Chapter 132: Forcibly Stuffed into Nami's Mouth

“...Captain... is this a Devil Fruit?”

Nami hesitated as she handed the strange-looking fruit to Tang Shen. She dared not look directly at it, her pretty face still deathly pale; her slender fingers trembled slightly as she passed it over. It was clear she had been badly frightened just moments ago.

“Indeed. The secret treasure of the sea that countless pirates yearn for—a Devil Fruit. Rumor has it that a single fruit can fetch over one hundred million berries on the black market. Truly a marvelous thing.”

Taking the Devil Fruit into his hands, Tang Shen curled his lips into a playful smile, weighing it lightly in his palm.

One hundred million berries!

Nami lowered her head, then looked up in shock, staring intensely at the fruit. A fleeting, cryptic light flashed across her beautiful eyes before she bit her lip and slowly looked down again.

This was one hundred million berries! With this, she could save everyone in her village!

Desire—she was, of course, overcome with desire. This was the culmination of so many years of struggle, enduring the misunderstandings, insults, and scorn of her entire village while carrying a burden as heavy as a mountain. She had survived since she was less than ten years old, and now, this strange fruit was all it would take to fulfill her long-held dream.

To say she wasn't moved would be a lie. Her heart was in a state of unprecedented turbulence.

“Eating a Devil Fruit grants the power of a devil, but it also carries a devil’s curse: you will be rejected by the sea and become a hammer, unable to swim,” Tang Shen said calmly, catching the look on Nami’s face.

Granting the power of a devil?!

Filled with a sliver of curiosity, Nami stole a glance at the fruit in Tang Shen’s hand, her heart racing uncontrollably.

“Do you want this Devil Fruit?” Tang Shen suddenly asked, his gaze playful.

“Ah...” It was as if her secret had been exposed. Nami showed a flash of panic, though she immediately tried to mask it. “...I—how could I possibly want something that belongs to you, Captain?”

“Your heartbeat betrays you. Are you nervous? Or is it longing? Or perhaps... the fear of unknown power?”

He reached out a finger, and under her panicked gaze, he made her tilt her chin up. Her beautiful face and exquisite eyes were like the finest work of art in the world, especially the despair in her eyes that invited such deep pity. One had to admit, a woman in such a state of vulnerability was at her most alluring.

Gently stroking her smooth, delicate chin, Tang Shen smiled faintly at her, his gaze seemingly able to pierce her soul and see the deepest secrets within.

A flush rapidly rose to her pretty face. Nami’s body trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. She bit her lip, feeling a profound sense of humiliation; she was being toyed with like a plaything in the hands of this scoundrel! Yet she had no power to resist. Even the slightest thought of defiance was detected. It was an indescribable humiliation.

“...I—I...” Nami stammered, wanting to explain, but she found all her words pale and powerless. Even though she had once been able to navigate through a garden of men without ever touching a leaf, twisting them around her finger, she felt a deep sense of powerlessness against this person of similar age.

The struggle in her eyes eventually faded into a helpless despair. She closed her eyes, and a single tear rolled down her cheek, shattering as it fell.

“Tears cannot save the weak; blood is the final destination.” Tang Shen sighed softly. Seeing Nami’s tear-streaked face caused a soft spot in his heart to ache, but he understood that the world before him was bloody—far more so than what he knew from his past life. The cruelty of pirates and the hardship of survival could not be solved by tears.

He shook his head, casting aside these stray thoughts, and once again offered a sunny smile. “Do you want it, slave? How about I, your master, bestow it upon you?”

Nami’s eyes widened, her breathing grew rapid, and her full chest heaved violently. Her face was flushed with agitation. To her utter disbelief, Tang Shen slowly pressed the Devil Fruit into her hands.

A Devil Fruit worth one hundred million! A hidden treasure of the sea!

Her heart hammered wildly. She had never been so nervous—not just because of the one hundred million, but because it was being given to her by... the hands of the devil before her. His brilliant smile only made her heart fill with panic.

“C-Captain... I...”

The touch was so real; the clear, lukewarm sensation in her hands told Nami this was no dream! This was actually happening! This devil was actually giving the fruit to her?!

“Eat it.”

The calm, quiet voice reached her. Tang Shen looked at her with indifference, even wearing a hint of a ‘doting’ smile.

“...”

Nami froze instantly. Cold sweat broke out, her face turned paper-white, and her body shook. Even when facing Arlong, she hadn’t felt such terror. This bastard before her... he was truly maddening, truly terrifying.

“What’s wrong? As a slave, you have no right to defy your master. Koby, how long do you intend to watch? The deck isn’t clean yet.”

With a playful tone, Tang Shen glanced at the bewildered Koby. The boy was so frightened he scrambled away to scrub the deck. With her only potential source of help dismissed, Nami was at her absolute most helpless.

“Captain... I—I will listen to you from now on, I will never betray you, I don’t want your Devil Fruit anymore, Captain...”

Her voice was thick with tears, putting on a pathetic display. Although she truly felt pathetic, the nature of the ‘Cat Burglar’ made her a clear bully of the weak and coward to the strong. She would become a ‘hammer’ if she ate the fruit; she didn’t want to be a damned person who couldn’t swim! Plus, who knew what kind of power it granted? What if she died? People in the East Blue knew too little about Devil Fruits, and humanity was always filled with fear of the unknown.

“Nami, it seems you still don’t understand your situation. Submission will make your life more comfortable; resistance is futile. Do you understand?” Tang Shen chuckled and walked slowly toward her.

He knew her temperament better than anyone: tsundere, a bully of the weak, stubborn. Subjugating her would be troublesome, and if he wasn't careful, she might sneak off with the navigation charts one day. Besides, she was the top navigator in the world of pirates; how could Tang Shen let her go?

“No, Captain! I’ll listen to you from now on, I’ll be obedient! Nami is very obedient! Captain, no—”

Her desperate cry was cut short, turning into a whimper of shame and indignation. Tang Shen gripped her hands behind her back and brought a knee up to press against her shapely hips, forcing her to lift her face, before forcibly shoving the purple Devil Fruit into her mouth.