The Open Sea
The Grand Line was often called a graveyard of ships, a place of nightmares and storms. But sometimes, it was just... weird.
The Going Merry cut through the waves with a steady rhythm. The sun was high, the sky was blue, and the mood on board was relaxed. After the chaos of Long Ring Long Land—fighting Foxy, digging up moles, and making the difficult decision to buy new ship—the crew needed a moment of peace.
Ben stood at the helm, checking the Log Pose. The needle was locked firmly in one direction, pointing southeast.
"Steady as she goes," Ben muttered. "Next stop, Water 7."
"Papa!" Mini Merry trotted up to him. She was wearing her yellow sundress and a small captain's hat nami had given her.
Ben's expression softened. "Merry. You look great."
"Thanks Papa."
On the main deck, Luffy was sitting on the figurehead staring intently at the ocean.
"I'm hungry," Luffy announced to the horizon. "Sanji! Is lunch ready?"
"It's been ten minutes since breakfast, you rubber stomach!" Sanji yelled from the kitchen. "Wait until noon!"
Luffy pouted. He looked down at the water, hoping a fish would jump into his mouth.
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
"Whoa! Look at that!"
Luffy pointed a finger at the sea. "A frog! A giant frog! And it's doing the crawl!"
"Nani?" Usopp walked over. "A frog in the ocean? Don't be silly, Luffy. Frogs are freshwater creatures. Saltwater would dehydrate their skin and—"
Usopp looked down.
There, swimming parallel to the ship with perfect, Olympic-level form, was a massive green frog. It had scars all over its body and a determined look in its eyes. It was doing the front crawl, cutting through the waves like a torpedo.
"IT'S A SWIMMING FROG!" Usopp screamed. "AND IT'S HUGE!"
"It looks delicious!" Luffy drooled. "Frog legs! Fried frog legs! Merry! Follow that frog! We're having it for lunch!"
"Aye aye, Captain!" Mini Merry chirped. She placed her hand on the railing. "Hard to starboard! Pursuit mode engaged!"
The Going Merry banked sharply, chasing after the amphibian.
"Wait!" Nami ran out of the cabin. "Why are we turning?! We're off course!"
"We're hunting lunch!" Luffy shouted.
The ship chased the frog for several miles. The frog, noticing the pursuit, didn't seem to care. It just kept swimming, its eyes locked on something in the distance.
Suddenly, the water color changed. It went from deep blue to a lighter turquoise. And then, something strange appeared beneath the surface.
"Tracks?" Robin leaned over the railing. "There are... railway tracks underwater?"
"Tracks?" Ben walked over. He knew what this was. "Interesting."
"Papa!" Mini Merry suddenly froze. Her eyes flashed red. "Alert! High-velocity object approaching! Massive vibration detected on the rails! It's coming fast!"
"A train?" Chopper asked, confused. "But we're on the ocean!"
WOOOOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOO!
A deafening steam whistle shattered the air.
"What is that sound?!" Zoro woke up from his nap, hand on his sword.
"Smoke!" Usopp pointed ahead. "There's smoke on the water!"
A massive plume of white smoke was racing toward them, skimming the surface of the ocean. As it got closer, the shape became clear.
It was a train. A massive, iron steam locomotive, churning its wheels not on land, but on the surface of the sea. It kicked up a spray of water like a geyser as it roared down the tracks.
"A SEA TRAIN?!" The entire crew (except Ben) screamed.
"It's running on the water!" Luffy's eyes sparkled. "SO COOL!"
"It's going to hit the frog!" Chopper cried.
The giant frog, Yokozuna, stopped swimming. It stood up on the tracks (which were shallow enough there). It faced the oncoming metal beast. It slapped its belly like a sumo wrestler.
DOSUKOI!
The frog spread its arms, intending to catch the train.
"Don't do it, froggy!" Usopp yelled.
CRASH!
The Sea Train didn't even slow down. It slammed into the frog with the force of... well, a train.
Yokozuna was launched into the air, spinning like a shuriken. He flew over the Merry, croaking sadly, and splashed into the ocean a hundred meters away.
The train roared past the pirate ship, the wind from its passage rattling the sails.
"Whoa..." Luffy watched it go. "That was... AWESOME! A train that runs on the sea! I want to ride it!"
"The frog..." Chopper sniffled. "Is he okay?"
"He's fine," Ben said, watching the ripples where the frog landed. "That frog is tougher than he looks."
"Where did that thing come from?" Nami asked, staring at the retreating smoke. "And where is it going?"
"Let's follow the tracks," Ben suggested. "There seems to be a station up ahead."
Shift Station
A few miles down the track, a small, lonely platform stood on stilts in the middle of the ocean. A sign read "Shift Station".
The Going Merry docked gently.
"Hello!" Luffy jumped onto the wooden platform. "Is anyone here? We saw a cool train!"
The door to the small station house opened.
"Nga nga nga!" A strange laughter echoed.
An elderly woman—if you could call her that—waddled out. She had wild, green hair that looked like fins, a body shape that resembled a pear, and she was clutching a bottle of booze.
"Pirates?" The woman took a swig. "My, my. It's been a while since pirates stopped here. Usually, you lot just sail past."
Behind her, a small girl with pigtails and a rabbit popped out.
"Granny! Look! It's a pirate ship with a sheep head!" the girl pointed.
"Meow!" the rabbit said.
"That's a cat," Luffy noted. "Wait, it's a rabbit."
"It's Gonbe!" the little girl said. "He's a cat!"
"I'm Chimney!" the girl introduced herself. "And this is my Granny, Kokoro! She's the Stationmaster!"
"I'm Luffy! This is my crew!"
Ben stepped onto the platform, followed by the others. He looked at Kokoro. He knew exactly who she was—an Icefish Mermaid who had walked on land so long her tail split.
"Nice place you got here," Ben nodded. "Quiet."
"It is," Kokoro hiccuped. "Until Puffing Tom comes roaring through. Did you see him pass?"
"Yeah!" Luffy beamed. "It hit a frog!"
"Ah, Yokozuna," Kokoro sighed, taking another drink. "Stupid frog. He does that every day. Trying to stop the train with his bare hands. He's got scars all over, but he never learns. He's testing his strength."
"So he's alive?" Chopper asked, relieved.
"Alive and kicking," Kokoro waved a hand. "He's just training. Don't worry about him."
Kokoro leaned against the station wall, eyeing the jolly roger. "So, where did you lot drift in from?"
"We're from East Blue!" Luffy grinned, adjusting his hat.
Kokoro nearly choked on her drink. She lowered the bottle, her eyes widening as she really looked at them for the first time. "East Blue? That's the weakest sea. You mean to tell me you crossed the Twin Capes and sailed half the Grand Line... in that?"
She pointed a gnarled finger at the Going Merry.
"Yep!" Luffy laughed. "We went to the Sky Island too!"
"Sky Island?!" Chimney gasped. "Granny! They went to the sky!"
Kokoro walked over to the edge of the platform, leaning dangerously close to the ship's hull. She ran a hand over the railing. She inspected the keel. She looked at the mast. Usually, a Caravel that survived the erratic weather of the Grand Line would be a wreck—cracked keel, splintered wood, patched sails.
But this ship...
She knocked on the wood. It made a solid, metallic thud, not the hollow sound of timber.
"She looks brand new," Kokoro whispered, genuine shock replacing her drunken demeanor. "Not a scratch on her. The wood... it feels tougher than iron. It's pristine. What kind of varnish are you using? Or is this ship a ghost?"
"It's not varnish," Ben said, stepping forward and patting the hull affectionately. "Indestructible magical enchantments. She won't break, crack, or sink unless I say so."
"Magic, huh?" Kokoro laughed, shaking her head. "Nga nga nga! You're a scary bunch! A magic ship from the weakest sea! I've seen everything now!"
She looked at the deck, noticing Dory and Brogy who were currently squeezed near the kitchen, and the Caroo trying to avoid stepping on Sanji.
"But..." Kokoro noted, her eyes sharp. "Indestructible or not, she's small. Too small for a crew like you. You're bursting at the seams."
"We know," Usopp sighed. "That's why we're going to Water 7."
"We need an upgrade," Ben confirmed. "We aren't replacing Merry—she's staying with us. But we need to build a battleship. Something that can carry all of us and withstand the New World."
"Nga nga nga! Ambitious!" Kokoro grinned, taking a long swig of her ale. "Alright then! If you're looking for a ship, you're heading to the right place. Water 7 is the City of Water, home to the best shipwrights on the seas."
"Do you know a good one?" Luffy asked. "We need a really good one!"
"I know the best," Kokoro said. "Go find a man named Iceburg. Tell him Kokoro sent you. He runs the place. He might give you a discount... or he might kick you out. He's a busy man."
"Iceburg?" Nami wrote the name down. "Is he a shipwright?"
"He's the man who builds dreams," Kokoro said cryptically. She reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. "Here. A map of the currents."
"Thanks, Granny!" Luffy took the map.
"Don't call me Granny, brat!" Kokoro laughed. "Now get going. The tide is turning."
---
The crew said their goodbyes to Chimney and Gonbe and set sail once more. Following Kokoro's map and the underwater tracks, the journey was smooth.
After a few hours, the fog lifted.
"There it is!" Usopp shouted from the crow's nest.
Rising out of the ocean like a massive fountain was the city of Water 7. It was breathtaking. A metropolis built on top of the sea, with canals replacing streets and graceful Yagara Bulls swimming through the waterways.
A massive fountain at the very top of the city cascaded water down in beautiful sheets.
"It's huge!" Chopper gasped.
"Beautiful," Robin noted.
"Alright, Merry," Ben commanded. "Take us in. Aim for the main docks shown on the map. Blue Station."
"Aye aye, Papa!"
The Going Merry glided into the bustling harbor of Blue Station. It was packed with merchant ships, passenger liners, and the hustle and bustle of a major trade hub.
As they approached the pier, a dock master in a uniform blew a whistle and ran over, waving his arms.
"Hey! You there! The Caravel with the sheep!"
"That's us!" Luffy waved.
"You can't dock here!" the man shouted. "This is for commercial vessels and the Sea Train only! We don't have permits for... uh... 'independent adventurers'!"
He eyed the Jolly Roger nervously.
"But we need to see Iceburg!" Luffy yelled back.
"Mr. Iceburg is at the Galley-La headquarters!" the man pointed toward the top of the city. "But you can't park here! Look, if you're... that kind of ship... you need to go around the cape!"
"Around the cape?" Nami asked.
"Yes! To the northeast! There's a rocky cove we call the 'Scrap Coast'. That's where... unlisted ships usually anchor. It's safer for you, and less paperwork for me!"
"Fine," Ben sighed. "We'll go to the pirate parking lot."
"Merry, adjust course," Ben ordered. "Take us around the cape."
The ship turned away from the crowded, pristine docks of Blue Station and sailed along the outer wall of the city. As they rounded the rocky cape, the scenery changed. The polished stone gave way to natural rock and older, worn-down structures.
There, hidden from the main view of the city, was a quiet, rocky cove littered with shipwrecks and debris. It was the perfect hiding spot for pirates.
"Drop anchor here," Ben said.
The anchor splashed down into the water. The Going Merry settled into her spot among the rocks.
"We made it," Nami breathed, looking up at the towering city. "Water 7."
"Alright," Ben clapped his hands. "Let's go find this Iceburg and get ourselves a new ship."
"And meat!" Luffy added, jumping onto the shore. "I bet water meat is delicious!"