“So…
how should I put this?” Dazai Osamu stroked his chin with a serious expression as he stared at the pirate flag in front of him.
Luffy looked at him with sparkling puppy-dog eyes, eagerly awaiting his verdict.
Beside them, Zoro and Nami wore pained expressions as they looked at Luffy’s masterpiece.
Why were they all so conflicted?
The day after obtaining their own pirate ship, they had reached one of the most important milestones of any pirate crew— Designing their Jolly Roger.
Naturally, as captain, Luffy had the final say.
But when he proudly presented his finished drawing, everyone around him fell silent.
Spread across the deck was a large white sailcloth, painted with a skull wearing a straw hat.
Unfortunately…
The skull was so crooked and lopsided that if they actually flew it, the Straw Hat Pirates would become famous throughout the pirate world—for all the wrong reasons.
A Jolly Roger was the face of a pirate crew!
“Hehehe…” Usopp proudly puffed out his chest.
“Luffy!
Leave it to me!
I have fifty years of graffiti experience!” “So cool!” Luffy looked at Usopp with stars in his eyes.
Nami sighed.
“Fifty years?
You’re not even fifty years old.” Usopp immediately blushed.
“I-It’s an exaggeration!
Just an exaggeration!” He quickly grabbed the paintbrush and, with practiced strokes, redrew the design.
This version looked infinitely better.
Luffy wasn’t a difficult client, so he immediately approved it.
“Usopp!
Paint one on the sail too!” “You got it!” And so another peaceful day aboard the Straw Hat Pirates’ ship began.
…
Dazai felt thoroughly bored.
The other four bachelors were enthusiastically discussing their new pirate flag.
Everything’s too peaceful…
No crab meat…
No beautiful ladies willing to commit double suicide with me…
Life really has no meaning.
He carefully glanced at Zoro, who was resting with his eyes closed.
Little by little…
He quietly shuffled toward the ship’s railing.
“Farewell, boring life!” Without the slightest hesitation— He jumped.
Another suicide attempt.
No one even knew how many it had been.
…
“Nami frowned.” “Zoro…
where’s Dazai?” Opening one eye, Zoro looked around.
“No idea.” “Luffy?
Usopp?
Have either of you seen Dazai?” The two shook their heads blankly.
“Oh no…” A terrible suspicion surfaced in Nami’s mind.
The others exchanged glances.
Realization dawned immediately.
Only Usopp still looked completely confused.
“Dazai jumped overboard again!” The crew instantly panicked.
“That idiot!” Grinding his teeth, Zoro dove straight into the sea.
“Usopp!
Go help find that moron!” Nami barked.
“Luffy!
Don’t you dare jump in too!” She stopped the captain before he could make things worse.
They searched again and again.
Everyone who could swim dived multiple times.
There was no sign of Dazai.
“He was serious this time.” Zoro wiped seawater from his face.
Luffy lowered his head.
“Dazai is always serious when he tries to kill himself.” His voice carried guilt.
Of all his crewmates, Dazai worried him the most.
He never seemed to fit into this world.
There was always a hollow emptiness inside him…
An indifference toward life itself.
Luffy didn’t know what Dazai feared.
But every suicide attempt felt like a silent cry for help.
And whenever a friend cried for help…
Luffy would do everything he could to save them.
“That bastard…” Zoro cursed quietly.
“Next time I’m tying him up.” Without another word, he dove back into the ocean.
Usopp still didn’t fully understand what was happening.
All he could do was search anxiously alongside Zoro.
“Dazai’s still alive.” Luffy clenched his fists.
“He’s still calling for help.” Nami carefully studied the ocean currents, calculating their drift.
At last, she reached a conclusion.
“Zoro!
Come back!” Once he climbed aboard, she explained.
“There’s supposed to be a legendary island nearby.
Pirates say anyone who goes there searching for treasure turns into an animal.
Most pirates avoid it because of the rumors.” She frowned.
“If Dazai drifted with the current…
he may have ended up there.” There were far too many uncertainties.
But in an endless sea, hope was all they had.
“Full speed ahead.” Luffy’s voice remained calm.
The Going Merry raced toward the mysterious island.
Meanwhile…
Taking advantage of everyone’s distraction, Dazai had successfully thrown himself into the sea.
Every time he sank beneath the water…
Every time he stood at the boundary between life and death…
Just as he was about to cross it— He would always see Odasaku quietly shaking his head in disapproval.
And Dazai would hesitate.
He was afraid of disappointing his friend.
So he always stopped.
Yet he still couldn’t find any meaning in living.
Every day, he searched for a way to die.
Yet every single time…
Some kind stranger would save him.
Whenever he was rescued, he found it disgusting that someone like him continued to survive.
But there was nothing he could do.
Hell simply refused to accept him.
So he could only keep dragging out his meaningless life…
Waiting for the day it finally ended.
“Hey!
Hey!” Someone kept calling out to him.
So…
I failed again.
Dazai lazily opened his eyes.
Before him stood a green-haired man whose body was stuck inside a treasure chest.
“…Who told you to save me?” Dazai glared at his savior with open hostility.
“Hah?!
Kid!
Is that how you treat the person who saved your life?” The green-haired old man turned red with anger.
Truthfully, he hadn’t intended to rescue Dazai.
He preferred that no one came to this island to steal his treasure.
He had merely been patrolling the beach as usual.
Seeing someone lying on the shore, he’d gone over to check whether the stranger was dead.
If he had been dead, he planned to bury him.
If he was alive, he’d simply scare him away.
Instead…
The brat complained about being rescued.
The old man was speechless.
Furious, he turned to leave.
“Hey.” “I’m hungry.” “Got anything to eat?” Dazai asked as though it were perfectly natural.
The old man’s beard practically stood on end.
He immediately drew a pistol and fired.
Dazai casually tilted his head aside.
“I don’t want to die that painfully.” He calmly walked closer.
The old man fired again and again.
Every bullet missed.
Eventually he ran out of ammunition.
Dropping to his knees, he looked at Dazai in terror.
“So…
do you have any food?” “Crab would be best.” “I’m starving.” Ignoring the old man’s attempted murder entirely, Dazai simply repeated his request.
Knowing he couldn’t win, the old man reluctantly led him deeper into the island.
After passing through dense woods, they entered a cave.
The old man handed over some of his stored food.
Dazai looked at the fruit before him.
Without complaint, he picked one up and began eating.
“…Kid.” “What brought you here?” “The treasure too?” Seeing that Dazai didn’t seem hostile, the old man cautiously asked.
Dazai glanced at him.
“I’m not interested in treasure.” “You don’t have to worry about me stealing yours.” He looked around the cave, filled with signs of everyday life.
Then at the old man’s body trapped inside the treasure chest.
He quietly swallowed the rest of what he had been about to say.
“Dazai!” “Dazai!!” “Are you here?!” Voices echoed from outside.
Another ship had reached the island.
The old man’s expression became serious.
He picked up a weapon and looked toward Dazai.
“No need to worry.” “My crewmates came looking for me.” Wiping his sticky fingers clean, Dazai stood up.
The old man’s face turned pale.
One Dazai had already been impossible enough.
Now there was a whole crew?
Dazai didn’t bother explaining that they had no interest in the old man’s treasure.
“Lead the way.” His mood was poor.
For once, he wasn’t joking around.
The old man had no choice but to obey.
…
At last, Dazai reunited with the Straw Hat Pirates.
Smack!
“Oww…” “Nami…” The first thing Nami did upon seeing him was punch him on the head.
“Dazai!” Luffy hugged him with tears streaming down his face.
“I’m glad you’re okay!” Zoro merely looked him over before silently returning to stand with his swords.
“Da…” Usopp started to speak but was stopped by Zoro with a glance.
Everyone chose silence.
Not one of them complained.
Not one of them blamed him.
All that mattered…
Was that he had come back safely.
Dazai quietly looked at the Straw Hat Pirates.
No accusations.
No resentment.
His usual theatrical behavior disappeared.
For once…
He simply remained silent.
“Dazai.” “Who’s this?” Luffy curiously pointed at the old man, breaking the heavy atmosphere.
“I…” “…am the guardian deity of this island!” The old man proudly declared.
“He’s just a fool who spent decades trapped on an island protecting a nameless treasure.” Dazai answered expressionlessly.
The old man looked as though he’d been stabbed through the heart.
His entire world turned gray.
“…Treasure?!” Nami’s eyes lit up instantly.
“It’s MY treasure!” The old man hurriedly stood in front of them with a dagger and began telling his story.
Many years ago, he had arrived on the island with his captain in search of treasure.
After searching unsuccessfully, everyone prepared to leave.
At the last moment, he climbed a nearby hill and discovered several treasure chests.
When he shouted for the others— He slipped.
Falling directly into an empty chest, he became stuck.
His crewmates left without realizing what had happened.
Believing the treasure still remained, he spent the next twenty years frightening away treasure hunters while trapped inside the chest.
Ironically…
He could never climb back up the hill himself.
“I’ll help you.” Luffy answered without hesitation.
“Me too.” Nami nodded.
The others immediately gave her suspicious looks.
“I have principles too, okay?” she protested.
The old man looked at them with tear-filled eyes.
Even Dazai no longer seemed frightening.
Together, they reached the foot of the hill.
Luffy stretched his arm upward.
With one pull— He launched himself straight to the top.
“The treasure’s all mine!” he shouted while holding one of the chests.
“Luffy!” Nami snapped angrily.
For a moment she’d thought better of him.
Now she felt betrayed.
Usopp looked equally panicked.
“You don’t have to say anything.” The old man’s eyes brimmed with tears.
“I already guessed.” “There wasn’t any treasure up there…
was there?” Luffy nodded.
“All five chests are empty.” The old man smiled bitterly.
“I figured as much.” “So many pirates have searched for treasure over the years.” “It isn’t strange that someone found it before me.” Everyone wanted to comfort him.
But he waved them off.
Then he turned toward Dazai.
“I thought you were different from them.” “I thought you were cold.” “…But…” He remembered the sentence Dazai had stopped himself from saying earlier.
“You’re all kind.” Dazai remained silent.
His face was hidden beneath a shadow.
Luffy jumped back down.
“Old man.” “Want to come with us?” The old man smiled warmly.
“No.” “This island is my home.” “I’ve lived here for more than twenty years.” “These animals are my family.” “I’m grateful for your invitation.” He understood Luffy was worried about him.
“But in my current condition, I’d only slow you down.” “When you return from the Grand Line…” “Come tell me about your adventures.” “It’s a promise.” Luffy respected his decision.
As the sun set, the Straw Hat Pirates bid the old man farewell.
The Going Merry sailed once again toward the horizon.
Luffy sat atop the sheep figurehead, quietly watching the setting sun.
“Dazai.” “Tell us before you do something like that next time.” Dazai lowered his head.
He said nothing.