The candlelight in the living room flickered gently, casting a warm glow over everyone’s faces.
Usopp stood on a chair, the tablecloth temporarily tied around his shoulders fluttering with a loud whoosh.
He even held his hands like claws, dramatically recounting his “epic battle.”
“At the time, Kuro’s claw blades were only an inch away from the tip of my nose…!”
Kaya sat on the velvet sofa opposite him.
The more she listened, the more her eyes curved into crescents of amusement.
She lightly applauded.
“Usopp, you’re amazing.
No matter what happened during the fight, being able to defeat someone as wicked as Kuro was incredibly brave.”
She lifted her crystal glass of fruit juice and raised it toward the Straw Hat Pirates, genuine gratitude shining in her eyes.
“Thank you.
Truly.
If it weren’t for all of you, I might still be completely in the dark.
I might even have ended up dragging the entire village into this…”
“Don’t worry about that!” Luffy finally swallowed the grilled meat he’d stuffed into his mouth, sauce still smeared across his chin.
“We hated that guy anyway!
Right, Mox?”
Mox set down his celadon wine cup.
“Kuro was a formidable schemer, but he was also pathetic.”
“He’s a pirate, yet he despises pirates.
He betrayed his own comrades and slaughtered innocent people.”
“Compared to that…” He glanced at Luffy and thought to himself, Our idiot captain is actually a lot more dependable…
right?
But then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Luffy competing with Usopp to see who could balance chopsticks in their nostrils.
The two of them danced around with crooked chopsticks sticking from their noses, looking so ridiculous that it was impossible not to laugh.
The words at the tip of Mox’s tongue immediately died.
He silently swallowed them back and could only tug helplessly at the corner of his mouth.
Kaya blinked, then smiled even more gently.
She lightly gathered the hem of her skirt.
“Luffy really is a good captain.
I used to think I was too weak and could only stay in the mansion.
But this time…
I think I became just a little braver, too.”
At that moment, Merry, the butler, approached carrying a jar of plum wine.
“This was brewed from the green plums in the rear garden.
It’s sweet and sour, and helps cut through the richness of the food.
Thank you all for saving the village.
Syrup Village will always remember this kindness.”
Luffy picked up his cup and drained it in one go.
His face twisted from the sourness, but he stubbornly declared,
“It’s good!
Give me another bowl!”
Zoro leaned back in his chair and raised his cup toward Mox.
Their cups gently clinked.
The crisp sound mingled with laughter and echoed throughout the living room.
The fatigue left by the day’s battle seemed to dissolve into bubbles and drift away into the air.
The banquet was already more than halfway over, and the dishes on the table had been replaced again and again.
Luffy’s stomach was as round as a ball, yet he was still sprawled across the table, battling over the last piece of pork belly.
“This one’s mine…”
Just then, Butler Merry pushed in a stand covered by a deep-purple velvet cloth.
Kaya rose to her feet, her expression both solemn and gentle.
“Everyone, there’s a gift I’d like to give you.
It’s a small token of gratitude from Syrup Village.”
She walked over to the stand, took a deep breath, and pinched the corner of the velvet cloth before slowly lifting it away.
The moment the cloth slipped down, the living room fell silent.
Resting on the stand was a ship model roughly the length of two forearms.
Its snow-white hull gleamed beautifully.
A round, adorable sheep’s head was carved into the bow, its curled horns full of character.
The mast, railings, cabin windows, and even the keel beneath the hull were all rendered in exquisite detail.
It looked more like a work of art than a model ship.
“Whoa—”
Nami was the first to rush over, her eyes sparkling.
“This ship is gorgeous!
The sheep figurehead is so cute!”
Kaya smiled and nodded, gently stroking the sheep’s head on the model.
“Her name is the Going Merry.
She may not be as sturdy as a warship, but she has stable propulsion and handles rough seas well.”
“She’s spent most of these years sitting in the shipyard, receiving only occasional maintenance.
It would be such a waste.”
She looked at Luffy and the others, sincere hope in her eyes.
“I know you’ve been looking for a suitable ship.”
“The Going Merry may not be the finest ship in the world, but she’s sturdy and reliable.
If you don’t mind…
please take her with you.”
“Take her?”
Luffy suddenly shot upright from the table, sending his chair scraping backward.
“You mean…
we can use this ship?”
“Not just the model.” Butler Merry smiled as he added, “The real ship is in the shipyard to the east.
She’s a hundred times larger than the model.
I’ve been inspecting her regularly, so she’ll be ready to sail once she’s properly prepared.”
Luffy immediately scooped up the model and spun around excitedly.
The mast nearly poked into the chandelier above his head.
He didn’t care in the slightest.
“It’s great!
We finally have a proper ship!
The Going Merry is our new companion!”
“You’re really giving her to us?”
Nami leaned closer to examine the model, running her finger along the cabin windows.
The more she inspected it, the more satisfied she became.
“The hull’s carrying capacity looks good, and the speed should be stable too…
Oh, is this the kitchen?
There’s even a workshop?”
“Of course.”
Kaya smiled brightly.
“The Going Merry was made for the sea.
Rather than letting her sit forgotten in a shipyard, wouldn’t it be better to let her carry brave people toward distant seas?”
“Merry, take some men to the shipyard first thing tomorrow morning.
Inspect the sails, anchor chains, and freshwater tanks carefully.
Make absolutely certain everything is in order.”
“Rest assured, Miss Kaya.”
Mox looked at the ship model and lightly touched its sheep’s head.
The Merry, huh?
This time, I absolutely won’t let you stop at Water 7.
Zoro also examined the model a few more times before rubbing his chin and nodding.
“That spot on top of the wheelhouse looks pretty good for sunbathing.”
Luffy suddenly slapped the table and shot to his feet.
“We’re leaving tomorrow!
First we’ll go see the real Going Merry, stock up on food, and then head for the Grand Line!”
“Let’s go—!”
Usopp immediately joined in, raising his fist as the tablecloth cape around his shoulders fluttered noisily.
Nami rolled her eyes, though the corners of her mouth still curled upward.
“At least figure out where the Grand Line is first, will you?
Still…
having a ship will definitely make things much easier.”
Mox gazed at the moonlight outside the window, knowing full well:
From this moment onward, their adventure finally had a true “home”— a home that could carry them through the storms and toward the unknown.
By the time the banquet was nearly over, moonlight had climbed through the windows, casting long shadows across the floor.
Luffy slumped in his chair, one hand clutching his round belly while the other still reached for the last strawberry on the plate.
“I’m full…
I’m so happy…”
Suddenly, he sat upright and looked toward Usopp, who was staring blankly at the ship model.
“Hey, Usopp.”
Usopp jumped and turned around.
“Huh?
What is it, Luffy?”
“Come out to sea with us!”
Luffy’s expression was utterly serious, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Come with me.
Maybe someday your dad, Yasopp, will be proud of you!”
Usopp froze completely.
His mouth hung open, unable to produce a word for several seconds.
His fingers nervously twisted the hem of his clothes.
“I-I can?
I’m not as strong as you guys.
I don’t know how to navigate.
All I can do is lie…”
“You’re strong, Usopp!” Luffy interrupted him, grabbing him by the shoulders.
“Weaklings don’t go around saying, ‘I’m the son of a pirate!'”
Zoro leaned against the back of his chair and grinned.
“This guy talks a lot of trash, but when it comes down to a real fight, he’s got some skill.
Having a long-range fighter will cover one of our biggest weaknesses.”
Nami nodded as well, handing Usopp a piece of dessert.
“Having someone who’s good at long-range attacks will definitely save us a lot of trouble.
And you’re good at tinkering with things.
You’re pretty handy, too.
You can take care of the Merry’s routine maintenance…”
Mox walked over, lightly patted Usopp on the shoulder, and handed him a rolled-up sheet of paper.
“Here.
These are the details on the Buggy Balls from Buggy’s treasure vault.
They’re explosive rounds powerful enough to injure even Luffy.
Give it your best shot.
I believe in you.”
Inside, Mox was actually screaming.
Usopp has to get on the ship!
If Luffy keeps pestering me to play with him, I’m going to lose my mind.
Besides, Usopp is the only one who can actually keep up with him!
“Buggy Balls?”
Usopp’s eyes gradually brightened like sparks catching fire.
Tears suddenly welled up in his eyes, large drops rolling down onto his clothes.
He hurriedly wiped his face with his sleeve, but more tears continued to fall.
“I want to…”
He sniffed.
His voice trembled with tears, but his resolve was unmistakable.
“I’ve wanted to become a pirate like my father for a long time!
I want everyone to know that Usopp isn’t just a coward who knows how to tell lies!”
He suddenly straightened his chest, tears still hanging from his face.
“From today onward, I, Usopp, officially join the Straw Hat Pirates!”
He paused, then stubbornly added,
“For now…
for now, I’m still Captain Usopp!”
“Hahahaha!
Of course I’m the captain, you idiot!”
Luffy burst into laughter, doubled over, then grabbed Usopp around the shoulders and nearly squeezed the air out of him.
Kaya sat nearby and gently dabbed the corner of her eye with a handkerchief.
Her voice was slightly choked with emotion, yet filled with encouragement.
“Usopp, you have to become a great pirate.
And remember…
you promised you’d come back and tell me a hundred adventure stories.”
“I will!”
Usopp nodded vigorously, tears and a smile covering his face.
“When I become a brave warrior of the sea, I’ll come back with the greatest stories in the whole world!”
“Then I’ll stand on the highest hill in the village and tell them to everyone!”
Moonlight streamed through the window, casting the shadow of the ship model across the floor like a vessel sailing toward distant horizons.
At the harbor, the real Going Merry rested quietly upon the water.
Its sheep figurehead bathed in moonlight, seeming almost to sway gently as it waited for dawn to carry these young dreamers toward the open sea.
The next day, the Straw Hat Pirates followed Butler Merry to the entrance of the shipyard.
Everyone instinctively held their breath.
The Going Merry rested quietly before them.
Its snow-white hull gleamed beneath the morning light, looking even more impressive than the model.
The sheep figurehead was both adorably goofy and strangely majestic.
“Whoa—!”
Luffy shot across the gangplank like a cannonball.
The instant both feet touched the deck, he bounced up and down three times, making the wooden planks thump, thump, thump.
He wrapped both arms around the sheep figurehead’s neck and rubbed his face against it like a child greeting an old friend.
“She’s huge!
So much bigger than the model!
This sheep head is awesome!
This is going to be my special seat!
Nice to meet you, Merry!”
Nami followed closely behind, stepping onto the deck with unmistakable professional enthusiasm in her eyes.
“The hull curvature is well designed, and the draft looks stable.
She’s very well suited to the currents of the East Blue.”
She quickly reached the cabin entrance and pushed open the door.
Her eyes immediately lit up.
“The storage area is spacious, and the freshwater tanks have a good capacity too…
There’s even ventilation in the kitchen!
She’s much better equipped than I expected!”
She turned toward Butler Merry, her voice full of genuine praise.
“This ship has been maintained incredibly well.
She looks almost brand-new.”
“Miss Navigator, this caravel will really test a navigator’s skills,” Butler Merry said with a smile from the shore.
“Leave it to me!
I’m an excellent navigator!”
Nami raised her chin confidently, already beginning to calculate their route in her head.
Zoro climbed aboard slowly with both hands in his pockets.
His eyes swept across the deck before finally settling on the platform above the wheelhouse.
A rare smile appeared on his face.
“Yep.
Perfect for sunbathing.”
With that, he headed toward the ladder, intent on claiming the best “viewing spot.”
When Usopp stepped onto the deck, his footsteps were lighter than anyone else’s, as though he were afraid of disturbing a precious treasure.
Then he suddenly straightened his back and declared,
“From today onward, the Merry’s maintenance is my responsibility!”
Mox was the last to board.
He spread his Observation Haki across the entire ship and activated his Trash Removal ability.
In an instant, the Going Merry looked brand-new.
Even the bloodstains on Zoro’s bandages vanished.
“Whoa!
It’s so clean!
The floor is practically shining!”
Luffy immediately rolled across the deck, and when he reached Usopp, he hooked an arm around his shoulder.
“Mox!
Mox!
You’re so useful!”
From atop the wheelhouse, Zoro glanced down at his bandages and couldn’t help smiling.
This guy’s ability really is useful.
“That’s great!
We don’t even need to hire a cleaner anymore!
That’ll save us a ton of money!”
Nami’s eyes lit up as she approached Mox.
“Mox really is useful!”
“My ability can only keep the Merry clean.
If she gets damaged, I can’t repair her.”
Mox explained,
“We’ll need to find a professional shipwright once we start traveling.”
Just then, Luffy poked his head out of the cabin, holding up an empty wooden barrel.
“A shipwright?
Got it!
Oh, by the way, can this be used as a bathtub?
Taking a bath while sailing sounds great!”
“That’s for drinking water!”
Nami reached over and smacked him on the head.
“You idiot.”
“Okay, okay!
I can’t wait anymore.
Let’s go!”
Luffy suddenly jumped to the helm and gave the wheel a hard spin.
The ship rocked slightly, startling Usopp into immediately checking the anchor chains.
“Raise the sails!
We’re heading for the Grand Line!”
As Butler Merry and Kaya waved goodbye from the shore, the Going Merry slowly sailed away from the shipyard.
The figures on shore grew smaller and smaller.
Usopp stood at the stern, waving with all his might until the outline of Syrup Village disappeared beyond the horizon.
Only then did he turn around, his eyes red.
“I’ll definitely come back!”
“Don’t get sentimental just yet!”
Nami tapped him on the back with the nautical chart.
“Come help me plot our course.
Luffy has already turned the helm into a toy!”
The deck immediately descended into chaos.
Luffy spun the wheel like a windmill.
Zoro was nearly thrown off the top of the wheelhouse by the rocking ship.
Usopp scrambled to adjust the sail ropes.
Mox leaned against the railing, watching the chaotic yet lively scene with a helpless smile.
This is exactly how things should be.
“You come help too!” Nami shouted at him.
“Coming!”
Mox laughed and hurried over to take hold of one of the sail ropes.
By afternoon, the wind and waves had gradually calmed.
Luffy suddenly slapped his thigh and rummaged through the cabin before emerging with a roll of white cloth and a piece of charcoal.
He excitedly ran to the middle of the deck.
“Right!
We don’t have a Jolly Roger yet!”
“A pirate flag?”
Usopp hurried over, his eyes lighting up.
“I know!
The one with the skull on it!
It has to look intimidating!”
“I’ll draw it!”
Luffy snatched the charcoal from him, dipped it into some spilled fruit juice by mistake, then crouched on the deck and began scribbling.
He was incredibly serious about his work, even sticking out his tongue in concentration.
The charcoal dragged out crooked lines, and the skull ended up looking like a frog with puffed-out cheeks.
Usopp stood on tiptoe and stared at it for a long time.
“Luffy…
this skull…
looks like a frog…”
“It’s not a frog!
It’s intimidating!”
Luffy painstakingly sharpened the skull’s teeth, then suddenly stopped.
His eyes lit up.
“Right!
It needs a straw hat!”
He drew an enormous crooked straw hat on top of the skull, nearly covering the entire thing.
Nami pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed.
“Since when do skulls on pirate flags wear straw hats?
People are going to laugh at us.”
“The Straw Hat is the symbol of our pirate crew!”
Luffy grabbed the finished flag and ran toward the mast.
“Mox!
Help me put it up!”
Mox took the flag, looked at it for a moment, and said meaningfully,
“You drew it very well.
Don’t draw another one.”
“Right?!”
Luffy completely mistook the sarcasm for praise and proudly planted his hands on his hips.
Zoro poked his head out from atop the wheelhouse, glanced at the flag, and snorted.
“Is this supposed to make our enemies laugh themselves to death before the fight even starts?
How can the future Pirate King’s flag be this sloppy?”
Usopp brought over a chair and climbed onto it, striking an obnoxiously proud pose.
“Back when I traveled around the world, I drew hundreds of pictures everywhere I went!
Yours truly is a drawing genius!
One of my paintings could sell for one hundred million…
No, ten billion Berries!
Worship me!”
The guy loved exaggerating, but his drawing skills really weren’t bad.
Unfortunately, the pirate flag he drew had an exaggeratedly long nose beside the skull, making it painfully obvious that he’d modeled it after himself.
“That’s yours, isn’t it?” Luffy glared at him.
“Draw us a Straw Hat Pirates flag!”
After a great deal of fussing, the flag bearing the skull with a straw hat was finally hoisted up the mast.
A sea breeze swept in at just the right moment, and the flag unfurled with a loud whoosh.
Luffy stood at the bow, spreading his arms as he laughed into the wind.
“Look!
This is the symbol of the Straw Hat Pirates!”
He cleared his throat, raising his voice so loudly that it seemed capable of carrying across the sea.
“Sniper Usopp, Navigator Nami, Swordsman Zoro, logistics officer Mox…
And someday we’ll have a musician, a shipwright, a cook…”
“Today, the Straw Hat Pirates are officially formed!
Guys, let’s have a banquet!”
At dusk, the smell of grilled meat filled the deck.
Luffy and Usopp dug out two long chopsticks and began competing to see who could balance them on their noses while spinning around.
Luffy spun too quickly.
The chopsticks clattered onto the deck.
He immediately lunged for Usopp’s chopsticks, and the two rolled into a heap, nearly knocking over the Seafood Soup Mox had prepared.
“You two idiots!”
Mox grabbed the ladle and bonked them both on the head.
Luffy immediately snatched the ladle away and imitated him, “disciplining” Usopp with it and making Usopp laugh uncontrollably.
Zoro leaned against the ship’s railing with a bottle of sake in hand.
He drank with his eyes closed, seemingly resting, yet his ears missed nothing happening on deck.
A faint smile lingered at the corners of his mouth.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes and effortlessly caught a piece of grilled meat Luffy had thrown at him.
He stuffed it into his mouth, chewed, and muttered,
“Not bad.”
In the kitchen, Mox wiped the sweat from his forehead and couldn’t help sighing.
“If only Sanji were here.
I love eating good food, but I really don’t like cooking!”
The setting sun dyed the sea orange-red.
The waves glittered like scattered gold, while the Going Merry sailed onward like a leaf upon the water, carrying a ship full of laughter into the deepening twilight.
“Hey, Mox!”
Luffy approached with his mouth stuffed full of grilled meat.
His greasy hand grabbed Mox by the hem of his clothes.
“Can we catch a really big fish tomorrow?
I want to try sashimi!”
“That depends on our luck.”
Mox closed his journal and smiled.
“But with your luck, maybe you’ll catch a Sea King.”
“A Sea King?!
Awesome!”
Luffy immediately cheered and ran off to announce this “great plan” to Usopp.
The two began discussing what they should use as bait.
In the end, they unanimously decided to use Zoro’s sake as their “secret weapon.”
Upon hearing this, Zoro silently pulled his bottle closer to his chest.
His expression clearly said:
These two idiots are absolutely doing this on purpose.
Mox looked up at the flag flying from the mast.
In the evening glow, the straw-hatted skull seemed almost to be smiling.
He knew there would be countless storms waiting on the road ahead.
But at this moment, surrounded by his companions, food, and the sea breeze, his heart was filled with nothing but peace.
This was their adventure.
It had only just begun—the story of the Straw Hat Pirates and the Going Merry.