43: Chapter 43 Nami's Choice, Continuing the Voyage

The celebratory banquet officially began at dusk.

The villagers practically brought out all the good things they could lay their hands on at home.

Fresh fish sizzling with oil, bubbling stews, freshly baked wheat bread, homemade fruit wine, and mountains of fruit and pastries.

Dozens of long tables were crookedly set out, stretching from the village entrance square all the way to the old banyan tree at the end of the village, their corners still stained with mud and fallen fruit pits scattered on the ground.

The bonfire was lit, and its orange-red flames made everyone's faces feel warm.

Half-grown children darted back and forth through the crowd, clutching skewers of roasted meat, running until they were covered in sweat.

A little toddler ran too fast and knocked over a dish of cherry tomatoes, prompting a nearby woman to laugh and scold playfully.

The women bustled around the stoves, chatting about household matters in between serving dishes, and soon burst into laughter together.

The men gathered in groups holding bowls of wine, shouting louder than one another, endlessly recounting the events of the day—talking about the young girl who wielded a sword to defeat Arlong, and talking about the ridiculously young base commander.

"Come! Rear Admiral! I toast you a bowl!"

A bearded man approached with a full bowl of wine, his face flushed red. "If it weren't for you and your apprentice, how many more years would our village have been bullied by the Fishman?! I'll finish this bowl!"

With that, he tilted his head back and chugged it down, not caring as the wine dripped down his chin into his collar.

Lin Han looked at that bowl of fruit wine, which easily held half a catty, twitched the corner of his mouth, and took a small sip from the small wine glass in front of him.

"You're too kind. Drink in moderation, don't overdo it."

"Hey! Why is the Rear Admiral drinking so little?! Come on, another one!"

Someone nearby immediately egged him on, and several hands holding bowls crowded over.

"Right, right, right! We're happy today, we must drink to our heart's content!"

Lin Han was surrounded in the middle, wearing a polite yet somewhat helpless smile, muttering inwardly.

'If I'd known, I wouldn't have stayed for dinner. These people drink way too fiercely.'

On the other side, Kuina was surrounded by several village girls, chattering and asking endless questions.

"Miss Kuina, how old are you this year?"

"Twelve years old? My goodness! You're so amazing at just twelve!"

"How many years have you been practicing swordsmanship? Do you have to practice for a long time every day?"

"Is your master fierce? What does he usually teach you?"

The girls spoke one after another, asking so much that she couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Kuina was a bit overwhelmed and could only reply to them one by one.

She wasn't very used to being stared at by so many people, but facing one enthusiastic face after another, she didn't have the heart to give a cold expression, so she could only bite the bullet and respond.

Just then, Nami walked through the crowd holding a glass of juice and came before Lin Han.

She had changed into a clean cloth dress, her hair had been re-combed, and the tips of her hair still had a bit of ash floating over from the bonfire.

Her eye sockets were still a bit swollen, but her spirits were much better than during the day.

"Rear Admiral."

Nami raised her cup, her voice much steadier. "Thank you and Sister Kuina for everything you've done for us."

"I toast you with this cup."

Lin Han took the juice she handed over, clinked rims with her, and smiled.

"You're welcome, it's only right."

Nami took a sip of juice, her fingertips rubbing against the rim of the cup, and remained silent for a good while before looking up.

"Rear Admiral, I have a question I'd like to ask you."

"Hm? What question?"

"Why did you come to help us?"

Nami's gaze was very earnest. "It's not like we haven't sought out Marines over the years."

"Yet every time people came, either they brushed us off with a couple of perfunctory words and left, or they were beaten away by Arlong and never came back."

"After a long time, we stopped holding out hope."

"But you're different… You clearly could have ignored it, so why did you come?"

Lin Han held his cup and thought for a moment, and the answer he gave surprised her a bit.

"Because my apprentice wanted to handle it."

Nami was stunned… "Just because of that?"

"Yeah, just because of that."

Lin Han smiled. "She heard about your situation, got furious, and insisted on stepping in."

"I figured it was a good opportunity for training, so I let her come."

"As for me—"

He shrugged.

"To be honest, I originally wanted to sleep at home."

Nami looked at him, unable to speak for a moment.

This reason sounded far too casual, so casual that it felt like a brush-off.

But meeting his calm gaze, she inexplicably felt that this was the truth.

He really just came along because his apprentice wanted to come.

There weren't that many calculations, not that many trade-offs, it was just that simple.

"You really are a… pretty strange person."

Nami couldn't help saying.

Lin Han raised an eyebrow.

"Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"A compliment."

Nami smiled, smiling more relaxedly than at any time during the day. "I always used to think Marines were unreliable."

"But you and Sister Kuina made me change my mind."

Lin Han waved his hand.

"Don't think too well of me, it was just a matter of convenience."

At this time, Kuina finally squeezed out from the pile of girls and walked to Nami's side.

"Nami, what are your plans for the future?"

Nami lowered her head, looking at the sloshing juice in her cup, turning the cup with her fingertips, and remained silent for quite a while before speaking.

"I… want to keep drawing nautical charts."

"Drawing nautical charts?" Kuina was a bit surprised.

"Yeah."

Nami raised her head, her eyes shining as if reflecting the bonfire. "I've liked drawing nautical charts since I was very little."

"Even though I was forced to draw them by Arlong all these years, I've never hated this."

"I like recording the appearance of various sea areas, marking reefs and ocean currents, and watching a blank paper slowly turn into a complete map—it's extremely interesting."

She paused, her tone growing firmer.

"I want to draw a nautical chart of the entire world. This has been my dream since childhood."

Kuina looked at the light in her eyes, her fingertips tightening unconsciously.

She had seen quite a few people, but very few could hold onto their dreams so tightly after enduring so much hardship.

"Then… would you like to join our Marine?"

Kuina blurted out.

Nami was stunned for a moment.

"Join the Marine?"

"Yeah!" Kuina nodded, her tone very earnest. "With your ability to draw nautical charts, entering the Marine would definitely be of great use."

"Our 18th Branch happens to be lacking a proper navigator. If you come, not only can you continue drawing nautical charts, but you can also go out to sea with us, go to more places, and map more sea areas."

Nami didn't speak.

Join the Marine… She had never entertained this notion.

Her experiences growing up made her have no favorable impression of this organization.

In her impression, most Marines were useless guys in uniforms who only put on airs in front of common people and ran faster than anyone else upon seeing pirates.

But today, Lin Han and Kuina let her know that there were actually such people in the Marine.

Formidable, upright, willing to make a move for unrelated people.

They were different from other Marines.

But even so, should she really join?

What she yearned for was the free and unfettered sea, going unfettered to places she had never been.

And the Marine meant rules, meant constraints.

She wasn't sure if she could bear it.

Lin Han saw her hesitation and spoke with a smile.

"No need to rush into a decision."

"You're still young, you have plenty of time to think."

"Whenever you figure it out, come find us at the 18th Branch anytime."

Nami looked up at his gentle smiling face, her heart feeling warm.

She nodded.

"Yeah! I will."

Although Kuina felt a bit regretful, she didn't force it.

She patted Nami on the shoulder and said with a smile,

"It's fine, no matter what you choose, we'll support you."

Nami looked at her and smiled too.

The night grew deeper, yet the atmosphere of the banquet became even livelier.

The bonfire crackled, and songs and laughter mixed with the sound of the waves drifted far away.

The oppressive gloom of the past eight years seemed to burn away along with the bonfire, drifting out to sea with the sea breeze.

Lin Han finally managed to break away from the crowd, leaning against the trunk of the old banyan tree, having replaced his drink with a cup of warm tea.

He watched the bustling scene before him, looking at one smiling face after another, the corners of his mouth curling up unconsciously.

Kuina walked over and sat down beside him, not caring if her hem brushed against the grass clippings on the ground.

"Master, do you think Nami will come?"

Lin Han took a sip of tea and looked up at the night sky.

Stars were scattered across the sky like black velvet, shining brightly.

"I don't know."

"But whether she comes or not, it's her own choice."

"All we can do is let her know that there is such a path she can walk."

Kuina nodded thoughtfully and also raised her head.

The wind swept over carrying the warmth of the bonfire and the sweet fragrance of the fruit wine.

Tonight's breeze was very comfortable.