"But my big brother Arlong has the highest bounty in the East Blue. Taking care of you would be nothing," Nami snapped.
"Hmph. Give me three months and I'll take his head myself," Lister said with quiet confidence.
The Quick-Quick Fruit had tremendous potential. In three days he had already outlined several development paths. Before, he had been busy just getting used to it, with no time to develop techniques. Now that the immediate threats were gone, a stretch of focused training would be enough. He had faith he could cut down Arlong.
"Keep bragging. You're weaker than me. You didn't even know whether I'd been knocked out. Total rookie. And you think you can do that," Nami sneered.
Lister flushed. So that was why she woke so fast. She hadn't been knocked out at all.
"I was showing mercy. Otherwise you'd have ended up like Bloodhammer Henry and Madman Andre," he argued.
Nami curled her lip but didn't refute it. Henry and Andre really had died at Lister's hands.
"What will it take for you to let me go?"
"I'm not letting you go. From now on you're mine, and I'm never letting you go," Lister said with a smile.
"I'm not joking. I really am an officer of the Arlong Pirates, the little sister Arlong values most. I carry the crew's mark. If you don't believe me, look."
She raised her arm and revealed the tattoo of the Arlong Pirates' flag.
Lister glanced at it and smiled. "Drop the act, Nami. I know the truth about you. Yes, you're with the Arlong Pirates, but you're not close to Arlong. You didn't join willingly. You were forced. Your foster mother, Bellemere, died at Arlong's hands. You hate him. Sometimes you have to wave the tiger's skin just to survive. You don't hate living like that?"
Nami trembled and stared at him in shock. "How do you know so much?"
"I have my channels," Lister said. "Let's make a bet."
"A bet?" With Lister in control, she had no room to bargain and could only follow his lead.
"A bet that I can kill Arlong. If I do, you follow me willingly from then on."
"And if you can't?" Nami asked.
"Then I'll likely die by his hand, so it won't matter," Lister said breezily.
"No bet. You can't possibly beat Arlong. If he learns I made a bet like that, I'm finished," Nami refused at once.
"Don't underestimate me and don't make Arlong into an invincible god, Nami. I don't take on things I'm not sure of. If I dare propose this, I have some confidence," Lister said.
"You don't understand how terrifying Arlong is. He's a fish-man. A fish-man's physique is ten times a human's. He's nothing like Bloodhammer Henry or Madman Andre," Nami said.
"Did you know that fish-men whose bodies are ten times stronger than humans are still bought and sold as human slaves on the Grand Line?" Lister chuckled. "Arlong is a loser from that sea. He couldn't compete, so he ran to the East Blue, the weakest sea, to play tyrant."
Nami's expression flickered, but she still didn't accept the wager. No matter how Lister belittled Arlong, the name was a mountain in her heart that she couldn't move.
"I've also heard you have a deal with Arlong," Lister continued. "Gather one hundred million Beli and you can buy back Cocoyasi Village."
"You even know that?" Nami was shocked again. As far as she knew, not even her sister or the villagers were aware of it.
"Do you really think that when you finally scrape together one hundred million, Arlong will keep his promise?" Lister asked.
Nami's face shifted. She worried about that very thing, but had forced herself not to think about it and just keep saving.
After a long struggle she whispered, "It's my only chance."
"I'm putting another chance in front of you now. Why not take it?" Lister said, voice firm. "One more path is one more hope. Isn't that so?"
Nami looked up at him and studied him seriously. "Are you truly confident you can cut down Arlong?"
"Of course."
"Fine. I accept your bet," Nami said through clenched teeth. "But I have one condition."
"Let's hear it."