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Nami was stunned. And not just her, Qing You's eyes clearly became unfocused as well.
She had never realized that the majestic and revered King could have such... a comical side?
Pretending to be the Oji San of a drowning girl, what on earth was going through His Majesty's mind right now? Qing You really wanted to know.
"You're... my Oji San?" Nami's expression was bizarre.
Usually, she was the one sneaking around, picking pockets, pulling off petty tricks that ultimately hurt more than helped. She'd suffered plenty for it.
But now, someone was actually pretending to be her Oji San? She'd hunted birds all her life, only to have one peck her in the eye?
"You're Bellmère's daughter, right? I'm her younger brother. I saw you once when you were little, during a war. You were still tiny back then, but now you've grown up, your features have, uh... expanded. But I still recognized you." Qin Yi spoke with a tone of deep emotion, words that shook Nami to her core.
"Bell-mère had a brother?!"
In that moment, it felt like a stampede of alpacas thundered through Nami's mind. This man could name Bell-mère so precisely and even claimed to be her brother. Even Nami herself was beginning to believe it.
But, Bell-mère never had a brother!
"She must've told you she didn't, right?"
"Sigh... It's a long story. We had a falling out long ago, our dreams took us in different directions. We argued, and ever since then, we've gone our separate ways."
Qin Yi's eyes were sharp, he instantly knew what the girl in front of him was thinking.
"You're... really Bell-mère's brother?" Nami was beginning to waver.
"Oh, right. I remember she was holding a little girl at the time, Nojiko, wasn't it?"
"She said you were sisters, both her beloved daughters."
Qin Yi sighed, and the words he spoke were so natural, so convincing, that even if Bell-mère had come back to life, she wouldn't be able to refute them.
He clearly had never met them before, yet he could name them with precision, Nojiko included. There was no way someone unfamiliar could do that.
And yet, as Nami thought hard, she couldn't recall Bell-mère ever mentioning a brother.
Especially one this... young-looking.
"Don't be fooled by my youthful appearance. I'm actually over thirty." Qin Yi shook his head.
"No doubt about it, if you're Nami, then I'm your Oji San!" He reaffirmed again, firmly.
Then he asked once more: "How's Bell-mère? It's probably been thirteen or fourteen years since we parted ways. What a long time it's been!"
That mix of nostalgia and sorrow was woven perfectly into Qin Yi's expression, and Nami's tears started falling before she realized it.
"Bell-mère... she--"
"She's dead!!"
Her voice cracked into a painful, guttural cry. Nami bent over, unable to hold back the flood of tears.
The woman she hated yet loved the most, the scene of her falling was replaying over and over in Nami's mind, shaking her to the core.
"She... died?"
Even though he already knew the answer, even though he was fabricating this identity, Qin Yi fell silent at that moment.
That woman, within this anime world, within this universe, was the one he admired most. She had no strength, no powerful abilities. But she was real, flesh and blood, with loyalty and love.
To Qin Yi, she was a hero.
Once, he had watched from afar, weeping as a spectator. Now, as a participant, he silently watched the grieving girl before him.
There was no words and no sound. He simply reached out and silently patted her shoulder.
At that moment, Qing You didn't fully understand the situation between the two of them, but with her keen sensitivity, she could sense an inexplicable emotional resonance between them.
The two were grieving for the same thing.
"His Majesty... really knows and understands this girl."
With doubt in her heart, Qing You muttered.
As for Qin's Nation and Qin Yi, many people actually didn't know much about them. The information that could be obtained from the Fire of Civilization was limited, not everything could be accessed. That's why the country had begun establishing libraries on a large scale.
In the blink of an eye, two hours passed.
After going through the shared sadness, the understanding and bond between Nami and Qin Yi had clearly deepened.
"You really are my Oji San?"
"Of course!"
Their conversation reached Qing You's ears, causing her delicate little nose to wrinkle slightly.
Smart as she was, she could tell that the girl had already accepted His Majesty as her Oji San, she was just seeking confirmation out of insecurity and a lack of safety.
And once she got a firm answer, Nami's mood visibly brightened.
"Then why does she call you 'Your Majesty'? Are you really a king?"
"No. I just think 'King' sounds more imposing, don't you?"
Hearing the exchange between the two, Qing You pursed her lips in quiet disapproval.
At around 3:10 PM, just as Qin Yi was chatting with Nami, Qing You interrupted with a report: "Your Majesty, we've arrived at Orange Town."
"Orange Town?!" Nami's eyes widened at the name.
Orange Town was the turf of The Clown, Buggy. She'd guessed before that this Great Pirate had a treasure hoard worth pursuing. If she could get her hands on it, her goal would be within reach. But various things had delayed her from ever going.
"Oji San, this is Buggy's territory. He's a Great Pirate with a bounty of 15 million. He's got a lot of men and is very powerful."
"Whatever you do, don't provoke him."
Nami warned him seriously.
Bell-mère's death, it was enough that her Oji San knew about it, but there was no need for him to know all the details. Let her bear all the pain alone.
Now that she had gained a new family member, a real Oji San, Nami cherished this newfound sense of kinship.
Qin Yi narrowed his eyes slightly, then smiled:
"Don't worry. I have some business with Buggy. It'll be fine."
"Mm."
Nami didn't question it. She didn't think Qin Yi was particularly powerful.
After all, Bell-mère had been just an ordinary person, so her younger brother, Qin Yi, couldn't be that strong either. So it made sense he simply had business with Buggy.
As their ship slowly docked, the three of them disembarked.
At this moment, Orange Town was very quiet. Most of the townspeople had either fled at the arrival of Buggy's crew or stayed behind, unwilling to abandon their homes. Those who remained lived behind closed doors, in daily fear.
Qing You walked in front, her expression calm and icy, leading the way.
Since they had entered a Great Pirate's domain, and in such a direct, public way, Nami was clearly nervous, often holding her breath.
Fifteen minutes later, they walked past a crowd of Buggy's henchmen, each dressed more bizarrely than the last. The pirates gave them strange, wary looks as the trio passed.
Eventually, they reached Buggy, who was lounging in a chair, playing cards with his crew.
"The Clown, Buggy. Bounty: 16 million berries."
Then, to Nami's stunned silence, the cold and composed gothic lolita, Qing You, spoke calmly:
Her right hand slowly reached behind her back, gripping the handle of a massive scythe.
Buggy, startled to hear his own name, looked up and asked:
"Who are you?"
"By order of His Majesty, I've come to recruit you as his vassal!"
"You have only two choices: Submit, or die!"
Qing You's gaze was icy, and her tone was calm and absolute.
(End of Chapter)