NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 9: I Want Both of You!
"Wait."
However, things did not go as Karina had hoped.
Will turned his gaze toward Karina, who was preparing to leave alone. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he spoke in an undeniable tone:
"You seem quite capable as well—an exceptional talent."
"And on my ship, I need people like you."
"So, I want both of you!"
"Huh?!" Karina froze mid-step, her once-radiant smile stiffening in an instant.
Seeing Will's declaration, Nami's smile immediately reappeared on her face. She wasted no time in adding fuel to the fire, enthusiastically praising Karina:
"That's right, that's right! Karina is definitely someone impressive."
"Just look at the whole Torega incident—she obviously has access to information even I didn't know about."
"And in the vast seas, intelligence is invaluable."
Watching Nami fan the flames, Karina understood that escaping alone was no longer an option.
She walked back to Nami's side, raising a hand to gently pinch Nami's shoulder, her face adorned with a warm smile as she "gratefully" said:
"Thank you so much for your praise, little thief cat."
Feeling the increasing pressure on her shoulder, Nami's eye twitched. Unwilling to back down, she also reached out, pinching Karina's shoulder with a similar smile:
"Don't mention it. I should be thanking you too, little vixen!"
The two women locked eyes, foreheads pressing together as they engaged in a silent contest of strength.
For a moment, even Will was entirely ignored.
Yet, he paid no mind to their spat. Instead, his gaze shifted toward a pirate lying motionless on the ground nearby. His voice was calm but carried a chilling edge:
"Alright, get up."
"Letting you linger in this world a few extra minutes was the last mercy I had for you."
The man remained motionless, his breathing suppressed to the lowest possible level—but it was still futile before Will's keen perception.
"Huh? Someone's still alive?!"
Both Karina and Nami broke their deadlock and turned toward the pirate Will was staring at in shock.
There, lying on the ground, was a bald pirate. Even after Will's words, he showed no signs of movement.
"Looks like you don't want to leave with dignity."
Will's face remained expressionless as he took a slow step forward:
"In that case, let me grant you a proper send-off."
The supposedly dead bald pirate, hearing the approaching footsteps, felt his heart pound wildly, his breathing growing erratic.
Realizing that his attempt to play dead had failed—and that the demon-like man was closing in—
The pressure was unbearable.
Finally, he bolted upright, screaming in terror at Will, who was steadily approaching:
"D-Don't come any closer!"
Will ignored him.
Panicked, the bald pirate desperately scrambled backward on the ground, his face twisted in fear as he shouted:
"The treasure! Those two women stole—it's all yours! Everything is yours!"
"And the loot on that ship by the shore—it's all yours too! I don't want any of it! Just spare my life!"
Hearing this, Will furrowed his brow and scolded him:
"Fool. Killing you means the treasure is mine anyway."
The bald pirate froze, realizing that Will's logic was flawless. Terrified, he had no counterargument.
Soru!
Seeing his prey freeze in place, Will, ever merciful, decided not to prolong his suffering. In a flash, he appeared before the pirate.
Boom!
With a single punch, Will sent him into eternal rest, ensuring it was painless.
Having dealt with the last straggler, Will slowly turned back to the two women standing nearby.
The moment Nami and Karina saw Will looking their way, they instantly flashed their sweetest smiles, their bodies instinctively tensing, eyes filled with loyalty.
Will watched them with amused interest for a moment before finally speaking:
"Alright, lead the way."
"Let's check out that pirate ship and the treasure they have on board."
"Treasure?!"
The tension in Nami and Karina's hearts instantly eased, replaced by a glimmer of anticipation.
Without another word, the three of them left the lifeless pirates behind.
Nami and Karina took the lead, guiding Will toward the shore.
Upon arrival, they spotted a medium-sized pirate ship anchored near the coastline.
A handful of pirates were lazily lounging around, drinking and chatting as if they had nothing to fear.
Will was about to make his move—
But before he could act, Nami and Karina had already dashed forward, swiftly climbing up the rope ladder onto the ship.
In perfect coordination, the two easily dispatched the pirates on board.
A flicker of satisfaction flashed through Will's eyes as he strolled up to the ship's side.
With a single leap, he landed smoothly on the deck.
Watching the two women tie up the defeated pirates, Will couldn't help but remark:
"Seems like if it weren't for that chain-wielding guy, you two wouldn't have been forced to flee to this island in the first place."
Nami tightened the rope, secured her staff at her waist, and smirked proudly:
"Of course! I've been sailing alone for years. If I didn't have any self-defense skills, I would've ended up at the bottom of the ocean long ago."
"Ushishishi~." Karina chuckled, crossing her arms with a confident expression:
"Honestly, even if we hadn't run into you, I probably would've found a way to escape from their pursuit sooner or later."
"I'm not some delicate damsel—I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve."
She then turned to Nami with a smirk:
"Of course, I can't guarantee this one's safety."
"Hmph." Nami crossed her arms, retorting with a slightly mocking tone:
"Big words, fox lady. Easy to talk after the fact. I could've gotten both of us out of there, too."
"Ushishishi, fair enough."
Karina didn't press the matter further and simply smiled helplessly:
"At the end of the day, we both got saved by him and ended up 'voluntarily' becoming his crew members."
Will stood by the ship's railing, listening to their casual banter but choosing not to interject.
He wasn't displeased by Karina's words.
After all, in the original story, she had indeed found a way to escape—taking Nami with her in the process.
That was precisely why he had chosen to recruit Karina as well.
Her wit and intelligence in gathering information might just come in handy in the future.
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