The Going Merry cut through the waves of a storm-tossed sea.
"Hang in there, Uncle! We're almost out of this storm."
Nami stared ahead. Barely a kilometer away, she could see clear skies and sunshine, a world apart from the weather around them.
Rubick drove the wind, steadying the Going Merry while pushing her out of the storm.
"Damn it! I'm eating a whole mountain of food after this!"
Nami hurried to reassure him. "Make it ten mountains! Just keep going."
Soon, the Going Merry left the storm behind. Rubick and the others collapsed on the Deck, too exhausted to move.
Zoro climbed down from the lookout. "The sails aren't badly damaged, and the ropes are all intact."
Usopp came up from belowdecks to report. "The hold's a mess. A lot of water got in, and the gunpowder's damp. We can't use the cannons for now."
Sanji said listlessly, "More importantly, we're out of food again."
"Don't worry," Zoro said. "There's land ahead."
Nami added, "And it's getting hotter. The sea's calmer, too. We must be nearing land, though I don't know how far we are from Alabasta."
Splash!
A sea creature suddenly surfaced beside the Going Merry. It had a cat's head and a fish's body.
Vivi shouted with excitement, "A Sea Cat! We've reached Alabasta! Everyone, we're here!"
"Whoa, really?"
"Finally!"
Luffy and the others sprang back to life. "Food! Food!" he shouted.
The rest said nothing, but their eyes gleamed like a pack of hungry wolves.
"We'll find a secluded place to land," Rubick said. "Then we'll eat and discuss what to do next."
It was a good plan, but the moment they reached shore, Luffy couldn't contain himself. He jumped off first, yelling about food, and vanished into the crowd.
Rubick and the others exchanged looks.