Rayleigh slammed his fist against the ship's railing, showing his frustration. Even if they had gotten a better ship, it didn't change their situation.
"We were way too naïve! It takes more than just willpower to sail out to sea!" Rayleigh gritted his teeth and looked at Roger. "And what the hell are you doing?!"
Roger had his hands behind his ears while standing at the bow of the sailboat.
"Shhh, I'm trying to hear the voice of the sea. I'm sure that'll help guide us."
"Huh?!"
Rayleigh slapped his own forehead. He should never have followed Roger; this guy was even more stupid than he looked.
"I'm telling the truth!" Roger protested. As far as he remembered, he should be able to hear the voice of all things.
He should…
'This is crap. When am I supposed to awaken that ability?'
Roger felt he had been extremely naïve. He had an idea of who he was and who he would become, but that wasn't who he was now.
Right now, he had no Haki, no ability to hear all things, no knowledge of the sea, and none of the skills his fifty-year-old self possessed.
'This is bad. We're seriously going to die!'
Roger felt Rayleigh's words could very well come true—they might die before their adventure even began.
– Shit, I hope they don't hear me! –
Huh?
Roger froze for a moment and looked around in all directions. He had clearly heard a girl's voice, but he couldn't see her.
– I'll just take the money and leave! –
Once again, Roger heard the voice. His eyes shifted toward the storage room of the sailboat.
....
Inside the storage room, a girl with orange hair was gathering everything of value. Once she finished, she prepared to sneak out and abandon the ship.
"Damn it, they can't be this poor. There are only a few thousand berries and a couple of jewels."
The girl complained. She was risking her life getting close to dangerous pirates, and she wasn't even getting a proper reward.
"That's a shame..."
The girl sighed in resignation. "Yeah… At this rate, a hundred million is still far away."
"A hundred million? That's a lot."
The girl leaned against a wall as her voice softened.
"You have no idea… I've been trying to gather that money for years… but it keeps getting harder. Pirates from the East Blue aren't known for their great fortunes, but I can't even try going to another sea..."
"I get it. But girl, it's dangerous to steal from pirates. What if they catch you? You could die, or worse, end up as some pervert's toy. You're cute, after all."
"Heh, thanks, but don't worry. Nothing like that ever happened. Well… one time I got captured when it wasn't part of my plan because of a traitorous bitch named Carina, who sold me out. But I managed to get out of that mess with my purity intact."
The sea was dangerous in more than one way—she had always known that. Even if the stories of this world seemed bright, there was plenty of darkness, injustice, and cruelty.
"That's a lot of information..."
"What? You asked… huh?"
The girl froze when she realized she had been talking with someone, and she slowly turned her head to see Roger crouched beside her.
"Hi." Roger smiled.
"No!"
She scrambled backward in fear. She had seen this monster tilt the ship with one hand.
"Don't come any closer!"
"What? I thought we were getting along pretty well." Roger teased, then paused for a moment before smiling mischievously.
....
Outside the storage room, Rayleigh left the helm when he heard a girl scream.
Roger walked out carrying the girl tied with a rope over his shoulder.
"Rayleigh, I caught a cat burglar!" Roger laughed heartily while the girl went pale.
Rayleigh stared at his captain in silence, trying to understand what was happening.
"A cat burglar?"
Rayleigh examined the so-called burglar—a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, very pretty, with short orange hair. As expected of women in this world, she was well developed.
"Please let me go!" the girl cried.
"Hahaha!" Roger laughed.
Anyone who saw this scene would think she was a damsel captured by some perverted bastard instead of a thief.
"The sea is huge…" Rayleigh sighed. He knew what kind of person Roger was, and although Roger had no problem killing, he wasn't an abuser. "So what do you plan to do with her?"
"Good question." Roger grabbed his chin thoughtfully.
The girl turned even paler, sensing something bad.
"Although taking her to the Marines for a reward sounds tempting… I think I should keep her."
"Huh?!"
Of course, Rayleigh shouted in pure disbelief. What was this guy even saying?! Since when did the muscle-brain have interest in women?! Sure, Roger always dreamed of adventure, growing stronger, and making history, but women were never his priority.
The girl felt chills run down her spine. Was this the end for her? It wasn't like she had never considered this possibility—every time she boarded a ship to steal, she risked being caught and ending in a bad end. But she thought that day would never come.
'I'm sorry, everyone…'
She felt like her beauty was her curse. Now this pervert would make her wear cat ears for the rest of her life.
While the girl sank into perverted fantasies and Rayleigh questioned reality, Roger smiled on the outside but was panicking inside.
'Why the hell is Nami here?!'
Roger had no idea what was happening. This was the time when his journey was supposed to start. There were decades before Nami was even born—not counting her adoptive mother, Bell-mère, who should be a child right about now, if she was even born yet.
'I don't get it! This girl is clearly Nami from Monkey D. Luffy's pirate crew—the child of destiny!'
Roger felt something was wrong with the world.
"Rayleigh… what year is it?"
Rayleigh still hadn't recovered from Roger's previous statement when his captain suddenly changed the subject.
"Sir, please don't hurt me."
"Huh? Why are you asking that? Whatever. It's 1522 of the Sea Circle Calendar."
"What?!" Roger dropped Nami in shock. That was the year Monkey D. Luffy began his adventure.
"Kya! Ouch! Bastard, be more careful!"
Nami cursed at Roger, which Rayleigh witnessed. He stared at the same girl who, moments ago, was begging for her life.
"...!"
Realizing she had broken character, she panicked and quickly switched to damsel mode, putting on her best hurt puppy look, trying to appeal to their mercy. Of course, this was all an act—she planned to escape the moment she found an opening.
'Does this girl think I'm stupid?'
Rayleigh glanced at Roger, who was holding his head and muttering something incomprehensible. Rayleigh approached Nami, knelt, and untied her.
"Leave before my stupid captain notices."
Nami's eyes widened, touched by the unexpected kindness.
"Thank you~"
"Rayleigh, that girl is a navigator…" Roger said, turning around. Even though he was shaken by realizing he was in the future, he had still heard Rayleigh and Nami.
Nami froze. How did he know she was a navigator?
She tried to run, but Rayleigh suddenly appeared in front of her. Nami felt betrayed.
"Sorry, but we're in trouble…"
"Liar!"
Nami punched Rayleigh, sending him flying. Both were shocked—the girl didn't look strong at all.
Even Nami was confused by what had just happened, but Roger was already behind her.
"I…"
"Girl, I'm offering you a deal."
"...?"
"You're a navigator. Even if you aren't, you should at least know how to locate yourself at sea. I need someone who can navigate because my first mate is incompetent."
Nami calmed down, already seeing where this was headed.
"Come with us until I can find a navigator. After that, I'll let you go."
She hated pirates, but she knew Roger wouldn't let her go now. At least they didn't seem interested in her body, so she could endure this for a while.
"I can't trust a pirate's word… but I don't have a choice, do I?"
Nami sighed, though her gaze turned firm. "Promise you won't lay a hand on me. And that liar over there won't either!"
"Ugh… I'm sorry…" Rayleigh felt like he had been hit by an invisible arrow. He had tried to be kind by releasing her, but now he looked like a treacherous liar.
"Hahaha! Fine!" Roger extended his hand.
She shook it reluctantly. "I'm Nami, by the way."
At that moment, the sea darkened and a massive eel-like creature emerged. It was a Sea King—a monster feared across the seas.
"...!" Nami opened her mouth in terror.
Roger grinned widely, turned around, and leapt straight at the Sea King. The monster didn't understand why its meal was trying to fight back, and it opened its jaws to swallow Roger whole.
Roger clenched his fist. Maybe it was Nami's imagination, but she thought she saw faint sparks of black rays around his fist.
Roger's fist crashed into the Sea King, shattering all its teeth and killing it instantly.
He landed on the ship, making it jolt. Rayleigh wasn't surprised by Roger's strength, but Nami stood frozen with her mouth open.
"I am Gold D. Roger! Welcome to my crew, Nami—at least temporarily! Hahaha!"
Nami swallowed hard, unable to understand what kind of pirates she had run into.
'What kind of monster is he?'