Port of Cocoyasi Village.
Uehara Naraku's warship was loaded with oranges and orange trees.
A group of villagers from Cocoyasi Village looked at Uehara Naraku standing on the shore with bewilderment and complexity, having learned from Nojiko about the truth behind Uehara's stealing of oranges. They had never met a pirate with such a nasty personality.
But still better than Ahlong.
They didn't kill anyone, and even helped them get rid of the scourge.
The villagers had quite complicated feelings toward Uehara Naraku as a pirate.
Uehara Naraku looked at the dusty Nami by his side, kindly handing her a tissue, looking like a gentle elder brother.
If you ignore his recent wicked behavior...
Their interaction actually somewhat made sense!
"What are you planning to do?"
Nami wiped her face in dissatisfaction, muttering, "You robbed my money; you took all my home's oranges; you even dug out a lot of my family's orange trees..."
"I will pay for the oranges."
Uehara Naraku's expression seemed very serious.
The fifteen-year-old Nami no longer believed his words, and still somewhat angrily said, "Are you going to use the money you stole from me? How much will you return to me?"
"That money was painstakingly saved by you..."
"Will it be returned to me?"
A bright light suddenly flashed in Nami's eyes.
"No."
Uehara Naraku rubbed her hair, looking at Nami's dimming eyes, softly comforting her, "Don't worry, I won't let your efforts go in vain. The thirty-six million five hundred thirty thousand Belly you saved, I will spend well."
"..."
Is this what humans say?
If only she knew she couldn't beat this person...
Nami now really wants to fight him desperately!
Uehara Naraku slowly pulled out a coin and handed it to Nami, "The money for buying oranges and orange trees, you really earned, I couldn't find a denomination smaller than this, and that's it, I've paid, we count as a fair trade."
"...Fifty Belly..."
Young Nami stared at the coin, then slowly looked up and stared at Uehara Naraku, sighing softly, "Mr. Uehara, fifty Belly isn't even enough to buy one kilo of oranges…the fact that you can say it's a fair trade…"
"I'm a pirate."
Uehara Naraku's words instantly stifled Nami, smiling as he continued to ask, "Now, do you still want this coin?"
"Yes."
Nami reached out her hand in humiliation and took the coin from Uehara Naraku's hand, her face thoroughly showing an expression of being played with by him.
Uehara Naraku patted Nami's little head, lowered his head to embrace her, and whispered in her ear, "Nami, don't show this expression, you still have the villagers who like you…do you want to protect them well?"
"..."
Nami, who was still somewhat confused about life, instantly awakened.
Nami's face suddenly turned serious, and she nervously grabbed Uehara's arm, softly saying, "What are you planning?"
"It's not about what I want to do."
Uehara Naraku rubbed her hair and let out a soft sigh, "Remember what I told you... Ahlong may be weak, but he isn't unimportant in the Fishman Pirates on the Grand Line. Who knows if they'll come for revenge?"
"..."
An unease flashed across Nami's face.
Uehara Naraku's words must have scared the young girl.
Uehara Naraku squatted in front of her, softly calming her emotions, "Within three years, our Baroque Works will initiate a war against the Fishman Pirates. If we succeed in eliminating Jinbe, then everything will be fine.
If, after three years, I haven't come back to the East Sea to buy the oranges you grew, find a pirate gang you like and head to the Grand Line, okay?
I believe in your navigator abilities, many powerful pirate gangs would definitely want a genius navigator like you, but you're too young now…"
"Mr. Uehara..."
Nami's eyes slightly trembled.
Uehara Naraku squinted his eyes, giving Nami a sunny smile, "Alright, since I've collected your money, I will certainly take action. I will stationed at Whiskey Peak and won't let any of Jinbe's subordinates set foot in the East Sea!"
"..."
At this moment, Nami's expression was extremely complex, her emotions slightly touched, suddenly feeling that Uehara Naraku in front of her was a good person.
Uehara Naraku reached out again to tap her forehead, chuckling, "Heh, our Baroque Works is the strongest organization in the world, how could we lose to Jinbe!
Just as we aim to strike Jinbe, we're also taking the opportunity to rob some money from you, anyway, there's nothing you can do against me!
Off I go, when you grow up, come to the Grand Line to find me! Then I'll introduce you to someone equally obsessed with money!"
After saying this, Uehara Naraku jumped onto the warship, waved to the people on the ground, and left Cocoyasi Village.
The villagers on the ground also instinctively waved to bid farewell.
Honestly, it's really hard for the villagers to harbor any ill feelings toward this pirate, even Nami's sister Nojiko waved her hand in farewell.
"…Bast…bastard!"
Nami clenched the coin in her hand, looking in the direction the warship was going, her voice gradually lowered, "Whiskey Peak on the Grand Line … I will definitely come to see you! As for that Jinbe guy, I'll leave him in your hands for now..."
Anyway…
Nami suddenly felt quite confused.
This fifteen-year-old girl had been duped into stumbling.
On the military ship.
Uehara Naraku was playing with an orange in his hand, idly flipping through the rewards for his missions completed at Cocoyasi Village.
Side Mission: Steal Nami's money (1/1), mission completed, reward 10,000 Life Energy points, reward 10,000 Armament Haki points, 10,000 Observation Haki points.
Side Mission: Plant an orange tree on your own ship (1/1), mission completed, reward 300 Gold Coins.
This is the standard reward from the Newbie Village.
Apart from this, there's also a skill reward.
Side Mission: Taste the oranges from Cocoyasi Village (1/1), mission completed, fixed reward skill Treatment for Scurvy.
Treatment for Scurvy: Consume any citrus fruit to remove all control-type skills and restore 15% of your Life Energy, Armament Haki, and Observation Haki, skill cooldown none, requires consumption of a citrus fruit.
This skill makes it seem like oranges are a potion...
It's just ridiculous.
"Tsk..."
Uehara Naraku played with the orange in his hand, unable to hold back a light chuckle, saying: "Looks like I'll have to visit Cocoyasi Village more often when I'm free."
"Mr. Naraku, I have a question..."
Nico Robin frowned slightly before softly asking: "Are we really going to start a war with one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Jinbe?"
"Of course."
Uehara Naraku tossed the orange in his hand carelessly, saying: "We've promised both Miss Nami and Mr. Crocodile, wouldn't want to break our word to them, right?"
Uehara Naraku threw the orange in his hand to Hoshigaki Kisame, continuing to say: "Get ready! Once we return to the Grand Line, we'll start preparing for Baroque Works to attack Jinbe and take his place!"
"Yes, Lord Uehara."
Hoshigaki Kisame nodded slowly.
Nico Robin spread out her map, whispering: "So, our next stop is the last one, Windmill Village in the East Sea?"
"Hmm, let's head to Windmill Village first!"
Uehara Naraku nodded leisurely.
Actually, there's another place called Siroubu Village, but Captain Cro has not infiltrated it yet… should we just go and listen to Usopp's boasting?
There's also a rather troublesome thing here.
That is, Usopp has a very strange setting, where everything he has boasted about almost always comes true.
Might as well head straight to Windmill Village.
That's a real Newbie Village!
Nico Robin glanced at the map, curiously looking at Uehara Naraku: "Mr. Uehara, is there anything special about that place?"
"Yes."
Uehara Naraku nodded leisurely and said: "That's the hometown of Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp, and his grandson is there too..."
"The Navy Hero Monkey D. Garp?"
Nico Robin's face showed a trace of surprise, and sweat droplets appeared on her forehead: "You wouldn't be planning to raid the Navy Hero's hometown in the name of Baroque Works, would you?"
"What else do you think I'm going to do?"
Uehara Naraku summoned a gust of wind with a wave, saying softly: "Almost forgot to mention, Vice Admiral Garp's grandson is also in his hometown! That guy is the son of the Revolutionary Army leader Monkey D. Dragon."
"..."
Nico Robin fell silent for a few seconds.
Are you afraid Crocodile might die too comfortably?
Considering the situation, if it's exposed that Crocodile is the mastermind behind Baroque Works, that Sand Crocodile can directly forget about Pluto and start looking for a deluxe room in the underwater prison early...
Just raiding the hometown of the Navy Hero Monkey D. Garp would be enough to make it impossible for Crocodile to remain among the Seven Warlords of the Sea; let alone this involves the world's most notorious criminal Dragon!
"Don't overthink it."
Uehara Naraku couldn't help but laugh and say: "The Navy is much darker than you imagine, it's just raiding Windmill Village, the Navy wouldn't care."
Really...
Is it such a big deal!
Nico Robin needs to learn not to take things too seriously.
"Of course, if the Navy doesn't care, surely others will."
Uehara Naraku looked at the distant sunset, chuckling as he continued: "Once our Baroque Works raid of Windmill Village, the hometown of the Navy Hero, spreads, it's bound to shock the world, making a name for Mr. Crocodile!"
Uehara Naraku confidently clenched his fist: "The matter of Windmill Village is far more interesting than you can imagine, far more interesting than you can imagine.
As long as we accomplish this great deed, Mr. Crocodile will definitely walk the path of a king... although this road may be filled with thorns and hardships!"
"..."
Nico Robin's expression turned peculiar.
Did you ask for Crocodile's opinion on this?
"Not right."
Uehara Naraku then turned the ship's bow, saying softly: "We also need to go to a place with a Navy Base, I need to figure out how to get the word out to the Navy that Baroque Works is going to raid the Navy Hero's hometown."
"..."
Nico Robin didn't know what expression she had anymore.
On one side, you're throwing dirt on Crocodile while sneaking around to clean up your own name? Clearly, all of this was done by you!
Can't you just be a decent person!