The storm eventually settled. Once Li Ke had finished tending to the now-fainted Robin and stepped back onto the deck, he found Nami sitting in a chair, looking incredibly restless as she waited for him.
It was clear that even though Bell-mère's time had run out and she had vanished—likely after spending every second warning Nami not to do anything reckless—the "Cat Burglar" had chosen the path Li Ke offered anyway. For Nami, the deal was simply too tempting to refuse.
Li Ke's tactical retreat to let the two of them talk wasn't just out of "kindness"; it was so Nami could verify for herself that the woman was indeed her mother. The results were in: Nami was convinced.
"I... I accept your terms," Nami said, her voice steady despite the way she bit her lip. She looked Li Ke straight in the eye. "But you must kill Arlong!"
So what if it's ten years as a mistress? she thought. She was only in her teens; even after ten years, she'd only be in her twenties when she regained her freedom. She knew there was a risk—that she might fall for him or end up tied down by a child—but compared to what Li Ke could provide, her body and her freedom felt like a small price to pay.
"That won't be a problem."
Li Ke spoke with total ease. With his current stamina, he could unleash large-scale dragon fire for five or six minutes straight without breaking a sweat; Arlong didn't even qualify as a threat. Besides, the original plan was to have Roger handle the heavy lifting. While using the Pirate King to squash a bug like Arlong was the definition of "using a cannon to kill a mosquito," a deal was a deal, and Li Ke had no intention of letting Roger freeload on his ship.
"I'm not joking! You must actually possess the strength to crush Arlong before I become your mistress!"
Nami stared at him with burning intensity. Her mind was sharp; if Arlong wasn't dealt with permanently, then even if Bell-mère returned, it would be for nothing. She would just be killed again, and the villagers would remain enslaved. Nami wanted her mother back, but she wanted to save her home, too.
"He's a Great Pirate with a twenty-million Berry bounty!" she shouted, unable to help herself.
Even though Li Ke had effortlessly defeated her, she couldn't bridge the mental gap between "beating a thief" and "toppling a warlord of the East Blue." She needed more proof before she staked her life on him.
"A twenty-million Berry pirate..."
Li Ke paused to reflect. He had just finished a "session" with the Demon Child, whose bounty sat at a cool seventy-nine million.
Truthfully, while Arlong was an iconic early-game boss and a former crewmate of a current Warlord of the Sea, the guy was... well, he was weak. If it hadn't been for the environment and some dirty tricks, the early-series Luffy could have flattened him. Even an uninjured Zoro likely could have soloed the entire Arlong Park.
Li Ke might not have a clear grasp of his exact power level yet, but his ability to manipulate fire and water was a "dimensional strike" against fishmen. He still hadn't mastered Haki, but under Roger's brutal guidance, his [Life Return] had leveled up significantly.
[Life Return (Seimei Kikan) LV3]: You can now effortlessly control every part of your body, even down to the cellular level. You have reached the threshold where you can specialize your techniques—using your hair to wield blades as effectively as your arms, or shifting your bone and muscle structure to alter your physical form at will.
While you cannot permanently change your DNA or force infinite cellular regeneration yet, you have reached a state of "Instant Mimicry." As long as a physical technique doesn't require a unique energy source, you can master it the moment you see it. Even energy-based techniques can be partially imitated.
With this skill at Level 3, things like the "Six Powers" (Rokushiki) were no longer mysteries. Techniques like Rankyaku (Tempest Kick), Geppo (Moonwalk), or Shigan (Finger Pistol) were now within his reach; all he had to do was see them once or decide to develop them himself.
In reality, if the Marines truly wanted to deal with Arlong, they wouldn't even need an officer capable of the Six Powers!
Li Ke's raw physical stats might still be a notch below Luffy's when he first set sail, but in a real fight to the death, if the Straw Hat "Monster Trio" came at him together, he'd likely end up killing them all.
The reason was simple: the moment he shrouded himself in Dragon Fire, none of those three could even get close. Zoro's swords would likely be ruined the moment they touched the heat, and Li Ke wasn't just a brawler—he had mastered swordsmanship. Rias Gremory's family magic swordsmanship wasn't inferior to the techniques of this world.
Arlong truly wasn't the issue.
However, looking at Nami, Li Ke still had one thing he wanted to know. "Speaking of which... if the pirates are this bad, why didn't you go to the Marines?"
He was genuinely curious. Whether it was Smoker or Garp, neither would care about Arlong being a remnant of the Sun Pirates. Garp went without saying, and if Smoker cared about political fallout, he wouldn't have been "exiled" to a starter village like Loguetown.
Nami let out a bitter, mocking laugh.
"The Marines? Are you kidding me? They're either in bed with Arlong or they're too pathetic to beat him. If I dared to tell any Marine about what's happening, my village would be wiped off the map before sunset! How could I possibly go to them?"
Her face was a mask of sorrow.
It wasn't that no Marines had ever come to subjugate Arlong, but they had all been crushed. Those who survived either fled or became part of Arlong's payroll to save their own skins. If she reported the situation, how could she be sure the message wouldn't leak? How could she know the officer wasn't just another Captain Nezumi?
Even though Smoker and Garp were famous, Nami's own reputation was already "trash." The low-level thugs might not recognize her, but in many circles, the name "Cat Burglar" was notorious. Who would believe the word of a thief?
She had spent years stealing only from pirates, but where did that treasure come from originally? She still had to deal with black-market fences to wash the money. To the law, she was just another criminal.
"Fair enough."
Li Ke understood her reasoning. Nami's situation was like a notorious thief in ancient times trying to report that a local Governor was conspiring with bandits to oppress the people.
Reporting it meant gambling that you'd find a "Clean Official"—and gambling that his subordinates wouldn't leak the tip. With an entire village's lives on the line, she simply couldn't afford to take that bet.
Besides, the World Government's track record didn't exactly inspire confidence in "justice."
"In that case, the deal is struck. You've already seen my sincerity, so what about yours, Miss Nami?"
Li Ke made a sweeping gesture of invitation. Nami bit her lip hard, forcing the words out of her throat.
"F-Fine... but I won't go all the way until Arlong is dead!"
She stared at Li Ke defiantly. Although he was hardly a man she could trust completely, the fact that he could bring Bell-mère back—even if it was only for a short time or some kind of trick—was enough for her to gamble on him.
But the final step? That was off-limits for now.
"So, you're saying everything except the final step is on the table? That works for me," Li Ke nodded. To be honest, Nami was so skin-and-bones right now that he wasn't particularly interested in that part yet; it would probably feel like hugging a pile of sticks.
His plan was to get her properly fed and healthy first!
However, there were plenty of other ways to show "sincerity."
"What... what do you want me to do?" Nami asked, her voice trembling slightly. She was genuinely terrified of what he might demand.
"Well, for starters, use your mouth," Li Ke said bluntly. "And from now on, you're going to increase your food intake and your training hours. I have no interest in keeping a scrawny little girl as a bedwarmer!"
Nami felt like she'd been struck by lightning.
"Sc-Scrawny?!"
She had always been quite confident in her looks, but Li Ke's evaluation was a massive blow to her pride. Still, with the power balance so heavily skewed in his favor, she had no choice but to swallow her indignation. If he said she was scrawny, then scrawny she was!
"Fine! I… I agree!"
She took a deep breath. Li Ke smiled and sat down on the chair, watching her with an amused expression.
Nami's gaze flickered away for a moment. She understood exactly what he wanted. After another deep breath, she walked over to his side and slowly knelt down in front of him.
She reached out with slightly trembling hands and actively pulled down Li Ke's zipper. The moment the zipper opened, his cock sprang out heavily—thick, vigorous, and fully erect—right in front of her face. Nami froze completely, staring at it, and unconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
It wasn't because she was hungry for it. The kind of woman who would drool at the sight of Li Ke's cock hadn't appeared yet. Although Li Ke believed Robin, Celia, and even Street Fighter girl had that potential, Nami definitely didn't right now.
She was simply terrified.
"C-Can it really get this big…!?"
She had seen men's cocks before—plenty of them, and she had even kicked many to pieces with her own feet. But she had never seen one in such an excited, swollen state. This long, hard shaft, carrying the mixed musk of Li Ke and Robin, was now throbbing right before her eyes. The strong, masculine scent hit her nose, something raw and pungent. It made her feel as if something deep inside her body had suddenly been unlocked, stirring a confusing mix of reluctant anticipation and raw fear.
Because of that, she instinctively made a face of disgust. Hesitantly, she reached out with one finger and lightly poked the thick, veined length of Li Ke's cock, clearly reluctant to go further.
Seeing the hesitant, reluctant expression on her face, a wicked sense of amusement rose in Li Ke. He suddenly reached down and firmly gripped the back of Nami's head.
"Open your mouth."
Nami instinctively obeyed, parting her lips as ordered. Without any mercy, Li Ke thrust his hips forward and shoved his thick, throbbing cock straight into her warm mouth!
Nami's eyes instantly widened in shock, her pupils dilating sharply as the heavy shaft forced its way past her lips and filled her mouth completely.