At first, Amon had assumed this little ship was something Merry had designed himself. The figurehead and lines were very much in his style, and the name stamped beneath it was Going Merry.
He had even been planning, after finishing his task here, to ask Merry to take him to see the real, not-yet-burned Going Merry.
Yet now it turned out Merry's Going Merry actually came from his own jar?
He still was not sure if this was the real deal or just a model, so he needed to check the description to be certain.
He opened the system and scanned all three items.
Very quickly, their attributes floated into view.
[Going Merry Model & Design Blueprints]: A scale model of the Going Merry and its full construction plans. With the corresponding materials, you can build the real Going Merry.
"So it is a model and blueprints, huh."
Amon let out a quiet breath of relief.
At least it was not the actual Going Merry itself popping directly out of the jar.
Otherwise, watching someone "open" their own ship from his merchandise would have been... awkward.
Although now that he thought about it, he was not entirely sure Merry had already come up with the idea for the Going Merry at this point in time.
Well, that could wait. The important thing was to see what the remaining items were.
...
[Ship Protection Voucher]: Can be used to sign a protection contract with a ship. If that ship is completely destroyed, it will automatically return to the contract holder's hands, giving your beloved vessel one more life.
"Holy... this thing?"
Amon's eyes lit up at the second item.
According to the description, once you used this voucher on a ship, then when that ship was destroyed, it would automatically reappear beside whoever held the contract.
In other words, if Merry used this Ship Protection Voucher on the Going Merry, then even if the Going Merry was burned later on, it would not truly vanish forever. It would be reborn and quietly return to Syrup Village, back into Merry's care.
When Amon watched One Piece back in his previous life, the scene where Luffy tearfully burned the Going Merry had left him feeling awful.
Now, at least, there was a way to give that ship another ending.
He could already picture the moment in the future.
After Luffy and the others found the One Piece and returned to Syrup Village to pay their respects to the Going Merry, they would discover that the ship they thought had burned away had actually returned home and survived in another form.
Given how deeply the Straw Hats cherished the Going Merry, they would probably be unbelievably moved.
Just imagining the scene made Amon grin to himself.
He had not expected his appearance in this world to give the Going Merry a chance at another life.
...
He calmed his excitement and looked at the third item.
[White Crystal Shard]: An item from an online game. Can be used as a material for forging equipment.
The last item was just a small, white crystal, nothing particularly flashy.
Of the three, the one that made him happiest was definitely the second.
Back when he saw the Going Merry burn, he had wished desperately that the ship had not truly disappeared, and that somewhere, somehow, it could be restored.
Now that wish had become reality, and it was through his own hands.
On top of that, it was entirely possible that Merry's future decision to build the Going Merry would be inspired by this very model and blueprint.
...
"Mr. Amon, how is it?"
"I think I saw you holding a model ship just now. May I take a look at it?"
Merry, who had been quietly watching, spoke up nervously when he saw that Amon had finished his inspection.
He had long harbored the idea of designing a ship of his own, but he had never been able to grasp a clear concept.
The moment he saw the tiny ship in Amon's hand, however, inspiration had surged inside him.
"This?"
"Of course you can."
Amon smiled and handed the Going Merry model over.
The second Merry took it and glanced down, his eyes brightened at once.
When he saw the ram's head figurehead, he fell in love with it instantly.
It matched his vague ideas perfectly.
Especially that classic ram's head, which made his heart pound with excitement.
"Oh, right. That is the final model based on design blueprints. I will give you the plans as well."
Amon passed him the rolled-up drawings too.
"By the way, if you do not mind my asking, Mr. Merry, have you been thinking about designing a ship of your own?"
Watching Merry's reaction, Amon already had a good guess in his heart.
Still, he asked out loud so he could nudge the man properly.
Sure enough, Merry blinked and nodded.
He was a little amazed that Amon could so easily see what was in his heart.
Seeing him admit it, Amon grinned.
"Then this blueprint really could not be more perfect for you."
Merry nodded vigorously.
"Yes. I do not know why, but the moment I saw this model, I felt like it matched the ship in my imagination."
"Especially this ram's head and the overall design. It feels as if something is pulling me, urging me to build this ship."
"Now that I have seen the full blueprints, that feeling is even stronger."
He stared at the lines and notes on the parchment, eyes shining.
...
Well, that was probably the will of this world at work.
Amon knew that this ship was destined to be built for the future "child of fate" of this world, Monkey D. Luffy.
Not that he could say that out loud.
Some things were better left as "mysterious destiny."
...
"Have you thought of a name for this ship yet?"
After a moment, Amon decided to give him one more nudge.
"Not yet. Do you have any suggestions, Mr. Amon?"
Merry had not settled on anything. He immediately turned to Amon for advice.
"I think the figurehead looks quite a bit like you."
"Why not call it the Going Merry?"
Amon pretended to think about it for a moment before voicing the name he had already decided on.
"Merry... Going Merry? Going Merry..."
Merry repeated it a couple of times under his breath.
His heart leaped. The name felt smooth, pleasant, and strangely fitting.
"Thank you for the name, Mr. Amon. If I manage to build this ship one day, I will call it the Going Merry."
"Hahaha, no need to thank me."
Even without his reminder, Amon believed this name would have come to him eventually.
"Oh, right. There is still one very important item I need to give you."
Amon suddenly remembered the Ship Protection Voucher.