Upon hearing this, Nami's expression sharpened, knowing she absolutely could not go over.
Beneath her T-shirt was hidden the tattoo of the Arlong Pirates. If exposed, she would undoubtedly be captured by the Marines.
And if she were caught, her agreement with Arlong would be completely voided, and the villagers of Cocoyashi Village would lose all hope of rescue!
In that split second, without a moment's hesitation, Nami turned and dashed toward the ship's railing, leaping overboard into the sea below.
The icy sea wind whistled past her ears as the ocean surface rapidly expanded in her vision.
Nami's tense nerves relaxed slightly, a flicker of relief passing through her heart:
This way, she probably wouldn't be caught, right?
But just as she thought this, she suddenly felt an irresistible pulling force acting on her body. Her descent slowed rapidly, and she was forcefully yanked back upward!
When she snapped out of her daze, Nami realized that a large hand was resting on top of her head.
Yet this hand brought no warmth—instead, it chilled her to the bone.
A strikingly handsome yet icy face slowly drew closer to hers.
In her field of vision, Major White Dove taunted her with malice:
"Run? Do you really think you can escape?"
It's over. Everything is over.
Nami's heart sank into despair.
…
In the captain's cabin, Ivan and Nami sat facing each other across a wooden table, their eyes locked. The air was so still that the sound of the sea wind brushing against the sails outside the window could be heard.
After a long pause, Ivan cleared his throat.
Tashigi immediately understood his cue and slammed her hand on the table:
"Confess and receive leniency, resist and face severity! Tell us your identity truthfully!"
Nami forced a flattering smile onto her face. "You must be joking, sir. I'm just an ordinary citizen!"
Ivan rubbed his fingertips together and snapped them crisply.
A gust of wind swept up, lifting the sleeve on Nami's shoulder.
The tattoo representing the Arlong Pirates was now exposed before the three of them.
With a faint, ambiguous smile, he said, "Is this what you call an ordinary citizen, Miss Nami of the Arlong Pirates?"
The smile on Nami's face instantly froze, all color draining from her cheeks as if she had been plunged into an icy abyss.
So, there really was no escape?
But suddenly, Ivan's smile faded. He adjusted his slightly slipping glasses and spoke earnestly:
"Miss Nami, I know you aren't truly loyal to the Arlong Pirates.
You were forced to stay by Arlong's side because he threatened the lives of the villagers in Cocoyashi Village.
I understand your predicament."
By the end, Ivan's tone was exceedingly gentle.
The girl's dim eyes suddenly lit up. She looked up urgently, her voice filled with hope:
"So you knew all along? Then… can you let me go?"
"Of course not," Ivan replied without hesitation.
The smile that had just appeared on Nami's face froze once again.
"However, if you agree to one condition, I can help you eliminate Arlong!" Ivan added.
"You?"
Nami was skeptical. She knew about the recent incident where White Dove had been injured by Arlong and fled in disgrace.
White Dove was no match for Arlong—how could he possibly help her?
Faced with Nami's doubt, Ivan showed no displeasure and simply said calmly:
"Now that I've eaten a Devil Fruit, my strength has increased greatly—I should be stronger than Arlong... Besides, you have no other choice, do you?"
Nami's heart gradually sank.
That was right. After being captured by Ivan, she truly had no other options.
Once she realized this, she immediately steeled herself and asked, "What do you want?"
"You!"
As soon as these words were spoken, it was as if a thunderclap had exploded in the captain's cabin, and the surroundings instantly fell silent.
Both Nami and Tashigi looked at him with eyes that said they were staring at a pervert.
Nami was furious inside.
So even the legendary White Dove was still a pervert after all?
Indeed, she should never have trusted the Marines!
But for the sake of the villagers, she was willing to sacrifice herself no matter what!
Just as Nami was about to give her answer, Ivan noticed the reactions of Tashigi and Nami and immediately realized they had misunderstood.
He quickly coughed twice, both amused and exasperated, and explained:
"Ahem, what are you both thinking?
What I want is for you to work for me, to be my navigator. After all, your skills are unmatched across the entire East Blue.
I want you to join the Marines and become a member under my command. How about it?"
So that was it!
The sudden turn of events completely relaxed Nami.
Even the original proposal she had been prepared to accept—what did working for Ivan matter now?
Without hesitation, she declared firmly, "As long as you can kill Arlong, from now on, I am entirely yours!"
Ivan smiled and extended his hand. "Pleasure working with you."
"Pleasure working with you!"
...
In Sea Calendar 1512, Arlong officially occupied the Konome Islands and the nearby sea.
Now, seven years later, his control over the Konome Islands was deeply entrenched. The nearby residents neither had the courage nor the strength to resist him.
Of course, as a powerful pirate who had retreated from the Grand Line, he hadn't completely let down his guard. He often sent Fish-Men as scouts to patrol the waters around the Konome Islands.
So when Ivan's warship first appeared near the Konome Islands, it was immediately spotted by the Fish-Men.
In the shallow sea, a Cartilaginous Fish-Man saw the approaching large warship and growled viciously:
"That fool Nezumi! We give him so many Berries every year for nothing, and in the end, he can't even give us a timely warning!
Back then, that so-called Lieutenant White Dove—fine, he didn't notice. But now, such a huge warship is right under his nose, and he still hasn't made a move? What a useless piece of trash!"
Beside him, Octopus Hachi comforted him:
"Kuroobi, don't be angry. The most important thing now is to deal with these Marines.
I'll go back and report the situation to Boss Arlong. You be careful."
Kuroobi didn't take it seriously. "Don't worry, Hachi. They're just mere humans. Maybe I'll have them all taken care of before you even find the boss."
Hachi nodded in agreement. Over the years in the East Blue, they had grown accustomed to throwing their weight around, completely forgetting the miserable plight of Fish-Men in the Grand Line.
By now, they had long been brainwashed by Arlong into believing that Fish-Men were a superior species to humans.
How could mere humans possibly be a match for Fish-Men?
After Hachi left, Kuroobi glared fiercely at the approaching large warship and coldly shouted:
"Brothers, let's charge! Deal with them as quickly as possible. We can't let Boss Arlong down!"
"Yes!" the other Fish-Men responded savagely.
...
At the edge of the deck, Ivan leaned against the railing, with Tashigi and Nami standing beside him. The three of them gazed side by side toward the mist-shrouded Konome Islands in the distance.
"We're almost at the Alert Perimeter set by Arlong," Nami reminded with a furrowed brow. "This area is full of patrolling Fish-Man Scouts. I'm afraid they've already spotted our ship."
Ivan nodded slightly, his tone calm. "Yes, they have indeed noticed."