One Piece: With Sign-in System

By evening, Conis had learned the tragic backstory of Nami and Nojiko—orphans of war, adopted by a kind foster mother who later lost her life at the hands of the Arlong Pirates. Now, the two sisters lived on their own, relying on their orange grove to make a living. However, a large portion of their income was regularly extorted by the very same pirate crew.

Knowing all this, Conis couldn't help but feel deep pity and sympathy for the two sisters. Her heart also burned with anger at the ruthless Arlong Pirates.

When Nami and Nojiko left to heat some water, Conis turned to Robin, who sat calmly at the table sipping tea. With a rare display of frustration on her face, Conis said, "I can't believe the Arlong Pirates are this despicable! Robin, we have to help them drive those pirates away!"

"Calm down," Robin replied, her tone steady as always.

Having endured the tragedy of Ohara, where she lost both her family and her homeland, Robin had seen more suffering than most could imagine. This gave her a profound understanding of the harsh realities of the world.

"We'll discuss it with Ron first," she said decisively.

"Discuss what with me?"

The two women looked up and saw Ron standing on the stairs. He wore simple black pants and a white long-sleeved shirt, his casual appearance resembling that of an ordinary young man next door.

Conis quickly recounted the situation to Ron in just a few sentences.

After listening, Ron nodded lightly. "I see."

"Captain, you agree that the Arlong Pirates are horrible, don't you? Let's get rid of them as soon as possible!" Conis said eagerly, her enthusiasm palpable.

Ron pulled out a chair and sat down next to Robin. His expression remained calm as he spoke. "If the three of you are confident you can take on a pirate captain with a 20-million-Berry bounty and his crew, then by all means, go ahead. But if things go wrong, don't expect me to step in this time."

"...Huh?"

Conis was stunned, her earlier excitement fading into hesitation.

Robin turned to Ron and asked, "What's your take on this? Do you think we should help them?"

Ron picked up a cup of water and took a sip.

"We can help," he said.

Conis's eyes lit up with hope, but Ron's next words quickly extinguished her enthusiasm.

"But I won't get involved."

Conis's face froze in disbelief.

"These guys don't interest me," Ron continued, placing the cup back on the table. He looked directly at Conis and said, "If you decide to take on the Arlong Pirates, consider it my way of testing your current abilities. If you truly believe in your strength, go ahead and drive them off—or eliminate them."

Robin, understanding his intent, smiled slightly and added, "Alternatively, we could focus on gathering intelligence and building our strength. We can wait until we're absolutely certain we can win without relying on you. Is that what you mean?"

Ron smiled back at her. "Exactly."

Over the next few days, Nami, Conis, and Robin grew much closer. Nami started affectionately calling them "Sister Conis" and "Sister Robin."

Her attitude toward Ron, however, remained the same—she addressed him simply by name.

This period turned out to be one of the happiest times for Nami since the loss of her foster mother, Belmère.

…

One day, Ron was soaking in a wooden tub in the bathroom, enjoying a rare moment of relaxation.

Suddenly, Nami's voice came from outside the door.

"Hey… can you talk with me for a bit?"

Ron opened his eyes, activating his Haki to perceive the situation outside. Instantly, he visualized young Nami leaning against the bathroom door, her figure vividly clear in his mind.

"Go ahead," he said.

"When are you planning to leave this place?" Nami asked softly, still leaning against the door.

"When spring arrives next year."

"Spring, huh…" Nami murmured, her tone faint.

Inside the bathroom, Ron tilted his head slightly, catching a hint of reluctance in her voice.

Does she want us to stay a bit longer?

"Is life on the sea fun?" Nami asked after a moment.

"It's a lot of fun. Are you thinking of going out to sea too?" Ron replied.

Nami lowered her voice, saying, "I'd rather earn money than go to sea. I want to be as wealthy as you all."

Ron noticed the shift in her emotions and quickly deduced what might be on her mind. Closing his eyes again, he asked calmly, "Why are you so desperate to earn money?"

Nami didn't respond right away.

After a long pause, she took a deep breath and finally spoke.

"If you're the captain… does that mean Sister Conis and Sister Robin will always listen to you?"

"Yes," Ron replied simply.

"Then… I think you all should leave by the end of this month."

Ron's eyes flashed with surprise. "Why?"

Leaning her head back against the door, Nami said softly, "Next month, when the snow melts and it gets warmer, those Arlong pirates will come again. They'll take your money and your ship.

"So… it's better if you leave this month."

Her voice lowered even more. "Thank you… for everything during this time."

After saying this, Nami quickly bowed her head and walked away, her steps hurried.

Under an orange tree, Nojiko found Nami sitting there, hugging her knees to her chest.

"So, you're hiding here," Nojiko said gently.

Looking up at her sister, Nami couldn't hold back her tears any longer. They streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"Nojiko, I'm sorry… I just can't do it. I don't want Sister Conis and Sister Robin to hate me," Nami cried, her voice filled with guilt and anguish.

"I know that saving the village and everyone's lives is more important, but I'm so selfish… I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

On the day Ron and his crew had arrived, Nami had discussed her plans with Nojiko that night. She had proposed deceiving Ron and his companions to steal their money or even secretly contacting the Arlong Pirates to rob them of their wealth and ship.

But Nojiko had persuaded her otherwise.

After spending more time with Ron, Conis, and Robin, Nami's resolve had wavered.

Since Belmère's death, she hadn't met anyone who treated her and Nojiko so well.

Now, the thought of betraying Conis and Robin, two kind and warm-hearted women who had shown her so much kindness, was unbearable for Nami.

After all, this young Nami hadn't yet experienced the harsh realities of the sea. She hadn't grown into the infamous "Witch of Cocoyasi Village," who could betray friends for the sake of money.

Looking at her sister, who was crying uncontrollably, Nojiko couldn't help but feel her own tears welling up. She knelt down and gently hugged Nami.

"It's okay. It's okay, Nami. You've done enough," Nojiko whispered, her voice trembling.

"We can always earn more money later. Let's just pretend none of this ever happened this winter, alright?"

In Nojiko's arms, Nami nodded vigorously, still sobbing. "Next spring… when spring comes, I'll go out to sea and earn money! I'll… I'll bring back Hundred Million Berries next time! I swear!"

Inside the house, Ron sat silently in the bathtub.

Having overheard everything with his Observation Haki, he slowly opened his eyes, his expression unreadable.

In the following days, the winter snow gradually melted, and some villagers went out to fish. They spotted the Traveler's Ship, and soon, news about the outsiders reached the village.

….

A pirate from the Arlong Pirates rushed to Arlong.

"Outsiders have arrived at the village?"

Arlong, the fishman with a long, sharp saw-like nose, narrowed his eyes.

"Tell me everything in detail."

After the human pirate explained everything—the ship and the villagers' report about seeing one man, two women, and a Dugong—Arlong ordered his subordinates, "Kuroobi,Hatchan, you two go aboard that ship and see if there's anything valuable."

"Understood."

Soon, Hatchan and Kuroobi returned to Arlong Park.

"Captain, we can't get in."

Hatchna scratched his head.

"Eh?"

Arlong frowned.

Kuroobi explained, "There's a kind of light shield, like a bubble, protecting the ship. We couldn't break through."

"Nonsense! How could something like that exist?"

Arlong was having a hard time believing it. This kind of weapon was completely unknown to him.

"If you don't believe it, boss, you can see for yourself."

Hatchan looked at him.

Arlong decided to go check it out himself.

When he arrived, he saw that the ship was indeed surrounded by a light shield, completely impervious to cannonballs and blades.

"How is this possible…"

Arlong's face darkened.

Kuroobi reminded him, "Captain, could it be the power of a Devil Fruit?"

"You mean… someone inside that ship is using a Devil Fruit power?" Arlong squinted at the unbreakable ship, considering the possibility. "It's not impossible."

"Chew, you stay here and keep an eye on the ship. Hatchan, Kuroobi, take some men with me and go capture those outsiders. I don't believe we can't get into that ship."

Arlong's eyes gleamed with malice as he spoke.

That day, he led the Arlong Pirates in a search for the outsiders through Cocoyasi Village.

As the village's resident guard, Aken, heard the news, he suddenly remembered something Nojiko had said to him during a previous training session. She had mentioned "guests."

A cold sweat broke out on Aken's body as he immediately jumped on his bicycle and rushed toward the village outskirts, toward the orange grove.

When Aken arrived at the orange grove, he saw Nojiko trimming the branches and, standing next to her, a tall and slender woman in a white fur coat—clearly an outsider—was Robin.

"Nojiko!"

Aken shouted, pushing his bicycle toward them.

Nojiko looked up and smiled when she saw him. "Ah, Aken, long time no see! What's the matter?"

Aken, looking panicked, quickly spoke to her. "This is bad, Arlong is searching for those outsiders in the village."

Nojiko was momentarily stunned by the news, and Robin narrowed her eyes.

"Anyway…"

Aken glanced at Robin standing beside Nojiko. "You should quickly hide your guests."

Before he could finish speaking, a chilling voice suddenly interrupted him from behind.

"Ah, we found them."

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