"Are you okay, Nami?"
Suddenly, Arton appeared below Nami, catching her as she dropped from midair, exhausted after using the Musou Shinsetsu. At the same time, he switched off the video recording function.
"Phew… I'm all right," Nami replied with a faint smile, arms around Arton's neck. "Just like you said, that move takes a huge toll on my stamina."
"That's why, if you can't completely wipe out the enemy," Arton said, "it's best not to use it. After you unleash that move, you might not have the strength for anything else."
He cast a glance at Hatchan, who had passed out. "What about that guy? You're not going to finish him off?"
Following his gaze, Nami looked at the still-breathing Hatchan, who had been spared. Her tone was complicated.
"I'll let that one live," she said. "After all, there's that…connection between him and Uta, right?"
Because Uta is the daughter of Red-Haired Shanks, and Shanks' vice-captain is Rayleigh, and Rayleigh's benefactor had once been Hatchan, Nami figured that, at least for Uta's sake, it wouldn't be right to kill Hatchan outright. Besides, Hatchan's clueless demeanor played a role, as well as the fact that he might link to Camie, whom Arton had mentioned in the diary. Nami felt that killing Arlong already posed enough trouble for the possibility of Shyarly joining Arton's crew, as he'd mentioned. If they also killed the not-so-evil Hatchan, that might reduce the chance for Camie to come aboard Arton's ship later on. Nami didn't want to let Arton down.
Of course, from Arton's viewpoint, Nami didn't need to hold back on his account. Even if killing Hatchan might affect his future ties to Camie, he wouldn't stop his own crewmate's vengeance. But Nami had her own perspective on the matter.
"That's great—Nami really took down all those Arlong Pirate bastards!"
"She's amazing! Like a thunder goddess!"
"We're saved—thank you, Nami!"
"Not just Nami—thank Arton, too. He helped Nami get stronger."
"Right, we absolutely must throw a feast, a real celebration!"
A crowd of excited Cocoyasi villagers gathered around them, cheers resounding near Arton and his group. Before long, the celebration spread from Cocoyasi Village throughout the whole island.
…
Cocoyasi Village
Right in the middle of the lively banquet, Arton found himself repeatedly toasted by villagers until, despite his impressive constitution, he began to feel drunk. Eventually, somewhat overwhelmed, Arton slipped away to find a quieter spot to sit.
"Tired?" a voice asked suddenly.
It was Nojiko. She appeared at Arton's side and offered him a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice.
"Tired? Not exactly. Everyone's just very enthusiastic," Arton replied, taking a sip of the juice and smiling.
"They're just overjoyed. And all of them are so grateful to you, our benefactor."
"I understand. After all, the Arlong Pirates held this place under their thumb for so long."
Nojiko nodded. "Exactly. That's why your arrival means so much."
"Heh, I only helped Nami gain her powers. In the end, I didn't actually do anything."
"Even so, you're all of our benefactor—and mine especially." As Nojiko spoke, she scooted closer. Her head rested quite naturally against Arton's shoulder.
Slightly surprised, Arton looked down at Nojiko's faintly flushed cheeks. With a grin, he remarked, "It looks like I'm not the only one who's had a bit much, Ms. Nojiko?"
Nojiko made no denial, nodding gently. "I have, indeed. But with everything that's happening today—how could anyone not be a little intoxicated?"
Smiling, she suddenly wrapped both arms around Arton's neck. In the next instant, her face was so near his that Arton could clearly see her soft, red lips.
"Arton—I like you," Nojiko said. Right after that, to Arton's utter surprise, she leaned in and bit down on his lips in a passionate kiss. Feeling that unexpected softness in his mouth, Arton reflexively activated the video recording function again, then closed his eyes to enjoy the moment.
[Video (Recording): Nojiko's Sudden Move!]
Pudding: "Th-that… That's a kiss?! How… how enviable."
Nico Robin: "Ara, ara… Nami and Nojiko, as sisters, are indeed quite alike."
Mikita (Miss Valentine): "I'm envious—I mean, envious Nojiko can earn so many points from the video…"
Vivi: "Nami and Nojiko's hometown has been rescued. How I envy that. It all the more proves that if I find Arton and join his crew, I can save my kingdom!"
Viola: "This Nojiko…her village was saved, but she's still cozying up to Arton. Could it be that she's truly fallen for him out of gratitude?"
Smoothie: "That Nojiko…she's not planning on snatching the template meant for me, is she?"
Gion: "Does Nojiko also plan on boarding Arton's ship? If so, Arton's ranks will grow yet again."
Doll: "Even someone who looks so weak like Nojiko—if she's as adept as Nami at seizing chances to earn points, she might not be weak for long."
Ain: "So that's it… If you catch Arton off-guard with a sudden move, he'll record the video, and that's an excellent way to rack up points. Maybe I should practice my lung capacity first…"
…
When they separated, Arton chuckled.
"My, you're awfully direct, Ms. Nojiko. Which part of me do you like so much? Maybe I should change it."
Nojiko, face still flushed, gave a demure shake of her head.
"Even if you changed something, I think I'd still like you. Though if I suddenly say I like you, maybe you wouldn't believe me. Actually, Nami mentioned you seem to prefer this approach. So, to show my thanks, I decided to do just this," she said.
Of course, only Nami herself would know whether she actually said that to Nojiko. Arton raised his eyebrows, somewhat impressed by Nojiko's frankness—but he didn't mind much.
Although in the original story where Luffy's group rescued Cocoyasi Village, Nojiko never showed any romantic interest in Luffy or the others, that didn't mean she couldn't possibly develop feelings for him, Arton. Maybe he just happened to be her type. And as for Nojiko's words of gratitude, perhaps that was just a shy excuse.
"Arton, you're still planning to continue your voyage at sea, right?"
"Take me along with you," Nojiko said abruptly, noticing that Arton seemed lost in thought.
"You want to set sail?" Arton asked in surprise. He hadn't gotten around to inviting her yet, so why was she volunteering to go to sea? In the original story, Nojiko never showed the slightest sign of wanting to leave the village.
'Could it be,' Arton wondered, 'it's because she's actually taken a liking to me?'
"Aren't you going to stay here and look after your foster mother's tangerine orchard?" he asked. "Nami is definitely leaving with me, so if you leave, that orchard will be unattended, you know."
"I'll have the villagers look after it," Nojiko replied. "Besides, because Nami's heading out to sea with you, I'm a bit uneasy about it, so I want to follow too. Arton, you're not going to mind having a weak woman around, are you?"
She flashed a small smile.
What Arton didn't realize was that Nojiko truly was worried about Nami. She worried that, even if Nami didn't actually have romantic feelings for Arton, she'd force herself to act agreeable to him, since Arton had done such a big favor for Cocoyasi Village.
Nojiko, on the other hand, was mentally prepared. If she wasn't sure that Arton would let Nami leave his crew, she might have volunteered to replace Nami. She wasn't afraid she'd cause trouble by staying at Arton's side. She was confident that as long as she stayed close, she could rely on what she'd already learned about earning points to become stronger. Then, someday, she'd be of real help.
"Hahaha, why would it be trouble?" Arton said. "If you want to come aboard, you won't be a burden. In fact, seeing you often would probably make me quite happy."
In his eyes, it was possible Nami had already told Nojiko about how she'd gained her power. If Nami could gain power, then Nojiko could too, so she needn't fret about not having any particular skills to contribute at sea.
Possibly, that was why Nojiko had the notion of traveling the seas. Arton could understand that—this was a world where the ocean covered most of the map, and practically anyone with a bit of power might want to set sail and explore.
If Nojiko could gain strength, it was only natural she might feel that way.
"Arton, you really know how to sweet-talk," Nojiko teased, leaning her head on Arton's shoulder again. From a distance, they looked almost like a couple.
"No, no, if anyone's sweet, it's your lips," Arton said, licking his own lip as if recalling Nojiko's taste from earlier. But he soon opened up his Sailing Diary system and switched to the lottery interface.
'Since Nojiko wants to come aboard, we can't let her have no character template to use,' he thought. 'I guess I'll have to gamble with these 100 leftover points. Hope I can draw something suitable for her.'
It was rare for Nojiko to voluntarily join his crew, so Arton wanted to give her a sort of welcome gift.
'System, let's do a basic draw,' he commanded.
[Ding! You have used 100 points to initiate a Basic Lottery.]
[Drawing… Drawing complete. Congratulations, Host—you have obtained the "Mirajane Strauss Template (Beginner Form).]
[Once used, the user gains preliminary access to Mirajane Strauss's power.]
[Note: To use this template, you must fulfill three of the following attributes: female, white hair, older sister, demon, gentle, short-tempered, poster girl, fairy…]
'It's the poster girl Mirajane from Fairy Tail!' Arton exclaimed. 'And all those attributes line up perfectly with Nojiko, huh?'
He was delighted—not only because Nojiko could employ Mirajane's template, but also because of Mirajane herself. Arton had a deep impression of that gentle Fairy Tail "poster girl." Ever since he first saw Mirajane in the anime, he'd naturally taken a liking to her. He even once wished he could befriend Mirajane in person.
"What a pity—if only my old notebook still existed," Arton lamented. "Then I'd still have the works I drew with Mirajane as the heroine. Damn that Captain Nezumi and those two Celestial Dragons… I'll never forgive you."
Yes, his notebook had merged into the system and fused with his body, but recalling the many fan works within that notebook that were lost made Arton harbor an even deeper hatred for Captain Nezumi and those Celestial Dragons.
'Today's luck is quite good—using my remaining 100 points on a Basic Lottery and still drawing a character template!'
'With that, I can present a 'welcome aboard' gift to Nojiko.'
'Mirajane Strauss Template (Beginner Form), with attributes like female, white hair, older sister, demon, gentle, short-tempered, poster girl, fairy…'
'Nojiko does fit female, older sister, and gentle, at the very least.'
'Mirajane Strauss… She's a character I really like. Although I can't meet the real Mirajane, I can watch Nojiko use Take-Over magic, transforming into various demons—pretty nice!'
…
Ain: "Huh?! Arton drew again, and got another Character Template?"