The clamor of the bonfire party gradually faded, and the villagers drifted home in twos and threes.
Lucian helped Granny Maggie tidy up the aftermath, packing away the uneaten food and putting out the last of the dying embers.
Luffy was sprawled out flat on the beach, snoring loudly, his straw hat knocked askew to one side.
“That boy—he’ll catch a cold sleeping out here,” Granny Maggie said with a shake of her head, directing Lucian to carry him inside to sleep.
Lucian nodded and hoisted Luffy right up onto his shoulder.
Even like that, Luffy did not wake.
“You’re far too rough with him,” Granny Maggie remarked.
Lucian gave no reply, swiftly depositing Luffy onto the bed in his room before turning back to help.
When he stepped to the doorway and saw the old woman under the moonlight, her graying hair gleaming with a silvery sheen, it suddenly struck him that he was truly about to leave behind this elderly woman who had looked after him for over half a year.
“Granny,” he called softly.
Granny Maggie straightened up and turned toward him.
“What is it?”
Lucian opened his mouth but did not know what to say.
An unfamiliar emotion churned inside his chest.
Granny Maggie seemed to see right through him.
She smiled and patted his arm.
“Go pack your things.
You’re setting off first thing tomorrow, aren’t you?”
Lucian nodded and turned toward the little hut.
Granny Maggie’s voice came from behind him.
“I’ll go prepare some provisions for you to take along.”
Inside the room, Luffy was still snoring away in his sleep.
Lucian glanced around and found there was hardly anything to pack—just a few pieces of clothing Granny Maggie had made for him and a small heap of unusual seashells he had picked up by the shore.
He placed these odds and ends into a small cloth bundle, the whole process taking less than ten minutes.
The soft clink of pots and pans came from the kitchen.
Lucian walked over and saw Granny Maggie bustling about the stove.
Something was simmering in the pot atop the burner, giving off a sweet, fragrant aroma.
“What are you making?” he asked.
“Some biscuits and dried meat for your journey,” Granny Maggie answered without looking up, her hands never pausing in their work.
“The sea air is damp—they need to be wrapped in oil paper, or they’ll spoil.”
Lucian stood quietly to one side, watching her movements, deft and practiced, the flour turning into smooth dough beneath her hands in no time.
It was then that he suddenly noticed a roll of deep blue fabric sitting beside the stove.
“That’s…”
Granny Maggie followed his gaze and gave a small smile.
“Making you a coat.
You’re bound to find a use for it.”
Lucian walked silently over to the old woman’s side and held out his hands.
“I…
help.”
Granny Maggie looked at him in surprise, then smiled and made room.
“Alright then.”
The two of them kept busy in the kitchen like that deep into the night.
“Go get some sleep.
You’ll need to be up early tomorrow,” she said to Lucian.
Lucian shook his head and sat down on the chair beside her.
Granny Maggie did not press the matter further and concentrated intently on her sewing.
The needle threaded in and out of the fabric, producing a faint rustling sound.
Lucian simply sat there, his hollow eyes fixed quietly on Granny Maggie’s movements before him.
The scene was somewhat eerie, but Granny Maggie had long grown used to it, and after a single glance at him, she simply continued her stitching.
Still, unbeknownst to himself, Lucian eventually drifted off to sleep.
“Lucian?”
Luffy’s voice jolted him awake.
The sky was just beginning to brighten, and Luffy was already standing before him, brimming with energy.
“It’s morning!
Time to set sail!” he said excitedly, then noticed Granny Maggie putting the final stitches into her work.
“Whoa, new clothes!”
Granny Maggie bit through the thread and shook out the deep blue short coat.
“Try it on, see if it fits.”
Lucian rose to his feet and slipped it on.
It fit perfectly.
The fabric was thick yet soft, and both the collar and cuffs were reinforced with sturdy stitching.
“It suits you well,” Granny Maggie said with a satisfied nod, her eyes growing a little moist.
“The wind at sea is strong—don’t catch a cold.”
Luffy was already growing impatient at the side.
“We gotta go!
Tom said the best time to set sail is right now!”
Granny Maggie swiftly wrapped up the food she had prepared the night before and pressed a small cloth pouch into Lucian’s hands.
“There’s some common medicine and sewing supplies in here.
You’ll need them out at sea.”
Lucian accepted the bundle, then suddenly wrapped his arms tightly around Granny Maggie.
The old woman’s thin, frail body trembled faintly in his embrace, and he could feel a warm, wet drop land upon his shoulder.
“Take care of yourself,” Granny Maggie whispered by his ear.
“And keep an eye on Luffy too—that boy is far too reckless.”
Lucian nodded.
Luffy said nothing either, just holding his straw hat and quietly watching the scene before him.
The three of them walked toward the dock in quiet.
By now, the dock was already packed with people.
Tom was there waiting, giving the boat one final check.
“You’re just in time!” He waved at them.
“The tide’s just begun to go out—now’s the perfect moment to set off.”
Luffy let out a cheer and leaped aboard the little boat, unable to resist touching everything and peering all around.
Lucian, meanwhile, stood on the shore and took one last look at this little fishing village where he had lived for so long, and at the villagers gathered along the waterfront.
“Lucian!” Luffy called to him from the boat.
“Hurry up!”
“Go on, Lucian.
Remember to come back and visit us.”
“Goodbye, Lucian!” The villagers waved one after another.
“Mm.
Goodbye.” Lucian nodded and raised his hand in farewell, then, bundle in hand, drew a deep breath and stepped aboard.
The little boat swayed gently under his weight, and a strange, unfamiliar feeling rose in his heart.
Luffy had already untied the mooring line and grabbed the oar.
“We’re off!
Destination—the Grand Line!”
The small boat slowly pulled away from the shore.
Lucian stood at the stern, watching Granny Maggie’s figure grow smaller and smaller, until it became no more than a blurry speck in the distance.
Only when the coastline had completely vanished from sight did he at last turn around.
“This feels amazing!” Luffy stood at the bow, arms spread wide to greet the sea wind.
Lucian watched his antics, and the corner of his mouth unconsciously lifted.
“Lucian!” Luffy suddenly shoved the oar into his hands.
“I’m gonna go see what good stuff Granny Maggie packed for us to eat!”
“I don’t know how,” Lucian admitted honestly, but he took the oar all the same.
“No problem, just row any way you like!” Luffy had already flipped open the food pack and stuffed a biscuit into his mouth.
“Mmm!
Delicious!”
Lucian clearly understood nothing—he had no idea that sailing required a nautical chart or a navigator—so he simply held the oar and began to row, mimicking the motions Luffy had made earlier.
As long as they could make the boat go in a straight line, they ought to be able to reach the next island, Lucian figured.
Having polished off his biscuit, Luffy came over to watch Lucian row, all the while laying out plans.
“Once we find an island with people, we’ll recruit more crewmates!
A pirate crew’s gotta have at least five or six people!”
“Why me?” Lucian suddenly asked.
“Huh?” Luffy cocked his head.
“Why did you choose me as a crewmate?” Lucian looked him straight in the eyes.
“I’m…
not good at getting along with people.
And also…” He lifted his hand, a wisp of gray mist coiling around his fingertip.
“This ability…
it’s very strange.”
Luffy burst into loud laughter.
“Because you’re you!
And your ability is super cool!”
His laughter subsided, and his expression suddenly grew serious.
“Besides, a crewmate is a crewmate.
Do you need a reason for that?”
Lucian froze for a moment, then nodded, a thoughtful look settling on his face.