Thanks to a certain bespectacled man with an "if I'm going to hell, no one's going to heaven" attitude, the Straw Hat crew was forced to party all night with their idiot captain.
They didn't stop until the campfire had completely burned out, at which point they all drifted off into a confused sleep.
Fortunately, it was just standard folk dancing around the fire. If Sherlock and the others had been forced to shove chopsticks up their noses and perform that ridiculous dance alongside Luffy, they probably would have died before agreeing to it.
The night passed without further incident.
Early the next morning, the Straw Hats woke up one by one. Soon after, they discovered something truly paranormal:
The Going Merry, which had been left in tatters by the Priest Shura, had been completely repaired overnight!
Onboard the restored Merry:
"I told you I didn't see it wrong last night! I definitely wasn't dreaming!" Usopp took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. "The Going Merry was repaired by a mysterious person!"
"Even the broken mast has been restored to how it was," Nami murmured, looking around. "And it was restored to its original state."
"Yeah, it's strange. The chicken head and the wings we used to get to the Sky Island have been removed."
Gazing at the slightly crooked iron plating on the mast, Sanji rubbed his chin with a peculiar expression. "Though, if I'm being honest, the person who fixed this ship doesn't have very good skills."
"Hee hee! Looks like there are plenty of good people in this world!" The innocent, airheaded captain grinned widely. His usual lighthearted, carefree attitude made the rest of the crew sigh in collective helplessness.
"Speaking of which, I have a question I can't quite figure out myself."
Sherlock stepped out of the cabin and addressed Luffy and the others. "Yesterday, when that Sky Knight attacked, I was in a deep coma. Generally speaking, due to the side effects of Insomnia, I should have been dead to the world."
"But I was awakened by a very strange, youthful voice. If it weren't for that voice, I'm afraid I would have been skewered by that Priest's lance."
"Eh?!" The Straw Hats froze in unison. The situation was becoming increasingly eerie.
"But I didn't hear anything at the time!" the blue-nosed reindeer exclaimed, looking shocked. "If it was a voice loud enough to wake you up, Sherlock, it should have been very loud."
"No, no... it didn't feel like a sound coming from the outside."
The Sorcerer pushed his glasses up calmly, his brow furrowing slightly. "That voice was very peculiar. It was as if it rang out directly inside my mind..."
"Maybe it's a ghost," Robin suggested with a slight smile. Leaning against the ship's railing, she added nonchalantly, "I remember reading in books that ghosts communicate through thought and intention, and they tend to appear and disappear mysteriously."
"A ghost?!" The cowardly trio's faces instantly turned pale at the words of the dark-humored woman.
"A ghost?! That sounds so cool!" Luffy had the exact opposite reaction. Looking at the stars twinkling in his eyes, he was clearly fascinated by the prospect.
"Well, even if it is a ghost, there's nothing to be afraid of," the formidable green-haired swordsman said with a shrug.
"After all, it saved Sherlock and helped us fix the ship. Even if it is a ghost, it must be a 'good ghost'..."
"Mm-hmm." The others nodded in agreement.
(A good ghost?)
Sherlock's expression shifted slightly. He turned his head thoughtfully toward the Merry's ram-headed figurehead—Luffy's exclusive "Captain's Seat," which looked as adorable and dorky as ever.
(If that's the case, then it's a 'good ghost' that couldn't possibly be any better...)
Regardless, having the ship repaired was a good thing. The priority now wasn't hunting down a nebulous ghost, but finding the legendary "City of Gold."
"Alright, the Exploration Team and the Retreat Team have been assigned." The greedy navigator, now full of energy at the thought of gold, pointed to the map on the table and giggled. "Soon, we'll be the Multi-Millionaire Pirates!"
"Ohhh!" Luffy and the others immediately donned expressions of longing.
"When we get the gold, I'm definitely going to buy a huge bronze statue!"
"Idiot! The Merry can't hold something that heavy!"
"A bigger mousetrap, and a refrigerator with a lock..."
Nami nodded in satisfaction. However, she suddenly noticed that the bespectacled man still wore a look of doubt. She couldn't help but ask:
"Um, Sherlock? Do you have an objection to my plan?"
The orange-haired navigator actually cared quite a bit about the Sorcerer's opinion as the crew's strategist.
"Well, I understand the logic, but I still have one question," Sherlock said after a moment of silence.
"The island is in such chaos right now. Why do we have to risk going to the City of Gold? It's not like we're short on money... By the way, Nami, I recall the treasure we seized from the Blood Wolf Pirates hasn't been fully spent yet, right?"
"..." Everyone froze.
It was true. Ever since Sherlock, a literal tycoon, had joined the crew, the "strapped for cash" situation the Straw Hats faced in the East Blue had ceased to exist. Nami, with her bold "Cat Burglar" style, had even swindled quite a bit of Berry out of the Sorcerer—though she mostly just kept it on a tab without rushing to cash it in.
"Well, although we spent a lot on food earlier, there's still about 100 million Berry left," Nami admitted with a strange expression, nodding and laughing sheepishly.
"Sherlock~~ Look, look! Berry is just something that's easy to spend. We aren't short on money now, but who knows about the future? Besides, who would ever complain about having too much money? Don't you agree..."
As she spoke, Nami subconsciously met Sherlock's gaze. Suddenly, the smile on the navigator's face froze.
The Sorcerer's expression was as calm and composed as ever. However, Nami's gifted "Sherlock-specific Observation Haki" read a very clear message from his deep black eyes:
(I'm the guy who complains about having too much money...)
Whoosh! As if teleporting, the orange-haired navigator lunged in front of the Sorcerer. Her exaggerated speed made Zoro and the others click their tongues in secret amazement, thinking that this greedy woman was truly in a league of her own.
"Sherlock?" Nami's face was covered in a beaming smile, her voice so sweet it could make one's bones go soft.
"Could you tell me... exactly how much treasure is inside that Mirror Space of yours?"
While Nami had always known that the former president of the Goldglint Trading Company was wealthy, she didn't know the exact extent of it.
"Why are you suddenly interested in this?"
Sherlock was taken aback. He pushed his glasses up and thought for a moment. "I'm not sure of the exact amount, but those jewels and antiques are the finest of the fine. In terms of market value, they are likely worth more than the gold in the City of Gold."
After all, it was the entire foundation of the East Blue's veteran Kohler Trading Company. Describing that treasure as "wealth that could rival a nation" was almost an understatement.
(So this guy is actually that rich?!) Although they didn't have a concrete concept of that kind of money, Usopp and the others stared at Sherlock with looks of profound awe. It was as if they were looking at a moving "City of Gold."
"Sherlock..."
Suddenly, the "Cat Burglar," who had been in a daze, lunged forward and hugged the Sorcerer tightly, as if afraid he might fly away.
"...You must be extra careful about your safety from now on!" As she spoke, Nami took a deep breath, completely abandoning her ladylike decorum. Her eyes literally flashed with a green, money-hungry light.
"Ahhh... how refreshing. Is this the scent of money?"
"Well, thank you for being so concerned about my personal safety, Nami."
Despite having a beautiful woman in his arms, Sherlock didn't feel the slightest bit distracted. He looked down at the greedy navigator's borderline-obsessive behavior and sighed, a string of black lines appearing on his forehead.
"But why don't I feel the least bit happy?"
"Also, can I ask you to please stop wiping your drool on my clothes?"
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my pa-treon:
pat reon .c-om/windkaze