One Piece: The sky is azure, I just time-traveled today.

Page 60

Time slipped by unnoticed, and three months passed in the blink of an eye.

Under Robin's guidance, Nami gathered a lot of information, but she was still unable to uncover the protector behind Arlong.

Liu Jiu, on the other hand, referenced the original work. The person behind him seemed to be called Colonel Rat, but he showed no intention of interfering at all.

That evening, Nami suddenly had a bold idea.

"What if I make a deal with Arlong?" Nami's eyes lit up. "If I can gather 100 million Berries, maybe the person behind him will show up!"

Kuina nearly spat out the water she had just drunk, and Robin also looked helpless.

"You silly child..." Kuina sighed, "Why did we come back to this again?"

But after a moment of contemplation, Robin's eyes suddenly lit up: "Wait... this idea might work."

Kuina raised an eyebrow: "Are you serious?"

"Think about it," Robin analyzed, "the temptation of 100 million Berries is quite tempting. If the Arlong Pirates actually receive that huge sum of money one day, will the person behind it really sit still? If they dare to show their face, we can wipe them all out, and..."

She looked at Nami: "Some pirate crews on the high seas are indeed incredibly wealthy. If things go smoothly, we might be able to raise that much money in a short time."

Kuina nodded thoughtfully: "In that case, we'll hand over the money, then deal with the Arlong Pirates and take it back. That way, we'll have a reason to act."

Nami was overjoyed to see that they supported the plan.

A few days later, in the hall of Arlong Park, Nami stood nervously in front of Arlong.

"You want to make a deal with me?" The dragon looked down at the audacious little girl, its jagged nose gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

"Yes." Nami tried to appear calm. "I will gather 100 million Berries and buy the freedom of Cocoyasi Village."

The dragon let out a deafening laugh: "Interesting! Then let's see what happens!"

He gestured to his men to bring tattooing tools: "But since you're going to do business with me, you need some kind of mark."

Nami looked at the tattoo needle in horror, but thinking of the plan, she gritted her teeth and stretched out her arm.

That night, she ran back to the cabin crying, the prominent Arlong Pirates tattoo on her arm particularly glaring.

"He...he said this is proof of the deal...but does that mean I'm being forced to join the Arlong Pirates?!" Nami sobbed.

Kuina examined her arm, her eyes icy: "Those merman bastards... this debt will be settled sooner or later."

Robin sighed softly and pulled Nami into her arms. "You've had a tough time. Just bear with it for now. Once your plan is successfully completed, all of this will be fine. Next, you'll be starting to make money, and Kuina and I will be there for you."

Nami wiped away her tears and nodded firmly.

"Okay! I understand!"

Chapter 66 Setting sail to rob pirates

The next morning, Kuina and Robin accompanied Nami onto the small boat. A gentle sea breeze blew as the sailboat slowly sailed away from Cocoyasi Village.

"Uncle, aren't you coming along?" Nami turned to look at the shore.

Guina adjusted the sails: "He said he had something to take care of."

Robin glanced thoughtfully at the distant horizon, where nothing was. But she could sense that a pair of eyes were watching them.

The small boat sailed at sea for half a day. Nami studied the route carefully, Kuina kept watch, and Robin browsed through her books.

"Pirate ship spotted ahead," Kuina suddenly announced.

A ship flying the skull and crossbones flag is approaching. The hull is dilapidated, and the deck is crowded with menacing-looking pirates.

"Prepare for battle." Kuina gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.

Liu Jiu lay on his small boat, maintaining a perfect distance from Nami and the others' boat ahead. His boat moved at a moderate speed, keeping the three figures within his field of vision at all times.

Soon, he saw Kuina easily subdue a small pirate ship, while Nami excitedly looted the treasure.

When Nami excitedly counted a bag of Berries, her excitement was so great that even the Pirate King Roger would have to admit defeat!

Those eyes were filled with gold coins…

…（$∞$）…

Pelé's symbol!

Liu Jiu's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile.

On the third day, they encountered a sudden storm. Amidst the towering waves, Liu Jiu's small boat remained as steady as a rock. He saw Nami standing at the bow, accurately determining the safe course simply by feeling the sea breeze; her eyes gleamed in the lightning.

"Just like... Spark Jabba, the real man on Roger's ship, the Oro Jackson, a born navigator." He muttered to himself.

Two weeks later, they stumbled into a reef area.

While other pirate ships ran aground, Nami skillfully maneuvered her small boat among the reefs.

Robin easily seized the trapped pirates' treasure using her abilities, without even drawing Kuina's sword.

This behavior provoked a barrage of curses from the pirates!

Liu Jiu gazed into the distance, recalling how outstanding the navigators on Roger's ship were.

A month later, Nami had already amassed her first million Berries. A sly smile would appear on her face whenever she tallied her spoils. Once, she deliberately took a longer route, causing two pursuing pirate ships to collide with each other.

"A cunning little fox." A hint of a smile flashed across Liu Jiu's eyes.

Three months later, they set their sights on a large pirate ship. Kuina launched a frontal assault, Robin secretly subdued the gunners, and Nami seized the opportunity to sneak into the ship's hold. As they left with a chest full of treasure, Liu Jiu noticed that Nami casually took the captain's treasured sea chart.

Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

Liu Jiu watched Nami grow from being initially flustered and clumsy to now being able to handle things on her own. Her navigation skills became increasingly refined, and she could even predict changes in ocean currents. Once, she deliberately lured a pirate ship into a whirlpool, seizing all the treasure without bloodshed.

That evening, Nami stood at the bow of the ship, tallying up her gains from the past six months. The setting sun turned her orange hair golden, and the tattoos on her arms stood out prominently in the afterglow.

Liu Jiu's gaze lingered on the tattoo for a moment.

He knew that the most dangerous moment was fast approaching.

Nami excitedly unfolded a yellowed sea chart, pointing to a marked location: "Look at this! 'The Weeping Reef of Crescent Bay,' legend says the 'Tide Queen's' treasure is hidden there!"

Kuina leaned closer for a better look: "Is this nautical chart reliable? Maybe some drunkard made it up again."

"Absolutely reliable!" Nami confidently pointed to the details on the nautical chart. "Only a seasoned navigator could draw these current markers and reef distributions. And..."

She lowered her voice mysteriously, "I've compared the tide records for the past three years, and this location is indeed very special."

Robin gently stroked the ancient patterns on the edge of the nautical chart: "This emblem... I think I've seen it in some historical document. It's said that the 'Queen of the Tides' was a legendary female pirate from a hundred years ago who specialized in raiding the ships of slave traders."

"So... the treasure really is there?!" Kuina immediately perked up. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go now!"

Nami pulled out an exquisite compass: "I've calculated it. If we set off now, we'll catch the high tide on the night of the full moon. Legend says that only then will the passage to the treasure open."

"That sounds dangerous," Robin said thoughtfully, "but...it's definitely worth a try."

The three exchanged a smile, and the small boat immediately changed direction.

Liu Jiu, watching from a distance, noticed the change in course and frowned slightly. He unfolded his collection of nautical charts and drew a circle around Crescent Bay. The bay was notorious for its treacherous currents and unpredictable weather; even experienced sailors dared not approach it lightly.

"They certainly know how to pick a spot." He scoffed, adjusted the sail ropes, and followed.

During the voyage, Nami constantly adjusted the course. She would sometimes observe the clouds, sometimes measure the water temperature, and once even scooped up a handful of seaweed with her bare hands and smelled it carefully.

"There's an undercurrent ahead!" she suddenly shouted. "Hard starboard!"

The small boat narrowly avoided a whirlpool.

Kuina looked at the wrecked ship in the whistle and whistled, "Looks like quite a few people have perished here."

Robin calmly analyzed from the side, "Based on the size and speed of the whirlpool, at least twenty ships have sunk here."

The closer we got to Crescent Bay, the more erratic the sea conditions became. The seemingly calm surface was occasionally whipped up by huge waves; the compass in my hand spun wildly, as if something was interfering with the magnetic field.

"This is it!" Nami pointed to three crescent-shaped rocks ahead. "When the moon is high in the sky, the tide will recede, revealing the entrance."

Night fell, and the full moon hung high in the sky. As the moonlight shone on the rocks, a miracle occurred—the seawater slowly receded, revealing the entrance to a hidden cave.

"This is amazing!" Nami was the first to jump off the boat.

Kuina gripped the hilt of her sword and followed closely behind, while Robin cautiously observed their surroundings.

Liu Jiu anchored his boat at a distance, his gaze sharp as an eagle's. He noticed numerous signs of human intervention on the rock walls surrounding the cave, and... it was too quiet. This place should be teeming with seabirds.

Someone must have tried to get in using other methods.

Just then, he heard Nami's startled cry from deep within the cave:

"Oh my god! Look!"

Nami was the first to rush into the depths of the cave, her lantern illuminating the scene ahead—

Piles of gold coins were stacked like small mountains, jewel-encrusted crowns gleamed under the lights, and ancient silverware was neatly arranged in wooden boxes, each piece priceless.

"I'm rich!" Her eyes lit up, and she rushed to the nearest box of gold coins.

Just as her fingers were about to touch the gold coin, Robin suddenly shouted sharply, "Don't move!"

But Nami couldn't stop herself, her fingertips lightly brushing against a gold coin.

"Crack—"

A soft click came from underground.

The entire cave suddenly shook violently, and rubble fell from the rock walls. At the previously open entrance, a heavy stone door crashed down, completely blocking any escape route.

"Oh no! It's a trap!" Kuina immediately drew her sword to warn everyone.

Chapter 67 The Tide Queen's Treasure

Liu Jiu stood before the collapsed stone door, reaching out to touch the cold rock. The heavy stone door was tightly sealed, clearly not something an ordinary person could open.

He listened intently and heard faint sounds of mechanisms turning and Nami's exclamation.

"It should... be fine, right?" he muttered to himself.

After all, Kuina's Haki has already achieved some success, and Robin's abilities are sufficient to handle most situations. As for Nami... she seems much more clever than expected.

He found a flat rock to sit on and began to slowly and meticulously maintain his knife. The blade gleamed coldly in the moonlight, reflecting his calm face.

Occasionally, the sounds of metal clanging and Nami's excited shouts could be heard coming from inside the cave, indicating that they were making good progress.

"Consider it a learning experience for them," he thought.