"World... the richest man in the world? Four... 4.555 billion berries?"
After hearing Carina's words, Nami's mind was filled with those two labels. As she glanced at Kahn, who was chatting with Monet, she imagined mountains of gold and silver behind him, along with a mirage of endless stacks of berries. She thought, "How... how rich is this?"
Nami once believed that the 100 million berries she needed to buy back her village from Arlong was already an astronomical amount.
Even 1 million berries would be a fortune to Nami.
Bell-mère had only 100,000 berries in savings, and because of that, she had to choose between herself and her two daughters. She chose to let them live — and paid with her life.
If Bell-mère had just 100,000 more berries, then none of them would have had to die.
This is why Nami's thoughts always revolve around money.
All of this was because she didn't have enough.
She needed to gather 100 million berries to buy back her village from Arlong's grip.
But now, before she even managed to collect 100 million berries, she found herself face-to-face with the world's richest man, who seemed to be taking an interest in them.
This made Nami feel both uneasy and strangely tempted.
The man in front of her wasn't just the richest in the world; he was also a formidable pirate with a bounty of 4.555 billion berries.
And with that unimaginable strength, Arlong would certainly stand no chance against him.
If this man would lend her 100 million berries or help her defeat Arlong, wouldn't she be able to save her village right away?
And the fact that he had captured both her and Carina... maybe they were of some use to him.
If selling herself could save her village, Nami wouldn't hesitate.
Ever since she was ten years old, she had been ready to sacrifice herself.
Through his Observation Haki, Kahn sensed Nami's internal struggle and impulses, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.
It seemed like his nearly year-long wait wasn't for nothing.
Over the past year, with the death of her adoptive mother and her resolve to join the pirates, Nami had become not just obsessed with money but had also strengthened her determination and will.
Though Carina might not have Nami's intelligence, in terms of willpower, she was definitely far behind her.
Nami, at this moment, might still be far from the level of strength and will she'd achieve at 18.
But like the warriors of the Amazon, Lily trained in Haki; she had reached a passable level.
That was enough for Kahn.
Once the seed is planted, it will eventually grow.
"It seems you already know who I am."
Pretending not to hear the conversation between the two women, Kahn floated up, flying from beneath the ship to the lawn-like deck, stunning both Nami and Carina once more with his ability to fly.
Settling into a single sofa under the open sky, Kahn crossed his legs elegantly, looked at Nami and Carina, and, with a smile, extended an invitation: "Well then, that makes things simple. Do you want to be my maids?"
"Eh?!"
Hearing this, Nami and Carina's eyes widened in shock, though their reactions were different.
Nami couldn't believe that the first thing a man of Kahn's stature would ask was if they'd become his maids.
Meanwhile, Carina, after a moment of disbelief, pointed at herself with a trembling finger, her voice quivering as she asked, "Maids? Are we even qualified?"
Yes, were they even qualified?
Just like Carina had said to Nami earlier, despite both of them being just 10-year-old pirates, Carina had made enough preparations instead of just recklessly running off to steal like some foolish kid.
Since the Grand Line is known as the graveyard for pirates and the influential figures in the New World were far beyond their reach, people from East Blue had a limited perspective. Their worldview was narrow, confined to their small corner of the ocean.
But Carina was different.
As a thief, part of the underworld, Carina had already gathered extensive information about it before making her debut.
Through her research, she knew about the existence of the "Cross Family."
Carina might not know much about the "Big Mom Pirates" or the "Whitebeard Pirates," only that they were among the ruling forces in the world of pirates. But when it came to the "Cross Family," she was fully aware.
They dominated the markets of arms, drugs, and entertainment—especially entertainment. The "Cross Family" was infamous for its Golden City, a ship made entirely of gold, hailed as the world's top entertainment hub.
Through her studies, Carina also learned about the maids surrounding Cross Kahn.
Though they were technically servants, they were servants of an emperor.
Despite their title, these maids held positions of immense power and authority. Within the "Cross Family," they were second only to Kahn himself.
They might have appeared to be mere maids, but in reality, they were top executives and enforcers in the "Cross Family."
In other words, becoming Kahn's maid meant becoming a high-ranking figure in the Golden City.
Not only that but the current leader of the Golden City was rumoured to be one of the maids who served Cross Kahn.
So, it was no exaggeration to say that becoming Kahn's maid could propel someone from being a lowly thief to becoming one of the most powerful people in the world.
Faced with such a life-changing opportunity, even a precocious and rational girl like Carina couldn't help but be dumbfounded.
Carina's reaction made Nami, who had been in a daze, suddenly realize that being Kahn's maid was far from a simple servant's role.
She then remembered how Monet had brought them onto the ship without them noticing, as well as Yamato and Sugar, one tall and one small, who were both dressed as maids and followed Kahn around.
Nami, now fully understanding, immediately said without hesitation, "I'm willing!"
Nami, being clever, didn't rush to ask Kahn to help her defeat Arlong in exchange for becoming his maid.
Instead, she figured that if she served him well, she could later ask for his help. When the time was right, and Kahn was in a good mood, he'd surely assist her.
Seeing Nami's calculated thoughts, Kahn couldn't help but admire her even more.
"Very good."
On the surface, Kahn nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Carina and asked, "Of course, you're qualified. I don't choose maids based on potential, only on appearance and aptitude."
"Your appearance and qualifications meet the standards worth investing in."
Kahn's words were blunt—he only cared about their appearance and aptitude.
At his current level of power and influence, Kahn no longer needed to go through elaborate schemes or work his way into people's lives. If not for the fact that Nami was his chosen candidate for the Paramecia Golden-Golden Fruit, someone who was obsessed with money and thus had the potential to awaken that power in the future, Kahn wouldn't have even bothered coming to East Blue himself. He would have simply sent Sonia, Monet, or someone else to retrieve Nami and bring her into the "Cross Family."
"...I'm willing too."
After hearing Kahn's straightforward words, Carina let out a sigh of relief.
Though both girls were already quite mature for their age, at ten years old, they still didn't fully understand the complexities of relationships between men and women.
Instead, Carina thought Kahn was complimenting them on their cuteness, which made her secretly pleased.
So, without any hesitation, Carina also nodded.
Only a fool would say no!
Why had she turned to stealing at such a young age in the first place?
Wasn't it to secure a better life?
As long as she became the maid of the world's richest man, she'd be a high-ranking executive in the Golden City. Not only would she never have to worry about money again, but she'd also have powerful protection.
Living as a princess wouldn't even compare to being a maid in the "Cross Family"!
And so, Kahn's team of maids grew by two.
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