"Another ship!"
Fujitora's eyelids twitched wildly again. He slashed his sword toward the sky several times, and as its gleam flashed, the air overhead shifted in a strange way. The Going Merry, which had been frozen in the ice, suddenly dropped free. Boom! Sheets of solid ice cracked and tumbled down with it. The Going Merry plunged straight into the ice below and shattered on impact.
"Fur Point!"
As a round, plump shape landed on the ice, everyone who had leaped from the Going Merry dropped safely onto Chopper's back.
Chopper's fluffy body cushioned their fall, and no one was hurt. Even so, the sight of their shattered pirate ship filled every one of them with anger and a stabbing pain in the heart.
"Going Merry!"
Kneeling on the Execution Platform, Luffy stared wide-eyed at the shattered Going Merry. Tears spilled uncontrollably from the boy's eyes.
But he soon stopped crying and turned toward Sanji. Looking at the others in disbelief, he said, "You guys... it's too dangerous here. You shouldn't have come."
"Isn't it a little late to say that now, Captain?"
Sanji took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with a practiced snap, then drew on it.
Seeing that Chopper and the others were still grieving, Sanji said sternly, "Everyone, wipe those tears away. Merry did everything he could. He got us to Marine Headquarters safely. Are you going to let everyone laugh at us now? Merry's watching us too. No matter what, we're saving Luffy!"
"Sanji!"
Chopper bit his lip hard and held back his tears. He looked at Sanji, nodded firmly, and clenched his small, furry fists.
Franky wiped his tears away too and shouted, "Who's crying? I'm not crying! Merry was a real man. We can't let him look down on us. Today,