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

"That can't be right, can it?"

An hour later, a landmark building shaped like a whale appeared on the island.

Karina knelt down, head bowed, before her lay a treasure chest that had been dug out of the ground.

The treasure chest had already been opened wide, and scattered in front of her were banknotes worth only a few hundred thousand Berries.

Yes.

That's how it ended, cleanly and decisively.

Although Karina's delays made the journey a bit long, the situation was handled quickly once they reached their destination.

Karina murmured, "No matter what, how could a normal person ignore the gold rush and only focus on my little bit of money?"

"We were so close, so very close to succeeding."

His face showed the bitterness of utter despair. "If there was no hope in the first place, then at least don't let so many unexpected things happen along the way that I have to see..."

Throughout the entire affair, Karina maintained a calm and composed attitude towards Li Mingyuan, as if the money issue was a minor matter and everything was under control. Karina and Li Mingyuan continued to interact normally, chatting and laughing.

Now that the truth has been exposed, Karina can no longer keep up the act.

Karina hung her head, staring blankly at the bundles of Bailey on the ground in front of her. The embarrassment of her lie being exposed, and the fear of possible death, made her not dare to look up at Li Mingyuan's expression.

As for Li Mingyuan, who was standing not far from Karina at that moment.

"There's nothing strange about it."

To Karina's words, he calmly replied, "It's simple logic: your money is something I owe, while the gold isn't mine. I prefer to finish my own business first, rather than things that don't belong to me."

"Of course, as for that so-called gold, if it really exists, we can consider whether or not to fight for it later, but that's another matter."

Li Mingyuan looked down at Karina, who was kneeling in front of him.

Perhaps because she was under her watchful eye, and realized that there was no point in delaying or taking a detour, Karina gave up resisting. Under her guidance, they arrived at the treasure location without any trouble.

When the treasure chest was finally unearthed, Karina, who had been in a daze the whole way, took the money out and immediately knelt down with a thud, scattering the hundreds of thousands of Berries in her hands all over the ground.

"Seriously, with only a few hundred thousand Berries, you dare to boast that you can hand over the rest of the money."

"Where did you get the confidence to be laughing and joking around on the ship with all this money?"

Li Mingyuan squatted down and said in a strange tone, "In the end, even without all the unexpected events that happened during this period, you didn't have much of a chance of escaping, did you? You originally planned to use the news about Golden Island to distract me, but didn't you consider what would happen if I wasn't interested in it?"

"Why do you think that once I know about Golden Island, I will definitely go and explore Golden Island first?"

"Just kill me if you want, stop talking!"

Hearing this, Karina couldn't hold back any longer and shouted with her head down, "What's the point of humiliating me now! You deliberately sent Nami away so she wouldn't see you killing me, right? If you want to do it, just do it already!"

Karina's eyes gradually reddened, and she choked up a few times.

I never imagined I'd be in such a sorry state, and this was actually the final fate of the phantom thief Karina. How could there be such a bizarre man in the world? He acted so greedy, yet he wasn't actually interested in money at all, to the point that even when she pulled out the information about the Golden Island, he couldn't find a way to save his life.

In the past, she and Nami only managed to escape by relying on the treasure hunters' greed for treasure.

"Oh right, and Nami too..."

Thinking of Nami, Karina wiped away her tears and sniffed.

"Falling into the hands of a ruthless and merciless man like you, it seems I'm really doomed. It's just a bit of a pity, though. Nami, with a man like you by her side, who knows how many dangers she'll encounter in the future."

Karina's tone suddenly weakened, and she whispered, "If possible, bury me right here after I die, and don't let Nami see my body."

"And this money on the ground, although not much, is all the money I have left. Even if it's not enough to buy your life, at least treat Na better in the future, considering how much money I gave you. She truly considers you her benefactor. If she were to oppose you, she would be very upset."

"Are these your last words?"

Li Mingyuan found it somewhat amusing and said, "Is this a good thing? In the end, you didn't even think of yourself."

"Anyway, you probably already know that people like Nami and me who have been thieves at sea for years have some special circumstances. Nami told me before that I was one of her few friends on this sea, but what Nami doesn't know is that I actually think the same way."

Karina looked bewildered and said with a wry smile, "I'm really happy to see that Nami has solved the problem in her hometown. She won't have to be a thief anymore, unlike me who ended up like this. She will definitely have many more wonderful times in the future."

"is that so."

Li Mingyuan nodded. "I understand. That's settled then."

Li Mingyuan stood up from in front of Karina.

Listening to the sounds of Li Mingyuan's movements, Karina took a deep breath, ready to accept her fate.

Given Li Mingyuan's speed, it shouldn't be too painful.

After all, despite his cold and indifferent demeanor as a killing machine, Karina had long noticed that Li Mingyuan had actually killed those fishmen with the best possible chance of killing them with a single blow.

He's not the kind of guy who enjoys tormenting others.

"Is this the end of my life?"

"It really was short-lived."

Karina remained silent, waiting for Li Mingyuan to end her life.

And then, in the next moment...

Li Mingyuan's voice came softly from above her head, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Alright, now that it's over, let's get up."

"Ace's situation is also quite intriguing; we can't waste any more time here."

He said that.

Of course, no pain was felt.

Karina seemed to realize something, and she opened her eyes wide in disbelief, suddenly looking up at the man in front of her.

Right in front of her, Li Mingyuan was looking down at her.

There was no murderous intent or anger on that face, only the usual composure.

"what?"

Karina made a sound unconsciously.

"What...what do you mean by this?"

She blurted out in shock, "You're not going to kill me?!"

"Don't talk nonsense. I went through so much trouble to recruit Nami. If I kill you, do you think she will still work for me? I don't want my ship to suddenly sink at sea one day on the Grand Line."

Li Mingyuan stared at Karina, his expression surprised, and said, "Besides, you don't actually think you're such a good actor, do you? Do you think your performance along the way was flawless? If I really wanted to kill you, I would have had countless opportunities along the way to sink you into the sea long ago."

"but--"

Karina remained hesitant.

"Don't worry too much about the money. In fact, back in Cocoyasi Village, Nami gave me the rest of your ransom money as a gift, asking me to spare you. For that, you should thank Nami properly."

"From another perspective, Nami has lived up to your trust back in Arlong Park. You risked your life to bail her out of my hands, and now you're safe because of Nami's bail."

"The bond between you two is genuine."

As he spoke, while Karina was still looking bewildered, Li Mingyuan leaned down slightly.

He extended his hand to Karina.

"Why are you still kneeling? Aren't you going to stand up? You've made the floor so dirty."

Li Mingyuan chuckled.

Looking at the man in front of her, who was extending his hand to her, Karina stared blankly for a few more seconds before pursing her lips.

Only then did her somewhat stiff mind manage to piece together the whole story.

Unbeknownst to her, the problem had already been resolved without her knowledge, and it seemed she no longer needed to die.

What is this?

That being said, if the problem was already solved, why didn't either of them tell me?

Is it all just to see her kneeling in front of the treasure chest, shedding tears over her meager remaining wealth?

"Ah ...

Compared to the joy of surviving the ordeal, shame broke through Karina's brain's defense mechanism in that instant, causing her to scream.

"Why! Why haven't you told me yet?!"

"Nami—!!"

The sound of each word seemed to penetrate the entire forest, echoing over the Golden Island.

On the other side, at a slightly different distance from Li Mingyuan and Karina, was another cliff.

Nami was currently facing the direction from which Ace and the others had gone, observing the situation remotely through binoculars.

Since Li Mingyuan had already told her everything, Nami naturally wasn't too worried, so she left the conversation to Li Mingyuan and Karina alone.

She's currently more interested in the potential gold than in things that are already decided.

"Since the fight is this intense, it must be something serious. Could it really be a battle for the gold medal?"

Nami licked her lips, her eyes gleaming with golden light, and said with a smile.

Just as Nami was still gazing intently, she suddenly sneezed.

"Achoo!"

That sneeze nearly caused Nami to drop the binoculars from her hand off the cliff.

Nami quickly caught the binoculars and at the same time turned around to look behind her.

"That's strange, why does it feel like someone is calling my name?"

Nami started to have doubts.

Next to a landmark building shaped like a whale.

After shouting Nami's name several times in a state of near collapse, Karina managed to stand up with the help of Li Mingyuan.

She covered her flushed face, feeling deeply ashamed of the embarrassment she had made, and even dared not look Li Mingyuan in the eye.

After something like this happened, how is she supposed to face Nami and Lee Myung-won in the future?

That said, did she really survive? Why do I keep feeling like she's already socially dead...?

However, regardless of the circumstances, Li Mingyuan's words, to some extent, reassured Karina, signifying that the matter was now considered closed.

From now on, she no longer needs to worry about this matter.

For Li Mingyuan, this also means that his relationship with Karina has finally come to an end, and on this basis, he can move forward.

"So, the matter of me stealing your money is considered settled then, right?"

Karina took a deep breath, and after calming herself down somewhat, she looked at Li Mingyuan again and tentatively asked, "From now on, I'm a free man?"

"Theoretically speaking, that's correct."

"But Karina, although the theft is over, haven't you forgotten something?"

Li Mingyuan withdrew his hand from Karina's and chuckled, saying, "Back in Alon Amusement Park, you made me a promise."

"ah."

After Li Mingyuan's reminder, Karina seemed to remember something, and her expression changed slightly.

She quickly hesitated, then asked, "But Nami has already joined your group, hasn't she? Does that promise still stand...?"

"It's because Nami has joined my group that I haven't mentioned this to you until now. What I'm about to say can be interpreted as a request for a promise, or it can be taken as a new topic for me to discuss without any promise."

"Kalina."

Calling out the name of the person in front of him, the hand that had just been withdrawn now reached out again towards the girl.

However, this time, it represented a completely different meaning from the previous handshake.

Li Mingyuan's eyes were serious, and he said solemnly, "Join my group!"

Karina suddenly shuddered.

She looked at Li Mingyuan in astonishment, never expecting him to say such a thing to her at this moment.

"Nami was an employee, but things are different now. I'm extending a formal invitation to you. I want you to truly become my partner and sail with me on our journey."

Li Mingyuan said in a deep voice.

"A true partner."

Karina looked dazed and murmured.

"As for your position, you could assist Nami as a part-time navigator, but you have other options, such as how about the position of musician?"

Li Mingyuan stared at Karina with a gaze that seemed to see right through her. "Although I've never heard you sing, I occasionally heard you humming music at the banquet in Cocoa West Village. I think you have talent in this area that can be further explored."

"What do you think, Karina?"