As it turned out, Robin's intuition was spot on. Despite her somewhat audacious behavior, Wood seemed to have a special tolerance for her.
After letting out a deep sigh, he eventually just mentioned that he would drop Robin off at the next island they arrived at.
However, to Robin, this statement carried no real threat. Based on her earlier observations and what she had witnessed on Asuka Island, Robin had already figured out what kind of person Wood was.
Not only was he a good person, but he was also soft-hearted and inexplicably lenient with her. Even after she had taken over his private cabin, he hadn't given her a hard time about it.
Honestly, Robin felt a bit guilty for taking advantage of someone so kind, but she had no choice. She wanted to stay in Wood's pirate crew, even if it meant being shameless about it.
Compared to the trials she had faced on the seas over the past few years, this was nothing.
Seeing that Wood really couldn't do anything to Robin and wasn't about to throw her off the ship, he decided to temporarily ignore her and focus on coming up with a name for the pirate crew.
He had hoped that brainstorming with the group would solve the problem, but despite the many suggestions from Russ and the others, the names they proposed were just too embarrassing for Wood to even consider.
The name of the pirate crew was a matter of pride. After all, when you crossed paths with other big-name figures during battles, you would need to declare your crew's name.
"Hello everyone, I'm the captain of the Emperor Pirates, Zhazhade. If you're a brother, then…"
No, no, Wood couldn't bear the thought of introducing himself with names like "Emperor Pirates" or "Justice Pirates" — he'd die of embarrassment on the spot.
Robin's suggested names were better than Russ's, but they all carried a dark, ominous tone, which didn't quite match their upright and heroic image.
Though they were pirates, Wood didn't want to follow the path of a villain. Besides, pirate crews with such dark names usually didn't last very long.
Most pirates at sea weren't very cultured, and their crew names were typically based on the captain's characteristics.
For example, there was the "Whitebeard Pirates," the "Red-Haired Pirates," and the "Straw Hat Pirates."
What characteristics did Wood have? After pondering for a while, Wood concluded that "handsome" was the only trait that perfectly fit his persona.
So how about the "Handsome Pirates"? But that would probably be too arrogant — Wood worried that they'd be beaten to death before they even made a name for themselves…
"I've decided. Our pirate crew will be called the 'Renata Pirates.'"
When Wood suddenly announced the name, Russ and the others were clearly taken aback. After they processed it, they couldn't help but think that their captain's naming skills weren't very good.
"Renata Pirates"? The name sounded awkward and seemed more like a person's name than a crew name.
Who was Renata? If they were going to name the crew after someone, why not just call it the Wood Pirates?
"Renata is a Latin word... hmm, in an ancient language, it means rebirth and renewal," Wood explained. "We used to be Marines, but now our identities have changed drastically. Naming the crew after rebirth and renewal couldn't be more appropriate."
There was another reason Wood chose this name, something Russ and the others didn't know.
Every time Wood participated in a multiverse life simulation, he would start a new life in another world.
For Wood, wasn't this a form of rebirth and renewal? The ability to start anew in multiple worlds was probably Wood's most distinctive feature.
Upon hearing Wood's explanation, Russ and the others were immediately enlightened, and they agreed that the name suited their crew.
However, they found "Renata Pirates" too awkward and suggested simply calling it the "Nirvana Pirates."
Following the principle of majority rule, and with Robin also strongly supporting the name, Russ and the others quickly started referring to themselves as the "Nirvana Pirates."
Wood's original attempt to show off his cultural knowledge with the name "Renata Pirates" was quickly forgotten by Russ and the rest of the crew.
With the crew name decided, the ship's name, while less important, still needed to be chosen.
Wood originally wanted to name the ship "Toristin," to commemorate his first life in another world.
However, before he could even suggest it, the ship was already named "Dark Maru."
Following the principle of majority rule, and in appreciation of Robin's support for their crew's name, Russ and the others decided to return the favor by supporting Robin's suggestion.
Wood was puzzled. Just earlier, Russ and the others had shown some resistance to Robin's "Demon Child" identity, but within a short time, Robin had managed to win them over with her small gestures, turning them into her allies.
Wood wasn't even sure what Robin had done, but somehow she had gotten Russ, who usually feared Wood, to speak up for her.
Russ argued that since Robin had witnessed the formation of their pirate crew and participated in it, she should be considered a member of the crew.
He also suggested that Wood's earlier idea of abandoning Robin on an island was too heartless. After all, Robin was still a young girl — how would she survive on her own?
Wood wanted to say that Russ and the others were overthinking it. If Robin were just an ordinary girl, then yes, she wouldn't survive.
But an ordinary girl Robin was not.
There was no denying that Robin's childhood was the most tragic among the Straw Hat Pirates, but if possible, Wood didn't want to interfere with her original growth path.
"Captain, how should we determine our next course? Should we continue heading to the next treasure location?" Russ asked, sensing Wood's hesitation about what to do with Robin and tactfully changing the subject.
They chose to speak up for Robin not only because they found her smart and charming but also because they could tell that Wood treated Robin differently from the others.
"No, let's put the treasure hunting on hold. We're heading to the nearby Marine branch," Wood replied.
"I see. Captain plans to collect the bounty on One-Eyed Bebbart's head first?" Russ assumed.
The treasure they had dug up only amounted to nearly ten million Berries, but Bebbart's bounty was a whopping twenty-five million. Russ thought it made sense to claim the bounty first.
After all, the treasure wouldn't go anywhere, but a corpse could rot if left too long, and then the Marines might refuse to pay.
"No, I left Bebbart's body on Asuka Island for the townspeople to use in their mourning rituals," Wood explained.
Russ was stunned. Even though he hadn't known Wood for long, he knew his captain was obsessed with money. To think that Wood would forgo Bebbart's 25 million Berries bounty...