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

Upon hearing Li Mingyuan's question, Karina finally came to her senses.

"Wait a minute! A musician? I've never sung properly before!?"

Karina waved her hands repeatedly, saying anxiously, "How could I possibly become a musician!"

To be honest, the fact that Li Mingyuan invited her to be his companion shocked Karina even more than the fact that he had spared her life.

She never imagined that Li Mingyuan would actually invite her onto the ship.

Before this, she had racked her brains trying to get on Li Mingyuan's ship, hoping to indirectly persuade him to spare her life, but she couldn't find a way, so she had to give up.

Now that she has received the invitation, Karina's first thought is not only happiness, but also a kind of excitement that feels like being "recognized".

However, if we were to accept Li Mingyuan's invitation...

There are still two issues here.

"Well, to be honest, I'm still not quite over what happened, so my head is still a bit fuzzy. Please forgive me if I say anything offensive, but thank you so much for the invitation, I'm really happy!"

"If you can forgive and forget what happened in the past, I'd like to join your ship and sail together. Nami is on the ship too... I know it will be fun to continue adventuring with you guys. I'm sure that will be the case in the future."

Karina was slightly nervous and stammered, "It's just that the situation is a bit too sudden right now. I haven't thought about what to do in the future at all. After all, you see? I've always been a phantom thief. Unlike Nami, who was forced into this situation, Nami could easily give up stealing. But even if I were suddenly asked to stop now, I don't know what to do in the future."

"Besides, even if I really give up being a phantom thief, I'd be happy to be a sailor on your ship if you invited me, but you insist on making me a musician. I have absolutely no idea what to do."

As she spoke, Karina took a slight breath, her gaze towards Li Mingyuan flickering.

very real problem.

Nami was able to easily give up her life of crime because she was forced into being a thief from the beginning, so abandoning that experience wouldn't be a problem for her.

If Karina also wants to retire from the criminal world, then joining Li Mingyuan's team would undoubtedly be the right choice.

However, unlike Nami, Karina is not actually that averse to her identity as "Lady Karina the Phantom Thief," so much so that even now, having received the invitation, deep down she still doesn't want to give it up.

She wants to continue being active in this role.

In addition, Li Mingyuan's invitation was also too sudden, which has left Karina somewhat confused.

She had just escaped with her life spared, but now, without any time to react, a second life-changing event had struck, leaving her at a loss for what to do.

I tried to think about that kind of future, but my mind went blank, and all that remained in my heart was a mixture of various emotions.

Not to mention, the position Li Mingyuan invited her to join the ship was that of a musician.

This suddenly offered position almost made Karina's brain freeze. She would have been happy even if it was just to be a lowly sailor. She felt that she would be happy to have these two people on the ship. She had no idea why Li Mingyuan would strangely want her to do this job. She wondered what she had done to show that she understood music so well that Li Mingyuan would make such an abstract connection to this.

Li Mingyuan's invitation was so full of flaws that it was impossible to know where to even begin criticizing it.

Despite Karina's response, Li Mingyuan's expression remained calm and unchanged.

He himself doesn't understand music very well, so how could he possibly show his talent to others?

Li Mingyuan knew, of course, that Karina probably hadn't been exposed to music much at this point. After all, the few notes Karina casually hummed at the banquet weren't even as fluent as the anime theme song he hummed. Anyone who said such a person could be a musician would naturally hesitate.

However, the reasons given were all nonsense from the very beginning.

The key point is that Li Mingyuan had seen the theatrical version of "Golden City", so he knew that Karina would not only be able to sing in the future, but also sing quite well. With the help of her identity as a songstress, she eventually succeeded in infiltrating the Golden City.

As the opening scene of the theatrical version, Karina's singing scene played an important role in getting the audience into the mood from the very beginning. At the same time, it made an impression on Karina as the "limited heroine of the theatrical version". It was a genuine theatrical production scale. Karina's appearance in the theatrical version singing in a diva dress is still vivid in Li Mingyuan's memory.

How could someone who appeared as a songstress in the original theatrical version not have talent?

Even if it's just a fabricated reason, then it exists.

As Li Ming replayed Karina's posture when she sang in the movie in his mind, his original idea of ​​recruiting Karina as a musician became even more firm.

"The reason I want you to join the ship as a musician is not because of your current performance, but because I have high hopes for your future."

"However, I understand your concerns. It's normal for you to feel overwhelmed by what I've suddenly said—so, how about this?"

Having prepared in advance, Li Mingyuan simply changed the subject and gave his plan: "For now, you can stay on the ship as a junior sailor, just like before. But in addition, I will give you some motivation. I will guarantee your food and lodging and some funds when you disembark. However, if you can really take on the role of musician on my ship in the future..."

"Yes, then how about a salary of ten million Berries a year, just like Nami?"

"Ten million Berries?!"

In an instant, Karina's eyes widened. "I have one too?!"

"A simple sailor is not of much importance on my ship, but anyone who has a formal position on my ship will be paid an annual salary of ten million Berries."

Li Mingyuan looked at Karina with interest. "How is it? Do you still feel incapable of doing it?"

"Please, please let me board the ship as a musician!"

Karina suddenly grabbed Li Mingyuan's hands, her expression extremely serious, and said loudly, "Actually, I've loved music since I was a child. Before becoming a phantom thief, my true dream was always to become a musician, but life forced me to give it up. Thank you, Captain, for helping me recall this dream I've forgotten for so many years!"

A phantom thief? It's not impossible to do it on a ship. Who says that taking money from the captain as a pay thief doesn't count as being a phantom thief? As for the musician, Karina thought about it again and felt that it didn't seem like a problem. Since the captain thought so highly of her, what's wrong with her learning a little bit for Li Mingyuan?

With Li Mingyuan's money in hand, Karina instantly understood all her troubles.

"Hehe, as long as you're satisfied."

Seeing this, Li Mingyuan smiled and nodded, "Although this situation is actually the same as Nami's, it's just that the money that was originally taken from each of you is being returned to you in this way. However, the amount of money you gave was less than Nami's. In fact, if you sail for more than a year, it should be pure profit for you."

"Oh right, speaking of which, I almost forgot something."

Li Mingyuan slapped his forehead. "All your money is with me now. You're probably penniless like Nami after boarding the ship, right?"

"I'm not entirely sure about the specifics, but Nami seems to have forgotten her wallet, so she's been receiving advances from me. Her annual salary of ten million Berries is paid monthly. When she disembarked on the last island, she was able to buy some things using her advances. Now that we've arrived at Golden Island, she's been there for a full month, and after that, she'll start receiving her regular monthly salary."

"If you would also like to pay monthly, you can let me know afterward."

Li Mingyuan took great care of Karina, who was about to become a full-fledged crew member, and carefully instructed her: "From now on, on the ship, you can tell me about anything, big or small, or if you feel inconvenienced. I will try my best to make improvements."

"From now on, as your captain, I will be responsible for your life, and I hope you will entrust your trust to me."

"Unlike Nami, I hope our journey together will be one of genuine connection and fulfillment."

He tightened his grip on Karina's hand slightly.

Karina felt the warmth of the man's hand in front of her, and she nodded in response with the same serious gaze.

"Nice to meet you from now on, Captain!"

Karina chuckled.

She readily accepted Li Mingyuan's invitation.

He had never intended to refuse, and after Li Mingyuan offered him a large sum of money, all his worries disappeared.

The invitation to join, symbolized by the moment the two clasped hands, was officially established.

Thus, for Li Mingyuan, Karina's matter came to a satisfactory conclusion.

Five minutes later.

Because so much had happened in the past few days, Karina needed to calm down and think about what to do next, so she didn't leave with Li Mingyuan but stayed by the cliff.

Only Li Mingyuan headed towards Nami's direction alone.

Li Mingyuan's willingness to give the crew members private space to process their feelings can be seen as a form of care.

Even after arriving near the dense forest where the explosion had occurred not long ago, Li Mingyuan still felt a pang of emotion as he recalled Karina's tearful face, never expecting things to go so smoothly.

"With Karina on board as a permanent musician, things shouldn't be as boring as they were at the beginning of the voyage."

"musician……"

Li Mingyuan thought to himself, "As expected, the lineup that the original author of One Piece put together for the Straw Hat crew makes a lot of sense."

After sailing with Ace for so long, Li Mingyuan's biggest takeaway was that banquets were essential. If you wanted to maintain a good mindset while sailing at sea for an extended period, then a lively atmosphere was a must.

Whether life at sea is boring or not depends entirely on the individual.

He's currently only reducing the crew's roster because he doesn't have the resources, but if it really works out, the original Straw Hat crew's setup might indeed be the most suitable for sailing.

Now, Li Mingyuan has to admit this.

Of course, that's what he said, but in the short term, he still didn't plan to specifically look for members other than the ship's doctor and combatants. His next target remained Wano Country.

All I can say is, it depends on fate.

If he happens to meet someone like Karina by chance, then he'll try to get her on board. It would be great if she could contribute to the ship. But if he doesn't have that kind of opportunity, Li Mingyuan will never bother to actively seek her out.

Prioritizing tasks and maintaining a clear order of importance remains crucial for Li Mingyuan's plans.

"Huh? It's over already? That was much faster than I expected."

Just as Li Mingyuan reached the edge of the dense forest, before he could even begin to search, he heard a pleasant, surprised female voice coming from above.

Li Mingyuan looked up and saw an orange-haired girl lying on the edge of the cliff, smiling at him.

"How's it going? The invitation to Karina?"

"Anyway, it must have been that lustful vixen who made a lot of demands, right?"

Nami asked with a smile.

"fine."

Li Mingyuan gazed at Nami, his expression calm, and said, "Although I hesitated at first, we reached an agreement smoothly after I offered you the same annual salary. I have no other requests."

"...No! Wait a minute!?"

Upon hearing Li Mingyuan's words, Nami opened her mouth in astonishment, her face filled with disbelief.

"You're also going to give Karina ten million Berries? Didn't you say she's different from me? Are you planning to officially bring her into your group?"

Nami couldn't help but ask in shock, "If that's the case, why are you still paying?"

Nami is an employee, so giving her 10 million Berries is barely understandable. However, under normal circumstances, even if an ordinary captain gives his crew some wages, he would never give such an outrageous amount.

After all, joining a group means that the other party is already on their ship and completely under their control. Logically speaking, there is no need to give them treatment that exceeds the standard.

Nami couldn't understand why Li Mingyuan would give Karina so much money.

"Is it strange that a captain would pay his crew so much money?"

Li Mingyuan countered with a question.

"Of course it's strange!"

"If you're trying to lure her in with benefits because she doesn't want to join your group, that's one thing. But under normal circumstances, she's unlikely to refuse your invitation."

"Especially since you just spared her life, even if I put myself in Karina's shoes, I can't find a reason to refuse. Even if she joined your ship as a little sailor, I think Karina would be very happy."

Nami said incredulously, "Who would choose to give so much money voluntarily?"

"It's just to give her a little motivation."

"In addition to Karina, I will pay all crew members who hold a formal position on my ship from now on."

Li Mingyuan said matter-of-factly, "I'm not very clear about what people's needs are, but as long as you pay them, it can't be wrong. I've always believed that if people on the same boat want to be of one mind, then at least their material needs must be met. If that's not the case, even talented crew members will leave sooner or later."

"I should have known better than to ask. I might as well have made a bunch of random requests."

Nami said sourly, "Wouldn't I be at a huge loss in this case?"