
That’s a terrible idea!”
A skinny pirate hurriedly interrupted him.
“Oh?”
Redbeard looked at him.
“You’ve got a better one?”
The skinny pirate grinned wickedly.
“Their lives are already in our hands.
Why should we settle for what’s on this ship?”
“We make them hand over the rest of their wealth…”
“…then contact the Marines and demand ransom for every hostage.”
“We’ll get paid twice!”
“Just look at them.
They’re dressed like royalty and eat like kings.
They must be worth a fortune.”
“The Marines won’t abandon people like this.”
Redbeard slammed a fist into his palm.
“You’re right!”
“Why didn’t I think of that?!”
The nobles and noblewomen turned pale.
Shameless.
These pirates intended to squeeze every bit of value from them before letting them die.
The skinny pirate smiled proudly.
Surely the captain would reward him for such a brilliant idea.
“Captain…”
He pointed at Nami.
“Can I have this woman?”
“I’ll make sure that little thief gets the punishment she deserves…”
Nami’s face instantly turned white.
She struggled desperately, but the pirate restraining her held her fast.
She couldn’t break free.
Redbeard grinned.
“Of course—”
The skinny pirate beamed.
Then—
Bang!
A gunshot echoed across the sea.
The skinny pirate collapsed onto the deck.
Blood slowly spread beneath his body.
Redbeard calmly blew the smoke from his pistol before glancing coldly at the corpse.
“The idea was excellent.”
“I’ll gladly take it.”
“But unfortunately…”
“I don’t need anyone smarter than me on my ship.”
Silence.
Nami stared blankly, mouth hanging open.
…What kind of logic is that?
The noblewomen screamed.
The nobles trembled in terror.
Even many of the pirates looked at Redbeard with fear.
Others, however…
Looked at him with fanatical admiration.
How ruthless!
That’s what a real pirate should be!
“Zehahahaha!”
Redbeard spread his arms wide, reveling in everyone’s terror.
“Listen up, boys!”
“We’ll do exactly what I just said!”
“My brilliant plan!”
“First, squeeze every Berry out of these fat nobles!”
“Then make the Marines pay to buy them back!”
“You’re too noisy.”
A calm male voice abruptly cut through Redbeard’s laughter.
Every eye turned toward its source.
Having finished eating and drinking, Norton leisurely wiped his mouth with a napkin before finally rising from the table.
He completely ignored Sanosuke, whose face was drenched in sweat only a few steps away, and walked straight toward Redbeard.
Sanosuke couldn’t stop him.
Every instinct screamed that he should intercept the man…
Yet a deeper, primal fear rooted him to the spot.
His body refused to obey.
“What are you doing, Sanosuke?!”
“Stop him!”
Redbeard roared.
Clenching his teeth, Sanosuke suddenly shouted,
“Captain!”
“Run!!”
“…What?”
Redbeard froze.
Then he burst into laughter.
“You’re telling me to be afraid of this pretty boy?”
Norton ignored him.
Instead, his gaze settled on Nami.
Although he’d been busy eating, he’d heard the entire conversation.
A thief.
Orange hair.
Could it really be…
“Hey.”
“What’s your name?”
“Me?”
Nami pointed at herself.
Norton nodded.
“Why should I tell—”
She looked thoroughly annoyed.
Being captured was already bad enough.
Now this handsome stranger was interrogating her as if he owned the place.
Did being good-looking make him that confident?
“Tell me.”
“And I’ll save your life.”
“My name’s Nami!”
She instantly flashed the brightest smile she could manage.
“I’m a thief who specializes in stealing from pirates!”
“Boss, if you save me, I’ll even work for you~”
Norton quietly took a deep breath.
It really is Nami.
Fate truly was on his side.
If there was one navigator he wanted above all others…
There was only one answer.
Nami.
Judging from what he’d known in his previous life, her talent surpassed that of entire professional navigation teams.
She was the navigator coveted even by the legendary pirate Golden Lion Shiki.
And now…
Norton wanted her too.
Noticing him staring directly at her, Nami began feeling uneasy.
I was just saying whatever I had to in order to survive…
He doesn’t actually think I’m going to work for him, does he?
The moment he saves me…
I’m escaping.
…Though if possible, I’d like to take all the treasure with me too.