Luffy hadn't said that to stir up trouble.
He had simply noticed that something was off between Robin and Nami. On the surface, they were friendly, but he could tell, it was only for his sake.
If that kind of tension lingered into their future adventures, and he had to play peacemaker every day between them… it'd be a real headache.
So, Luffy made his decision.
He didn't expect the two to become best friends overnight, but this way, Nami could witness Robin's strength, and Robin could see the resolve Nami had cultivated.
Two people who genuinely respected each other wouldn't stay at odds for long.
And with Robin's stats nearly triple Nami's, Luffy trusted she would know how to hold back.
Robin understood him better than anyone. Unlike Nami, who was still young and impulsive, Robin was mature and composed.
"B-Beat her?" Nami repeated, blinking. Her eyes lit up again as she looked from Luffy to Robin, confusion flickering in her gaze.
"That's right~"
Luffy smiled reassuringly. "If you can beat Robin, it proves you're strong enough to protect yourself on the seas. That way, Genzo, Bell-mère, and everyone else won't have to worry about you. They'll feel confident letting you join us on this journey, don't you think?"
As he spoke, Luffy turned to Genzo with a look that clearly said: Back me up here.
Genzo didn't quite understand what Luffy was up to, but he was worried about Nami.
The news of her wanting to head out to sea had caught him completely off guard. He nodded repeatedly at her, as if echoing Luffy's words.
"Alright! I agree!" Nami declared, her eyes burning with determination.
She knew she wasn't the most mature woman, but when it came to fighting? She was more than confident.
She had worked as a bounty hunter for nearly a year now. Very few pirates had ever forced her to use more than a third of her power.
Which only deepened her appreciation for the strength Luffy had given her. It made her value his invitation all the more.
Luffy turned to Robin, silently seeking her response.
Their eyes met, and Robin thought for a moment. Then she gave him a small, knowing nod.
Luffy smiled in relief. He knew she understood exactly what he was aiming for.
"Alright then, let's find a suitable place to spar," Luffy said, clapping his hands. He turned to Genzo. "Mr. Genzo, could you head over to Nami's house and bring her family to come watch?"
Nami's determination had moved Luffy.
No matter how this turned out, if Bell-mère gave her blessing, Luffy had already made up his mind, Nami would sail with them.
And this was also a chance. He wanted Bell-mère and the others to see Nami's power firsthand, to show them that she was truly ready.
After all, they did carry an official title now.
Being one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea… that had to count for something in the eyes of ordinary people, right?
Just as they were about to look for a battlefield, Nami said, "No need, Luffy~ there's a clearing right behind our house."
"Oh? Perfect! Then let's head to your place!" Luffy said immediately, settling the matter with a grin.
"Okay!" Nami chirped sweetly, then gave Robin a quick sideways glance.
"Hmph!"
With a playful stomp of her cute little foot, she took the lead and began walking toward Bell-mère's house, the rest of the group trailing behind.
Only Genzo remained behind, looking puzzled.
When did Bell-mère's house get a clearing behind it? he thought. I definitely don't remember that…
Before long, the group arrived in front of a modest little home.
Luffy gave Genzo a subtle nod. Understanding his cue, Genzo stepped forward and knocked gently on the door.
Some things, after all, were best said by someone close.
Luffy and the others didn't wait for the door to open, they followed Nami around to the back of the house.
"Nami, where's the clearing?" Luffy asked, scanning the surroundings.
Aside from a roughly 10-meter-wide path cutting through the forest, he didn't see anything that looked like a good battlefield.
"Just wait a second! It'll be ready soon!" Nami replied mysteriously, running to the forest's edge.
She suddenly took a deep breath and shouted, "Roar of the Sky Dragon!"
Her cheeks puffed up adorably like little balloons, but the cute moment lasted only a second.
A surge of energy, unseen, but unmistakable, rushed toward her.
"ROAR!!!"
BOOM!
An overwhelming torrent of magic exploded from Nami's mouth like a tidal wave, sweeping forward with terrifying force into the forest.
The air pressure howled and cracked, tearing up three inches of earth, sending sand and leaves flying into the air.
Wood splintered. Rocks shattered. Chaos reigned.
The gale only intensified, whipping Luffy and the others behind her as their clothes flapped violently in the wind.
The devastating blast continued for hundreds of meters, like a wrathful ancient dragon tearing through the land. Razor-sharp wind blades slashed and spun in all directions, reducing everything in their path to rubble.
A whirlwind swirled through the sky.
Moments later, a broad passageway carved itself into the dense forest.
Nami spun around in place, her magical aura still surging wildly through the air.
The entire forest trembled under her power. Trees bent backward, as though recoiling from her might.
A massive vortex of energy swung side to side like a colossal reaper's blade.
In mere moments, a huge arc-shaped clearing, nearly a hundred meters across, was carved into the woods before her.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Finally, the winds began to settle.
The pressure faded. Nami inhaled deeply again, drawing in some of the magic lingering in the sky to slightly replenish what she had spent.
At that exact moment, Bell-mère and Nojiko, led by Genzo, arrived, just in time to see Nami withdrawing her magic.
They stood stunned, staring at the shattered trees and ravaged earth.
This… is Nami's power?
Compared to her earlier Sky Dragon Wing Strike, this was far more awe-inspiring.
And now, the list of the shocked had gained one more member: a windmill-hatted old man.
Genzo was genuinely frightened this time.
Luffy, on the other hand, chuckled and shook his head.
He could tell Nami had wanted to show him how much she'd grown.
But really… right before a fight with Robin, she'd use such a massive area-of-effect spell and burn through that much magic?
A bit… overconfident, maybe.
That's the problem with the East Blue.
After the Pirate King surrendered, and Ace was born, the Marine strengthened its grip on the East Blue, setting up a dense network of bases and patrols.
They cleared out most of the pirate crews and even stationed Smoker in Loguetown.
Since then, the East Blue had been tightly controlled. Most pirates were weak and few in number.
A pirate with a bounty just over thirty million could dominate the entire sea.
The weakest sea in the world wasn't just a nickname, it was the truth.
Of course, for the civilians, this was a blessing.
No pirates meant no plunder, no killings. Their lives were relatively safe.
Even corrupt Marines, though greedy and abusive, were at least not murderous.
What country didn't have its share of corrupt officials?
But thankfully, those types were still the minority.
Most Marines still believed in justice and protected the people of the East Blue.
However, without real enemies to face, Nami had no idea what true power really was.
If she had, after all these years of having Sky Dragon Slayer magic, her strength wouldn't still be capped at around the level of a pirate with a 300 million bounty.
And even then, a quarter of that strength came from Luffy's own attribute boosts. Without him, she'd barely be on par with a 100 million bounty fighter.
While Luffy was still mulling over all this, Nami and Robin had stepped onto the battlefield.
They stood across from each other.
Purple and green auras flared to life, opposing forces colliding in silence.
The battle between women was about to begin,
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