The sky above the Grand Line was a canvas of deep indigo and fading orange, the sun having finally dipped below the horizon after the departure of the Liberator. The massive Helicarrier had vanished into the clouds, leaving only the rippling wake of its ascent and a sudden, heavy silence on the deck of the Going Merry.
The Straw Hat crew stood at the railing, necks still craned toward the empty air where the steel leviathan had been just moments ago. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, but it was weighted. They had just saved a kingdom, bid farewell to a brother, and armed the Revolution with the most advanced ship the world had ever seen.
Ben stood by the mast, the sea breeze ruffling his trench coat. He looked at the faces around him—Luffy, with his eyes still sparkling; Nami, clutching her climate-enhanced staff; Usopp and Chopper, still vibrating with excitement; Vivi, looking out at the sea with a newfound freedom; and Robin, standing near the cabin door, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable.
Ben knew this moment was the pivot. The Alabasta saga was over, but the crew's internal structure was still in flux.
"Captain," Ben said, his voice cutting through the hum of the wind and the creak of the wood.
The captain turned, his wide grin softening as he looked at his first mate. "Yeah, Ben?"
"We need to talk about Robin," Ben said plainly.
The air on the deck shifted. Robin didn't flinch, but her eyes narrowed slightly, focusing on Ben. She was a woman who had spent twenty years waiting for the other shoe to drop, and she clearly expected it to drop now.
"What about her?" Luffy tilted his head, his straw hat sliding back. "Didn't she already join the crew? She's been here the whole time."
WHACK.
Nami's fist collided with the top of Luffy's head. "You absolute idiot! No, she didn't 'just join'! She was a hostage! We were using her to get information, and she was using us to escape Crocodile!"
Luffy rubbed his growing bump, pouting. "But she's been eating our food and sleeping in the cabin. That sounds like a crewmate to me."
Usopp stepped forward, crossing his arms and looking at Robin with a mixture of fear and logic. "Luffy, listen to Nami. Crocodile is defeated. Alabasta is safe. We don't have a reason to keep her here anymore. She was the partner of Crocodile! She's dangerous!"
Vivi looked at Robin, her emotions complicated. She remembered Miss All-Sunday—the woman who had allowed her to live, yet the woman who had stood by Crocodile's side. "Usopp is right, Luffy. The war is over. Why should she stay with us?"
Nami nodded, though her gaze at Robin was less hostile than it had been a week ago.
Ben watched the debate. He saw Robin's jaw tighten. She was waiting for the rejection. She was preparing her exit speech, the one she had practiced in a dozen different ports over twenty years.
Ben stepped into the center of the deck, catching Robin's gaze.
"Luffy," Ben said, his voice projecting a quiet authority. "I'm asking you to make it official. I want Nico Robin to permanently join the Straw Hat Pirates."
"Why?" Usopp asked, his voice cracking. "Ben, you're the smartest guy here! You know she's a risk!"
Ben smiled, a knowing, enigmatic look. "Because, Usopp, Nami... without her, we can never reach the last island. We can never find the One Piece."
He leaned back against the railing. "The Poneglyphs—the ancient stones like the one in Alabasta—they are the map to Laugh Tale. And in the entire world, Nico Robin is the only person left who can read the language carved into them. If we want to reach the end of the Grand Line, we don't just want her. We need her."
Technically, Ben knew that Merry's advanced AI and his own system could eventually decipher the ancient text, but that wasn't the point. Robin needed a home, and the crew needed a soul that understood the weight of history. He wasn't just giving Luffy a reason; he was giving Robin a purpose.
Luffy's eyes widened. He didn't look at the tactical risk. He didn't look at the bounty. He looked at the goal.
"The last island?" Luffy asked.
"The last island," Ben confirmed.
Luffy didn't hesitate. He didn't think for a single second. He burst into a wide, toothy grin and pointed a finger at Robin.
"OKAY! She's joining! Robin, you're one of us!"
"LUFFY!" Nami and Usopp screamed in unison.
"Think about it for five seconds!" Usopp wailed, shaking the captain by his shoulders. "She could kill us in our sleep! She has hands that come out of nowhere!"
"Ben said she's important," Luffy said, his voice suddenly firm, the tone of a Captain that brook no argument. "Ben doesn't lie about stuff like that. And I like her. She's quiet and she tells interesting stories."
Nami sighed, her shoulders slumping. She looked at Ben, then at the grinning Luffy. She knew that once the Captain made a decision, the matter was settled. She turned to Robin, her expression softening into a reluctant, but genuine, welcome.
"Well," Nami muttered, "I guess welcome aboard the ship."
Sanji, who had been listening from the galley door, suddenly launched himself across the deck like a pink-clouded missile. "ROBIN-CHWAN! VIVI-CHWAN! A DOUBLE CELEBRATION! MY HEART IS OVERFLOWING WITH THE SWEET NECTAR OF ROMANCE!"
He landed in a spinning pirouette near Robin. "An official member! I shall prepare a feast that would make the gods weep with envy! A banquet for our new queens!"
Robin stood still for a long moment. She looked at Ben. He gave her a small, imperceptible nod. She looked at Luffy, who was already picking his nose and talking to Chopper about how many plates of meat they could eat.
For the first time in twenty years, the cold, defensive wall around Nico Robin's heart felt a hairline fracture.
"Thank you," she said softly, her voice barely a whisper. "I... I will do my best."
"YOSH!" Luffy shouted, throwing his arms in the air. "BANQUET TIME! FOR VIVI! FOR ROBIN! FOR THE DUCK!"
Caroo quacked enthusiastically, flapping his wings.
---
The sun had fully disappeared, leaving the Merry bathed in the silver light of the moon. But the deck was far from dark.
Ben stood in the center of the main deck. He pulled out the Elder Wand, the dark, knobby wood thrumming with power.
"Incendio Glacialis!"
He flicked the wand toward the center of the deck. A burst of brilliant blue and gold sparks erupted. But instead of a roaring, dangerous fire, a controlled, magical bonfire materialized. It floated a few inches above the deck, contained within a magical barrier so it wouldn't scorch the wood. It emitted a warm, cozy glow and the faint scent of cedar and sea salt.
"Oooooh!" Chopper and Usopp crowded around the magical fire. "It's blue! Is it cold?"
"Touch it and find out," Ben joked. (It was perfectly warm, but he liked keeping them on their toes).
From the galley, Sanji emerged, carrying a tray that seemed physically impossible for one man to balance.
"The first course! Desert Sand-Fruit Salad and Spiced Sea-King Carpaccio!"
Chopper and Usopp helped him set up the folding tables. Nami brought out the fine glasses they had 'acquired' from Crocodile's casino. Even the Giants, Dorry and Brogy, who were sitting on the aft deck, were handed massive barrels of ale and entire roasted cows.
"TO THE CREW!" Luffy roared, standing on a barrel with a giant turkey leg in one hand and a mug of juice in the other.
"TO THE CREW!" everyone yelled back.
The food was legendary. Sanji had outdone himself, pulling out all the stops for the homecoming of Vivi and the official arrival of Robin. There were spiced meats from the Alabasta markets, fresh seafood caught by the Dugongs earlier that morning, and delicate pastries that melted on the tongue.
As the first wave of hunger was satisfied, the atmosphere turned from ravenous to celebratory. The "tension" of the last few weeks was forgotten in the flow of drinks and laughter.
Luffy wiped grease from his chin and looked at Ben. "Hey, Ben! Sing something! A pirate party needs music!"
"Yeah!" Usopp cheered, banging his fork on the table. "Sing something new!"
Ben laughed, setting down his glass. He stood up and took out his wand again. He tapped the wand against a wine bottle, and a rhythmic, thumping beat began to echo from the air itself. Then, he tapped the railing, adding the sound of a fiddle and an accordion.
"Alright," Ben grinned, his eyes reflecting the blue bonfire. "Let's start with a classic. If you know the words, shout 'em out!"
He started a fast, driving tempo.
Ben's voice rang out, clear and powerful, catching the Irish lilt of the Rovers.
"What shall we do with a drunken sailor?
What shall we do with a drunken sailor?
What shall we do with a drunken sailor,
Early in the morning!"
Luffy immediately started jumping up and down, his rubber body bouncing in time with the beat.
"WAY HAY AND UP SHE RISES!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.
Ben pointed the wand at Usopp and Chopper, signaling them to join the chorus.
"Way hay and up she rises!
Way hay and up she rises!
Way hay and up she rises,
Early in the morning!"
The Giants, Dorry and Brogy, began to thump their massive fists against their knees, the entire ship vibrating with the rhythm. "GE-GABAGABAGA!" Brogy roared in time with the beat.
Ben continued, his voice full of mischief as he looked at Zoro, who was already three bottles deep into the ale.
"Sling him in the longboat till he's sober!
Sling him in the longboat till he's sober!
Sling him in the longboat till he's sober,
Early in the morning!"
Zoro let out a huff of a laugh, raising his bottle toward Ben.
The deck became a swirl of motion. Luffy grabbed Usopp and Chopper, and the three of them began a frantic, synchronized dance that involved a lot of spinning and falling over. Even Mini-Merry joined in, her metallic feet clicking a perfect tap-dance on the deck.
"Shave his belly with a rusty razor!
Shave his belly with a rusty razor!
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Early in the morning!"
Sanji, usually too cool to dance, found himself swept up as he served more drinks. He did a spinning kick-step, balancing a tray of appetizers with practiced ease.
"Vivi! Nami! Dance with us!" Luffy yelled, grabbing Vivi's hands and spinning her around.
Vivi laughed—a bright, genuine sound that hadn't been heard in months. She grabbed Nami's hand, and the two girls began to twirl around the blue fire, their hair flying in the wind.
"Put him in the scuppers with a hose-pipe on him!
Put him in the scuppers with a hose-pipe on him!
Put him in the scuppers with a hose-pipe on him,
Early in the morning!"
The song reached a crescendo, the entire crew (and the giants) screaming the final chorus until their lungs burned.
As the last notes of the fiddle faded, everyone collapsed into their chairs or onto the deck, panting and laughing.
Luffy leaned back, looking up at the stars. "That was great! But hey... Ben. Sing that one."
Ben didn't need to ask which one. In the world of pirates, there was only one song that truly mattered. The song of the past, the present, and the future.
"Binks' Sake?" Ben asked quietly.
"Yeah," Luffy nodded, his expression uncharacteristically soft.
Robin perked up at the mention of the song. Even in the dark corners of the world, she had heard the melody. It was an ancient tune, rumored to date back to the Void Century itself.
Ben changed the magical accompaniment. The fast-paced accordion and fiddle faded, replaced by the soulful, haunting hum of a cello and the gentle strumming of a lute.
He began the slow, rhythmic "Yo-hohoho" that defined the anthem.
"Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho..."
"Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho..."
The crew fell silent. Even the giants stopped their boisterous laughter, leaning in to listen.
"Going to deliver Binks' Sake!
Following the sea breeze! Riding on the waves!
Far across the salty depths! The merry evening sun!
The birds sing as they draw circles in the sky!"
Ben's voice took on a narrative quality, painting pictures of the endless blue.
"Farewell to the harbor, To my old hometown!
Let's all sing out with a Don! As the ship sets sail!
Waves of gold and silver dissolve to salty spray!
As we all set out to the ends of the sea!"
Luffy began to hum along, his eyes closed, likely seeing the Red Force and the face of the man who gave him his hat.
"Going to deliver Binks' Sake!
We are pirates, sailing through the Sea!
The waves are our pillows, the ship our sleeping bed!
Flying our proud flag upon the fluttering sails!"
Robin watched Ben. She had heard this song sung by desperate men in taverns, by dying sailors on sinking wrecks.
"Now comes a storm through the far-off sky!
Now the waves are dancing, beating out the drums!
If you lose your nerve, this breath could be your last!
But if you just hold on, The morning sun will rise!"
By the time the final "Yo-hohoho" echoed across the dark water, there wasn't a dry eye on the deck. Even Zoro looked uncharacteristically contemplative, staring at the edge of his blade.
"One more!" Usopp shouted, breaking the emotional spell. "Sing Wellermen!"
"Alright," Ben said, the wand creating a heavy, percussive beat—like the sound of boots on a wooden deck. STOMP-STOMP-CLAP. STOMP-STOMP-CLAP.
"There once was a ship that put to sea
The name of the ship was the Billy of Tea
Her winds blew up, her bow dipped down
Oh blow, my bully boys, blow!"
The rhythm was infectious. Luffy and Chopper started stomping their feet in sync with the magical beat.
"Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go!"
Ben pointed at Sanji for the next verse.
"She'd not been two weeks from shore
When down on her a right whale bore
The captain called all hands and swore
He'd take that whale in tow!"
"I'll cook that whale!" Sanji yelled, getting into the spirit.
The crew joined the chorus, their voices blending into a raucous, rhythmic chant.
"Soon may the Wellerman come
-To bring us sugar and tea and rum!*
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go!"
Dorry and Brogy began to clap their hands—massive, thunderous claps that sent vibrations through the ocean, likely confusing every sea king for miles.
"Da-da-da-da-da-da-da!
Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da!"
They sang through the night. Ben led them through shanties of gold, songs of lost loves, and ballads of the high seas. He sang "The Last Shanty," "Bones in the Ocean," and even a few rowdy tavern songs he'd picked up from his system's database.
Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper were the heart of the party. They invented a "Noodle Dance" that involved Luffy stretching his limbs around the entire mast. They pulled a laughing Vivi into the middle of the circle, making her wear Usopp's goggles and a makeshift cape.
Nami, usually the voice of reason, found herself clinking glasses with Robin, the two of them sharing a quiet laugh over the absurdity of their male crewmates.
Sanji kept the food flowing—midnight snacks of grilled skewers and sweet honey cakes.
As the hours passed, the energy began to wind down. The boisterous dancing slowed to a gentle sway. The loud singing turned into quiet humming.
The magical blue fire dimmed, casting long, peaceful shadows across the deck.
One by one, the crew began to drift off.
Chopper was the first, curled up in a ball near the warmth of the magic hearth. Usopp followed soon after, snoring loudly with his head resting on a bag of flour.
Vivi and Nami leaned against each other by the railing, their eyes half-closed as they watched the moon reflect in the water.
Luffy was sprawled out in the center of the deck, his hat over his eyes, a satisfied smile on his face.
Sanji finished cleaning the last of the plates, then slumped into a chair, his cigarette long extinguished.
Ben stood at the helm, the Elder Wand finally tucked away. He looked out at the dark horizon. He felt the presence of Robin behind him.
"You didn't have to do that," she said, her voice soft in the stillness of the night. "Tell them I was essential."
Ben didn't turn around. "I didn't lie, Robin. You are. But I also know what it's like to be a ghost. This crew... they don't care about ghosts. They only care about the person standing in front of them."
He turned and looked at her. "Welcome to the Straw Hats, Robin."
"Goodnight, Ben," she said.
She walked toward the cabin, her steps light.
Ben leaned against the wheel. The ship was quiet now, save for the rhythmic breathing of his friends and the gentle lap of the waves against the hull. He looked up at the stars, feeling the immense weight of the future and the light, beautiful simplicity of the present.
He closed his eyes, let out a long, contented breath, and let the song of the sea carry him into a dreamless sleep.