[Doll: It seems Arton's nature isn't bad. If he hadn't encountered the Celestial Dragons when he first arrived in this world, he might have even become a Marine.]
[Kujaku: Arton said his motto is "Repay kindness with kindness, repay hatred with revenge." He might inherently be a kind person, but perhaps he's just too carefree.]
[Gion: Repay kindness with kindness... If the Marines could show kindness to Arton, would he be willing to help the Marines?]
[Sadi: Based on Arton's behavior so far, if the Marines showed him kindness, he indeed might be willing to help. However, can the Marines really bestow any favor upon Arton? Even if we forcefully offer him some benefits, if they are not what he needs, he might not feel obliged to repay us.]
[Domino: This is a very difficult matter, especially now that there is hostility between the Marines, the Celestial Dragons, and Arton. Let's not forget, Arton also has the motto "If there's hatred, repay it doubly."]
[Hibari: Could it be that Arton might not save Captain Hina and Tashigi because of the incident with Vice Admiral Gion?]
[Gion: Arton shouldn't take out his anger on other Marines because of the Celestial Dragons and me... Wait, why aren't Hina and Tashigi in any of Arton's photos?]
[Ain: They must be in the blind spot of the photos. Captain Hina, Tashigi, are you still there?]
After Ain's message, the female Marine squad's group chat fell into a long silence. At that moment, everyone started feeling uneasy as they recalled Arton's earlier mention of Shiki frequently sending captured people to fight experimental animals.
[Hibari: Have Hina and Tashigi been sent to the arena again?]
[Kujaku: This is bad! There's nothing we can do right now.]
[Domino: We can only rely on Arton now.]
Realizing this, the female Marines immediately focused their attention on Arton's diary entries. Since they couldn't contact Hina and Tashigi in the group chat, they hoped to learn about their situation through Arton's entries.
Meanwhile, Arton, after documenting the relevant entries, followed the directions provided by the imprisoned individuals to find the passage leading to the arena. The arena was just separated by a wall from the room where the prisoners were held. Arton, once again utilizing the Transparent World, saw through the wall to observe the situation inside the arena.
At that moment, a group of people armed with various long swords and spears were fighting against three ferocious beasts. The ground was littered with human limbs and dead bodies. Arton looked up and saw several pirate-dressed men watching the fight below with grins on their faces.
"Wait, is that... Nami?!"
Arton's heart skipped a beat. Although the Nami from the anime world and a real-life Nami would certainly be different, the woman in Arton's line of sight looked incredibly similar to the anime Nami. She had the same orange short hair, the same delicate features, and more importantly, when Arton's gaze penetrated her T-shirt, he saw the iconic three short staffs in her pocket.
Given these similarities, it would be truly strange if Arton didn't recognize the woman as Nami.
"How odd, Nami is actually here?"
"Has my presence in this world caused such a butterfly effect?"
With his brows furrowed, Arton decided to confirm his suspicion in person. After ensuring there was no immediate danger in the room, he instructed Carina and Uta to protect Kaya. Then, using the Transparent World, he stealthily made his way to the spectators' area above the arena, approaching the woman who seemed to be Nami from behind.
"This is bad, if this continues, they'll really die," she muttered anxiously.
Nami clasped her hands together, looking anxiously at the arena where Tashigi and Hina were fighting against the beasts, silently praying for them...
Even though she had only just met Tashigi and Hina and didn't even know their names, she was still worried about them when she found out they were dragged out for a second round of experiments. She came to the arena, but this time she couldn't think of any way to help them.
"Your expression looks very worried."
"What, do you know someone down there?"
Suddenly, a somewhat familiar voice sounded behind Nami. She shuddered and quickly turned around to look behind her. The next moment, she widened her eyes, "You... you are..."
"Stranger, who are you? Are you an escaped experiment from the cells?!"
Arton didn't disguise his voice. So, as soon as he finished speaking, members of Shiki Pirates noticed him. Seeing an unfamiliar face, they naturally walked over with caution.
"Sorry, I don't want to waste time talking to you right now."
"I'll have to ask you to be quiet."
Arton looked coldly at the approaching Golden Lion Pirates members. In the next instant, his body became a blur and disappeared before Nami's eyes. When he reappeared, Nami was shocked to see Shiki Pirates members lying in a pool of blood, their heads severed.
"So... so strong?!"
Nami stared at Arton in astonishment. She had recognized him as Arton. Although she knew from the diary entries that Arton was strong, seeing him in action still surprised her greatly. But soon, Nami reacted.
She quickly stepped forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Arton's waist.
"Please, save me."
"I was captured and brought here by Golden Lion Shiki."
"I am not one of them."
Nami looked up at Arton with pitiful eyes as she spoke.
"Is that so? What's your name?"
"My name is Nami."
Hearing Nami's words, Arton raised an eyebrow and carefully scrutinized the girl before him, thinking it really was her.
Seeing Arton scrutinize her, Nami couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.
According to her thinking, since Arton used her as a model for his photos and doujinshis, and since she wasn't one of the Marines he disliked, Arton should be happy after she introduced herself. After all, Arton had admitted in his diary that he had the idea of meeting the heroines of his works.
What Nami didn't know was that Arton was indeed reacting, but he was busy recording their encounter in his diary.
[Photo: Short-haired version of Nami.]
[The world changes so much, I didn't expect to meet Nami here.]
[I don't know if she should be considered lucky or unlucky.]
[If I hadn't shown up, Nami might have ended up working for Shiki for the rest of her life.]
Gion: "Is this Nami?"
Hibari: "Are those the fallen members of Shiki Pirates around her? Arton made a move, so Tashigi and Hina will also be saved, right?"
Nojiko: "Nami?! How did she end up there! Wait, if she's met Arton, does that mean Cocoyasi Village has hope?"
"Um, are you listening to me?"
Nami bit her lip, thinking Arton hadn't responded, she nervously continued speaking to Arton.
To attract his attention, she consciously pressed her body against Arton, trying to use her assets to make him notice her.
It worked.
"Even if she hasn't fully matured yet, she still exerts a tremendous pressure," Arton thought, glancing at Nami pressed tightly against him.
"Yes, I'm listening. You said your name is Nami, right?"
"Yes, I'm Nami."
"You want me to take you out of here, right?"
"Yes, if you're willing to take me out, I can work for you. Don't be fooled by my appearance, I'm an excellent navigator."
Nami nodded eagerly.
She knew that while Arton had Carina by his side, he also mentioned that he was still looking for a more exceptional navigator.
Since Arton is looking for a navigator, why can't that navigator be me?
This was the thought running through Nami's mind at the moment.
Soon, Nami expressed to Arton that she possessed excellent navigation skills.
"You definitely need a navigator for your sea adventures," she said quickly. "I will work diligently for you, ensuring your travels on the sea are safer and more convenient."
Seeing Nami's excitement, Arton couldn't help but be a bit speechless. After coming to this world, he had imagined what it would be like to meet the heroine of this pirate world. But he never expected that when they actually met, Nami would be the one begging to become his partner. This made his original plan to invite Nami to join his crew unnecessary.
"Oh well, this world is different from the anime," Arton thought. "I need to get used to the different behavior of the original characters."
With that in mind, Arton patted Nami on the shoulder and smiled, "Alright then, I agree to let you join the Flame Blade Pirates as our navigator. Nami, you must serve me and the Flame Blade Pirates well from now on."
Upon hearing this, Nami breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly. Joining Arton's crew meant she could escape Shiki and also save Cocoyasi Village. This naturally made Nami very happy.
As she relaxed, Nami noticed that her diary copy already had photos of her taken by Arton, along with related notes.
"One photo, and my name mentioned twice," she thought. "That means I'll get 7 points!"
"Wonderful! If I show more affection towards him now, will he take more photos of me and mention my name more in his diary?!"
With this thought, Nami's eyes sparkled. As Arton was about to look towards the arena behind them, she suddenly placed her hands on his cheeks. Then, standing on her tiptoes, she quickly leaned her face towards his.
***
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