"Wooooah!!!!"
At dawn, greeting the first rays of the rising sun.
Luffy was the first to reach the harbor, and he let out a shocked cry of pure joy.
Seeing the three-masted sailing ship docked at the port—its adorable sheep figurehead standing proudly at the bow—Luffy's eyes instantly turned into shining stars. Overcome with excitement, he stretched out both arms and hugged the sheep's head.
With a light rebound, his entire body bounced up, and he landed squarely on top of the figurehead at the bow.
"Hehehe! A pirate ship… my pirate ship!!!"
A blissful grin spread across Luffy's face as he sprawled out in a big "X" shape atop the bow, as if floating on water, familiarizing himself with the ship's presence and scent.
Meanwhile, led by Merry, Red and the others arrived at the shore one after another.
"Oh? So this is our pirate ship? Looks better than I expected!" Zoro said.
Carrying his training equipment, Zoro slammed a massive pile of metal onto the deck with a loud bang, then nodded in satisfaction as he admired their future vessel.
At this moment, the butler Merry and Miss Kaya stepped forward and introduced the ship with warm smiles.
"Though the design may be a bit old-fashioned, this ship is something I personally spent several years designing."
"It uses a triangular sail configuration, with a centrally mounted stern—a lightweight sailing ship."
"Its name is…"
"The Going Merry·GO!!!"
"The Going Merry?!"
Lying at the bow, Luffy abruptly lifted his head, breaking into a radiant grin.
"That's such a great name!"
"Going Merry!!!"
He gently patted the sheep's head, as if speaking to the ship itself.
Seeing the complete Going Merry with his own eyes, Red's gaze shimmered faintly with emotion.
Scenes from his memories replayed once more.
It was the single most unforgettable image he had of the pirate world…
On the vast sea, engulfed in raging flames, the Going Merry bidding its final farewell to the Straw Hat crew.
Even years later, whenever he saw clips of it on video platforms, tears would still well up in his eyes.
But…
"Don't worry, Going Merry!"
"This time, I absolutely won't let history repeat itself!!!"
Red made the vow solemnly in his heart.
At the same time, he couldn't help feeling a sense of anticipation—when the Going Merry's ship spirit eventually appeared, would he be able to bring Merry into the game world to grind levels and learn Pokémon moves?
After all, many Ghost-type Pokémon in the Pokémon world came into existence for reasons strikingly similar to ship spirits.
The joy of acquiring a new ship spread through every member of the Straw Hat crew.
Everyone began carrying prepared supplies aboard one after another.
The sunlight was gentle, the breeze calm—perfect weather for setting sail!!!
Standing by the railing of the Going Merry, Usopp waved vigorously as he bid farewell to Miss Kaya and the three kids of the Usopp Pirates.
"Goodbye, Miss Kaya!!!"
"I'm definitely going to become a brave warrior of the sea!!!"
"And one more thing…"
"While I'm gone, you three have to protect Miss Kaya in my place!!!"
"Leave it to us, Captain Usopp!"
The emotion of parting filled the harbor, but eventually, carried by the ocean waves, it turned into longing drifting toward distant horizons.
Luffy stood atop the captain's seat, hands on his hips, radiant with excitement!
"Wahahaha… My crew!!!"
"Hoist the sails! Set sail!!!"
"Oh!!!"
The Straw Hats roared in unison.
The pirate flag personally painted by the legendary Usopp—who could do everything except fight—fluttered at the top of the tallest mast.
Under Nami's command, the Going Merry slowly turned its bow and headed toward the vast open world.
For some reason…
This departure felt more refreshing than any before.
Luffy sat atop the sheep's head, enjoying the sea breeze as his open vest fluttered loudly in the wind.
From the moment he laid eyes on the Going Merry until now, his smile seemed permanently etched onto his face—he hadn't stopped grinning once.
Zoro headed to the training area near the stern, continuing his conditioning while recalling Red's earlier words about the realm of cutting steel and the realm of the swordsman.
His master, Koushirou, had spoken of such things long ago.
But back then, his swordsmanship wasn't refined enough for him to truly understand.
After battling Kuro, and with the stimulation of Pokémon energy, he now felt as though he'd grasped something faintly tangible.
Frowning slightly, he pondered it deeply.
Not far from Zoro, Red leaned against the railing, manipulating the waves to push the ship forward.
After all, among the entire crew, he was the only one who knew the Surf move.
If someone had to be the tool… it could only be him.
Fortunately, after enough practice, Red no longer needed to concentrate much to perfectly control small waves.
At the same time, he carefully placed a photograph into his photo album.
The picture showed the Straw Hat crew standing beside the Going Merry, taken in celebration of their new companion.
In the photo, everyone's eyes shone brightly, filled with anticipation for the future.
Red had asked Merry the butler to take it before departure.
As for Usopp and Nami…
One had hidden away in the ship's cabin, studying the Clima-Tact that Red had explained to him.
The other stood atop the lookout, surveying the surrounding sea through a telescope.
Shortly after they left Syrup Village, Nami suddenly shouted from the lookout.
"There's something up! Everybody, come quick!"
"Huh?"
At her call, Luffy—who had been lazily enjoying the breeze—Zoro in mid-training, and even Red, who had been nurturing himself with Ancient Power, all paused and looked over.
Even Usopp set aside his blueprints and peeked out of the cabin in curiosity.
Holding the telescope, Nami pointed in a certain direction.
"Look over there!"
"There seems to be a ship!"
"It's a pirate ship!!!"
"Oh?!"
Luffy was instantly intrigued and strained to peer into the distance from the bow.
Pirates didn't form bonds just because they shared the same profession.
On the contrary…
When two pirate ships crossed paths, it was often the prelude to battle!
But then Nami shouted again:
"Wait! That pirate flag looks really familiar!"
"That looks like the Black Cat Pirates' flag!"
"Oh?!"
Red stepped to the bow, barely making out a black dot in the distance that was steadily growing larger.
"Interesting," he said with a grin. "Kuro's already dead, and they still came after us!"
"Well, that saves Miss Kaya the money she'd spend on bounty hunters."
Seeing Luffy itching for action, Red gently patted the bow.
"Hey, Luffy—those are just small-time pirates. Don't tell me you're already excited?"
"Huh?!"
Luffy turned back laughing.
"Of course I am! This is our first real enemy encounter at sea!"
No matter what it was, the first time always made people excited.
But Red shook his head.
"Let's skip it…"
"For the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates to personally deal with a bunch of nobodies would be embarrassing if word got out."
"How about this time, we use them to test the combat strength of our new recruits?"
"New recruits?"
Zoro walked over, asking curiously,
"You mean letting Nami and Usopp handle them?"
Red smiled faintly.
"You're forgetting one, Zoro."
"It'll be Nami, Usopp…"
"And Merry."
(End of Chapter)