Chapter 23: The Navy Token

Hearing these words, Nami could no longer hold herself together.

A six-year-old girl wanted to learn swordsmanship from Luolan, and her only purpose was to protect herself from being bullied. What could she have endured to say such a thing? Nami had suffered plenty under Arlong as a child, but at least she had the silent care of her village. Yet this little girl had nothing—her only father falsely executed as a pirate by the Navy.

With hope shining in her eyes, the little girl looked to Luolan; Nami, too, hoped Luolan would agree.

"I have to join the Navy now. I don't have the time," Luolan said, gazing at the girl and shaking his head. This decision, he had just made. Teaching her swordsmanship wasn't a burden or a trouble, but he wouldn't stay here long—how much could she learn in such a short time? Even if she worked as hard as he once did, unafraid of exhaustion or danger, without the special medicinal baths to relieve her fatigue, she might need days to recover from a single day's training.

His thought was to take her away, to leave this island.

Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, Luolan smiled and ruffled her hair. "But, would you like to come with me? Leave this place and live with me elsewhere? That way, I'll have plenty of time to teach you swordsmanship."

"Can I really?" The girl looked up, her big eyes not filled with hope, but with fear. Since her father's death, she had been shunned by everyone in the village—adults and children alike. Even the neighbor woman who once cared for her had turned away. Now, faced with Luolan's kindness, she dared not believe it. She feared he was lying, or that she was simply dreaming.

"You really can," Luolan replied, his gaze sincere, nodding. "We're both victims of this village, of this era. Would you like to try changing it with me?" His voice was as gentle as possible, and he smiled encouragingly.

"Can I go home first and pack my things? I still have some things my father left me," the girl finally nodded, convinced this gentle big brother wouldn't deceive her.

"May I come with you? I have some special abilities that can help protect your father's mementos." As Luolan spoke, he placed a small shark into his system space before her eyes, then took out some fruit and handed it to her.

This was food the Golden Lion had prepared for him, but after capturing Krieg's pirate crew, he'd had no chance to eat it. He hadn't expected it would come in handy now.

The little girl stared in astonishment at the food he offered, amazed by the strange ability to make things vanish and appear from nowhere. Yet her adaptability was strong; after a moment's surprise, she packed away the food and took Luolan's hand, leading him back toward the village.

If it was this person, the little girl was willing to trust.

Behind them, Nami was thoroughly unsettled. No wonder she couldn't find Krieg's treasure aboard the ship—so Luolan had such an ability! Though envious, she couldn't help but imagine how much easier it would be to steal and carry treasures if she had such powers.

"Hey, wait for me!" she called, running after their receding figures.

Retracing Luolan's steps, they followed the girl to the "home" where he had once stood in silence. For the first time, Luolan found himself speechless. He had assumed the girl's home was within the village, not realizing she meant the very dilapidated hut he had abandoned ten years ago.

Fortunately, the house was far from the village and had a sheltered corner to keep out wind and rain; otherwise, the girl might not have survived until now.

Unaware of Luolan's thoughts, she hurried straight to that corner. There, tucked into a hidden spot, was a hole just big enough for her to crawl into.

She didn't have much; she soon emerged with a wooden box and handed it to Luolan. "I found this box here—it’s not from my father. Only the photos inside are mine," she explained.

"You found it here?" Luolan was startled, then opened the box.

As she said, there was little inside—just a photograph and a sealed envelope. He picked up the photo: two people, the little girl and, presumably, her father. In the photo, the girl was smiling, dressed neatly, with long golden hair. Judging by the scene, it was likely her birthday—a cake on the table bore the words: "Happy Birthday, Donna."

"Your name is Donna?" Luolan asked, holding the photo up.

"Chris Donna," she replied, pronouncing her name with care. For her, the surname was the last connection to her father, and she wanted to emphasize it.

"So her hair was golden," Nami m