"So cool!" Luffy, making himself right at home, turned into a human spring and bounced all over Momoo's body, patting and prodding every part of him.
"Moo~" Momoo was so flustered by the attention that a few shades of red visibly bloomed across his cheeks in embarrassment.
"Hahahahahaha~" The amusing scene put Ryuuto in an excellent mood.
"Huh? What's with these four Fish-Men?" After finally satisfying his curiosity, Luffy stood beside Ryuuto and noticed the bodies of Arlong and his crew.
"Oh? Those four are the captain and officers of the Arlong Pirates, the crew that controlled and exploited the twenty villages in this area," Ryuuto explained patiently when he saw Luffy's question.
"The Arlong Pirates? Isn't that Nami's crew?" Luffy was surprised, as he had heard the name before.
"Yes, that's right! But you should say her former crew. Nami is now the navigator of the Ryuuto Pirates."
Ryuuto watched Luffy with a playful glint in his eye.
Wait, did I just poach one of Luffy's future crewmates?
But what does it matter?
"Wait!! Nami joined the Ryuuto Pirates?" Luffy's voice shot up several octaves, and he started flailing his arms and legs like a cornered animal. The sheer absurdity of the situation caused steam to pour off his body.
"Nami can only join us! She's our navigator!!" Luffy was seething with rage.
"Sorry, Luffy."
"Nami is my navigator!"
Ryuuto's expression suddenly turned serious as he stared down Luffy, his voice low and firm.
"You bastard!!" Luffy finally realized that the so-called Ryuuto Pirates belonged to the man standing right in front of him.
"Unforgivable!" The moment the word left his lips, Luffy stretched his arm back and launched it at Ryuuto.
"Gum-Gum Pistol!"
Luffy roared as his elongated arm, charged with kinetic energy, snapped back like a spear shot from a cannon.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Let's not harm my Momoo."
Completely unfazed, Ryuuto spoke slowly before instantly vanishing. He reappeared at Luffy's side and drove his boot into Luffy's torso with a powerful kick.
Ryuuto moved so fast that Luffy's attack missed entirely. Not only that, but the heavy blow sent Luffy flying like a cannonball, crashing violently into the shore.
Bang!!
"Luffy!!" Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp had been watching Luffy having what seemed like a pleasant conversation with the man on the giant sea cow's head.
How did a fight break out so suddenly?
And from the looks of it, Luffy was completely outmatched.
The three of them immediately sprinted toward the spot where Luffy had landed.
As the smoke cleared, Luffy leaped to his feet, his eyes fixed on Ryuuto with a fierce glare. Behind him, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp took up fighting stances.
"Luffy, are you okay?!" Zoro and Usopp asked, glancing at their captain.
"Nami joined his crew!" Luffy shouted, his eyes burning with anger.
"What~" Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp gasped in shock.
"Hey, hey~ Calm down, calm down!"
Ryuuto, not the least bit angry, used Soru to appear before them in an instant. "We should probably ask Nami for her opinion first, don't you think?" he said leisurely, gesturing for them to look behind them. He had already seen Nami emerging from her house, drawn by the commotion.
"Nami!!"
Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp all cried out in unison. Sanji, in particular, was already sporting his signature heart-eyes.
"What are you all doing?" Nami asked, confused.
After Ryuuto patiently explained the misunderstanding between him and Luffy's crew, Nami finally understood what had happened.
"Luffy, I've already made my decision! I'm joining the Ryuuto Pirates!" Nami declared, her tone firm and resolute.
"Nami, no!" Luffy cried out, his face etched with sorrow.
"Nami-swaaan..." Sanji was even more dramatic, his face already a mask of theatrical tears.
Zoro and Usopp stood silently to the side, but their expressions showed they were also disappointed.
"I told you, it was all a misunderstanding," Ryuuto said to the group with a smile.
Luffy's interruption had almost made him forget the most important task. He quickly retrieved the four Fish-Men corpses from Momoo's head and dropped them with a thud in front of Nami.
"By the way, Nami, I kept my promise. The Arlong Pirates—Captain Arlong and his three top officers are all here."
"Captain!" Seeing the bodies of Arlong and the others, Nami's eyes once again welled up with tears. Moved by what Ryuuto had done for her, she finally called him by that title with all the sincerity in her heart.
Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp were struck silent.
This man...
He was truly incredible.
Witnessing this scene, Luffy abandoned his own plans. A newfound admiration for Ryuuto began to grow within him.
"Nami, we respect your choice," Luffy said solemnly, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders.
"Luffy..." Nami looked at him, a pang of regret in her heart.
But despite that feeling, Ryuuto was the captain she knew she could entrust her life to. It was Ryuuto who had stood up for her when she was at her most helpless, defeating Captain Nezumi. It was Ryuuto who had single-handedly defeated the Arlong Pirates, shattering the nightmare that had haunted her for so long.
"Alright, alright, everyone! Cheer up!"
"Today is a good day."
Seeing the somber atmosphere, Ryuuto waved his hands to liven things up.
"Ryuuto, Luffy, come on inside!"
Nami then led everyone into the small house she shared with Nojiko.
Luffy pushed the earlier incident to the back of his mind and quickly reverted to his cheerful self, curiously looking around the house. Zoro and Usopp sat on chairs, exchanging silent glances. Sanji was clearly still mired in his sorrow, twisting his body and making crying faces in Nami's direction.
Meanwhile, Ryuuto found a quiet corner and began to check the system in his mind.
[Congratulations, Host, for completing the side quest: Defeat the Arlong Pirates. Reward: Stormcalling Trial Card x1, 5000 Reputation.]
[Congratulations, Host, for successfully protecting the maiden's heart.]
Although they were both side quests, the reward for defeating the Arlong Pirates was clearly superior to the one for defeating Captain Nezumi.
Looking at his inventory, he saw he had accumulated a decent number of items.
Talisman x2
Soldier Beans x3
Stormcalling Trial Card x2
Ryuuto thought to himself, I've already tried the Talismans and Soldier Beans. When I get a chance, I'll have to see what this Stormcalling card can do.