The Going Merry had come to save them?
Even Zoro, tough as he was, felt his eyes grow red.
"Why did you come back? We're the ones who abandoned you!!!"
Hum...
A clear hum echoed in everyone's ears. The sound seemed to reach straight into their hearts, leaving them frozen in place.
"Because we're crewmates!"
Because we're crewmates?
Atalante's eyes widened in shock. "A Ship Spirit?!"
"Zoro! Hurry!"
Usopp's shout snapped Zoro out of it. He lowered his head and lunged forward! Atalante, who had been facing him, reacted at once. With a shout, he activated his Devil Fruit Powers!
"Don't think you can run!"
"Heh!" As he fell, a mocking smile touched Zoro's lips. He hurled the crumpled scraps away.
"Go fetch, doggy!"
"Damn it!"
Atalante's face darkened. Frustrated, he gave up the chase. The Teleportation Fruit could only move him and whatever he touched through space; it gave him no way to catch Zoro in midair. At most, he could stab him once to vent his anger.
If he kept chasing Zoro, the Pluton Blueprint would fall into the sea. He knew exactly what would happen to paper that fragile, already soaked with blood.
Splash!
The moment Zoro hit the sea, a rubber arm shot out from the Going Merry and wrapped around his waist.
A terrible feeling came over him.
"N-no way..."
Before he could object, the arm snapped back, proving his fears right!
Whoosh—screeech!
Zoro skidded face-first across the Going Merry's deck, leaving a long scrape behind him and making a noise like tires braking hard. He finally slammed into the cabin wall and stopped with a thunk.
Sprawled against the wall, Zoro's mouth twitched.
"One day, I'm going to cut you down..."
But Luffy, now awake, seemed not to hear him. He stood facing the