One-Punch Man in the One Piece World

4. A ninja who knows nothing

When Norton woke up in his soft bed, the sun was already high in the sky; defeating Redbeard was a thing of the past.

These nobles knew how to enjoy life, and the Duke was among the best. His private cabin had a bed covered with white wool and a cotton-filled pillow. While it wasn't quite as soft as a cloud, it was the softest bed Norton had ever slept in.

Norton stretched lazily, slowly got out of bed, quickly washed up, and opened the door.

In front of the door, the chefs hired by the aristocracy had prepared breakfast in advance and placed it on a special board.

A grilled sausage and two fried eggs, along with some vegetable salad, make for a very good meal at sea where resources are scarce.

After leisurely satisfying his taste buds, Norton went up to the deck.

The pirates were active on the deck, while the nobles and ladies gathered on the other side to chat, keeping to themselves.

According to the rules announced by Norton yesterday, both are free to move around on the ship, but must maintain basic respect for each other and must not harm, insult, or offend one another.

Anyone who breaks the rules will be thrown into the sea like Redbeard.

The pirates feared Norton's power and dared not disobey him.

The nobles and ladies were more than willing to abide by the rules; without Norton's protection, who knows what the pirates would do to them.

Sanosuke sat cross-legged in the corner of the deck, practicing his ninja training. He always seemed to wear a headband and mask, and his night clothes were exactly the same as yesterday, giving Norton reason to suspect that the guy didn't like taking baths.

Sensing Norton's approach, Sanosuke slowly opened his eyes.

"Where did Nami go?" Norton asked.

"I don't know, I didn't see her when I woke up this morning," Sanosuke replied.

Norton nodded, glanced around, and the pirates and nobles all tensed up.

Norton didn't bother these people; he wasn't that bored. On this ship, the only people he cared about at the moment were Nami and Sanosuke.

"How much longer until we reach land?" Norton asked again.

"I don't know, I know nothing about navigation," Sanosuke said.

"How come you don't know anything when I ask you anything? You're really useless."

Sasuke was speechless for a moment. "How could I possibly know the answer to a question like this?"

Why didn't you ask me if I could use shadow clones?

"Then do you know how to create shadow clones?" Norton's eyes lit up.

"Won't."

"That fire jutsu..."

"Fire Release? What's that?" Sanosuke asked, puzzled.

"What about the Sharingan?" Norton was unwilling to give up.

"What's the Sharingan? Never heard of it."

"Tch, boring." Norton was bored, even though he thought he had struck gold.

What kind of ninja are you?

"I think I'll go find Nami instead." Norton took a deep breath.

Leave the deck and enter the cabin.

Arriving at Nami's room, I knocked on the door.

No one responded.

Where have you been?

Norton pondered for a moment, then went deeper into the cabin.

A few minutes later, he arrived at the place where the treasure was stored and, sure enough, heard faint noises.

"It was here after all..."

Norton thought to himself, then pushed the door open and went inside.

Nami was startled, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"You...how did you get in?!"

"What are you doing? You're not stealing anything, are you?" Norton looked at the bundle at Nami's feet and asked instead of answering.

"Haha~ You're joking, how could that be?" Nami used a smile to cover up her guilt, trying to get rid of the burden.

Norton glanced at Nami, then looked away.

He knew that Nami was only pretending to be compliant and would steal money and run away at any time given the opportunity. It would take some effort to get Nami to join him willingly.

But he didn't expose Nami; instead, he turned and walked out the door.

Nami paused for a moment, looked at Norton's departing figure, then at the bundle full of Berries behind her, hesitated for a second, and then followed Norton.

"You believe me?" Nami asked, almost as if possessed.

"What do you think?" Norton asked without turning around.

Nami paused, realizing she was finding it increasingly difficult to understand this man.

The two continued forward in silence, Norton's expression inscrutable in the shadows, making Nami anxious and apprehensive.

It wasn't until he stepped out of the cabin and back onto the deck that Norton's striking features were once again exposed to the sunlight.

"How much longer until we reach land?" Norton turned around.

"It'll be soon. According to the location on the nautical chart, we should arrive around noon tomorrow." Nami gazed at the distant sea, the sea breeze ruffling her short orange hair.

Norton nodded and walked to the bow of the ship, with a guilty-looking Nami following closely behind him.

At that moment, a duke approached, looking at Norton with a complicated expression: "What do you intend to do with us?"

The Duke didn't know whether to resent or be grateful to this cold-faced but warm-hearted man.

Norton may not have rescued these nobles, but Norton's rules have inadvertently protected everyone.

Moreover, if Norton hadn't defeated Redbeard, the people on this ship would never have survived this crisis.

Although Norton wanted to take away the nobles' treasures and ships.

What's next? A new crisis, or a chance to escape? The Duke wasn't sure, so he decided to muster the courage to ask Norton.

"I almost forgot about you. Once we reach land, you can disembark, but the cook will have to stay."

"Get off...get off the ship?" The Duke was overjoyed.

"Yes, get off the ship. You people who can't do anything are just wasting food by staying on the ship," Norton said.

"Wasting food? You mean we're useless? You're insulting us!"

"Did I say something wrong?"

"We can compose poetry, we know etiquette..." The Duke's face turned red with anger.

"Stop, stop, stop," Norton interrupted the Duke's long-winded speech. "Do you even know how to farm?"

"Farming? That's a meaningless thing; let the lower classes do it! We should focus our energy on more important things!"

Norton chuckled. "Listen to that, what an arrogant statement! How can someone who can't even respect the labor of others be considered useful?"

"So what if you know how to farm? Knowing how to farm..." the Duke said angrily.

Norton, however, had no desire to argue with the Duke and walked away on his own.

Nami chuckled when she saw the Duke's furious expression. It was the first time she had ever seen a nobleman show such an expression, something she had never been able to achieve no matter how much money she stole before.

After walking a distance, Norton felt someone tap his shoulder from behind.

Norton turned to look at Nami.

"Are you really going to release these nobles? Won't they retaliate? After all, you stole their money," Nami said.

"Come on then, I never care about the revenge of the weak," Norton said calmly.

"I never expected there to be pirates like you." Nami's eyes were complicated.

"Piracy is just the beginning; my goal is to build my own country," Norton said.

"Then why do you discriminate against nobles?" Nami asked, puzzled. How could someone who aims to become king stand against the nobles?

"Because the country I want to build doesn't need a corrupt aristocratic class; it should be led by capable people," Norton said softly.

Nami was lost in thought when suddenly the deck shook violently, and the entire ship began to rock. Nami lost her balance and fell forward, bumping into Norton's firm, warm back.

"What happened?" someone shouted.

"It looks like we've run aground! Damn it, how can there be reefs in this kind of water?" the helmsman shouted back.

"It's all Sanosuke's fault! That guy's bad luck must be acting up again!" someone in the pirate crew shouted.