Starting with two Kamui, they raised the flag of rebellion in One Piece.

"Unfortunately."

"I do not intend to accept your suggestion."

Karina's eyes widened instantly, and she asked in shock, "W-why?!"

"The reason is simple. First, even if I do have your help right now, and you can take over the duties of a navigator, you will eventually have to pay your fees and disembark. In that case, wouldn't I still be the only one left on the ship? Ultimately, my ship still needs a navigator, so instead of looking for one later, it's better to hire someone who suits my needs now."

"Hmm! This one..."

Unable to admit that she didn't have the money to pay the ransom, and that she just wanted to stay on the ship in exchange for a chance to live, Karina stammered.

"As for the second point, it's your navigation skills, which are nowhere near Nami's."

Li Mingyuan withdrew his hand from Karina's shoulder, looked at her, and said calmly, "Although you keep saying you've been investigating Nami's situation these past two days, it seems your understanding isn't very deep. No, or rather, you know nothing about your friend?"

"If your sailing skills are like a pond, then my level is probably just a puddle, I admit that. But being better at sailing than me doesn't mean anything. There are plenty of people on this island who are better than me. The point is, if your sailing skills are like a pond, then compared to you, Nami's sailing skills are probably like an ocean."

"Don't even mention you, there are very few people in the whole world who can compare to you."

Seeing Karina's astonished expression, Li Mingyuan smiled slightly. "Think about it carefully. Even though they are fish-men living in the sea, they still need Nami's sea chart to help them achieve their ideals. What does that mean? Arlong is a guy who hates humans to an extreme degree, but he didn't hesitate to suppress his hatred to bring a human into his pirate crew. This is the best proof of Nami's talent. Although you have been in contact with Nami longer than I have, it seems that you don't know as much about this as I do."

Having said that, Li Mingyuan stopped wasting time talking to Karina.

Under Karina's somewhat dazed gaze, he continued walking towards the orange grove next to Nami's house, intending to see if Nami was inside.

Since his conversation with Karina had been quite loud, if Nami was really in the orange grove, she might have already noticed his arrival and was perhaps waiting for him.

Li Mingyuan left so lightly, his footsteps leaving no trace of the commotion.

But Karina, who was still standing there with an expression of disbelief, was now really getting anxious.

"Normally, after things have come to this point, would a normal person still invite Nami? Don't they have any morals at all?!"

Looking at Li Mingyuan's retreating figure, Karina felt that she was really breaking down.

Having overheard the conversation they had agreed upon the day before yesterday, she knew exactly what Li Mingyuan wanted to say when he came to see Nami tonight. That's why she made up her mind and resolutely stepped forward to block Li Mingyuan's path.

Unexpectedly, in the end, they still couldn't dissuade Li Mingyuan.

To some extent, Li Mingyuan's guess about Karina's mentality was almost entirely correct. If Nami were to board his ship, her necessity would cease to exist, and then how could she maintain her presence in Li Mingyuan's eyes?

If she really dared to use underhanded tactics and secretly dissuade Nami from accepting Li Mingyuan's request to go to sea, that would be fine. But the problem is, she doesn't want to drag Nami into this and can't tell Nami the truth, so she can only keep this matter to herself.

During the past two days of the banquet, Karina had kept her distance from Nami for a full two days, which was the real reason why Li Mingyuan looked so unpleasant when he saw her.

Karina truly understood what it meant to have unspeakable suffering.

"No, no! We can't give up yet!"

Karina slapped her cheek hard, trying to snap herself out of it.

"If this keeps up, my life will be in danger! I don't know if Nami is really as powerful as he says, but if she is, then if Nami boards the ship, I'm 100% doomed!!"

"No matter what, I have to stop it!"

With a resolute expression, Karina came to her senses and stepped into the orange grove to catch up with Li Mingyuan.

She's so young, she has so much of her life ahead of her. How can she just die here like this? Even if she's going to die, she should at least spend all her money before she's satisfied, right?

Who would be willing to accept it ending like this?

Inside the orange grove.

Compared to Karina, who had been hesitating for a while, Li Mingyuan had already entered first and quickly found a figure inside.

Nami, with her signature orange hair, is now in a casual outfit, inspecting the orange trees in the orange grove, though her figure remains beautifully curvaceous.

After giving most of her savings to Li Mingyuan, if Nami doesn't go to sea with Li Mingyuan and continues to stay on the island, then this orange grove will be her and Nojiko's source of income.

There were some things she didn't tell Li Mingyuan, but from a realistic perspective, the truth was actually a bit cruel.

It's practically impossible to meet the needs of two adults with the income from just a few orange groves.

Her mother, Bellemere, made a living by growing oranges after retiring from the Navy. However, oranges are a tricky crop. Even when the weather is good and every orange orchard has a bumper harvest, the price of oranges is still low and they are hard to sell. If the harvest is bad, the situation is even worse. Because of the meager income, her family lived a frugal life when she was young. When the Arlong Pirates attacked, they could only afford to pay a ransom of 100,000 Berries.

Nami has seen a lot of the world by venturing out to sea over the years. Because she has saved up all her money, she doesn't have a habit of spending money extravagantly; she just loves money. However, if she is to continue living on the island with Nojiko in the future, she will have to pay close attention to the condition of the orange grove.

"call……"

"Although the orange trees are doing well, which is reassuring, what should we do next?"

Nami looked at the orange tree in front of her and murmured to herself.

Unaware of what was happening, Li Mingyuan had already arrived nearby and was watching her.

Looking at Nami's appearance, Li Mingyuan sighed inwardly. She was truly a feast for the eyes. Compared to Nami, Karina didn't seem so appealing.