The Great Voyage: The Props Master on the Straw Hat Ship

"In no mood!!"

"Hey, don't be so stubborn! We're just looking, not actually pawning it. We'll see how much it's worth and then redeem it, okay?!"

"That won't do either!!"

To Nami's surprise, Luffy's attitude towards the Straw Hat was extremely firm.

No matter how hard she tried to persuade him, even to the point of exhaustion, Luffy remained steadfast.

This made Nami extremely discouraged, and she hid to the side and started drawing circles.

Link witnessed the entire scene.

To be honest, he was also quite curious about the value of this straw hat, which Roger passed down to Shanks, and then Shanks passed it down to Luffy, and which might also be related to the giant straw hat in the Holy Land Mary Geoise [the Flower Garden].

However, given Luffy's firm stance, he abandoned his idea of ​​getting the straw hat.

Ultimately, this grand pawning event ended with Link throwing in all the treasures he had collected, in exchange for a huge amount of Berries.

Alvida's treasure, Buggy's treasure, the Black Cat Pirates' treasure, plus Zeff's gift~

The total amount pawned was thirty million Berries!

Yes, that's enough to buy Luffy's first bounty in the original game.

In terms of wealth alone, the Straw Hat Pirates have become the top pirates in the entire East Blue!

The sight of such a large sum of money entering the account stirred the emotions of everyone present.

They couldn't help but feel that such a bright tomorrow and future awaited them.

Having money in hand gives you a completely different sense of confidence than not having money at all!

"Alright everyone, we've found a chef, and with a new partner joining us, what's next?"

Link, who had taken control of Luffy's three million Berries and firmly held the reins of finances, sought the opinions of his crewmates.

Is that 059 Ah Long's design? [Thanks to Retro for the monthly pass!]

"With new friends joining, it's time to throw a banquet!!"

"That's right, that's right!!"

Luffy and Usopp, the two most playful guys, immediately cheered.

Not only them, but even Sanji, Zoro, and Nami all had smiles on their faces.

"The banquet will definitely take place, but before that, let's discuss our next voyage goal."

What started as a small, make-believe pirate crew has now grown into a formidable force.

Link, watching the Straw Hat Pirates take shape, also felt deeply moved.

"What do you mean, Captain?"

Link looked at Luffy. Often, the voyage of a ship is decided by the captain.

"That's the Grand Line, of course!!"

Luffy's heart and soul are completely focused on this one place.

"The Grand Line? We'll definitely go there, so let's make the Grand Line our next main objective."

Link first affirmed it, and then...

"However, before heading to the Grand Line, let's take care of some slightly troublesome trivial matters first."

"trivia?"

Under the bewildered gazes of Luffy and the others, Link slowly looked at Nami.

Then suddenly a wanted poster appeared in his hand.

Nami had been listening quietly, but when she saw Link's gaze and the wanted poster in his hand, her face drained of color.

"Nami?"

When Luffy saw this, he also felt something was wrong and looked at the photo on the bounty poster.

"Arlong the Fishman, bounty of twenty million Berries?"

The moment the name "Ah Long" was uttered, the expressions of his two underlings, Johnny and Joseph, immediately changed.

Then, under the questioning gazes of everyone, he told them everything about Ah Long.

Along with that, I also gave a brief introduction to the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Because whenever Arlong is mentioned, people will think of Jinbe, the King of the Sea, a member of the Seven Warlords of the Fish-Man Clan who once fought alongside him.

Johnny and Joseph were explaining things to Nami, while Link quietly watched her.

Her face became completely expressionless again, seemingly very calm.

After listening to the two's explanation of Arlong, everyone looked at Link and Nami with some confusion.

They didn't understand how this fish-man pirate had been brought up again.

“I had seen Ah Long’s flag before, as well as the insignia of their members.”

Amidst everyone's confusion, Link took the initiative to begin his explanation.

This applies to both Luffy and his crew, and to Nami.

"If I'm not mistaken, that's its logo, isn't it?"

As he spoke, Link looked at Nami's left shoulder.

There, peculiar blue and red patterns intertwine.

"Is that Ah Long's design?"

Luffy and his crew hadn't paid much attention at first, but after hearing what Link said, they looked at it more closely.

"That's right!!"

Since Link had already gone this far, Nami simply stopped pretending.

After a flash of sadness in his eyes, his face became resolute.

"I am a member of the Arlong Pirates."

She calmly stated the truth.

As Luffy and the others stared in disbelief, she calmly looked at Link, her gaze slightly empty:

"When did you find out?"

"I noticed it the first time I met you. At that time, I was wondering why someone from Arlong's pirate crew was out stealing extra money," Link replied.

"I see

A hint of self-mockery and understanding flashed in Nami's eyes.

"As expected of Link, he can find out information about Morgan, Buggy, and Kuro clearly. So, you must know my identity as a lowly soldier in the Arlong Pirates just as easily."

“That’s right, I joined you only to get closer to you, gain your trust, and then steal the ship’s treasure…”

"I'm just a thief who likes to steal things, and now you all know my true colors!!"

Nami finished saying what she wanted to say in one breath, and then felt an emptiness in her heart.

That concludes my trip with them.

"Nami (the boss)..."

Usopp and his two henchmen were there, completely dumbfounded.

The silly grin on Luffy's face faded, replaced by a blank expression.

Sanji silently lit a cigarette, while Zoro calmly watched Nami.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat subtle.

Nami stared stubbornly at Link, waiting for his next move to punish her and reprimand her harshly.

However, in Nami's sight, Link suddenly smiled.

"Shoot."

The wanted poster for Ah Long in his hand was crumpled into a piece of waste paper.

"Eight years ago, the Sun Pirates, representing the fish-men on the Grand Line, fell apart. A group of fish-men, led by Arlong, broke away and came to Cocoyasi Village in the East Blue."

Link spoke softly, slowly recounting everything: "Back then, they acted like rulers, demanding tribute from every village based on the number of people. Those who couldn't pay their tribute were all executed."

Nami initially had no expression, until...?

060: The litmus test for the journey to the Grand Line!!

"At that moment, a retired navy woman named Bellemere stepped forward to fight against Aaron and his men, but unfortunately she was defeated and killed. One of her two adopted daughters was also taken away by Aaron."

Hearing Link's words, her eyes widened.

Those were her past experiences, and Link knew so much about them, even recounting them here in detail.

However, her doubts remained unanswered, and then she heard Link continue speaking:

"Aron and his gang kidnapped the little girl, forcing her to draw a sea chart for Aron to better maintain their rule. They also promised the girl that if she raised 100 million Berries, they would allow her to ransom the village..."

Link stopped talking at this point, and Nami stared at him blankly.

"Over the years, you've carried all of this on your own. It's really hard to imagine how you've managed to bear such immense pressure."

Link approached Nami, who was still standing there in a daze, and placed his broad hand on her head.

"You must be having a very hard time."

Nami wanted to remove Link's hand from her head, but the warmth from his palm left her powerless.

She opened her mouth, wanting to ask Link how he knew.

But no sound came out of his throat.

Huh, why can't I even see the image?

It wasn't until my pants were soaked with water that I realized it was just my own tears.

It slid down her face like it was free, and it filled her eyes.

At this moment, Nami didn't need to say anything more.

Her behavior, combined with what Link had just said, was enough for everyone on the ship to understand everything.

"Ah Long..."

Luffy pulled his straw hat down further, covering his eyes.

"I wonder if fish-men can be used in cooking?"

This is Sanji.

"I wonder what it feels like to chop down a murloc?"

This is Zoro.

Both of them said these words very calmly.

"you……"

Nami had just managed to utter those two words in her slightly hoarse throat when Link interrupted her once again.

"Nami, you just need to remember..."

Link smiled gently at her:

"You are you, the navigator of our ship."

"We've been comrades for a long time, haven't we?"

"Everyone..."

Nami looked up, and in her blurry vision, she saw the reflections of Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, and Link.

Finally, he stopped crying and started laughing.

"Um!!"

Some things can be easily resolved once they are discussed openly.