One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

"Well then, welcome aboard, Miss Navigator."

Ace smiled and extended his hand toward Nami.

"Just call me Nami. You probably already know my name from those fishmen, right?" 

Nami responded as she shook Ace's hand.

"So, Captain, where's our ship?" 

Nami asked as she walked to the deck and glanced around, looking confused.

Ace pointed to the side of the pirate ship, where a windsurfing board was docked.

"That's my boat."

"This... is a boat?!" 

Nami's jaw dropped as she stared in disbelief at the windsurfing board, which could barely fit two people.

"And where's the rest of the crew?"

A sinking feeling crept up Nami's spine.

Ace pointed at her, then at himself, and smiled.

"It's just the two of us, for now."

"Just the two of us?!"

Nami shrieked.

"For the time being, yes. I've only recently set out to sea. I'm still looking for crewmates."

Ace's nonchalant response didn't ease her concern. 

Nami took a deep breath, trying to process what he'd just said. Then, a thought struck her—if Ace was sailing alone, wouldn't that make it easier for her to steal from him?

With this in mind, Nami immediately accepted the situation.

At that moment, harsh laughter echoed from the merchant ship.

"Such a great haul this time!"

"Not good!" Nami muttered, suddenly remembering where she was. She turned to see pirates kicking and beating the wealthy passengers and sailors on deck, laughing as they hoarded the stolen treasures. Disgust flickered in her eyes.

"Nami, you hate pirates, don't you?"

Ace's voice made her tense up.

Turning slightly, she saw him watching her with a smile.

"Captain, you're quite the joker. I was with Arlong's crew, remember?" 

Nami stammered, trying to cover her unease.

"I'm not that kind of trash pirate. I hate them too." 

Ace's gaze shifted toward the pirates, who had noticed them and were now cursing as they charged forward.

"Why?" 

Nami asked, surprised and confused by his words.

"Trash like that belongs at the bottom of the sea."

With that, Ace scooped Nami up, and before she could react, he jumped off the pirate ship with her in his arms, landing on his windsurfing board.

Nami stared in disbelief as flames surged beneath Ace's feet, propelling the board away from the pirate ship at high speed.

In no time, they had moved dozens of meters from the ship.

"Hey, boy! You think you can get away? When we catch you, we'll tear you to pieces!"

The pirates cursed from the deck, shaking their fists at Ace and Nami.

"Fire! Sink them to the bottom of the sea!"

The captain of the Bone Sword Pirates, wielding a massive machete made from the bones of some unknown beast, ordered the attack.

"Clank! Clank!"

Several pirates quickly manned the cannons, aiming directly at Ace and Nami, grinning wickedly.

"Hey! We need to run!" 

Nami's face went pale as the cannons locked onto them. She tugged anxiously at Ace's sleeve.

"Fire!"

Boom! Boom!

Two cannonballs fired from the pirate ship, hurtling toward them.

"It's over, it's over..." 

Nami's face turned white as paper. In her mind, images of Cocoyashi Village flashed by like a film reel.

"I'm sorry, everyone... I couldn't save enough money to free you."

"Fire Fist!"

Boom!

With a roar, a massive fire dragon erupted from Ace's outstretched fist, obliterating the cannonballs instantly. 

The searing heat twisted the air as the flames soared toward the pirate ship, forming a fiery column over ten meters wide.

In an instant, the pirate ship was engulfed in flames. The pirates screamed in agony as they were reduced to charred remains.

Ace calmly touched the brim of his sun hat with his flame-covered finger, then turned to the stunned Nami with a smile.

"Nami, your captain is very strong."

Nami could only stare in shock at the remnants of the pirate ship, still burning as it slowly sank into the sea.

...

Later, aboard the merchant ship, the captain and several wealthy passengers gratefully thanked Ace and Nami.

Although the treasure aboard the pirate ship had been incinerated by Ace's flames and lost to the sea, a significant portion of the loot hadn't yet been transferred to the pirate ship, leaving some of it intact.

Nami stood there, feeling slightly lost. Pirates were being thanked? This was a surreal scene.

"By the way, we still don't know your names."

The captain, beaming with gratitude, asked after thanking Ace and Nami profusely.

"My name is Ace. I'm a pirate. This is Nami, my navigator." 

Ace pointed to Nami as he introduced them with a smile.

"!!!"

The captain and the wealthy passengers froze, their faces drained of color.

"P-please, don't kill us! We'll give you money!"

Chaos erupted as they huddled together in fear. They had witnessed Ace's power firsthand—the way he had reduced the pirate ship to ashes with a single attack. This was definitely the ability of a Devil Fruit user, a power feared across the seas.

If he wanted to kill them, wouldn't they suffer the same fiery fate?

Even Nami was startled by their reaction.

"Relax. We're different from those trash pirates. Only trash pirates target the weak, unless those weak are more trash than the said pirate. But I am a bit hungry. Could you spare us some food?" 

Ace gestured for them to calm down.

"Wh-what?!" 

The captain was utterly confused.

Since when were pirates so polite?

"Um, do you really not want any money?" 

The captain asked hesitantly.

"Well... if you insist on giving it to us..." 

Ace grinned, sensing their apprehension. He used his Haki to scan the ship, walking toward a little girl standing nearby.

"For real?" 

Nami, standing behind him, felt a twinge of disappointment. He really wasn't interested in stealing money.

Ace knelt down and plucked a coin from the little girl's pocket, giving her a warm smile.

"Thank you for saving us, big brother!" 

The little girl beamed, nodding happily.

Ace picked her up, and she giggled as he swung her around.

"Could you also prepare a small boat for us? Mine's a bit cramped with two people." 

Ace asked the now-relieved captain with a smile.

"It would be rude to send you off like this. Please, join us for a banquet." 

The captain, now completely trusting Ace, invited him enthusiastically.

"Oh? A banquet?" 

Ace's eyes lit up. After weeks of surviving on simple meals at sea, the prospect of a feast was irresistible.

He immediately grabbed a mug of beer and downed it in one go, laughing and chatting with the captain and the others.

Nami, standing off to the side, watched the scene in silence.

This is different... very different from other pirates.

"Hey! Nami, come join the party!" 

Ace called out to her.

"Coming, coming..." 

Nami hesitated for a moment before walking over.

A banquet with regular people... is this guy really a pirate?

She looked at Ace, who was laughing and blending in with everyone. Her eyes grew a little softer as she observed him.