One Piece: Star Sea Legend

Chapter 16: Promises and Beginnings

“Our guns were destroyed by the weapon he threw over!”

“Did you see that? The guy with the straw hat deflected the bullets, and his legs stretched so far. Another monster has appeared!”

“Indeed, the companions of monsters are also monsters. One guy with strange weapons is already hard to deal with, and now there’s this straw hat guy. Captain, we’re no match for them!”

The marines panicked as Qin Ming and Luffy quickly resolved the hostage crisis.

This time, Captain Morgan didn’t scold his subordinates. His swollen, pig-like face darkened as he stared at Luffy. “That kid isn’t ordinary. He must have eaten one of the legendary Devil Fruits!”

Turning to Qin Ming, Morgan continued, “Earlier, you managed to recover from near-fatal injuries. That must have been because of a Devil Fruit too, right?”

Qin Ming didn’t respond to Morgan’s words, but he thought to himself, “He looks like an idiot, but he’s not completely clueless.”

“The legendary treasure of the sea?”

“The power that deflected the bullets earlier must also be from a Devil Fruit.”

“No wonder that injured guy is so hard to deal with. He’s also a Devil Fruit user.”

“How can we possibly face two Devil Fruit users at the same time?”

The surrounding marines, hearing Morgan’s words, looked at Luffy and Qin Ming with fear and caution.

“What are you all panicking for? If guns don’t work, then use swords to cut them down!”

Morgan waved his hand, ordering the marines to charge at Qin Ming and Luffy.

“Hold them off for me. I’ll go rescue the others!”

Luffy glanced at the charging marines and spoke to Qin Ming while quickly running towards Zoro with his three swords.

“Damn it, I’m injured. You should give Zoro’s swords to me and let me rescue him instead!”

Qin Ming was speechless. Before he could even complain, he heard Nami’s voice: “Idiot! What are you standing around for? Come and save me!”

The marines near Nami, though their guns had been destroyed by Qin Ming’s nunchaku, still had their swords. A dozen sword-wielding marines against an unarmed woman would be a laughingstock if they couldn’t handle her.

Facing the marines charging at her with swords, Nami decisively called out to Qin Ming for help.

“Ugh, I can’t split myself in two. You think I’m some kind of god?”

Qin Ming punched away a marine charging towards Luffy and shouted to Nami, “Try to get closer to me! Hold on for a bit!”

“You’re telling a defenseless woman to hold on while being chased by a dozen vicious men?”

Nami bared her teeth and yelled at Qin Ming, “Are you even a man?”

“Seriously? You’re less than twenty meters away from me. Is it that hard to run over here? Why do I have to go to you? What’s your deal?”

Qin Ming had no idea what Nami was feeling. Not long ago, she had thought Qin Ming was about to die from gunfire, and her heart had shattered. An indescribable pain had weighed heavily on her, lingering in her mind.

Now that she saw Qin Ming alive and well, for some reason, she just wanted him by her side. Only then could she truly feel that Qin Ming was still alive, still in her world.

Unfortunately, Qin Ming wasn’t a mind reader, and he was busy being surrounded. He had no time to decipher a woman’s thoughts.

“Captain! That straw hat guy is untying Zoro!”

The marines noticed Luffy’s actions and quickly reported to Morgan.

“Stop him!”

Morgan knew how powerful Zoro was. If Zoro was freed, even with his overconfidence, he didn’t think he could handle Luffy, Zoro, and Qin Ming all at once. He was getting desperate.

But with Qin Ming blocking the way, Morgan, despite his anxiety, couldn’t lead the marines to Luffy in time.

While intercepting the marines, Qin Ming also kept an eye on Nami. When she was about seven meters away from him, something fell from her hand. She seemed oblivious to the marines chasing her and turned back to pick it up.

As Nami bent down to retrieve the fallen item, the marines caught up and raised their swords to strike her.

“Stupid woman! What are you doing?!”

Seeing Nami about to be cut down, Qin Ming panicked. He dashed forward with lightning speed, pulled Nami into his arms, and delivered a spinning kick that knocked the marines back.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

Qin Ming genuinely felt that Nami was acting strange today, completely unlike her usual clever self. Instead, she seemed a bit foolish.

“Listen up! If you’re tired of living, don’t flaunt it in front of me. If you want to die, go die somewhere else!”

Seeing Nami so careless with her life, risking it just to pick up something, Qin Ming was furious. He scolded her mercilessly.

As Qin Ming berated Nami, Zoro, tied to the wooden post, kept urging Luffy: “Hey, hurry up!”

Luffy, however, was pouting and complaining: “Huff, this is so hard to untie. Damn, these ropes are really tight.”

“Uh, I passed out earlier. What exactly…”

Koby, who had fainted when he saw Luffy get shot, had just woken up. Before he could finish his sentence, he saw a large group of marines charging at them with swords. His eyes nearly popped out of his head as he shouted, “Lu… Luffy! Mr. Zoro! Danger!”

“Wait a second, you’re so noisy.”

Luffy seemed completely unaware of the marines charging at them with swords. He was still leisurely untying Zoro’s ropes.

“Do I have time to wait now?”

Poor Zoro was being driven mad by Luffy’s unbearable slowness.

“Don’t worry, with Qin Ming here, we’re safe. No one will bother us.”

Luffy calmly reassured Zoro, completely oblivious to the marines getting closer and closer to his side.

“Qin Ming, is that his name?”

Zoro asked Luffy, “Don’t you know he’s injured? How can he hold off the marines like this?”

Blocked by the marines, Zoro couldn’t see that Qin Ming had left to save Nami. He thought Qin Ming was struggling because of his injuries.

“What? He’s injured? How did that happen? Who hurt him?”

Luffy, wearing his red vest, was shocked. Then he said something that nearly made Zoro lose his mind: “I saw his back was all red. I thought he just liked wearing red clothes like me, so he dyed his back red.”

“You idiot! That’s blood! Blood stained his clothes red! Now hurry up and untie me!”

After a brief conversation with Luffy, Zoro was on the verge of a breakdown.

“Okay, I get it. We need to help him quickly! But which of these three swords is yours?”

Luffy finally sped up untying Zoro, his expression turning serious.

“All three swords are mine. I use three swords.”

Zoro glanced at the three swords on Luffy’s back and explained.

“So, you’ve decided to join us and fight against the marines, against the government?”

Luffy grinned at Zoro: “If you don’t join us, I won’t untie you. You can fend for yourself. I need to go help Qin Ming.”

“Are you a demon?”

Zoro’s sharp eyes bore into Luffy as he spoke word by word: “Fine, rather than die here, I might as well try being a pirate with you!”

“Great! You’ve finally agreed to join us!”

Luffy’s face lit up with a bright smile, while Zoro was on the verge of losing his patience: “Now that you know, hurry up and untie me! The marines are almost here!”

“You’re a lot like Qin Ming, always in a rush. Look, I’ve already untied one of your hands.”

As Luffy spoke, the marines were almost upon them. Zoro couldn’t stand Luffy’s unnerving calmness any longer. He stretched out his newly freed left hand and shouted, “You idiot, give me the swords!”

As Zoro shouted, the marines raised their swords and swung at them.

“Anyone who defies me will die!”

Morgan, slowly walking towards them, saw his men about to strike Luffy and Zoro. Confident that they were doomed, he declared with authority.

Morgan, who had been brutally beaten by Qin Ming just minutes ago and was barely recognizable, didn’t dare confront Qin Ming again. He decided to deal with the “softer targets,” Luffy and Zoro, to regain some confidence before taking on Qin Ming.

Most importantly, Qin Ming, now enraged by Nami, radiated an intimidating aura that made Morgan, who had already suffered at his hands, too scared to approach.

Unfortunately, Morgan made a fatal mistake. Luffy and Zoro were far more dangerous than Qin Ming at this moment.

Koby, seeing Zoro and Luffy about to be struck by the marines, was so terrified he couldn’t even speak.

The marines swung their swords at Zoro and Luffy, but their blades were blocked by Zoro.

Clang!

Zoro, with two swords in his hands and one clenched between his teeth, stood firmly in a classic three-sword style stance, blocking the dozen swords coming at him.

“Roronoa Zoro!”

Morgan, his face swollen, broke into a cold sweat as he saw Zoro easily block the marines’ attacks.

“Wow, that’s so cool!”

Luffy, seeing Zoro’s three-sword style, was instantly excited.

“Don’t move! Anyone who moves will die!”

Zoro’s terrifying, Asura-like aura made the marines tremble in fear, tears streaming down their faces. They all thought, He’s terrifying!

“Before we go help our other companion, there’s something I need to make clear to you!”

Zoro, maintaining his three-sword stance, spoke seriously to Luffy: “I’ve agreed to join you and become a pirate! Since I’m going against the marines, I’m already a bad guy!”

“But listen well, I have my own ambitions!”

Zoro continued: “I will become the world’s greatest swordsman! So, I don’t care about my reputation. Even if I’m infamous, I’ll make sure my name is known throughout the world!”

“You were the one who invited me. If you hinder me from achieving my dream, you’ll have to commit seppuku to apologize!”

Zoro spoke to Luffy with utmost seriousness. At that moment, a cloud passed overhead, blocking the sun and casting a shadow over Zoro and Luffy.

“The world’s greatest swordsman, that sounds great. To be the Pirate King’s companion, you need a title like that.”

Luffy looked at Zoro, his face filled with confidence—a confidence so deep it seemed ingrained in his very bones, without a hint of awkwardness.

“Hmph, you sure talk big. So, your first companion must be quite impressive too, right?”

Zoro suddenly thought of Qin Ming. If someone with ambitions as grand as becoming the world’s greatest swordsman was only deemed “qualified” by Luffy, then Qin Ming must have some lofty goals as well.

“If you’re talking about Qin Ming, he’s an amazing fisherman. We’ll never run out of fish to eat.”

Luffy swallowed as he spoke, clearly thinking of something delicious. His words left Zoro stunned. He hadn’t expected that the fierce fighter Qin Ming was just a fisherman.

At that moment, both Luffy and Zoro heard Qin Ming’s furious roar: “Are you two done talking yet? Hurry up and help me!”

While Luffy was untying Zoro, Qin Ming had been berating Nami, spraying her with his words.

To Qin Ming’s surprise, Nami just lay in his arms, seemingly unresponsive to his scolding. But he still enjoyed venting, feeling like he had never been so satisfied in his life.

With this, Nami probably won’t dare to hit me with her “iron fist” on the ship anymore. I scolded her so much, and she didn’t even fight back. She must be intimidated.

Qin Ming imagined a future on the Straw Hat Pirates‘ ship where he wouldn’t have to endure Nami’s abuse. The thought made the future seem bright, and even the sunlight felt warmer.

But as Qin Ming continued to scold Nami, he suddenly stopped. Nami was crying in his arms, pounding his chest and sobbing, “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”

“What the hell? Kill me? I’m still alive and well!”

Qin Ming was shocked by Nami’s sudden outburst. He was utterly confused. Did I scold her too much? Is that why she’s cursing me to death?

“This is his warmth, his heartbeat. It’s real. I can feel it.”

Nami, recalling the moment she thought Qin Ming had been shot dead, felt a wave of fear and held him tighter. Her shoulders trembled as tears streamed down her face.

“What’s wrong with this woman?”

Qin Ming was completely baffled. He had no idea what was going through Nami’s mind.

In Qin Ming’s memory, Nami wasn’t a crybaby. Yet today alone, he had seen her cry multiple times. When did the crafty cat burglar become a weepy kitten? It didn’t make sense!

In truth, Qin Ming had saved Nami multiple times today, and unconsciously, her trust and reliance on him had grown exponentially.

Initially, Nami had been somewhat annoyed by Qin Ming, especially after their first encounter where he had shamelessly groped her chest.

But during their journey to Shells Town on the small boat, Nami had seen a different side of Qin Ming. She witnessed his relentless training, his drive far beyond that of an ordinary person. It both shocked and intrigued her. She wondered what motivated Qin Ming to push himself so hard.

Qin Ming would never know that during their trip to Shells Town, when he was too exhausted to move after training, Nami had considered throwing him overboard more than once.

After all, Qin Ming was completely drained at those moments. If Nami had acted on her thoughts, he would have been doomed.

But in the end, Nami didn’t do it. Instead, she took care of him. Her sharp intuition told her that Qin Ming trusted her deeply, though she didn’t know why. This trust made her feel comfortable, and the thick wall of ice around her heart began to crack.

Having spent years alone at sea, constantly risking her life to steal from pirates, Nami rarely trusted strangers. She was wary, even resistant to the idea of trusting others, a result of the traumatic experiences of her childhood. The concept of “companions” was something she deeply disliked.

When she and Qin Ming arrived at Shells Town, Nami hadn’t had the chance to fully understand Qin Ming before she was nearly crushed by Morgan’s falling stone statue. Qin Ming had saved her just in time.

This incident changed Nami’s perception of Qin Ming. Then she saw him risking his life, despite his injuries, to distract the marines and save Zoro.

Nami, who had always believed that companions were merely tools for mutual benefit, watched Qin Ming fight desperately against the marines, nearly dying without a hint of regret. For some reason, she rushed out to help him, almost getting herself killed in the process.

Fortunately, Qin Ming managed to defeat the marines and save her.

It wasn’t until Qin Ming was about to be executed that Nami realized how important he had become to her. Otherwise, for the sake of her village, she would never have risked herself to help him.

When Qin Ming was beating up Morgan and intimidating the marines, Nami had countless opportunities to leave the marine base safely. But she didn’t. She wanted to make sure Qin Ming was safe.

As Qin Ming smelled Nami’s faint scent and felt her arms tightly around him, he couldn’t help but notice the softness of her chest against him.

“Uh, the enemies aren’t dealt with yet. What am I doing?”

Qin Ming forced himself to stay calm and was about to say something when he saw the marines he had knocked down earlier getting back up and charging at him again.

“Let go of me! They’re attacking!”

Qin Ming, held so tightly by Nami, couldn’t move freely to fight back. He had to remind her.

“No! I won’t let go!”

Nami, remembering that she would soon have to leave and steal the map to the Grand Line from the immortal Buggy, might never see Qin Ming again. This was her moment of willfulness.

“Sis, you’re really my big sister. You’re totally screwing me over!”

Qin Ming felt utterly helpless. He tried to break free from Nami’s grip but found her strength surprisingly formidable. He couldn’t shake her off immediately and had to dodge the marines’ attacks while holding her.

Held so tightly by Nami, Qin Ming struggled to evade the marines’ strikes. He wanted to fight back but couldn’t move his limbs freely.

Seeing Nami acting completely irrational, like a madwoman, Qin Ming thought, “If I try to reason with an unreasonable woman, I’d be an idiot.”

Due to Nami’s actions, Qin Ming could only defend himself, unable to counterattack. He wanted to call for Luffy’s help but heard Zoro speaking to Luffy in a serious tone. He decided to wait until they finished their conversation.

But as time passed, and he had already taken several hits while protecting Nami, Luffy and Zoro still hadn’t stopped talking. Qin Ming couldn’t take it anymore and shouted, “Are you two done talking yet? Hurry up and help me!”