Going Merry

The scene shifted.

Half an hour later, in the spacious dining room of the villa.

Everyone was eating until their mouths were greasy, and the little unpleasant incident at the square had long since been thrown to the winds under the assault of all this delicious food.

"That situation was absolutely critical!"

Usopp held a chicken leg in his hand as he vividly recounted Captain Usopp's thrilling battle to Kaya across the table.

"When those dozens of pirates charged at us, I remained calm in the face of danger and shouted!"

"I unleashed my ultimate move—Fire Star! It blew them all away in an instant!"

What he described had indeed happened, except... he had replaced Victor with his own brilliant and heroic self.

Kaya covered her mouth in surprise and cooperatively let out a little gasp.

"That's amazing, Mr. Usopp."

After saying that, her gentle eyes drifted toward Victor, who was silently cutting his steak nearby.

She naturally understood that the one who had defeated dozens of pirates in an instant and even killed Kuro...

Was probably this vice-captain who always looked so cheerful.

"Nom! Nom!"

A strange swallowing sound came from beside them.

Luffy's arms had turned into blurs as he continuously grabbed meat from the plates and stuffed it straight into his mouth without even chewing.

His mouth had stretched into a huge rubber pouch, while his throat kept bobbing.

"Gulp."

A whole plate of meat vanished in an instant.

Kaya watched this scene from the table and covered her mouth in surprise again, her eyes wide and round.

"So amazing... I'd already be full after eating just one piece of meat."

"Hehe, Kaya, don't underestimate a pirate's appetite! I have an excellent appetite too!"

Usopp's competitive spirit flared up immediately.

As he spoke, he grabbed a huge piece of bone-in meat and fiercely stuffed it into his mouth, imitating Luffy.

"Mmph! Guh... cough, cough, cough!!"

But he clearly did not have Luffy's absurd rubber stomach. The moment he shoved it in, it got stuck in his throat.

His eyes rolled back as he choked and collapsed onto the table, desperately pounding it with his fists.

"Are you idiots?"

Nami, who was elegantly drinking tea, watched the scene and sighed helplessly.

"Hehehe..."

Kaya watched the ridiculous sight and could not help covering her mouth as she laughed from the bottom of her heart.

"How wonderful... If only I had companions like this, people I could adventure and laugh with..."

A trace of envy and loneliness appeared in her eyes.

"That would be very dangerous, Miss Kaya."

Butler Merry thoughtfully handed a glass of water to Usopp, whose eyes were nearly rolling back, then smiled at Kaya.

Kaya obediently nodded, but the yearning in her eyes did not fade.

Merry looked at the young lady he had watched grow up and sighed inwardly.

If the young lady's body had been healthy, perhaps she could have gone out and seen the wider world too...

He forced a smile and turned toward the people happily feasting.

"Oh, right. As thanks for saving Miss Kaya and the village, I've already had the reward delivered to the northern shore."

"Huh?! Is it a big ship?!"

Upon hearing that, Luffy suddenly swallowed all the meat piled in his mouth and jumped up excitedly.

Merry nodded with a smile and took a list from his pocket.

"Yes. In addition, I had people prepare enough supplies to support all of you for a month at sea, including fresh water, food, and alcohol."

"Ah!! You're such a good person, Sheep Head Butler!"

Luffy was so moved that his eyes filled with tears.

Merry's mouth twitched as he touched his horn-shaped hairstyle.

Sheep Head... what kind of title was that?

Kaya watched the scene and laughed again.

"Well done, Merry."

"It is only my duty, Miss."

After everyone had finished eating, they followed Merry and Kaya all the way to the northern shore.

The moment they came down the slope, everyone's attention was captured.

A brand-new light sailing ship was quietly moored on the sea ahead.

Though the hull was not huge, its overall structure was sleek and elegant, built in the style of a three-masted sailing ship with a triangular aft sail.

The most eye-catching feature was the bow, where an adorable sheep figurehead had been carved. Its enormous main sail was unfurled and billowed in the wind, as if it were ready to set sail at any moment.

"Whoa!!!"

Luffy opened his mouth wide enough for drool to nearly spill out.

The others were equally stunned. This ship was countless times better than their previous one.

Merry stepped forward and introduced it with a hint of pride.

"Though the model is somewhat old-fashioned and the blueprints are from several years ago, this is my pride—the Going Merry! From now on, it will be your ship!"

"Ah, allow me to explain how it works and its structure..."

"Hey, move! Move!"

Nami rudely shoved Luffy aside, her eyes shining as she hurried over to Merry.

"Tell me about the ship! That idiot Luffy won't understand any of it!"

"Ooh! My ship!!"

Luffy did not care at all about being shoved aside. He stretched out his arm and shot onto the deck with a whoosh.

He ran all over the ship, touching the sheep head and tugging at the ropes, constantly letting out excited cries.

On the shore.

Kaya watched the scene and smiled.

Then she turned to Victor, who had been quietly standing nearby and gazing at the sea.

"Mr. Victor, I hope you like this ship."

"Yes, we love it. It is exactly what we wanted."

Victor turned around and looked at Kaya, who seemed hesitant to speak. Smiling, he said.

"If there's something you want to say, Miss Kaya, just say it. At a moment of parting like this, there's no need to hold back."

Having her thoughts seen through, Kaya blushed slightly. She shyly lowered her head, twisting the corner of her clothes between her fingers as she spoke softly.

"Um... if it isn't too much trouble... could you let me experience it one more time?"

She was referring to the illusion from before.

"Of course. It would be my pleasure."

"Then please look into my eyes."

Kaya immediately raised her head and looked directly into Victor's Sharingan, which turned red in an instant, without any hesitation.

The world changed.

The sickness vanished.

She returned once more to that vast, boundless sea.

The sea breeze brushed against her cheeks. White seagulls soared beneath the blue sky, and waves struck the hull with a pleasant sound.

"Kaya... dinner's ready!"

A familiar, warm call came from behind her.

Kaya immediately turned around.

At the other end of the deck, her parents stood there, smiling and waving to her, just as they had when she was little.

Kaya froze...

The illusion ended.

In reality, tears immediately began flowing uncontrollably down Kaya's pale cheeks.

But this time, they were not tears of sorrow, but relief.

"Thank you... thank you so much, Mr. Victor. You're a good person."

Kaya wiped away her tears, raised her head, and gave Victor a radiant smile.

"A good person..."

Victor shrugged noncommittally and did not deny the assessment. He only said softly.

"I hope you can be stronger, Miss Kaya. Since you survived, you should live a wonderful life for both yourself and your parents."

"Mm... I will!" Kaya nodded firmly, her eyes becoming resolute.

Just then.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!! Move! Get out of the way!!"

A panicked shout suddenly came from the slope behind them.

Everyone turned around and saw someone carrying a huge bundle twice the size of his body.

With his center of gravity thrown off, he was rolling all the way down the steep slope like a giant meatball.

"Ah, it's Mr. Usopp." Kaya said in surprise. "So he suddenly left earlier to get his luggage."

"What the heck is this guy doing?"

Victor rubbed his forehead helplessly.

"Either way, we should stop him first. At this rate, he'll crash into the Going Merry," Zoro said.

"Agreed."

The two exchanged a glance and raised their feet at the same time with perfect coordination.

Bang!

Two feet precisely blocked the rolling Usopp meatball.

"Ow, ow, ow..."

Usopp fell to the ground in a daze, the huge bundle on his back crushing him so badly he could barely breathe.

"Ah... thanks, you two. I almost couldn't stop."

He struggled to climb up and dusted himself off.

"Mr. Usopp, have you made up your mind?" Kaya asked softly as she looked at the enormous bundle.

Usopp adjusted the goggles on his head and looked at Kaya, his usual confident smile appearing on his face.

"Yeah! I have to leave before I change my mind! After all, a warrior of the sea can't back down!"

He took a deep breath and gave Kaya a thumbs-up.

"Anyway, if I ever come back to this village, I'll tell you even more amazing adventure stories! I'm off, Kaya!"

With that, Usopp resolutely turned around and started walking toward a small dinghy by the shore.

After taking two steps, he realized that no one was trying to stop him.

"Hey, what are you talking about?"

Zoro, already standing by the railing of the Going Merry, frowned at Usopp as he headed toward the small boat.

"Get on board already, idiot."

"Huh?" Usopp froze and stopped walking.

At that moment, Luffy leaned over the railing at the stern, poked his head out, and spoke as if it were only natural.

"We're waiting for you, Usopp."

"Weren't we already crewmates?"

"Crew... crewmates..."

Usopp's eyes widened instantly, and his lips trembled.

So they had already considered him one of their companions?

A huge wave of emotion surged through him, and he fought back the tears that were about to spill from his eyes.

"Y-you bastards!"

Usopp suddenly turned around, hoisted the huge bundle onto his back, and ran toward the ship. To hide his embarrassment, he shouted loudly.

"If that's the case! Then the captain... I'll be the captain!!"

"Huh?! Don't say stupid things! I'm the captain!!" Luffy immediately retorted, stretching out a foot to pull him aboard.

"Raise the sails! Set off!!"

With Luffy's loud shout, the Going Merry slowly departed from the shore and sailed toward the vast sea.

On the shore.

Kaya and Merry stood side by side, watching the pirate ship gradually disappear into the distance.

"Miss Kaya, the wind is picking up. We should head back," Merry said softly.

Kaya watched the long-nosed boy waving on the deck, then smiled as she wiped away the last tear at the corner of her eye.

"I really do need to become stronger, so that I can hear their stories again someday... Merry, let's go home."

Merry looked at his young lady's lively face and smiled with relief.

He looked toward the direction where the Going Merry had vanished and bowed deeply.

"Thank you... pirates."