Chapter 49: Thief Cat

Gao Wen’s expression froze.

Princess!

Princess!

I’m the damn princess!

“Hahahahahaha~”

The pirates slowly gathering around couldn’t hold back—they burst out laughing.

Even Akin, who usually wore a cold expression, turned his head away, struggling hard to control his emotions.

But the slight upward curve of his lips betrayed his true feelings.

Nami eyed everyone suspiciously:

“What’s going on?”

Keluo glanced at Gao Wen almost imperceptibly and explained:

“Nothing. We all just really love this movie.”

“Really?”

Nami’s eyes lit up, and she immediately pulled Keluo aside to discuss the plot in detail.

When she got emotional, her eyes turned red and unbidden tears streamed down her face.

…

So you actually like it?

No, what’s so great about this stuff?

Seeing this, Gao Wen didn’t know where to begin his complaints. Noticing the pirates around him trying hard not to laugh, he simply walked into the cabin.

But Nami dragged Keluo into a hours-long discussion—from the movie to the novel, even to the merchandise.

Keluo’s expression shifted from stifled laughter to indifference, then finally to utter numbness—he became nothing but a nodding puppet.

They talked until late into the night before Nami finally stopped.

Keluo had just sighed in relief when Nami’s voice came again:

“Deputy captain, you’re not pretending to be a fan—you really love this movie.”

“Let’s do it again tomorrow.”

Keluo stumbled, his voice weak:

“As long as you’re happy.”

…

Night deepened.

Under the crew’s guidance, Nami entered the room assigned to her.

Creak~

The door opened.

Revealing a modest, plain room.

A desk facing the porthole, a single bed, and a writing desk aligned with the bow, piled high with navigation-related books.

The dim yellow oil lamp flickered with the ship’s sway, its warm glow casting across Nami’s face, revealing her complex expression.

The crewman beside her, noticing her slight surprise, explained:

“This is the captain’s specially prepared room for the navigator. But since there are no other vacant rooms, we’ve temporarily assigned it to you. If you don’t like it, I can ask the captain to move you.”

“No.”

“I like it.”

The crewman nodded, gave Nami a few more reminders, then turned to leave.

After a quick wash, Nami sat on the bed, running her hand over the soft, dry quilt, then turned to gaze out the window.

Lost in thought.

…

The next few days.

Nami officially became part of Gao Wen’s crew.

She was already a notorious thief from the East Blue, and social skills were among the most vital foundations of her trade.

Over these days, she extracted from the crew every detail except the identities of Gao Wen and his two companions, and their recent experiences.

“A pirate captain who treats his men with warmth and mercy, never harming civilians, yet betrayed by his own crew at the most dangerous moment—forced to draw his sword in self-defense…”

“A deputy captain who fought for over a decade, longing to become an ordinary man, to live a quiet, stable life, yet never able to achieve it—one a pirate, always a pirate…”

“A loyal subordinate who took a blade for his leader, only to be callously discarded…”

Recalling her own recent experiences, Nami’s gaze grew increasingly complex.

But as the faces of her village flashed before her eyes, her heart gradually hardened.

She had once considered inciting the two pirate crews to fight each other—but these days spent among them had made her abandon the idea.

In her view, Gao Wen and his crew had no chance against A Long—facing him would only mean certain death.

But now.

She no longer wanted to watch them die.

Whoo—!

With a blast of the whistle,

the pirate ship steadied. Nami, feigning illness, stayed aboard while Keluo went ashore with others to purchase supplies.

Watching the group slowly vanish into the harbor, she followed the intelligence she’d gathered from the crew over the past days, knocked out the guard at the door, and slipped quietly into the treasure storage.

What lay inside did not disappoint her.

A dazzling array of gems, glittering gold.

Even without counting, she could accurately judge their value—beyond imagination.

After securing the treasure, Nami was about to leave—but then the faces of Gao Wen and his two companions surfaced in her mind. She glanced at the weather over the harbor, then hurried back to her room.

After leaving a letter for the three of them, she took the treasure, changed into men’s clothing, and slipped away quietly.

…

In the harbor.

Gao Wen and his two companions stared blankly at Nami’s retreating back.

Akin and Keluo were seasoned veterans; Gao Wen had seen through Nami’s plan from the start—how could he miss such a clumsy act?

“Captain, I don’t understand why you’re tolerating this woman so much?”

Keluo looked at Gao Wen, his tone teasing:

“Have you fallen for the young lady instead of the princess?”

“If you mention that again, I’ll cut you in half!”

Gao Wen’s lip twitched—he could barely hold back the urge to draw his blade.

He immediately led the two back aboard, pushed open the navigator’s door, and found a letter on the desk.

The letter was extremely simple—only two lines:

“Tomorrow night, eleven thirty, Diyagang. Storm incoming. Leave immediately after completing the purchase. As thanks, I’m taking the ship’s treasure~”

At the end, she’d even drawn a cute windmill.

Keluo read the letter and instantly understood:

“This woman is the navigator you’re looking for?”

“Forgive me, but if there’s one position on this ship that demands the most experience, it’s the navigator.”

“The sea is unpredictable—even the most precise calculations can go wrong. To predict down to the minute?”

“Impossible!”

Keluo shook his head:

“She’s only fifteen or sixteen. When I first sailed, she was still an infant.”

He glanced at Gao Wen again:

“You’re still chasing the princess.”

“I swear to—!”

Gao Wen’s eyes turned red—he lunged for his blade, but Akin moved fast, grabbing his wrist:

“Captain, don’t!”

“Hmph!”

Gao Wen sheathed his blade with a dark face and said coldly:

“She won’t get away.”

Then he turned to Keluo:

“Let’s make a bet. We stay here one day. If there really is a storm tomorrow night, you wash everyone’s socks.”

“For a month!”

Akin gasped, glancing between Gao Wen and Keluo:

“Isn’t the captain playing a bit too hard?”

“Done!”

Keluo didn’t wait for Gao Wen to refuse—he agreed instantly.

I simply don’t believe a girl of just over ten could reach such a high level in navigation!

To estimate the storm is one thing, but to predict its exact arrival time?!

Gao Wen, I’m waiting for you to wash my socks!

(End of Chapter)