Chapter Eighteen: Nami the Cat Burglar

The violent wind swept up towering waves, crashing against the ship again and again. Those with weaker constitutions could no longer withstand the assault and were sprawled across the deck, retching miserably.

Thunder roared, rain poured, lightning flashed, and the raging sea tossed the vessel relentlessly.

Standing inside the cabin, Rolan watched the chaos unfold, his resolve to take Nami with him growing ever firmer. If Nami had been at the helm, none of this would have happened; even if a storm had appeared without warning, Rolan was convinced Nami had the skill to steer them safely away.

The wind howled, lightning cracked the sky, and all the pirates could do was pray—pray for the storm to end swiftly. After all, everyone left alive was still afraid to die.

No one knew how much time had passed before the rain began to ease, then stopped altogether. The terrifying dark clouds gradually dispersed, and a shaft of sunlight broke through, illuminating the deck.

“We made it—!”

A pirate gazed at the sunlight and suddenly let out a jubilant shout.

Upon hearing this, everyone, Rolan included, felt their hearts settle. It was finally over; that was the thought in everyone’s mind.

“Clean the deck. I’m going to check on Jin,” Rolan said, glancing at the mess. Any thought of continuing training vanished at once, and he turned to head deeper into the ship.

Checking on Jin was just an excuse—what he truly wanted was to get away from that filthy deck. The pirates’ vomit hadn’t been fully washed away by the rain; if anything, the downpour had only spread it around, and now, with the sun beating down, the scene was indescribably foul.

Rolan wasn’t afraid of such sights, but he couldn’t help feeling nauseated.

“Hey, look—what’s that?” one of the pirates cleaning the deck suddenly pointed out to sea, noticing bits of broken planks and barrels bobbing on the waves.

“Must be a ship that went down in the storm,” another pirate guessed.

It was a reasonable assumption; the storm had come so suddenly that any unprepared vessel wouldn’t have survived.

“Someone go inform Master Rolan.”

They were all Rolan’s prisoners now, and anything they did required his approval.

“I’ll report to Mr. Rolan. The rest of you, steer the ship closer and haul up anyone you find,” a slightly higher-ranked pirate instructed as he hurried inside.

“A shipwreck, is it? Take me to have a look. If we can help, let’s do what we can,” Rolan said in the infirmary, stroking his chin in thought before standing up.

“Yes, sir.” The pirate bowed respectfully and left to relay Rolan’s orders on deck.

Following the pirate, Rolan soon reached the deck and saw the survivors of the storm at once.

No one could tell how long these people had been adrift in the water; their skin was wrinkled and pale from exposure. Had the pirates not rescued them, they would surely have perished before long.

“Have the cook and ship’s doctor come here,” Rolan instructed with a sigh as he looked at those who had been dragged from the sea. The sight reminded him of himself ten years ago.

When he’d first crossed over to this world, his situation hadn’t been much different. If not for the appearance of Golden Lion then, he’d probably have died for good.

“Understood.” One of the pirates quickly dashed off, returning with the ship’s doctor and the cook.

These pirates, used to life at sea, knew even better than Rolan how to treat shipwreck survivors and keep them alive. Watching their practiced efficiency, Rolan breathed a sigh of relief.

He wasn’t a saint, but as a model youth raised with proper values, he couldn’t just stand by and watch others die in front of him.

As the ship continued on, the floating wreckage dwindled, and soon there were no more signs of life on the sea.

But when the last survivor was brought aboard, Rolan suddenly froze.

That short, orange hair, and the tattoo on her shoulder—wasn’t that Nami?

He rubbed his eyes, thinking he must be mistaken, but when he looked closely, the girl was exactly as he’d first seen her.

“Wrap her in dry towels and bring her to my cabin,” Rolan said, rubbing his brow as a headache set in. How had he run into Nami here of all places? More importantly, with her navigational skills, she should have been able to avoid a storm like this. Even if she’d sneaked aboard to steal money, she wouldn’t abandon others to die.

The Nami he remembered was greedy, yes, but still a kind person.

Which meant there was something wrong with the people on that ship.

He cast a wary glance at the other survivors.

“Yes, Master Rolan.” The pirates didn’t understand his intentions, but they followed his orders, wrapping Nami in dry towels and carrying her to what had once been Krieg’s cabin, now Rolan’s.

“So that’s it—no wonder Mr. Rolan isn’t perfect,” one pirate quipped on the stairs.

“Even if he has this sort of preference, it’s normal. With a face like his, I bet any woman would fall for him, even if she weren’t unconscious.”

“You’re right. If I were a woman, I’d fall in love with someone as handsome and powerful as Mr. Rolan.”

Both pirates grinned, convinced they knew exactly what would happen next.

On deck, Rolan watched the scene with a faint smile. “Only one woman on that whole ship? Interesting.”

If it had been a normal merchant vessel or a passenger ship, it would be impossible for just one woman to survive. Even in a disaster, there would never be only one female survivor.

So, if the entire ship’s crew consisted of men—pirate or not—there was clearly something amiss.

Leaving the deck, Rolan made his way slowly toward his cabin. He didn’t need to worry much about the survivors; even if they were all pirates, his own crew consisted of nothing but pirates as well.

On one side were those who had just barely survived a shipwreck and hours in the water; on the other, well-rested pirates who had weathered the storm. Any trouble would be easily dealt with.

Outside his cabin, Rolan glanced through the window at Nami lying on the bed.

Compared to the others, her complexion was almost unnaturally healthy.

“Is she pretending?” Rolan stroked his chin, and with a burst of observation, sensed Nami’s breathing—steady, but tinged with a hint of panic.

“She must have had the idea as soon as she saw this ship,” he thought, glancing up at the skull on the mast. He instantly understood Nami’s plan—she’d mistaken him for a pirate and intended to rob the ship’s treasure under cover of night.

Realizing this, Rolan couldn’t help but laugh.

She was still the Nami he remembered from the anime.

He stepped inside, and, sensing her quickening breath, approached the bed.

“Who’d have thought—save a stranger on a whim and end up with a beauty?” he mused aloud, putting on a lascivious air as he looked Nami up and down.

“Looks like tonight will be quite enjoyable,” he said, sitting beside her and, as her heartbeat quickened, deliberately reaching his hand toward her.

“Stay away from me!”

As his hand drew closer, Nami finally couldn’t hold back. She somehow produced a dagger and pointed it at him.

“Oh? Done pretending, are you?” Rolan chuckled, paying the dagger no heed as he looked at her with amusement.

“You…” Nami fell silent.

How had he seen through her act? Had he known from the moment she boarded? No wonder he’d had the pirates bring her directly to his cabin.

Yet she didn’t stay silent for long—she put away the dagger and moved closer to Rolan.

She’d always been confident in her looks, and with that advantage, she’d fooled many lustful men before. She doubted this man would be any different.

Rolan had to admit: for a woman, changing expressions was a powerful weapon. Just moments ago, Nami had looked ready to die before yielding; now she exuded irresistible charm.

If he hadn’t known her true identity, he might have fallen for it himself.

“You’ve tricked a lot of people with this routine, haven’t you?” Rolan slipped his arm around her, watching as she struggled in vain.

“You…” Nami fell silent once more.

What was happening to her today? How had this man seen through her disguise twice in a row?

Feeling the strength in the arm that didn’t even look so muscular, Nami gradually gave up struggling.

It seemed the body she’d kept for eighteen years was about to be defiled.

At that moment, all her charm vanished, replaced by a look of despair and determination.

An ordinary person might have fought for their life at this point, but Nami knew she couldn’t die. She carried the hopes of the entire Cocoyasi Village. Until she’d amassed the hundred million Berries needed to buy their freedom, she couldn’t afford to die, no matter what.

“You can do what you want with me, but don’t hand me over to your men,” she said, closing her eyes in resignation. She couldn’t bear the thought of being sullied by those filthy pirates and remaining indifferent.

“Do I really look that much like a pirate?” Rolan suddenly laughed at her resolve, pushing her away and walking over to the mirror for a closer look.

No matter how long he gazed, all he saw was a clean, handsome man—nothing like a pirate at all.

“What do you mean?” asked Nami from the bed, confused by his sudden lack of interest.

“Let me introduce myself. I’m Rolan, from the Grand Line. My father was a marine,” he said with a smile, extending his hand to her.

“A marine?” Nami was momentarily stunned, her right hand instinctively reaching out to grasp his.

“That’s right. He was a marine. From a young age, he taught me to be a good person,” Rolan said, shaking her hand gently before releasing it, his manner courteous.

“I only returned to the East Blue this time to visit his grave.”