"Yeah."
Lorne's voice was soft, yet it fell clearly into the ears of the two girls, causing their hearts, which had just settled, to instantly hang in the air again.
"A traveler will never stay in one port forever."
Nojiko opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know where to start, so she hid her emotions deeper.
Nami's bright brown eyes quickly filled with moisture, and she tilted her head back, stubbornly refusing to let the tears fall.
There was a hint of a tremor in her voice that even she hadn't noticed.
"Then... then can I go with you? Big Brother Lorne!"
She mustered the greatest courage of her life and almost shouted these words.
"I'm very good at drawing nautical charts! I can read the weather, and I can help you identify our course! I won't hold you back!"
The little girl tried hard to straighten her chest, attempting to prove her worth to the man in front of her.
After witnessing a glimpse of the vast world Lorne had shown her, the seed of adventure in her heart had been thoroughly ignited.
Lorne looked at her eager and earnest appearance, his gentle smile unchanged.
He did not answer immediately but reached out his hand again; this time, it wasn't to rub her head, but just to gently press down on Nami's short orange hair.
"The sea is vast, Nami! It will test you, and it will shape you. But you need to learn to run under the sun before you can challenge the unknown storms."
His words were light and carried a strange, soothing power.
"The current you still needs time. Go learn, go grow, and use your pen to draw the entire world."
Lorne withdrew his hand and met Nami's eager eyes, solemnly making a promise.
"When the nautical charts you draw are enough to guide ships through any storm, go to the Grand Line! Perhaps we will meet there!"
This promise was both a rejection and an expectation.
Nami was stunned; she chewed on the meaning of Lorne's words, and the moisture in her eyes eventually condensed into tears that slid down her cheeks.
Yet the tears held less sadness and more of a flame called purpose.
"Yeah!"
She nodded forcefully, her voice somewhat muffled due to choking back sobs, yet exceptionally firm. "I will definitely become the best navigator! Definitely!"
Lorne smiled with relief.
Not long after, a familiar figure also sought him out on the mountain behind the village.
Bellemere had a cigarette in her mouth, her walking posture still as carefree as ever, but there was a hint of unnaturalness on her face.
She walked up to Lorne and handed over something wrapped in a handkerchief.
"This... giving it back to you."
Bellemere's voice was a bit stiff. "You helped the village solve such a big problem; we cannot accept such a precious item from you anymore."
The handkerchief opened, and inside lay the accessory Lorne had used as rent.
Lorne glanced at it, then waved his hand, his attitude lazy yet resolute.
"Bellemere, you're looking down on my character!"
He said half-jokingly, "How can there be a reason to take back something that has been given away? Just consider it payment for the best orange marmalade I've eaten in these past few months."
He paused and added, "Besides, I'm a bit superstitious; taking back a gift that has been given brings bad luck."
Bellemere looked at his serious expression, and the bellyful of arguments she had prepared were instantly blocked.
She opened her mouth, but in the end, it could only turn into a helpless sigh, and she put the accessory away again.
"You guy..."
She muttered a sentence but also completely abandoned the idea of returning it.
When they returned to the village, the villagers had already spontaneously prepared everything for Lorne.
They had no way to repay Lorne's kindness for saving the entire village, so they could only express their gratitude in the simplest way.
The best sloop in the village was pushed to the pier; the hull had been cleaned thoroughly, and the sails had been replaced with brand-new ones.
------------------------
There are already 70+ chapters available on my Patreon!
The story will continue to update 1 chapter per day on Webnovel,
while early access chapters are posted on Patreon.
Maybe it's not worth it today but it could be later
[email protected]/Kazenova223
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"