Perona had never been bullied before.
This was the first time she encountered an enemy she couldn't handle, and she was about to break down...
Tears started streaming down her face.
"Huh? Who's crying?"
Nami, who had been leaning on Finn's shoulders, slowly slid down to the ground. She turned to look at Perona, perplexed.
"Why are you lying here crying? Aren't you supposed to be floating in the air?" Nami asked, raising an eyebrow.
Perona sobbed, wiping her tears. "Your young master... he's going to... treat me... woo woo woo, of course I'm crying!"
Nami's eyes widened in surprise as she glanced at Finn.
"Huh?"
"Is the young master really being so forward this time?" she thought, taken aback.
Finn's face darkened. "What? I'm not that nasty!" He spread his hands, clearly innocent.
Nami pointed at Perona's messy hair, her two loose ponytails falling out. "This... isn't the young master's doing?"
"Um... yes..." Finn shrugged, a sheepish smile playing on his lips.
"Did you hear that? This is your young master! Stop your young master!" Perona exclaimed, her eyes red with frustration.
Nami's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Master, if you want, I can watch the door for you!"
"Wha—!?" Perona was stunned.
What kind of people had she gotten herself involved with?
Finn chuckled, spitting out a mouthful of salt soda. "Wow, my Nami is so sensible?"
He gently pinched Nami's cheek, smirking. "Did I hear you right? My little mischief-maker, were you trying to humiliate me on purpose?"
Nami rubbed her cheek, blushing. She slapped Finn lightly, frowning. "I was favored by the young master because of Sister Robin's generosity. Now, whatever the young master wants to do, how can I stop him?"
Finn laughed. "What a clever little thief."
However, he wasn't planning anything too extreme just yet. He pulled Nami into a hug, pinched her cute nose, and explained, "I was just trying to scare her."
"Scare her? Why?" Nami asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Because she scared you to tears earlier! I'm just returning the favor, scaring her to tears too. For you, my Nami!" Finn winked at her.
Nami's heart warmed at the thought.
"Master..."
A lump formed in Nami's throat as she wiped her eyes, moved by Finn's words.
Perona, however, was left utterly dumbfounded.
"What is happening here? Are they deliberately mocking me, a single person?" she thought, confused and embarrassed.
A while later, Finn placed Nami down gently and lifted Perona with ease, carrying her over his shoulder as he walked out with Nami by his side.
Outside, he handed Perona to Tashigi, who quickly cuffed her with seastone handcuffs and led her away.
As they stepped out, a group of bats flew overhead, drawing near to Finn. They quickly gathered into a shadowy form that solidified into a tall figure—Gekko Moria.
"Heihehehe, Master Finn..." Moria chuckled, revealing his fangs in a mocking grin.
Finn didn't flinch. "Are you going to surrender without a fight, or do I need to beat you first and then arrest you?"
Moria immediately raised his hands, offering a sheepish smile. "Heihehe, Master Finn, don't say that. I don't want to be your enemy. Please don't send me to the deep-sea prison!"
Finn's lips curled into a smirk. "What are you thinking? I'm Marine, you're a pirate. It's only natural that I would arrest you."
Moria pleaded, his voice full of desperation. "Master Finn, I've been wronged! I used to be a Shichibukai, but suddenly Marine ordered me to give it up, forcing me to become a pirate again. You see, I wasn't like other pirates, I didn't rob anyone. I just guarded my territory and created my zombie army. If Marine wanted me to be a Shichibukai again, I would've gladly served!"
He had no illusions about Finn's strength—after all, even someone as strong as Hawkeye had lost to Finn. Moria knew he stood no chance.
Finn raised an eyebrow. "The order to abolish the Shichibukai was part of an agreement I forced all the World Government nations to sign. So, are you blaming me for that?"
"Master Finn, no! Even if I had three heads, I wouldn't dare blame you!" Moria quickly corrected himself, waving his hands frantically. "Please, give me a chance to work for Marine again!"
"Oh? Are you serious?" Finn asked, his tone skeptical.
"Yes, absolutely! Now that Marine is under your leadership, Master Finn, it's truly unprecedented and powerful! Unlike those stubborn pirates, I just want to follow the Marine's lead!" Moria declared.
Finn paused, studying Moria for a moment before responding, "If you really feel that way, I can give you a chance."
"Really!? Thank you, Master Finn!" Moria's eyes lit up with excitement.
Finn reached into his system space and pulled out a life card, tossing it to Moria. "This is Doflamingo's life card. Take it and find him. If you want to switch sides, he can help you. But when you meet him, you'll have to listen to him."
"Doflamingo?" Moria blinked in surprise.
"Yes, he's under my command now, just like a former Shichibukai. If you want to get out of the darkness, go to him. He'll take care of you. But you must obey him when you get there," Finn explained.
Moria hesitated. "Why should I listen to him?"
At that moment, Finn's aura surged, filling the air with a heavy pressure that made Moria's heart race.
"No... no! I'll follow your order, Master Finn!" Moria quickly responded, terrified.
Finn relaxed his aura slightly. "Remember, I'm only giving you one month. You must find Doflamingo at the Golden City within that time. If you don't, I'll come for you myself. And there will be no second chances."
Moria's face drained of color at the mention of jail. He knew Finn's power—when he made a promise, he kept it.
"I understand, Master Finn. Don't worry. I'll do it!" Moria quickly agreed, his voice trembling.
"Good," Finn said, a satisfied smile curling his lips.
Though Finn didn't expect Moria to truly become part of Marine, he knew that Moria was a pragmatic man. As long as Finn was around, Moria would think twice before acting out.