Advance Toward the Sky Island

Nami shook out her soaking-wet hair, instantly putting on a sweet smile as she walked toward Carrot with light steps.

She blinked her big, watery eyes and said in a delicate voice, "Oh my, this adorable Miss Rabbit, you were really amazing just now. If it hadn’t been for you, I would’ve been in terrible trouble today!"

Carrot scratched her head. "N-No, that’s not it. I accidentally knocked you over. Are you okay?"

"Ow~" Nami suddenly whimpered coquettishly, squatting down and clutching her ankle. "I-I think it’s broken!"

"Ahhh! Broken! It’s broken!"

"Mm, it’s broken." As she spoke, Nami continued looking around. "M-My boat is broken too. Could you give me a ride?"

Carrot covered her mouth. "A-At a time like this, shouldn’t we find a doctor first? You’re broken!"

Nami shook her head. "I-I don’t have money. I can’t afford a doctor, so it’s fine. It’ll heal after resting for a year or two~"

Carrot turned to Fang Yu. "Captain, c-can we?"

Fang Yu had come for Nami in the first place. The corners of his lips curled up slightly. "My crewmate caused trouble, so of course we should take responsibility. This young lady can leave whenever her foot has healed."

A faint gleam of triumph flashed through Nami’s eyes, too subtle to notice, before she switched back to a pitiful expression. She had already figured out that Carrot likely held considerable influence aboard this ship.

Nami muttered inwardly, Could this Fifth Emperor actually be a rabbit girl fan?

She suddenly hopped closer to Carrot on one foot, droplets from her hair splashing onto the other girl’s furry ears. Pointing at several flowerpots nearby, she said, "Wow! Rabbit Ear Sister’s radishes are so—cute!" Her fingertip deliberately brushed over Carrot’s soft paw. "Did you grow them yourself? I’m not like you. I can’t even tell carrots from lettuce." As she spoke, the hem of her drenched clothes "accidentally" rubbed against Carrot’s T-shirt again, instantly revealing her scheming intentions.

Nami wanted to see whether a soaking-wet Carrot could stir the Fifth Emperor’s desire.

"Ahh! You like radishes too?" Carrot paid no attention to Nami getting her clothes wet and instead grabbed Nami’s hand, hopping excitedly.

Four dice bobbed up and down as Nami glanced sideways at Fang Yu.

However, Fang Yu paid no attention to it. He turned around and returned to his usual spot to sun himself.

Nami was wiping at the corners of her eyes with her wet sleeve, pretending to wipe away tears, when she suddenly heard the clattering sound of bones knocking together.

She instinctively turned around, her pupils suddenly shrinking to pinpoints—a moving skeleton was walking toward her with a bone china teacup in hand!

"And who might this lovely, soaking-wet lady be?" Brook asked with apparent calmness.

"Eek!" Nami staggered backward three barefoot steps and crashed into the mast. Her drenched orange hair left a streak of water against the wooden hull. "A-a skeleton talked!" Her trembling finger pointed at Brook’s hollow rib cage. As if suddenly remembering something, she covered her shorts, the soaked fabric tightening around the roots of her legs and leaving translucent marks. "D-Don’t tell me… you’ve come to take my soul?"

Brook began, "I’m an Ability User who ate a Devil Fruit~ My flesh died long ago. I merely ended up looking like a skeleton now."

Brook’s tone abruptly changed, and his voice rose several pitches. "May I see the young lady’s panties?"

In an instant, Nami’s eyes darted about before she dropped to her knees with a thud, water droplets sliding down her collarbone and into her neckline. "Ghost Lord, spare me!" She deliberately let her torn collar rise and fall with her breathing. "As you can see, I’m dressed in nothing but rags. I really have nothing valuable…" Her eyelashes trembled lightly. "How about… after my clothes dry…"

There were three women aboard the ship, but which one knew how to flaunt her figure like Nami did? Brook immediately sprayed blood from his nose, and the recoil sent him flying straight into the sea.

The commotion outside alerted the others as well, and they all came onto the deck.

The moment Nico Robin saw Nami’s appearance, she found it very familiar.

After thinking about it,

Wasn’t this simply another version of herself?

Independent, calculating, and full of purpose.

"Hello. I’m Nico Robin, an archaeologist."

Nami instantly switched to an admiring expression. As she clasped her hands together, she let the neckline of her wet clothes open slightly. "Ah! An archaeologist! An adventurer!" Nami suddenly lowered her head in dejection. "I can’t even calculate a Sea Chart Scale properly. If only I could be as smart as you…" When she lifted her head again, her eyes were perfectly reddened. "Could you… teach useless little me?"

Nico Robin flashed a toothy smile. "Of course."

After greeting Nico Robin, Nami suddenly bowed ninety degrees, her wet hair sweeping over the deck as she faced Vivi. "Thank you so very much for the Alabasta ship! You must be the owner of this ship, right?"

Nami had seen much in her life and had clearly recognized this as an extremely valuable vessel used by Alabasta’s Royal Family. That was why she had planned everything from afar before coming over to ingratiate herself.

"Th-Thank you so much!"

When Nami raised her head, crystal droplets glistened on her face, impossible to tell whether they were seawater or tears. "If only I had your grace…" Her fingers clutched the ragged hem of her clothes and tore an even larger rip into it. "Then I wouldn’t be chased by thugs demanding repayment…"

Hearing this, Tea Master Perona could no longer endure it. Clenching her fists, she walked toward Fang Yu.

"Hey! Are you really letting this woman come aboard?"

"What else would I do?" Fang Yu tilted his head.

"You really are an idiot! Can’t you see that this woman has ulterior motives? She—she might be a World Government spy, a Marine informant, or something!"

Fang Yu yawned, lifting the newspaper to glance at Perona. "She’s neither. She’s after money—the treasure of Alabasta’s Royal Family."

With that, he covered his face with the newspaper again.

Perona speechlessly pulled down the newspaper. "You know that, yet you’re still keeping her? There may not be much money aboard, but we can’t just let someone steal it!"

Fang Yu snatched the newspaper back. "Don’t worry. I’ll move her with love."

Perona stomped her feet in anger, hands on her hips as she stared at Fang Yu with eyes wide open. "Move her with love? Do you think this is a fairy tale? She’s obviously a cunning little thief. How could she possibly be moved so easily?"

Yet Fang Yu merely lay back on the lounge chair, crossing one leg over the other as he leisurely waved the newspaper in his hand. "Come on, Perona, stop worrying. I know what I’m doing. Maybe she’ll even become a capable helper on our ship someday."

By then, Nami and Vivi were already chatting enthusiastically.

Vivi was a little embarrassed by Nami’s flattery, her cheeks faintly reddening. "Don’t say that. When people are away from home, it’s only right to help each other. If you don’t mind, you can stay aboard and recover peacefully for now."

A triumphant joy flashed through Nami’s eyes, and she quickly nodded. "Thank you so much, Your Highness. You’re truly too kind. I don’t even know how I could repay you."

Meanwhile, Carrot was still enthusiastically introducing all sorts of little things aboard the ship to Nami, especially the potted radishes she had carefully tended.

"Look at this radish. Isn’t it nice and plump? I planted it myself with great care. Every day, I look forward to watching them grow!"

Nami forced a smile that revealed her impatience. "From now on, I’ll grow radishes with you too. Hehe."

Fang Yu, who was lying nearby and secretly listening to their conversation, complained weakly, "Growing radishes? You’ll be lucky if she doesn’t pull them all out."

Fang Yu lowered the newspaper and looked toward the end of the sea.

It was as though he could already see the shadow of the Sky Island in the heavens.