"H-How... how is it you again?!"
Nami had originally heard that Perona was trying to make off with her treasure and rushed over furiously. But when she clearly saw the man standing in front of Perona, her outstretched hand abruptly halted mid-air, the anger on her face instantly freezing solid, replaced by sheer astonishment. Her mouth fell open, her voice cracking with disbelief.
She never expected to encounter this unforgettable man again in this eerie Sea of Devils.
Kalifa noticed Nami, a sharp glint flashing imperceptibly behind her glasses. Back at Enies Lobby, she had received special treatment from this weather-controlling girl!
"Little Nami, we meet again." Ryan looked at Nami's wide-eyed, shocked expression and curled his lips into an amused smile. In a flicker of movement, he almost instantly appeared right in front of her. "Never thought I'd see you wearing a wedding dress in a place like this."
"None of your business! I'll wear whatever I want!" Nami was startled by his sudden closeness, stumbling back half a step. When his words registered, her cheeks flushed bright red with a mix of anger and embarrassment. "And what are you doing here? Don't tell me you're still chasing after us!"
As she spoke, she tightened her grip on the Clima-Tact, ready to fight at any moment.
But Ryan paid no attention to Nami's defensive posture, his gaze instead roaming over her with keen interest.
Her short orange hair was still stylishly sharp, with a few stray strands lifted by the sea breeze, adding a touch of playfulness. The stubborn, defiant spirit in her eyes was even more pronounced than back in Water 7. Especially striking was the white strapless wedding dress she wore, accentuating her slender neck where a delicate necklace sparkled. A single long white glove draped down her forearm, blending her usual spirited demeanor with her current flustered, delicate beauty in a particularly eye-catching way.
"You guess," Ryan deliberately drew out his words, teasing with a laugh, the amusement in his eyes intensifying.
"I'll guess you're up to no good!" Nami gritted her teeth, her tone full of wariness.
"Correct," Ryan chuckled lowly, his tone deliberately exaggerated. "The World Government specifically sent me to arrest you 'wanted criminals' who attacked Enies Lobby."
Nami's pupils dilated sharply, and she instinctively retreated another half-step, her voice trembling. "N-No way... impossible. Why would the World Government..."
They could barely handle Moria alone; facing another Seven Warlords on top of that would be a death sentence!
"Why not?" Watching Nami's pale, frightened face, Ryan couldn't help but find it amusing. "You destroyed Enies Lobby—that's a slap in the face to the World Government. How could they let you off for something this big?"
His words felt like a bucket of cold water, dousing Nami into complete panic.
Fighting head-on was definitely not an option, and begging might not work either. But Luffy and the others were still on the island—she couldn't just give up!
Suddenly, as if struck by an idea, the panic on Nami's face vanished, replaced by a sweet, obedient demeanor. She took two steps forward, proactively linking her arm with Ryan's, batting her dewy eyes and cooing, "Big Brother Ryan~ Look, we didn't really do anything wrong. We just accidentally destroyed Enies Lobby... Could you let us go again, just like you did in Water 7? Please?"
By sheer accident, they ended up destroying Enies Lobby. If they had done it deliberately, wouldn't they have destroyed Mary Geoise...?
"Oh..." Ryan was amused by Nami's sudden change in attitude. He glanced down at the small hand clutching his arm, then at her exaggeratedly obedient expression, and couldn't resist teasing, "So now you're not saying I 'have ulterior motives' anymore?"
"Ah, that was just a misunderstanding!" Nami quickly waved her hands dismissively, tightening her grip on his arm. "Big Brother Ryan, you're the best! You wouldn't just stand by and watch us get captured, right?"
"That's not so simple." Ryan's playful expression faded as he gently pried her hand away, his tone turning serious. "After letting you go last time in Water 7, the World Government has been holding me accountable. They accused me of 'defying orders' and even threatened to revoke my title as one of the Seven Warlords. If I let you go again this time, I'll truly become a wanted criminal by the government."
Nami watched Ryan's deliberately stern face, her lips twitching slightly as she muttered, "Jerk."
She hadn't missed the fleeting mockery in his eyes earlier. This guy had been toying with her from the start, and now he was just deliberately teasing her with these excuses.
His twisted sense of humor was always like this!
"Cut the crap, Ryan." Nami straightened up, abandoning her obedient act. She planted her hands on her hips, her orange short hair framing a face that had regained its usual liveliness and fierceness. "You're not the type to obediently follow the government's rules."
At her words, Ryan raised an eyebrow, the amusement in his eyes becoming unmistakable.
This little thief-cat was sharp—she hadn't been fooled by his words.
"Last time in Water 7, you knew the government wanted to capture us, yet you turned a blind eye, didn't you?" Nami took half a step closer, her tone confident. "And now you're talking about 'government accountability'? I think you're just using that to mess with me. Spit it out—what do you really want?"
"Not bad, you've got me figured out." Ryan chuckled softly at the clarity in Nami's eyes, his gaze sweeping over her unabashedly. He tapped his fingers lightly on the hilt of the Seven Star Sword, his voice dropping to a suggestive murmur. "Given the relationship between us, you should know what I want."
Nami's lips twitched violently. Of course, she knew. This guy had been up to no good since their first meeting. He'd bullied her and her sister back in Cocoyasi Village, and now he was at it again!
"In your dreams!" Nami gritted her teeth, though her cheeks flushed uncontrollably. "With the situation so urgent, you're still thinking about all that nonsense!"
After a pause, fearing Ryan might actually refuse to budge, she reluctantly compromised, "How about... how about we talk about it after this is over? I'll owe you for now!"
"Owe me?" Ryan let out a low laugh as if he'd heard something amusing. He took two steps forward, closing the distance until he was almost pressed against her, and teased, "Little Nami, have you forgotten? Last time on Little Garden, you said 'I'll owe you for now.' How long has it been since then? The old debt hasn't been settled, and now you want to add a new one?"
Nami was left speechless, the blush on her face instantly spreading to the tips of her ears.
Last time on Little Garden, when they were trapped by Mr. 3's Candle, Ryan had shown up and saved them. He'd joked about "payment" back then, and she'd casually said, "I'll pay you back later," but she'd been putting it off ever since...
"That... that was a special circumstance!" Nami forced calm as she retreated half a step, avoiding Ryan's approach. "This time is different! The old debt plus this new one, I... I'll definitely pay it back!"
Though she said this, inwardly she cursed that this guy had clearly been keeping track deliberately - he was just a petty-minded beast!
"Fine, I'll trust you one more time." Ryan watched Nami's frustrated, compromising stance with growing amusement, reaching out to lift her chin. "But let's be clear - the method of 'repayment' will be determined by me."
"You!" Nami's eyes widened with anger, yet she lacked the grounds to refute him.
Under someone else's roof, she had to endure for now.
"Fine! I agree!" Nami took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and fixed her gaze firmly on Ryan, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. "But you must guarantee you won't attack us!"
"Don't worry." Ryan shed his playful expression, moving his fingers away from the Seven Star Sword's hilt as he turned his gaze toward Thriller Bark's main cabin. "I'm not here for you this time."
"What did you say? Not for us?" Nami froze momentarily before comprehension dawned, her wariness instantly replaced by astonishment as her voice rose several pitches. "Then why did you say 'specifically here to arrest' earlier, using government accountability to scare me... You were just toying with me!"
All that acting obedient and compromising, even agreeing to the "debt repayment" condition - and it turned out they weren't even his targets.
Fury at being played surged through her, her orange hair seeming to stand on end.
Ryan watched Nami's bristling reaction, reaching out to lightly brush against the necklace at her neck. Seeing her instantly stiffen body, the mockery in his eyes deepened. Taking advantage of her anger before she could react, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.
"Of course!" Ryan straightened up, his tone full of teasing. "I was just playing with you."
Without waiting for Nami's response, he turned and gestured with his chin toward Perona. "Let's go, take me to Moria."
Perona, who had been too terrified to breathe heavily, hurried to follow Ryan's steps without daring to look back. Daz Bones, Lucci, and the others all followed suit, leaving Nami standing alone.
Nami's face flushed crimson, her lips still retaining Ryan's warmth. When she finally processed what happened, she first wiped her mouth fiercely with her hand, then spat twice toward Ryan's retreating back. Her voice was both furious and flustered, carrying a hint of barely detectable embarrassment. "That bastard! Shameless scoundrel!"What Seven Warlords - he was just a bastard who enjoyed tormenting people!"
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