Luffy and the butler Merry had spent quite a bit of effort, but they finally managed to get the Going Merry out of the port.
They sailed it toward the coastline near Kaya's estate.
"Usopp, have you finished packing your things?" At the dining table, Zoro raised his glass and asked Usopp.
"Ah! Ah, yeah! I've already packed everything!" Usopp responded nervously, clearly flustered by the question.
"Yohohoho, no need to be so tense, Mr. Usopp!"
A black skeletal hand suddenly landed on Usopp's shoulder.
"Gyaaah!!"
Usopp's face turned a ghostly purple as cold sweat poured from his forehead and his hair stood on end. He was too terrified to say another word.
Only Koby looked at him with sympathetic eyes, as though he completely understood what Usopp was feeling.
"Hey! Look at that! The captain's got his arm around that skeleton monster!"
"I see it! That's incredible!"
"Do you remember? The captain once said he defeated a powerful demon king, and afterward, the demon's spirit turned into an undead being and became his follower!"
"Did he really say that?"
"He definitely did! Come on, the captain's told a ton of unbelievable stories!"
"That's right! Now that I think about it, he did! That was a long time ago!"
"Wait… Could it be? The captain wasn't lying? It was all true?!"
The three little kids who'd followed Usopp to Kaya's house began praising their captain nonstop. If someone were to collect all the fantastical tales they spouted, they might actually make a proper Grimm's Fairy Tales, Pirate Edition.
========
The bountiful lunch continued amid the lively chaos.
Luffy suddenly stood up, raised a glass of milk, swept his gaze over the crowd, and said:
"Though this is Miss Kaya's home, there's something I can't delay any longer, or it'll lose its meaning."
His voice instantly drew everyone's attention.
The chatter died down. One by one, the guests looked up and turned their eyes to Luffy.
Seeing all eyes on him, Luffy grinned and raised his glass high. He shouted:
"Then, this one's for Usopp. Welcome to the Starry Sky Pirates!!!"
"Wooo!!"
"Wooo!!"
"Wooo!!"
At Luffy's declaration, everyone around the table raised their drinks and cheered loudly.
The once simple lunch instantly turned into a full-blown celebration.
Zoro and Brook, one on each side, grabbed Usopp by the neck and lifted him off the ground, pouring drink after drink into his mouth.
Koby, seeing Usopp nearly suffocating, rushed in to stop them, trying desperately to save him.
Meanwhile, Nami and Robin, ever the composed ladies, clinked glasses gently and sipped their wine with elegance.
"Hahaha!"
Luffy sat back, laughing as he watched everyone.
A warm feeling welled up inside him, gradually filling the emptiness in his heart.
Even Kaya and the others, watching Usopp be welcomed by the crew, couldn't help but smile. The sadness of their upcoming farewell was softened just a little.
========
As the high sun slowly dipped toward the horizon, the moon rose in its place, accompanied by a dazzling starlit sky, like diamonds scattered across velvet.
The glorious night sky perfectly adorned this banquet, stirring people's hearts with longing for beauty and dreams.
Even the once-quiet Syrup Village glowed with rare liveliness and warmth.
This not-quite-a-banquet continued for quite some time.
After the feast, Usopp, belly round and wobbling, staggered to his feet, only to run into Luffy.
"Ahh, Luffy! Come on, let's have another drink!"
Still reeking of alcohol, Usopp reached for the bottle to keep drinking.
Luffy chuckled and shook his head helplessly. His plan to set sail today was clearly going to be delayed again.
He gently took the bottle from Usopp's hand, though Usopp kept miming drinking from thin air, and turned to head outside.
Zoro also stood up and followed behind him.
The two girls had already slipped out earlier, right after Usopp passed out for the fourth time. No one knew where they'd gone.
Koby stayed behind to look after the completely unconscious Usopp.
Brook, meanwhile, sat at a piano, playing a soft tune that added another layer of charm to the evening.
"Wait! Luffy-san!"
As Luffy was about to leave, Kaya suddenly caught up and called out to him.
"What is it, Miss Kaya?" Luffy turned, puzzled.
"Well…"
Kaya's cheeks turned pink with a hint of shyness. Her voice dropped to a tender murmur:
"Luffy-san… Usopp and I… we've known each other since we were kids…"
"Whenever I was sad, he'd sneak past the guards and come make me smile."
"Usopp… means a lot to me…"
"I know life at sea is harsh and dangerous…"
"Especially for pirates, where life and death are always on the line…"
"But Usopp isn't as strong as you are, Luffy-san…"
"So… so…"
Kaya bowed deeply. Her delicate voice rose with emotion:
"Please, Luffy-san, take care of Usopp!"
========
"Take this…"
Luffy's quiet voice reached Kaya's ears.
She slowly looked up to see two small red vials being held out to her.
She instantly recognized them, it was the same medicine Luffy had given Usopp before, the one that healed his injuries in an instant.
"Luffy-san… are you giving these to Usopp… to save his life…?"
Kaya asked hesitantly.
Luffy didn't answer. He simply lowered his head and turned to leave.
Clang,
Zoro shifted his hips slightly. The three swords at his waist clashed together with a sharp metallic sound, snapping Kaya from her confusion.
She turned toward Zoro and asked:
"Mr. Zoro, what… what does Luffy-san mean by this?"
"He looked… upset?"
"Heh…"
Zoro gave a faint grin and replied, his voice low:
"You underestimate the sea, young lady."
"And more than that, "
"You underestimate the heart of a man willing to chase after it."
He glanced at the still-passed-out Usopp and added:
"We're not babysitters."
"And besides…"
"He's not as weak as you think."
"Those two vials? They're not for Usopp."
"They're for you."
"Take care of yourself first."
With that, Zoro turned and followed after Luffy.
Just as he reached the door, he paused and looked back with a blank expression:
"Oh, right…"
"That medicine's really strong. Just one drop at a time will do the trick."
And with that, he stepped outside and disappeared from view.
Kaya was left standing there, holding two vials of life-saving medicine. Her eyes shimmered like starlight as she looked at Usopp, lost in thought.
========
"So this is our new ship?"
Zoro stepped onto the deck of the Going Merry and looked at Luffy, who was lying near the bow.
"You're here… Zoro…"
Luffy's voice was low, as though something was weighing on him.
Zoro smiled, holding two bottles of strong white liquor, and slowly walked over.
"When the captain's in a mood, it's the first mate's job to set things straight."
"So you noticed…"
Luffy lowered his head, trying to hide his eyes behind his bangs, even though there was no one else around to see them.
Zoro just stood there, smiling silently.
After a moment, Luffy suddenly asked:
"Zoro… what if one day I took you all somewhere far, far away, so far we could never come back…"
"Would you still follow me?"
Zoro answered calmly:
"What, you're the captain, you can't even decide something like that?"
"No!"
Luffy suddenly sat up and leapt down from the bow.
His eyes, deep and vast as the night sky, met Zoro's steady gaze.
"This is more complicated than you think."
"I don't want to be a selfish captain!"
"Aha, "
Zoro sighed, half amused, and said:
"You're overthinking it."
"I can't speak for the others, but me? I'm Zoro."
"If I've chosen someone to follow, even another world wouldn't stop me."
Boom!
A strange aura suddenly burst from Zoro, not like Conqueror's Haki or bloodlust, but something deeper. A raw force that seemed to resonate with the world itself, as if the universe was bearing witness to his oath.
"I'll follow Luffy forever too~"
A dreamy, soft voice floated in, followed by a bright, chirpy one:
"Me too! Me too!"
"I always want to stay with Luffy!"
Robin and Nami stuck their tongues out playfully as they walked out from the cabin, smiling as Luffy and Zoro turned in surprise.
They'd heard from Merry that Luffy had earnestly asked to take the ship. Curious, they came early to see what made the ship so special, and stumbled onto this moment.
"Yohohoho~ I'm just an old pile of bones. If not for Luffy-san, I'd have no place in this world at all!"
"Though I'm just a skeleton, no body to speak of, yohohoho~"
"And me too! Without Luffy-san, I'd never have found the courage I have now! I'll follow him forever!"
Brook and Koby arrived, supporting a drunk Usopp as they stepped aboard the Going Merry.
"Huh…?"
Usopp blinked blearily, confused. Then, as if channeling the spirit of the moment, or perhaps a hidden talent, he muttered:
"I… I… me too… mm…"
At that moment, the entire Starry Sky Pirates crew was gathered aboard the Going Merry.
Zoro raised the two bottles of liquor and shook them with a grin.
"Looks like… I didn't bring enough booze today."