Chapter 204

Above her head stretched a sky full of stars.

"Nami, how old are you now?"

"Eighteen."

"Already eighteen… When I last saw you, you looked so small, still a stubborn little crybaby—now you must have grown up a lot…"

Hearing his words, Nami looked down and her cheeks flushed for no reason.

Indeed… she had grown much since then.

"How are Luo Bin and Konis doing?"

Nami turned to look at him and asked.

"Mm, probably better than you imagine."

"Really? That's good."

Nami's eyes curled into a smile.

"The orange tree you gave us is still on our ship—Konis and Luo Bin have taken good care of it. They probably haven't forgotten you either."

Listening to Luo En's words, Nami recalled those days of the past, remembering Luo Bin and Konis's gentle care for her, and her eyes involuntarily grew damp.

"Crying?"

"N-no, I'm not!"

She quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

Luo En smiled faintly.

The night sea breeze carried a chill.

Luo En rested his hands behind his head, his hair stirred by the sea wind, relaxed and at ease.

"Have you decided yet?"

Nami looked at him, puzzled:

"Huh?"

"Have you decided to set sail? As a navigator?"

Nami gazed at him and gave a soft nod, murmuring "Mm."

"In your eyes, are Luffy and the others the best companions for you?"

Luo En's calm voice sounded beside Nami's ear.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Nami's face.

"I… don't know yet, but I feel they're not like ordinary pirates."

"Compared to pirates, the two of them give me a feeling similar to you and your traveling group—pure, yearning for freedom and adventure…"

Nami whispered.

Luo En smiled.

"Indeed."

…………

The first ray of sunlight appeared over the distant sea.

Dawn broke across the sky.

"Nami… Nami…"

Hearing the voice calling beside her ear, the sleeping Nami slowly woke.

"Already morning…?"

She slowly opened her drowsy eyes.

Her vision gradually sharpened.

When she clearly saw the face so close to hers, Nami's eyes widened slowly.

"Luo… Luo En?"

"Hey, good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Y-yeah, fine."

"Then get off me."

Nami looked down and realized half her body had been lying atop him.

Her cheeks instantly flushed red; she hurriedly sat up and moved away.

Luo En sat up, twisted his neck, and a series of cracks echoed.

Nami's cheeks grew even redder.

Last night she'd fallen asleep without realizing—had she really slept on him all night?!

"T-that…"

Before Nami could speak, Luo En stood up and faced the rising sun: "I should be going now."

Nami froze: "Huh? Already leaving?"

"Mm, I still have things to do. I can't let Luo Bin and the others wait too long."

Luo En spoke, drawing a sheathed longsword from the empty air before him and handing it to Nami: "This sword is called Muku. Please deliver it to Zoro for me. Consider it lent to him—how can a swordsman aiming to become a top-tier grand master lack even a decent blade? Tell him to return it to me the next time we meet on the Grand Line."

Nami took the sheathed longsword, staring at him, lips parted but silent.

"We'll meet again on the Grand Line, Nami."

As he spoke, Luo En's form floated upward, then turned into a streak of black light shooting straight into the sky, vanishing in an instant.

Nami held the longsword in her arms, gazing at the sky, her expression hollow with loss.

She had once again let slip the chance to stay by his side…

Last night, if he had just spoken up, he could have taken her away with him...

Clearly, she herself had really wanted to follow by his side...

"Why is that..."

Even Nami herself couldn't figure out the reason.

But probably...

It's because an unknown voyage filled with challenges and difficulties like this is what she yearns for and looks forward to more in her heart.

Before leaving the East Sea, Luo En also stopped by a place along the way.

Luo Ge Town.

When he arrived at Luo Ge Town, he happened to run into a group of Marines arresting a group of pirates.

He had originally not wanted to pay any attention, but after hearing a panicked voice from one of the pirates, he stopped his steps.

"Th-that's the bounty of 140 million Berries, the female swordsman of the Empty Calamity Voyage?!"

"Not good!"

"Why would the female swordsman of the Empty Calamity Voyage join the Marines?!"

The pirates panicked.

Then a very irritated woman's voice rang out.

"I'm not some female swordsman of the Empty Calamity Voyage! The female swordsman of the Empty Calamity Voyage is called Shimotsuki Koshiro—no wait, Kuina! My name is Tashigi, I'm a Marine Headquarters Sergeant!"

"No no no, you absolutely are the female swordsman of the Empty Calamity Voyage. Compared with the photo on this bounty poster, you're clearly exactly the same, you just happen to be wearing an extra pair of glasses."

"Exactly exactly!"

Is this the female Marine from the original story who looks exactly like Kuina, named Tashigi?

It seems she was mistaken for Kuina by this bunch of pirates.

Having understood everything, Luo En found it deeply amusing. Standing not far away, he monitored the commotion over there through Observation Haki and the All-Seeing World.

"No! I'm not the female swordsman of the Empty Calamity Voyage, she and I just happen to look a bit alike! We're two completely different people!"

Tashigi glared at the pirates ahead and said.

"Then you must be Shimotsuki Kuina's twin sister. Who would have thought one became a Marine while the other became a criminal."

A pirate holding a long blade said, looking at her.

"No! I don't have any blood relation with her either!"

Tashigi's voice was on the verge of going crazy.

181, joking? No, I'm serious