37 Chapter 37: Little Thief

Following Luo Ning's orders, the warship took unexpected turns, leaving the jailers confused. But they just went with it. To their surprise, Luo Ning even treated them to some fancy food they'd never tasted before.

After leaving port, forget decent meals at sea, right? But with Luo Ning? Fresh fruits, veggies, and all sorts of delicious food. It was way more comfortable than being stuck in that giant prison.

When bored, Luo Ning even taught them how to play poker. Mahjong was out - he didn't know it himself. So, they mostly played a card game called "Fight the Landlord" to keep things interesting.

Basically, sailing with Luo Ning was a breeze. No need to worry about much, and life on board was way better than any other sea voyage they'd been on.

"Captain Luo, pirates up ahead! Cabin Pirates. Captain Cabin's offering a three million bounty!"

Luo Ning spotted his target. The pointer gave him the heads-up, no sweat. Nami must have stolen some treasure from them again.

Nami liked picking on these pirates for two reasons. First, they were loaded. Second, she didn't feel bad swiping their loot.

You gotta hand it to Nami, she hustled hard. Ten years old facing down Arlong, and now at fifteen, still out here risking her neck to steal money. Tough life.

Nami's got brains, but no brawns. Surviving this long, all alone until Luffy showed up, is pure grit and a touch of luck.

"Got it. You guys follow close, I'll handle these fools first!"

Without wasting words, Luo Ning zipped off the deck, a familiar blur to the jailers. Their job was simple: steer the ship in and collect the prisoners.

Thankfully, their vessel was an Impel Down warship, offering a bit more space in the prison hold. But even that was starting to get cramped.

Arriving on the pirate ship, Luo Ning went straight for the main anchor, dropping it with a thud. The pirate vessel lurched to a halt.

"Intruder!"

The pirates on deck erupted in shouts, brandishing their weapons as a stranger materialized and slammed down their anchor. Gunfire erupted, but the bullets never reached Luo Ning. Instead, the pirates crumpled, overcome by a wave of unseen force.

"What the...? Who are you?!"

The commotion on deck drew everyone from below, scrambling out to see the chaos.

And Nami, who was hiding behind Curry, also heard the movement outside.

"What's that racket out there? Not another pirate raid, I hope?"

Nami hadn't witnessed any pirate-on-pirate violence. Stuck in the cabin, she'd nearly finished scooping up all the loot. The plan was to wait for a lull and then make a break for it.

But before she could escape, a fight seemed to erupt outside.

"No need to worry about it," Luo Ning said, unleashing another wave of Reiatsu that sent both pirates and Captain Cabin crashing to the floor.

"Round 'em up!"

Nami, hiding behind Curry in the storage room, couldn't escape Luo Ning's senses. He'd already detected her with his Reiatsu. After ordering the jailers to secure the pirates, he headed straight for the storage room.

"No use hiding. Come out, I know you're in there."

Nami's hiding spot seemed flawless to the naked eye, but Reiatsu wouldn't be fooled. Luo Ning's enhanced body picked up the faint sound of her breathing escaping her ears.

Nami hesitated. Past experience made her wary of trusting strangers, especially those who seemed to know exactly where to find her.

"Alright, Nami, this is no time for games," Luo Ning said, his gaze lingering on the empty space. A moment later, a distinct shuffle came from within the warehouse.

A young orange-haired girl emerged, her eyes wide with disbelief. At fifteen, Nami wasn't yet the curvy woman she'd become, but her beauty was undeniable.

The world wasn't exactly lacking in beautiful women, of course. Look no further than Ivankov, who could turn men into stunning women on a whim. (Seriously, that power is a nightmare – imagine accidentally finding a supermodel and then realizing it used to be a burly pirate!)

Honestly, if Nami wasn't relevant to his goals, Luo Ning wouldn't risk a random search. In short, Ivankov's ability is really terrifying to the extreme.

"How do you know my name?" Nami demanded, her voice laced with suspicion. Maybe she'd been tricked before, but this time, her name hadn't even been mentioned!