Nami took a few steps back, disbelief written all over her face. "How... how could this be? Why would you do such a thing?"
Kaguya didn't answer immediately. She sat on the sofa, took a sip of black tea, and said calmly, "Tell me, who do you think really owns Dressrosa?"
Nami paused, confused by the sudden question, but still answered, "Isn't it obvious? Of course it belongs to King Riku."
"Wrong. You're mistaken." Kaguya set down her teacup.
"But Dressrosa really does belong to King Riku," Nami said quickly.
"Only in name," Kaguya replied seriously. "Nominally, King Riku is the ruler of Dressrosa, but in reality, it falls under the jurisdiction of the World Government."
"But what does that have to do with anything?" Nami asked, puzzled.
"Think about it," Kaguya said. "A group of wanted pirates defeated a Warlord of the Sea and reclaimed Dressrosa. Do you think the World Government will continue to acknowledge King Riku's legitimacy?"
"Wouldn't they?" Nami asked.
"You're being too naive," Kaguya said coldly. "From their perspective, pirates overthrew the existing government and seized a territory that should belong to the World Government. How do you think they'll react?"
Nami was starting to grasp what she meant. "You mean—"
Kaguya glanced at her. "Exactly. The most likely outcome isn't that they recognize Riku as king. It's that they accuse him of colluding with pirates and send a navy fleet to wipe him out—along with your entire crew."
Of course, Kaguya's serious tone masked some exaggeration, but the possibility wasn't entirely unfounded.
After all, defeating a Warlord like Doflamingo and exposing the scandal behind him was a direct slap in the World Government's face.
To have such corruption under their rule would severely damage their credibility and could make people question their authority—something they would never allow.
In the original story, it was only because of Fujitora's firm stance that the truth about Dressrosa was revealed to the world. Otherwise, the government would have suppressed it.
But in this timeline, Fujitora wasn't yet an admiral—only a vice admiral. With his current status, he lacked the power to make such decisions or influence naval strategy. No matter how strong he was, the government still saw him as just a vice admiral.
"How could this be..." Nami murmured in shock.
"That's reality," Kaguya said flatly. "It's the harsh truth. You may have saved Dressrosa for now, but what happens afterward? Sure, your crew can just leave—but what about the people who witnessed it all? Do you think the World Government will let them go?"
Nami's eyes widened. "You don't mean..."
"The Buster Call," Kaguya said, glancing at her. "I'm sure you've heard of it."
Nami gasped. "They wouldn't... kill everyone in Dressrosa? That's impossible! There are so many people there!"
"If it threatens their rule, they won't hesitate to eliminate anyone in their way," Kaguya sneered. "The Ohara incident—you've heard of it, haven't you?"
Nami bit her lip. After nearly two years sailing the Grand Line, she had learned more and more about the World Government's darkness. And she knew—they were indeed capable of something like that.
If they felt even tens of thousands of lives posed a threat, they would exterminate them. Ohara was the perfect example.
Meanwhile, in another large room—
"Ow ow ow!" Usopp, wrapped up like a mummy, cried out. "Be gentle! Hey! Are you trying to kill me?!"
"It's just a few wounds. Stop whining," Zoro snorted, rolling his shoulder. Suddenly, there was a faint crack—his face turned pale, and cold sweat instantly broke out.
"Hey, hey! Are you okay? Your face is pale!" Usopp asked anxiously.
"I-I'm fine," Zoro forced a smile onto his face.
"Earlier, I thought I was dead for sure. Can't believe I made it out alive. Although, technically, I'm already dead. Yohohoho!" Brook, covered in spikes, struck his signature 45-degree pose.
"Super!"
As for Franky, who posed with his signature move, he might've been the least injured. His body was mostly mechanical, making repairs much easier—it was just a matter of reattaching his severed head.
Chopper walked in from outside and, seeing them all fooling around, immediately panicked. He rushed over. "Lie down! Your injuries are serious! Do you want to die?!"
At that moment, Luffy, wrapped in bandages, silently sat up from bed. Without a word, he got up and walked toward the door.
Chopper hurried after him. "Luffy, where are you going? You're too injured to be walking around!"
But Luffy ignored him and kept walking.
"Hey, Luffy," Sanji grabbed his shoulder. "Where do you think you're going?"
Luffy lowered his head and said in a deep voice, "I'm going to save Nami."
"But in your condition—"
"What, you want me to just sit here and watch while our crewmate is in danger?!" Luffy suddenly looked up and shouted.
His outburst brought a sudden chill to the room. Everyone fell silent, their expressions heavy.
"I understand how you feel. I want to save Miss Nami too, but—" Sanji said seriously, "do you really think we can beat her in our current state?"
"I don't care!" Luffy slapped Sanji's hand away, gritting his teeth. "Even if I die, I won't let another comrade fall into danger. Never again!" He clenched his fists tightly.
Seeing Luffy's determined expression, Sanji fell silent. He took out his cigarette case, lit one, and sighed.
"Since the captain's given the order," Zoro picked up his sword from the bed and smirked, "then let's go all out."
"Yeah! So what if we die again? We've got nothing to lose!" Usopp shouted, clenching his fists.
"Ah, Mr. Usopp, that doesn't sound like you at all," Brook said in surprise.
"Ahem... well, you guys charge ahead. I'll provide cover from the back," Usopp coughed.
"..."
"Then let's begin. Super!"
"Having a captain like this is such a headache... but," Sanji smiled, "I don't dislike it. Now let's bring Miss Nami home."
Just as the crew's spirits were rising, a familiar voice suddenly echoed through the room—chilling and sharp like a gust of cold wind.
"I heard someone's looking to settle a score with me. I'd like to see who's got the guts. And if you've still got energy to cause trouble... I guess I didn't beat you hard enough."
Everyone turned sharply. Their pupils shrank.
At the doorway, a blonde girl leaned against the frame, looking at them with a half-smile—Artoria.
Seeing Kaguya appear at the doorway, the Straw Hat crew immediately tensed up, assuming combat stances and staring warily at the unexpected intruder.
Luffy stepped forward, clenching his fists and shouting, "Where is Nami? Hand her over!"
"Nami?" Kaguya said with a look of realization. "You mean that little girl who was with you earlier?"
"That's right!" Luffy shouted. "Where are you hiding her?"
"Oh, her," Kaguya's eyes curved into charming crescents as she smiled radiantly. "I've already killed her."
Killed her.
The crew's pupils shrank sharply, their eyes wide in shock.
"No way... Nami couldn't have..." Luffy's eyes went blank, disbelief written across his face.
"Why not?" Kaguya walked forward gracefully. "She begged me to spare you all, willing to trade her life for yours. Touching, isn't it? And then," the corners of her mouth curled, "I killed her."
"No way, that's not true!" Sanji stepped forward, shouting urgently. "There's no way Miss Nami would die that easily!"
"Why not?" Kaguya gave him a playful glance. "If you don't believe me, you can check the back garden. Her corpse is there—pretty miserable, really. Wild beasts have eaten most of it."
"That's enough! Stop talking!" Luffy suddenly looked up, veins bulging on his forehead, eyes burning with fury. "I'm going to pummel you!"
He stomped the ground, dashing forward in a flash and swinging his fist straight at Kaguya's head.
"Luffy!"
Everyone was shocked. Sanji rushed forward, trying to grab Luffy, but was a moment too late. A fierce battle was about to erupt.
"What are you all yelling about? Some people are trying to sleep, you know."
Just then, a familiar voice rang out, freezing Luffy in his tracks like he'd turned to stone.
Standing in the doorway was Nami.
Luffy's face was blank for a moment, then slowly shifted to uncontained joy. "Nami! You're okay! That's great!"
Nami smiled and nodded.
"You're okay... that's really great..." Luffy was so overwhelmed with relief that he began babbling, tears and snot running freely as he lunged toward her.
Seeing how much her crewmates cared, Nami was touched too—and then kicked Luffy away.
"Calm down, already!"
Afterwards, Nami explained everything that had happened to the crew. They all sighed in relief—everyone was safe, and that was what mattered. Still, they couldn't help but harbor some resentment toward Kaguya.
After all, getting beaten half to death and almost dying would leave anyone bitter.
If it had been anyone else pulling such a terrible prank, they'd have rolled up their sleeves and gone all out for revenge.
Of course, even if they did try to fight her, they wouldn't stand a chance against Kaguya.
But regardless, the crisis had passed. It was clear Kaguya had never truly intended to kill them—otherwise, they'd likely all be dead already.
As for why she did all this, Nami had carefully asked her once. Kaguya's casual reply: "Because I thought it'd be more fun that way."
Fun? Who's she kidding?
Nami couldn't accept that answer, but Kaguya was someone she had idolized since childhood. She didn't dare push further.
When she was young, she didn't understand. But now, Nami knew what Kaguya truly represented—someone even the World Government feared. Standing before her, Nami couldn't help feeling distant and constrained.
However, as they spent more time together, and with Kaguya's relaxed and gentle demeanor—just like the one from her memories—Nami gradually became more at ease. They reminisced about childhood stories, especially about Bellemere and Nojiko, which brought genuine joy to Nami's face.
Of course, there was one exception.
"Miss Artoria, would you like some coffee? Or perhaps lemon juice? I freshly squeezed it myself. It's quite good. If you're willing to try it, I'm sure you'll be satisfied," Sanji said, standing ramrod straight like a gentleman, holding a tray. Yet the lovestruck look in his eyes betrayed his true nature.
Kaguya raised an eyebrow. This guy was like a fly around rotting meat—buzzing incessantly from the start. She was beyond irritated, tempted to swat him dead.
Then again, if he was the fly… did that make her the meat?
Sensing Kaguya's impatience, Nami walked over and punched Sanji in the head. She dragged him away like a corpse, then turned back and gave an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry about that. He's always like this. Don't take it personally. I'll make sure to discipline him."
What a joke.
This woman had single-handedly wiped them all out. If they angered her again and she snapped, Nami had no desire to experience that again.
Since Kaguya had gone out of her way to conceal it, Nami didn't know that Kaguya and Artoria were the same person. She only knew that Artoria was Kaguya's subordinate.
As for Artoria's true identity, Kaguya had told only Monet. In her eyes, Monet was the only one she truly trusted. Even Shirley wasn't in the loop, and as for the others—she wouldn't tell them a thing.
Using the persona of Artoria allowed Kaguya to operate in the shadows without attracting too much attention.
"You mean... you're going to help me save Ace?" Luffy asked in surprise.
"Don't trust her, Luffy," Zoro warned quickly. "Have you forgotten what just happened?"
"Yeah, Zoro's right," Usopp added anxiously. "She almost killed us all! What if this is a trap?"
Kaguya's lips curled into a sinister smile. "That's right. This is a trap—to wipe you all out."
"See?! She admitted it!" Usopp shouted. "It's definitely a trap!"
"S-So scary!" Chopper immediately hid behind Zoro.
"Don't be afraid. I'm not a good person," Kaguya said, turning her head and smiling brightly at Chopper. "Tell me, which part of you tastes best? Would you be okay with being braised?"
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