Since they had already encountered Nami, Genrou wasn't planning to let her join the Straw Hat Pirates like in the original story—joining, leaving, and then joining again.
Rather than going through all that trouble, it would be better to lay out the right terms to convince her to join outright.
That way, Genrou could help her obtain a Heroic Spirit template sooner, giving her more time to become familiar with its power.
"That's right, Nami, join us!"
Luffy spoke while chewing on a big chunk of meat, his mouth full and words slightly unclear.
Clearly, he understood just how important a navigator was.
"Join you guys as a pirate?"
"No way. I hate pirates the most!"
Nami instinctively shook her head in rejection.
But when she remembered Genrou's outrageous bounty, her expression softened almost immediately.
"What I mean is, with a bounty like yours, you could probably sail freely across the sea even without me," Nami said.
"I do know a little about navigation, but not enough. It's better to leave professional matters to a professional navigator."
"How about this—I'll hire you with Berries."
"For every island you safely guide us to, I'll pay you one million Berries."
"One million isn't a lot, but it guarantees safety, right?"
As he spoke, Genrou reached into his suitcase and took out a million Berries in cash, placing it right in front of Nami.
Seeing this, Nami's eyes instantly transformed into Berry symbols again.
After thinking for a moment, she nodded.
"Alright, since you've gone this far."
"I'll temporarily join you guys."
Nami smiled slightly, sneaking a glance at Genrou's suitcase.
'If I don't join them, who knows what a man with an 800 million bounty might do.'
'I'll join for now—but don't blame me when I take that suitcase later.'
As Nami finished speaking, Luffy cheered excitedly.
"Awesome, Genrou! We have a navigator now!"
"Once we find that three-sword style swordsman, we'll be four people in total!"
Genrou smiled and nodded. Although Nami had tried to hide the way she looked at his suitcase, he had still noticed.
However, he wasn't worried about it.
Once they became more familiar with one another, he was sure Nami wouldn't leave the Straw Hat Crew.
"Luffy, you're about done eating, right?"
"And Nami is already part of our crew."
"I think it's about time I show you both one of my special abilities."
As Genrou spoke, he snapped his fingers.
In the next moment, pure darkness expanded from his body, instantly engulfing Genrou, Luffy, and Nami.
In the blink of an eye, the three of them found themselves in a place of total darkness, save for a 10-meter-wide circular platform of light beneath their feet.
"Wh-Where are we?"
Nami looked around in panic, her voice filled with fear.
"It's pitch-black, I can't see anything. Genrou, is this your special ability?"
"But didn't you say you weren't a Devil Fruit user?"
Luffy tilted his head in confusion, looking at Genrou.
Genrou smiled and waved his hand in front of Luffy.
The next moment, a translucent panel appeared in front of him, visible to all three.
On it were three words: "Captain," "Glutton," and "Rubber."
Below those words were three names: "Francis Drake," "Toriko," and "Reed Richards."
"Genrou, what is this?" Luffy asked.
"Captain, Glutton, Rubber—these correspond to your three traits, Luffy."
"Francis Drake is a pirate captain like you. She once conquered an entire sea—she represents your 'Captain' trait."
"Toriko is a glutton, and Reed Richards, also known as Mister Fantastic, has a rubber-like body."
"Each one represents a different part of who you are."
"Luffy, you can choose one of these three people."
"Once you do, you'll gain some of their abilities."
Genrou smirked. "This is my special ability."
Luffy looked stunned, while Nami gave Genrou a skeptical glance, trying to determine if he was bluffing.
Genrou noticed her doubt. He chuckled softly and tapped the name "Francis Drake."
The dark space around them began to ripple.
In the blink of an eye, the trio and their platform appeared above an endless ocean.
"Wha—are we on the sea now?"
Nami looked around and turned to ask Genrou in confusion.
"Hey, look! There's someone standing on the ice!"
Luffy's excited voice caught Nami's attention.
She looked in the direction he was pointing and indeed saw a mature woman standing on the ice not far away, dressed in red with long crimson hair and a scar on her face.
"That is Francis Drake, known as the woman who shot down the sun."
"Now, enjoy her power."
As Genrou finished speaking, skeleton soldiers burst out from beneath the ice, and the previously still Drake began to move.
She drew her dual pistols from her waist and, in a blur, displayed her expert gun-fighting skills.
Skeleton soldiers hit by her bullets collapsed and disintegrated instantly. Even the ones that managed to get close were taken down effortlessly by her physical combat skills.
In mere moments, half of the hundred-something skeleton soldiers that had emerged were already gone.
Seeing this, Drake smiled faintly and raised her right flintlock pistol.
Suddenly, eight golden halos appeared to her left and right, and three larger ones floated above her head.
To Luffy and Nami's amazement, each halo produced a cannon.
As Drake pulled the trigger on her pistol, all eleven cannons fired in unison.
The remaining skeletons were instantly swallowed by the roaring blasts.
"Amazing! Genrou, let's invite her to join our crew too!"
Luffy's eyes sparkled as he excitedly threw his arm around Genrou's shoulder.
(End of Chapter)
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