On the open sea, the Thousand Sunny sailed steadily across the waves.
Under Merry's control, the others did not even need to steer deliberately for the ship to go anywhere they wanted.
Of course, as the navigator, Nami still had to keep an eye on the sea's weather conditions.
"Ah~"
"When are we ever going to reach the next island?" Xi Yan said with dead-fish eyes as he fished from the side of the ship.
A whole day had already passed, yet there was not even a shadow of an island in sight.
Other than fishing, Xi Yan really had no idea what else to do.
"Traveling from one island to the next actually takes a very long time," Merry, sitting beside him, explained.
"How do you know so much?"
"Hehe, because I'm a Ship Spirit~" Merry smiled. "Of course I know about a ship's voyage."
Before she had gained a body, she had accompanied her partners on adventures across one island after another. She knew perfectly well how long voyages could take.
"Fine."
Xi Yan felt a little helpless, but he did not say anything else.
Still, he had noticed that the little guy had grown rather attached to him lately. She could sit with him and fish all morning.
He did not know whether it was because he had saved her with Chakra, creating a natural sense of closeness between them.
He casually tossed the fishing rod to Usopp, who was walking over, then jumped down from the railing with Merry.
"What, you're done fishing?"
"Yeah, I'm done."
Xi Yan shook his head. After setting Merry down, he looked at the little guy and asked, "Meli-chan, how's your progress on the ninjutsu I told you about?"
Ever since Xi Yan had saved Merry, he had discovered a strange