Chapter 8 Harvest NightLate at night, the day after Ken's death.
The night was as dark as ink, the sea breeze carrying a chill.
Luffy stood on a rock by the sea, gazing at the ruins of Arlong Paradise under the moonlight.
The villagers' celebrations, which had lasted until late at night, were finally quieting down.
Luffy closed his eyes, the system's notification clearly appearing in his mind:
[Ding! Target Nami's affection level has been stably maintained at 50/100 for 24 hours. The condition for deep physical binding has been met. The prerequisite for harvesting is satisfied. Execute now?]
"Execute," Luffy silently recited in his mind, his face expressionless.
The first target had finally matured.
Luffy turned and walked towards the familiar orange grove on the edge of the village.
Through his Observation Haki, he spotted a huddled orange figure there.
Nami sat under an orange tree not far from Bellemere's grave, leaning against the trunk, unconsciously stroking the straw hat in her hand.
Luffy's straw hat—she hadn't returned it yet.
Moonlight filtered through the leaves, illuminating Nami's face and highlighting her clear tear tracks and bewildered expression.
Uncle Ken was dead.
The always-nagging uncle who had cared for her and Nojiko like a father was dead.
He died in the glimmer of hope she had just seen, at the hands of the man who…had saved the village.
Did she hate him? Yes.
But without him, Arlong was still there, and the village was still in dire straits.
Was she grateful? Yes.
But this gratitude was tinged with blood, preventing her from experiencing pure joy.
What should she do? Go to sea with him? Leave this village, which had just regained its freedom but was now unrecognizable? Pursue her dream of charting the entire world?
Dream…such a luxurious word.
The footsteps were soft, but Nami heard them. She didn't turn around, but simply hugged the straw hat in her arms tighter.
"What are you doing here?" Nami's voice was hoarse, filled with exhaustion.
Luffy stopped behind her. He didn't answer her question, but simply reached out and gently pulled the straw hat from her head.
Nami stiffened, instinctively reaching out to grab it, but her fingers hesitated in mid-air before slowly lowering them.
Luffy put the straw hat back on his head, adjusting the brim.
In the moonlight, his shadow enveloped Nami, making her appear even more frail.
Luffy spoke: "Give me back my hat, and you're one of my crew members now!"
Nami jerked her head up. Before she could fully grasp the meaning of his words, Luffy had already bent down, one hand under her legs, the other around her back, lifting her horizontally in his arms.
"Ah! What are you doing! Let me go!"
Nami cried out, instinctively struggling, her fists pounding on Luffy's chest and shoulders.
But her strength was like an ant trying to shake a tree before Luffy; her blows didn't even make him flinch.
Luffy didn't say a word, carrying her steadily towards the empty hut he was temporarily staying in outside the village.
It was originally an old fisherman's house; the owner had died under the oppression of the dragon.
"You bastard, let go! Luffy! You bastard! Murderer!"
Nami struggled, tears streaming down her face again.
She remembered the blood blooming on Uncle Ken's chest, and Luffy's shocked expression at that moment.
Luffy remained silent, only tightening his grip on her arm to prevent her from falling.
The struggles gradually weakened.
It wasn't that she had given up, but a deeper sense of powerlessness swept over Nami.
Escape? Where could she escape to? This man was powerful enough to easily crush the Arlong Pirates. The East Blue was vast, but where could she find refuge?
Besides… the village had just gained freedom; if she angered him…
More importantly, there was that dream.
The dream of charting the entire world's seas, like a curse, haunted her.
Only by following him, boarding his ship, and sailing the Grand Line could that dream possibly be realized.
Hate, fear, dependence, the yearning for her dream… all sorts of emotions churned within Nami.
Finally, Nami quieted down, burying her face in Luffy's chest, no longer speaking, no longer struggling, only her body trembling slightly.
Luffy could clearly sense the intense fluctuations of her emotions, and also the eventual acceptance of a resigned calm.
Luffy offered no comfort or explanation, simply carrying Nami into the simple hut.
The wooden door closed behind him, shutting out the moonlight and sea breeze.
The hut was sparsely furnished, containing only a bed, a table, and a chair.
Luffy placed Nami on the bed. She curled up, her back to him, her shoulders slightly trembling.
Luffy stood by the bed, silent for a moment. Nami's body tensed.
Moonlight streamed in through the cracks in the window, illuminating Nami's tear-streaked face.
...
Outside the window, the waves gently lapped against the rocks on the shore, creating a rhythmic lapping.
The night wind rustled through the orange grove.
Occasionally, a seabird returning home cried out, then quickly fell silent again.
The moonlight moved, slowly creeping from the foot of the bed to the head.
The sounds inside the hut had long since ceased, leaving only the even, drawn-out sound of breathing.
...
As the first rays of dawn pierced the darkness and streamed into the cabin through the window, Luffy was already awake.
Luffy leaned against the headboard, his bare upper body revealing sculpted muscles, his straw hat casually resting on his pillow.
His eyes were closed, as if he were sensing something.
[Ding! Successfully acquired permanently from target Nami: Overall Physical Attributes 16%, Navigation Talent 19%!]
[Power fusion in progress... Estimated complete digestion time: 24 hours!]
A gentle warmth flowed through Luffy's limbs, his muscle fibers seemingly leaping with excitement, becoming denser and stronger.
Even more wondrously, fragments of knowledge about the ocean, wind direction, ocean currents, and celestial phenomena flooded into his mind, though he still needed time to familiarize himself with them.
But Luffy could already clearly feel that his understanding of the sea was completely different.
Is this the talent of a top-tier navigator?
Luffy opened his eyes, a hint of satisfaction flashing within them; his first gain was quite good.
He turned his head to look beside him.
Nami was still fast asleep, the golden morning light casting ambiguous red marks on her shoulders and collarbone.
Her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she were restless even in her sleep, a trace of a tear still lingering at the corner of her eye.
Luffy watched for a few seconds, then looked away and got up to dress.
The rustling sound of her dressing startled Nami.
Her long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.
The initial confusion of waking was quickly dispelled by the memories of the previous night. Her eyes darkened, and she abruptly pulled the thin blanket over herself, turning her face towards the wall.
Luffy dressed, put on his straw hat, and walked to the window, his back to her.
Luffy's voice was emotionless: "Awake? Get dressed, it's time to go."
Nami didn't move.
Luffy waited a few seconds, then turned and walked back to the bedside, picked up his red vest and put it on, then picked up the straw hat.
He didn't put it on himself, but casually tossed it. The straw hat arced through the air and landed precisely on Nami's head, which was covered by the blanket.
"Your sister is still waiting," Luffy said, turning and pushing open the wooden door before leaving without looking back.
The wooden door creaked shut.
Nami lay stiffly for a few seconds before slowly raising her hand to remove the straw hat from her head.
The brim of the hat seemed to still retain Luffy's warmth.
Nami looked at the hat that had once held her fleeting hope and trust, and recalled the events of the previous night, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
Finally, Nami bit her lip, threw back the covers, and, enduring the aches in her body, began to dress.
"Damn it..." she cursed inwardly, unsure whether she was cursing Luffy or her own weakness.
[System Sensation: Nami's affection level updated 53/100. Hatred lingers, but dependence deepens, mixed with uncertainty about the future and subtle changes following physical intimacy.]
When Nami, fully dressed and rubbing her still-sore back, stepped out of the hut, Nojiko was already waiting on the nearby beach.
Nojiko carried a small bag containing only a few changes of clothes for herself and Nami, along with some of Bellemere's belongings.
It turned out that Nojiko had discovered Nami's disappearance the previous night. Worried about her sister, she guessed that Luffy must have taken her away.
Nojiko found the place quickly.
Luffy is powerful, but his motives are impure. Nojiko can't abandon her younger sister, Nami.
After much deliberation, Nojiko decides to go to sea with her sister. She believes Luffy will agree, because of the look he gave her earlier…
Seeing Nami emerge, Nojiko's gaze lingers on her for a moment.
Her sister's gait is slightly unnatural, and her face is somewhat pale, but her eyes seem to hold something more than yesterday… something indescribable.
It's not simple sadness, but a complex emotion that has settled deep within.
Nojiko understands most of it. She simply steps forward and gently hugs Nami, whispering, "Ready?"
Nami leans on her sister's shoulder, her nose stinging, almost bringing tears to her eyes again.
But Nami holds back, nodding firmly:
"Yes."
Nojiko releases her, looking at Luffy waiting by the small boat. Luffy has already checked the sails and is gazing absently at the sea.
Nojiko walked over, and Luffy turned to look at her.
"Can we set sail now, Captain?" Nojiko's tone was calm, revealing no emotion.
Luffy nodded, jumped onto the small boat, and reached out to help Nojiko up.
Nojiko, however, braced herself against the gunwale, and with a slight but determined effort, flipped herself aboard, avoiding his hand.
Once she was steady, she reached out and pulled Nami onto the boat.
Luffy withdrew his hand, unconcerned, and turned to walk towards the wheel.
[Current Perception: Nojiko 38/100, predominantly worried about her sister, observing and wary of the host's behavior.]
The small boat slowly moved away from the shore.
Nami stood at the stern, watching the silhouette of Cocoyasi Village grow smaller and smaller, gazing at the familiar orange grove, the windmill, and the blurry figures of the villagers gathered to see her off. Tears finally streamed down her face silently.
Nojiko walked to her side and gently put her arm around her shoulder.
Neither sister spoke, simply watching their hometown disappear into the distance.
Luffy steered the ship, the sea breeze ruffling his hair and straw hat.
He didn't look back at the sisters, his gaze fixed on the azure sea ahead.
In his mind, the system panel quietly displayed information about the next target.
Next stop! Syrup Village, Kaya!