"Let them fight, then we'll take the last hit." Cheng Xiaoyu's lips curled into a playful smile, as if everything was within his grasp.
At this moment, the Baratie restaurant was in chaos.
The Krieg Pirates' henchmen, after eating and drinking their fill, revealed their brutal nature and began to rampage through the restaurant, shouting that they would loot it clean.
Zeff and Sanji fought back bravely, but facing such a large number of enemies, they gradually became overwhelmed.
In the midst of the chaos, a small ship was rapidly moving away from the chaotic battlefield.
Its distinctive sheep-head design indicated that it was the Straw Hat's going merry, and the one steering it away was none other than Nami, the "Thieving Cat."
Her small face was filled with tension, but her eyes were exceptionally firm. At this moment, she only had one thought: to gather one hundred million Berries to buy back Cocoyasi Village.
Just then, a peculiar ship appeared on the sea. It was a small boat resembling a coffin, with two candles lit even in broad daylight.
Standing on the boat was a tall man with sharp eyes, none other than the World's Greatest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk.
He merely swung his sword casually, and Krieg's proud flagship, the Dreadnought Saber, was cut in half.
"Oh my goodness! One slash… just one slash! It's that man…" Zeff, the head chef of the Baratie restaurant, almost dropped his jaw.
"Is that guy… a monster?" Sanji leaned on a damaged dining table, his golden hair scattered messily across his forehead. Even he, usually so composed, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Zoro was completely stunned at this moment.
He suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on Hawkeye in the distance, tightly gripping wado ichimonji, veins bulging on the back of his hand, his eyes burning with intense fighting spirit.
The remaining henchmen of the Krieg Pirates were scared out of their wits. They had witnessed their leader's flagship being cut in half.
It was as easy and effortless as cutting tofu, which was beyond their understanding of combat!
"Run! Run away!" Someone shouted, and the Krieg Pirates' henchmen scattered like birds and beasts, jumping into the sea and desperately swimming away.
"Is this… the power of the World's Greatest Swordsman?" Guina stood on the deck of the Shadow, her eyes filled with shock and longing.
She had dreamed of becoming the World's Greatest Swordsman since childhood. Now, witnessing Hawkeye's strength firsthand, she felt both awe and an even more determined goal.
"Do you see, Guina? This is the goal you must pursue. One day, you will reach such heights, and even surpass him!"
"I will!"
Krieg asked Hawkeye unwillingly, "Why… why did you cut my ship?!"
Hawkeye: "Just passing by, killing time."
"It seems the show is about to begin, but I have other things to do."
Cheng Xiaoyu was not in a hurry to join the melee; his target was someone else.
The Shadow's engine roared, shooting forward like an arrow from a bow, its target precisely Nami and her going merry.
Nami desperately spun the rudder, and the going merry carved white waves on the sea. She knew she was being targeted.
But she didn't understand who was chasing her. Did they also want to claim the going merry for themselves?
"Damn it! Why is this ship so fast!" Nami gritted her teeth, and large beads of sweat dripped from her forehead.
However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake off the Shadow behind her.
The Shadow easily caught up with the going merry, performing a beautiful sea drift and stopping in front of Nami, blocking her path.
Nami looked at the unfamiliar black sailboat in panic, the ferocious Shadow pattern on its bow filling her with a hint of fear. "Who, who are you?!"
A tall figure jumped down from the Shadow, landing steadily on the deck of the going merry.
He had short black hair, deep eyes as mysterious as the night sky, and a faint smile on his lips.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Cheng Xiaoyu, captain of the Shadow Pirates," Cheng Xiaoyu introduced himself.
Nami's eyes widened. She was not unfamiliar with this name; recent news had been reporting on this emerging pirate crew.
"You're the Cheng Xiaoyu from the news?" Nami's voice trembled slightly.
"Yes," Cheng Xiaoyu smiled, "Taking advantage of the chaos to steal something, it's just like you, little Thieving Cat Nami."
"How do you know my name?" Nami asked warily.
"Of course," a hint of cunning flashed in Cheng Xiaoyu's eyes, "I also know why you stole Luffy's ship."
Nami's heart sank. She instinctively took a step back. Why did this person know so much about her?
"Is it because of the Arlong Pirates?" Cheng Xiaoyu revealed Nami's secret in one sentence.
Nami looked at Cheng Xiaoyu in shock. She didn't understand who this man was. Why did he know everything about her?
"I can help you get rid of them, make them disappear from this world forever," Cheng Xiaoyu's voice was low and powerful, "Provided you cooperate with me, or rather, collaborate."
Nami was stunned. She looked at the handsome man in front of her, her heart filled with doubt and hesitation.
She didn't know whether to believe him, but if he could really help her deal with the Arlong Pirates, then…
"You, why do you want to help me?" Nami asked.
Cheng Xiaoyu smiled, a hint of mystery in his expression: "Because I'm very interested in your story, and…"
He paused, leaned closer to Nami's ear, and whispered, "I like working with smart people."
Nami's cheeks flushed slightly. The man's presence made her feel a little nervous, yet also a strange excitement.
"So? Do you want to make a deal with me?" Cheng Xiaoyu looked directly into Nami's eyes.
"I…"
"No need to rush your answer," Cheng Xiaoyu interrupted Nami, "I can give you time to think, but the Arlong Pirates are not so easy to deal with, you'd best make a decision soon."
Nami took a deep breath, her heart pounding.
Arlong's atrocities flashed through her mind repeatedly, the oppressive fear and anger almost consuming her.
Undoubtedly, this was her nightmare!
She clenched her fists tightly, her nails almost digging into her flesh.
"Okay, I agree! Tell me, what do you want me to do?"
Cheng Xiaoyu smiled faintly, as if he had already anticipated Nami's answer.
"Officially join the Straw Hat, I mean truly integrate with them…"
Nami was stunned; this was completely different from what she had expected.
She had originally thought Cheng Xiaoyu would propose some harsh conditions, such as joining his pirate crew, or something else… but she didn't expect such a simple request.
"That's it?"
"Yes," Cheng Xiaoyu replied affirmatively.
"Luffy already considered you a comrade. What I mean is, you should just steer the ship back now and directly tell Luffy about your difficulties."
"Luffy will defeat Arlong, and I will kill him completely!"
The true purpose of Cheng Xiaoyu's transaction with Nami was actually to accelerate the progression of these events.
Only in this way could he become stronger in the shortest amount of time.
Of course, he wouldn't always follow behind the Straw Hat Crew killing people. Once he felt strong enough, he would explore on his own.
A complex emotion flashed in Nami's eyes. She didn't understand why Cheng Xiaoyu would do this. Did he really just want to help her?
Or did he have another motive?
"You… why are you helping me?"
Cheng Xiaoyu turned around, his deep gaze falling on Nami's face, carrying a playful smile.
"I'm not helping you, it's just a transaction. I want their Shadows."
As he spoke, he snapped his fingers, and Guina and Kuro instantly appeared at the bow of the Shadow!
Behind them was a dense mass of gigantic Shadow Soldiers, their eyes glowing eerily…
The moment Nami looked up, she was completely numb.
Such a scene was simply horrifying!
Cheng Xiaoyu paused, then leaned closer to Nami, whispering in her ear, "And, I like working with smart people."
The warm breath brushed Nami's earlobe, making her shiver involuntarily.
Nami's cheeks flushed slightly, and she instinctively took a step back, increasing the distance between herself and Cheng Xiaoyu.
"Alright, I understand." She tried to make her voice sound calm, but her slightly trembling voice still betrayed her nervousness.
Cheng Xiaoyu looked at Nami's reaction, his smile deepening.
"Then, a pleasant cooperation." He extended his hand.
Nami hesitated for a moment, but finally extended her hand and lightly shook Cheng Xiaoyu's. His palm was broad and warm, a stark contrast to his cool demeanor.
"Now, go back. Your comrades are waiting for you."
Nami nodded, turned and walked towards the rudder, steering the ship around and heading back in the direction she came from.