One Piece: Nico Robin Collection

Chapter 81 Sailing
"That's incredibly strange. Someone I've never met before suddenly asks me to be his navigator or something... While I'm certainly grateful for your help to the village, it's a bit presumptuous to start talking about conquering the sea right away."

Nami rubbed her head helplessly, and said in a dissatisfied tone: "So... why do you have such dangerous thoughts?"

"Since you've seen a murloc, you should know that a murloc's arm strength is ten times that of a human's, right?"

Caesar adhered to his usual style and did not rush to answer, but instead asked questions first.

"So it has something to do with those fishmen? The World Government has been taken over by the fishmen?"

Nami said in a teasing tone, although the Cocoa West Village was once ruled by the fishmen, to be honest, she didn't know much about this race.

"No, in fact, murlocs are a very popular type of slave in the Grand Line. Because they are stronger than humans and can survive underwater, any murloc can easily be sold for millions or even tens of millions. The starting price of the legendary mermaid is even over ten million."

"Most nobles believe that murlocs are fish, not humans, and therefore have a serious discrimination against them. This is also a large part of the reason why murlocs have become such a popular slave species."

"Because of their beauty, mermaid slaves would become playthings for the nobles. Because of their great strength, murloc slaves would become slave fighters for the nobles' entertainment, or even travel mounts."

Caesar spoke in a leisurely tone, but the facts he said shocked Nami.

"That's impossible! Murlocs are so powerful and can survive underwater, how could they be captured and enslaved?"

"The power of the murlocs is only against ordinary humans."

Caesar scoffed. "This group lives deep in the ocean, and they know very little about human cultivation systems. To put it bluntly, they're just frogs in a well. You should have seen... How did Vice Admiral Garp deal with those murlocs?"

"One punch..."

Nami's expression changed.

She had such a deep impression of Garp that she still clearly remembered that the old man appeared out of nowhere, asked her for directions, and then headed straight for Dragon Park.

Out of the virtue of respecting the old and loving the young, she also specifically reminded the other party of the terribleness of Aaron and his gang, but the other party was not moved at all, and flew up and punched the Dragon Paradise through the air!
That punch clearly exceeded Nami's understanding of this world...

It was like a heavy artillery bomb exploded in the park, and the entire Dragon Park was reduced to ruins by this punch.

Nami's face turned serious. "Was Arlong originally a slave? Is that why he hates humans so much?"

"No, Aaron was not originally a slave, but many of his fellow fishmen were once slaves of the Celestial Dragons. It was precisely because of the racial conflict that Aaron was created. I have to say that although that guy is a bastard, he does value his compatriots."

Caesar shook his head slightly: "Arlong was once a member of the Sun Pirates, following a fish-man traveler named Fisher Tiger. Even the current King's Seven Warlords Jinbe were once that man's subordinates."

"Later, this Fisher Tiger infiltrated Mary Geoise and rescued tens of thousands of slaves. He sent them back to their homeland one by one and founded the Sun Pirates. He used a branding iron to erase the slave marks on his compatriots and used it as the pirate group's logo to conceal their identities. You should have seen it before; it's the symbol of the sun."

Nami nodded. She remembered very clearly that the fishman named Xiaoba had such a mark on his head.

"There's no doubt that Fisher Tiger can be called a hero, whether to humans or fishmen. Even an extreme guy like Aaron was almost changed by him, until one thing happened..."

Caesar said calmly, "The World Government bribed the families of freed slaves to assassinate Tiger in his hometown. Because of this, Tiger became completely disappointed with humanity. He didn't want to hate humans, but he also didn't want to use human blood for transfusions. Ultimately, he chose to die after leaving behind a will not to continue the hatred."

"After that, Aaron became a complete racist and chose to take revenge on humans, and was eventually imprisoned for it."

"Another fish-man who followed Tiger, Jinbei, chose to carry out Tiger's last words. He disliked humans, but was willing to fight for peace between races. Later, in order to secure Fish-Man Island's seat in the World Government, he chose to become one of the Shichibukai."

"Because of the privilege of the Seven Warlords of the Sea to legally plunder, Arlong and the others were released from prison. However, they had already fallen out with Jinbei after Tiger's death. Even after being released, they did not choose to return to Fishman Island. Instead, they ran to a small place like the East China Sea to pursue their dreams of becoming the overlord..."

Hearing this, Nami's expression suddenly darkened: "Are you trying to tell me that there's a reason why they became like that?"

"How could it be? Aaron deserves to die, there's no doubt about that!"

"But what I want to tell you is that although it was Aaron who killed your mother, the more fundamental issue is actually the system of this world."

Caesar clicked his tongue and shook his head. "As long as those arrogant Celestial Dragons exist, and as long as the corrupt World Government continues to operate, tragedies like what happened to you will continue to happen around the world like a cycle!"

"The World Government has clearly stipulated that the slave trade is illegal, but so what? The biggest buyers in the slave market are those Celestial Dragons, those nobles!"

"As long as these scum survive, ten! A hundred! Tens of millions of Bellemels will die in this meaningless racial conflict!"

Looking at Nami's tense face, Caesar spoke in a calm tone, with unquestionable certainty.

There was a long silence in the air.

After a long pause, Nami's lips suddenly curled up with a sly smile. "So? This is your reason for recruiting me aboard. What are your own reasons? Do you simply dislike the existence of Celestial Dragons? Or do you want to become the next Celestial Dragon?"

"What a clever girl, but to be honest, I have no interest in power."

Caesar smiled at Nami's reaction, and then in the face of her surprised gaze, his pupils turned blood red, and a pair of pointed ears added a touch of femininity to his handsome face.

"I am the user of the Vampire Fruit. I am eternally young and immortal, and I possess the most powerful fighting force in this ocean. Things like power and wealth are nothing more than a simple gesture to me..."

"My personal goal is actually very simple. Just like I said, I want to unify this ocean and accomplish this unprecedented feat. This journey is the perfect place to carry your dreams."

"How about it? Want to join?"

“That sounds great…”

Nami propped up her chin: "If the treatment is right, I can consider it~"

Caesar raised his index finger: "One hundred million Baileys a year, how about that?"

"You convinced me, boss!"

Nami's eyes sparkled with the Bailey symbol, and her tone was as firm as if she was going to join the party.

To be honest, she was still a little hesitant in her heart, but Caesar gave her too much!
Caesar also chuckled, not surprised at Nami's reaction.

"In that case, let's go~"

"Eh? Now?"

Nami was stunned: "Am I mentally prepared? And the bookstore..."

"The bookstore is yours now. Do whatever you want with it. Speed ​​is of the essence. Everyone is waiting."

Caesar waved and Nami had to follow quickly.

When the two of them went out, Nami discovered that Nochiko, Ken, and Yamato and his group were waiting outside.

"Nochigo, Ajian, you are here too?"

Nami's eyes lit up: "I just have something to tell you, I'm going out to sea!"

Nochigo just smiled when he heard this, as if it was not unexpected.

Ah Jian, however, glanced at Caesar with a worried look on his face: "Isn't it a bit too early for your age? And... you weren't coerced, were you?"

"Don't worry, I'm not being coerced. This guy gave me an offer I couldn't refuse."

Nami smiled slyly and said, "Also, Nochigo, please help me clean up the things in the store."

Things in the store...

Is it the revenue over the years?

Nochigao was speechless for a moment: "Are you in such a hurry?"

“It’s urgent…”

Caesar nodded. "I need to gather a crew as soon as possible for unified training. Before entering the New World, we'll need at least a year of training, and there are other things to do afterwards. I can't afford to waste too much time." "Isn't this too rushed? There's not even time for farewell?"

Ajian looked anxious: "You have to give us some time to say goodbye, right?"

Caesar: "There is a treasure to be taken..."

Nami: "Let's go! Let's go now!"

Ajian: "..."

"I knew it…"

Nochigo smiled and said, "Remember to take care of yourself, Nami."

"There's no need to worry so much."

Caesar casually wrote down a number and handed it to Nochigo: "This is my Den Den Mushi number. From now on, all crew members will be equipped with Den Den Mushi. Of course, considering the various dangerous situations we will face in the future, I suggest that Nami take the initiative to call you."

"That's thoughtful, isn't it? This does make me feel more at ease."

Nochigo took the phone number, took a look at it and handed it to Ajian.

Ajian glanced at the number on the note, and his expression relaxed a little: "In that case, Nami is in your hands."

"Don't worry, I'm not a good person, but the last thing I lack on my ship is kind-hearted people."

Caesar was helpless: "As a captain, I can't let everyone down, right?"

"Haha, having said that, Caesar is actually a very good person!"

Yamato grinned and came to Caesar's side: "Hello, my name is Yamato, I'm Caesar's girlfriend and the battle captain on the ship!"

So high!

But she's a very pretty woman...

By the way, the height difference between this couple is a bit too big, right?

With Yamato's introduction, everyone started to introduce themselves.

"Baby5 is Caesar's personal maid~ Oh, yes, and a part-time chef."

"Nicole Robin, Girlfriend No. 3, Archaeologist, please take care of me."

"Bartholomew Big Bear, support captain and helmsman. This is my daughter Bonnie. Her dream is to become a gourmet traveler."

"Hello there!"

Bonnie made a scissors gesture and grinned.

"Bartolomeo, well...we've met before."

Barto grinned. "My position is Mr. Caesar's most loyal confidant! And Mr. Caesar's most solid shield!"

"My name is Nami, Navigator. Please take good care of me from now on!"

Seeing that everyone seemed to be easy to get along with, Nami smiled and bowed gracefully.

But I couldn't help but complain madly in my heart.

Girlfriend number 3?
So the so-called personal maid is also this guy's woman?

What a joke!

Is this lecherous captain really here for my navigation skills?
He glanced at Caesar out of the corner of his eye, only to see him looking at him thoughtfully.

"What are you looking at?"

Nami suddenly felt something was wrong and quickly hugged her arms, looking at Caesar with a wary look.

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in little girls, so at least before you turn eighteen, you don't need to worry about what I will do to you."

Caesar laughed dumbly: "I was just thinking about which fruit would be more suitable for you."

"What? How rude! I do have some knowledge, okay?"

Nami curled her lips. "The fruit you're talking about, is it a devil fruit? The legendary treasure of the sea?"

Caesar nodded: "Yes, in fact, except for you, everyone else on the ship is a devil fruit user."

"Eh?!"

Nami's eyes widened in surprise, and she pointed at Bonnie. "Are all of you like this? Even Bonnie? If I remember correctly, one of those legendary things costs at least 100 million berries, right?"

"Don't worry, you'll find out later that what our team lacks the least is money and supplies."

Caesar smiled and said, "Let's go get the treasure first. The most valuable item in this treasure is a devil fruit. Maybe it will suit you."

Soon, everyone set sail again.

With Ajian and Nochigo seeing them off, the boat slowly sailed away into the distance. Nami stood at the stern with a cheerful smile on her face, waving towards the shore.

She didn't put down her hands until Kokoaxi Village disappeared from her sight, and a trace of loneliness flashed in her eyes.

"Don't be sad. Once we have a new ship, we can cross the windless sea and bring it back at any time. It won't take much time." Caesar came to Nami and said lightly.

"Can you cross the doldrums?" Nami was surprised.

"By embedding seastone in the bottom of the ship, the outer ships can cross the doldrums. This is what the navy does. And I happen to be the ruler of Wano Country, controlling the export of seastone all over the world." Caesar said proudly.

Nami hesitated for a moment, but still asked, "What about the newspaper report about your alliance with the pirates..."

"That's true, but the Beasts Pirates have already transformed into a regular army and are currently the navy that protects Wano Country."

Caesar looked into the girl's eyes and asked, "Will you be disappointed?"

"Don't treat me like a child."

Nami sighed. "Turning a bunch of sea scum into an army must have taken a lot of effort on your part, right?"

Caesar nodded approvingly: "You are indeed very smart."

Nami also smiled proudly: "So where are we going? Over the years, I have occasionally gone out to sea and drawn some nautical charts. I have basically no problem sailing in the East China Sea."

"Did you know there's an uninhabited island three hundred nautical miles due east of the 162nd Marine Branch?"

"I know where it is."

Nami frowned upon hearing this. "But that place isn't a good place. You're allowed in, but not out. The currents around the island are extremely strong. Once you're caught in it... the chances of successfully leaving are slim to none."

"The treasure is on that island. I can guarantee that even if you get sucked in, I will be able to ensure your safety and get you out."

"So what are you waiting for? Let's go! Three o'clock! Full speed ahead!"

(End of this chapter)