In the year 1520 of the Sea Circle Calendar, in the first half of the Grand Line, the repercussions in the waters around Long Ring Long Land had yet to fully subside.
On the azure sea, the Going Merry sailed slowly with the current. The sea breeze filled her sails, but could not conceal the cracks scarring her hull. At Long Ring Long Land, the Davy Back Fight against the Foxy Pirates had first drained much of their energy, and then they had suffered a surprise attack by Marine Admiral Aokiji. Even though Hua Country's formidable general Zhang Fei had intercepted Aokiji midway through his pursuit, the Going Merry, which had accompanied the Straw Hat Pirates through countless storms, was finally on her last legs.
"It's no good. The keel here is completely warped."
Usopp crouched at the bow, running his fingertips over the cracks in the Merry's sheep figurehead, his voice filled with undisguised dejection. He hammered away, but could only watch helplessly as the gaps between the planks widened. Beside him, Chopper clutched his medical kit and paced anxiously in circles, powerless to treat a ship's injuries.
Nami held the sea chart, her brow tightly furrowed. She pressed a fingertip hard against the outline of an island marked on it and said gravely, "Water 7 is thirty nautical miles ahead. It's the most famous shipbuilding city on the Grand Line, where the world's best shipwrights gather. It's the only place that can repair the Merry."
"Meat!! Does Water 7 have enormous chunks of roast meat?!"
Luffy clung to the ship's side, his eyes shining like two stars that had fallen into the sea. A moment earlier, his head had been drooping over the Merry's injuries, but the instant he heard about a new island, he cast all his