The doors hissed open, and Ben ascended the grand spiral staircase to the main deck.
The moment he stepped out onto the lush, manicured grass of the upper deck, the bright sunlight was strangely muted. A massive, translucent, hexagonal blue dome encased the entire upper half of the Thousand Sunny, bending the light around the ship.
"Ahoy there, Papa!" a cheerful, synthesized voice rang out.
Ben looked up toward the helm. Mini Merry and Sunny were standing on the control deck. Merry was wearing a tiny eyepatch and a tricorne hat, while Sunny had a plush parrot perched on his shoulder.
"Shiver me timbers, Papa has emerged from the bilge!" Sunny cheered, saluting with a hook-hand he had fashioned out of a coat hanger. "We be sailin' smooth, Papa! The ghost ship protocol be active!"
"Stealth dome is operating at one hundred percent capacity, ye scurvy dog," Merry added, pulling down the brim of her hat. "We be invisible to the naked eye. No bilge rat or scallywag can spot our colors as we approach the drop zone."
"Good work, you two," Ben chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. "Keep the pirate accents going, it builds character. Are we approaching the coordinates?"
"Aye, Papa!" Sunny pointed a small finger forward. "Land ho! Dead ahead on the starboard bow!"
Ben walked to the railing, looking through the translucent camouflage of the stealth dome.
The ocean here was a vibrant, crystalline blue, dotted with coral reefs that breached the surface at low tide. But what lay ahead was not an island. It was a sprawling, ramshackle village constructed entirely on massive, rotting wooden stilts driven directly into the sea floor. Rickety wooden bridges connected dozens of dilapidated huts, floating docks, and rusty cages suspended over the water.
It was the base of the Macro Pirates, situated in the waters just outside the Sabaody Archipelago.
On the main deck, the rest of the crew was gathered, casually preparing for whatever lay ahead. Dory and Brogy were sitting cross-legged in a circle with Oimo and Kashii.
"Gebababa! I tell you, Oimo, you must put more weight into your heels when you swing the mace!" Dory laughed, clapping his fellow giant on the back so hard Oimo coughed.
"I am trying, Dory-san!" Oimo wheezed cheerfully. "But human-sized physics are tricky! I feel like a leaf on the wind!"
"You just lack balance, brother!" Kashii teased, dealing a hand of oversized playing cards. "A true warrior of Elbaf is sturdy regardless of his stature!"
Nearby, Princess Vivi was polishing the edge of her Vibranium spear with a soft cloth. Caroo the duck sat beside her, meticulously adjusting the chinstrap of his Iron Duck tactical helmet with his wing.
"Are you ready, Caroo?" Vivi smiled, giving the duck's neck a comforting pat. "We might have to deal with kidnappers today. We cannot show them any mercy."
"QUACK!" Caroo saluted fiercely, puffing out his chest.
"We are approaching the target," Ben announced to the crew, his voice cutting through the casual chatter. "Merry, drop the stealth dome once we clear the outer reef. Let them see us coming."
"Aye, aye, dropping the cloak!" Merry pulled a lever.
The blue hexagonal grid flickered and vanished. The Thousand Sunny instantly materialized out of thin air, gliding majestically through the calm waters and sliding smoothly alongside the main wooden dock of the stilt-village. The massive anchor dropped with a heavy splash.
Luffy was the first one to the railing, leaning over with a massive, eager grin.
"HELLO!" Luffy yelled at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing off the wooden huts. "WE'RE HERE FOR THE TAKOYAKI! WHERE IS THE OCTOPUS GUY?!"
The response was complete silence.
The wooden docks were completely deserted. The doors to the huts were shut tight. A single, empty wooden bucket rolled lazily across a rope bridge, pushed by the sea breeze. There were no pirates, no guards, no bustling slaver activity.
"It's too quiet," Zoro grunted, resting his hand casually on the hilt of Shusui. He didn't even bother waking up fully, keeping one eye closed. "Looks like a ghost town."
"Maybe they went out for lunch?" Chopper suggested innocently, adjusting his pink hat.
"Slavers don't take lunch breaks, Chopper," Robin noted, stepping up to the railing with a serene smile. "This is a classic ambush layout. They have funneled us into the center of their territory, minimizing our naval mobility while maximizing their high-ground advantage from the huts."
"An ambush?!" Usopp shrieked, instantly diving behind Dory's broad back. "I knew it! I told you this was a bad idea! We should have just gone to a restaurant for takoyaki!"
Floating in the water next to the ship, Camie the mermaid and Pappag the starfish looked around in confusion.
"Hatchin?!" Camie called out, her voice echoing over the water. "Hatchin, are you here?! I brought friends to rescue you!"
"Yo, Hatchin! It's your boy Pappag!" the starfish yelled, waving a point like a hip-hop hype man. "Come out, bro! We got the muscle to bust you out!"
In the center of the village, suspended from a heavy wooden crane directly over the water, hung a massive iron cage. Inside the cage sat a large, imposing figure.
It was a Fish-Man. He had six arms, a suction-cup-covered torso, and the distinctive facial features of an octopus. He was sitting cross-legged, his head bowed, looking miserable.
"Camie? Pappag?" the octopus Fish-Man muttered, looking up. His eyes widened as he saw the mermaid and the starfish swimming near the massive, beautiful ship. "You guys! You shouldn't have come here! It's a trap!"
"Hatchin!" Camie cheered, tears of joy welling in her eyes. "You're okay!"
Hatchan smiled in relief, but then his eyes drifted upward. He looked past Camie. He saw the polished Adam Wood hull. He saw the majestic sun-lion figurehead. And then, fluttering proudly in the breeze atop the main mast, he saw the Jolly Roger. A skull wearing a straw hat.
Hatchan's face went pale.
He rubbed his eyes. He looked again. He saw the rubber boy standing on the railing. He saw the green-haired swordsman. He saw the blonde cook and the orange-haired navigator.
"The... the Straw Hats?!" Hatchan gasped, panic seizing his six hearts. "What are they doing here?! If they recognize me, they'll kill me! They'll turn me into a calamari appetizer!"
Hatchan frantically looked around his cage. He needed a disguise, and he needed one five seconds ago.
Driven by panic, Hatchan inhaled deeply and aggressively squeezed his own cheeks.
PFFFFT!
A massive cloud of thick, pitch-black octopus ink erupted from his mouth, completely covering his entire body, his face, and his clothes in a shiny layer of black slime. He quickly crossed his six arms, trying to make himself look as small and inconspicuous as possible.
"There," Hatchan whispered to himself, shivering in the cage. "I am just a mysterious, blobby shadow monster. They will never know."
Down on the deck, Franky pushed his sunglasses down his nose, staring at the suspended cage.
"Hey, mermaid," Franky said loudly, his voice echoing across the quiet water. "Is that your friend in the cage?"
"Yes! That's Hatchin!" Camie beamed.
"The guy who just aggressively spit ink all over himself to hide his face?" Franky deadpanned.
"Ink?" Camie blinked, squinting at the cage. "Oh my gosh! Hatchin! Why are you covered in ink?! Did the bad guys do this to you?!"
"Yo, that's messed up!" Pappag yelled, shaking a fist. "They painted him black!"
Franky sighed heavily, slapping a massive, metallic hand against his face. "Are you two completely blind?! He did it to himself! We literally just watched him do it! He's hiding from us!"
"Hiding from us?" Luffy tilted his head, leaning dangerously far over the railing. "Why would he hide? We're here to get his takoyaki!"
"Let me handle this," Sanji said smoothly, lighting a fresh cigarette and stepping up to the railing. He exhaled a long plume of smoke, a devious smirk playing on his lips.
Sanji cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted toward the cage.
"Hey! Ink monster!" Sanji yelled. "We're looking for a guy named Hatchan! We heard he used to run with a really pathetic, weak pirate crew in the East Blue! What were they called again? The Arlong Pirates? Yeah, I heard their swordsman was an absolute joke who got sliced up by a guy with three swords!"
Inside the cage, the black ink covering Hatchan's face began to boil with indignant rage.
"I WAS NOT A JOKE!" Hatchan roared, completely forgetting his disguise as he leaped to his feet, grabbing the bars of the cage with all six hands. "I WAS THE SECOND STRONGEST SWORDSMAN ON THE CREW! MY SIX-SWORD STYLE WAS FEARSOME, YOU STUPID COOK! I—"
Hatchan froze.
He realized what he had just said. He realized who he had just yelled at.
Slowly, the black ink began to drip off his face, revealing his distinctive octopus features, the star-shaped suction cups on his forehead, and the horrified expression of a man who had just dug his own grave.
"Oops," Hatchan squeaked.
The silence on the deck of the Thousand Sunny was absolute.
Sanji slowly took the cigarette out of his mouth. Zoro eyes, had a cold, sharp glint of recognition flashing within it. Usopp pushed his goggles up, his jaw dropping.
But it was Nami who reacted the strongest.
The navigator stood perfectly still. Her hands, which had been resting casually on her hips, slowly dropped to her sides. Her eyes widened, the vibrant brown irises darkening as suppressed memories surfaced.
She saw the towering walls of Arlong Park. She felt the cold, heavy chains of the mapping room. She remembered the laughter of the Fish-Men as they terrorized Cocoyasi Village, laughing while her adoptive mother, Bellemere, bled out in the dirt. And she remembered the six-armed octopus who had stood beside Arlong, enforcing his cruel reign.
Her physical strength was vastly different now. Thanks to Ben's Animal Serum, which made her a formidable fighter. But the emotional scars from her childhood didn't care about enhanced agility or shock immunity.
"Hatchan," Nami whispered, her voice trembling slightly, devoid of its usual fiery confidence.
Camie swam happily toward the ship, oblivious to the sudden, suffocating tension. "You guys know each other?! That's so wonderful! This makes rescuing him even better!"
"We are not his friends," Zoro stated. His voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the air like a razor blade. He didn't draw a sword, but the sheer, oppressive weight of his presence made the very air around him feel heavy.
Camie stopped swimming. Her smile faltered. "What... what do you mean?"
"He was an officer of the Arlong Pirates," Sanji added, his tone equally frigid. "They occupied Nami-san's home. They murdered her family. They enslaved her for eight years."
Pappag's jaw dropped behind his sunglasses. "Whoa... seriously?"
"We came here for takoyaki," Zoro grunted, turning his back on the cage. "We aren't lifting a finger to help a bastard from Arlong's crew. Let him rot in that cage."
Hatchan lowered his head, gripping the iron bars. He didn't argue. He didn't beg. He knew he deserved their hatred. "It's okay, Camie," Hatchan called out softly, his voice thick with regret. "They have every right to hate me. I did terrible things. Just take Pappag and swim away. Don't worry about me."
"No!" Camie cried, tears spilling down her cheeks. She looked up at the Straw Hats, desperate. "I know he did bad things in the past! But he's different now! He saved me! He took care of me! He's a good person!"
"People don't change that easily," Usopp muttered, looking away.
Nami stood frozen at the railing. Her heart was hammering in her chest. The anger she held for Arlong and his crew was still there. She looked at Hatchan in the cage, remembering him laughing with the others.
But then, she looked at Camie. She saw the mermaid sobbing, desperately trying to protect her friend. She saw the genuine love in Camie's eyes.
Nami took a slow, shuddering breath. She closed her eyes.
"If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea, I'll sail the world to find you..."
The lyrics of the song Merry had sung in the garden echoed in her mind. She thought of her own crew. She thought of Robin, who had once been an enemy, an officer of Baroque Works who had nearly destroyed Vivi's country. She thought of Franky, who tried to attack them.
They had all done bad things. But they had chosen to be better. They had chosen to save each other.
Nami opened her eyes. The anger was still there, but the blinding hatred was gone.
"Luffy," Nami said softly.
Luffy, who had been watching her silently, waiting for her command, tilted his head.
"We're saving him," Nami stated, her voice steady and resolute.
Zoro paused. He looked over his shoulder at the navigator. Sanji raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure, Nami-swan?" Sanji asked gently.
"He's an idiot," Nami sighed, resting her hand on her Clima-Tact. "And I haven't forgiven Arlong. But Camie is our friend. And if she says he's a good person now... I'll trust her."
"Nami-san..." Vivi murmured, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder.
"QUACK!" Caroo nodded vigorously.
Camie wept openly, clasping her hands together. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"Alright!" Luffy cheered, slamming his fists together. "We're saving the octopus!"
"HOW TOUCHING!" a loud, grating voice echoed from the wooden balconies of the stilt-houses. "BUT YOU WON'T BE SAVING ANYONE!"
From the shadows of the huts, three bizarre figures stepped out into the sunlight.
The leader was a massive, incredibly ugly Fish-Man with long, stringy hair and a face that looked like it had been hit with a frying pan. This was Macro. Beside him stood Gyaro, a pop-eyed Fish-Man with a strange, perpetually shocked expression, and Tansui, an Arowana Fish-Man who looked like he was constantly out of breath.
"We are the Macro Pirates!" Macro sneered, crossing his arms. "And we just caught the jackpot! A mermaid right in our own front yard!"
Before anyone could react, Macro threw a specialized, heavy-duty weighted net from the balcony.
The net sailed through the air and splashed perfectly over Camie and Pappag. The heavy lead weights instantly dragged them beneath the surface of the water.
"HELP!" Camie screamed just before she was pulled under.
"CAMIE!" Hatchan roared from his cage, rattling the iron bars frantically. "LET HER GO, MACRO! YOUR FIGHT IS WITH ME!"
"Gyahahaha! You're already our prisoner, you six-armed freak!" Macro laughed maliciously. "We're gonna sell this mermaid at the Sabaody Auction House! She'll fetch a fortune!"
Luffy's expression darkened. The playful captain vanished, replaced by the serious fighter who had dismantled Enies Lobby.
"You guys," Luffy growled, his voice dropping an octave. "Are really starting to piss me off."
"Take 'em down!" Macro commanded, raising a hand. "FLYING FISH RIDERS, ATTACK!"
The seemingly empty, quiet ocean around the stilt-village suddenly erupted in a cacophony of roaring engines and splashing water.
Dozens of massive, muscular flying fish burst from beneath the waves. But these weren't normal fish. They were saddled, equipped with handlebars, and being piloted by heavily armored thugs wearing leather jackets and goggles. The fish didn't just jump; they flew, gliding through the air with terrifying speed and agility, functioning exactly like biological jet skis.
They swarmed the Thousand Sunny, circling the ship like a flock of angry hornets.
"Intruders detected!" Sunny's voice boomed over the intercom. "Papa, should I deploy the offensive countermeasures?!"
"Hold the lasers, Sunny," Ben instructed, leaning casually against the railing. "We don't want to accidentally fry the mermaid in the crossfire. Merry, defensive protocol."
"Aye, aye, Papa!" Merry cheered from the helm. "Raise the deflector shields, ye scurvy dogs!"
HUMMMMMM.
The massive, blue, translucent Wakandan-style shield dome instantly materialized over the Thousand Sunny.
The Flying Fish Riders, moving too fast to adjust their trajectories, slammed face-first into the energy barrier.
BAM! THUD! SQUELCH!
Rider after rider crashed hilariously into the invisible wall, sliding down the dome like bugs on a windshield before falling into the ocean with pathetic splashes.
"What is that?!" Macro yelled, his eyes bugging out. "They have an invisible wall?!"
"They're using magic!" Gyaro cried in a panic.
Inside the dome, Luffy wasn't looking at the attackers with anger anymore. His eyes were once again massive, shining stars. He was staring at the flying fish gliding around the barrier.
"FLYING FISH!" Luffy screamed, vibrating with excitement. "THEY'RE RIDING BIKES MADE OF FISH! I WANT ONE! I WANT TO RIDE A FISH!"
"Luffy, no!" Usopp yelled, grabbing Luffy's waist. "We are in the middle of a battle! You can't just steal the enemy's mount for a joyride!"
"I CAN AND I WILL!" Luffy roared.
He didn't stretch his arms. He simply bent his knees and launched himself straight up, phasing flawlessly through the one-way energy shield (Ben had designed it to let friendly forces exit while blocking incoming threats).
Luffy shot into the air like a rocket, perfectly intercepting a Flying Fish Rider mid-glide.
"Gomu Gomu no... HIJACK!"
Luffy grabbed the terrified rider by the leather jacket, yanked him out of the saddle with terrifying strength, and hurled him into the ocean. Luffy dropped gracefully into the empty saddle, grabbing the handlebars.
"YEEEHAW!" Luffy cheered, violently twisting the handlebars.
The flying fish, highly confused by its new, much heavier, rubbery rider, banked sharply to the left. Luffy didn't know how to steer it. He just leaned his weight around, turning the biological jet ski into a chaotic, erratic missile.
He zoomed past the Sunny, doing unintentional barrel rolls, flying upside down, and screaming with joy as he narrowly missed crashing into a wooden hut.
"HE'S A MENACE!" Macro screamed from the balcony, terrified by the chaotic flying pirate. "SQUAD LEADER! INITIATE DIVE PROTOCOL! TAKE HIM UNDERWATER!"
"Copy that!" a rider yelled into a wrist communicator. "All units, dive! Take the rubber boy down to Davy Jones!"
The entire flock of flying fish, including the one Luffy was riding, immediately banked their wings and plunged directly toward the ocean surface.
"Wait, what?" Luffy blinked, looking down at the rapidly approaching water. "No! Bad fish! Up! UP!"
Luffy yanked on the handlebars, but the fish was trained to obey verbal commands from its masters. It ignored him entirely.
SPLASH!
Luffy and the flying fish slammed into the ocean, diving deep beneath the surface.
"LUFFY!" Usopp screamed from the deck, grabbing his head. "HE'S A HAMMER! HE CAN'T SWIM!"
"Captain overboard!" Chopper shrieked. "I'll save you, Luffy!"
Without a second thought, Chopper launched himself over the railing, diving headfirst into the ocean.
SPLASH.
"CHOPPER, YOU'RE A DEVIL FRUIT USER TOO, YOU IDIOT!" Zoro roared, face-palming so hard it sounded like a gunshot.
"Oh dear!" a polite, hollow voice echoed from the upper deck.
Brook, standing near the library doors, had watched the entire sequence of events. As the newest member of the crew, he wanted to prove his worth and protect his new family.
"Fear not!" Brook declared majestically, drawing his cane sword. "I, Brook, shall rescue our beloved Captain and our esteemed Doctor!"
With a theatrical, heroic leap, the tall skeleton vaulted over the railing, soaring gracefully through the air toward the water.
"BROOK, YOU ATE A FRUIT TOO, YOU MORON!" Sanji screamed, pulling at his hair in absolute disbelief at the collective stupidity of his crewmates.
SPLASH.
Below the surface, the situation was comically dire. Luffy was slowly sinking, bubbles escaping his mouth as he twitched helplessly. Beside him, Chopper was sinking slightly faster, his hooves flailing in slow motion. And right next to them, Brook was sinking like a literal stone, since he had zero body fat or lungs to provide buoyancy.
Three Devil Fruit users. Sinking in perfect unison.
"Unbelievable," Franky groaned, rubbing his metallic face.
"I'll get them," Nami sighed, slipping off her high heels.
Franky and Nami dove into the water. Thanks to his cyborg enhancements, Franky swam with the speed of a torpedo, easily grabbing Luffy and Brook by their collars.
Nami, however, did not just swim. Her body adapted instantly to the aquatic environment. Moving with a sleek, effortless agility that far surpassed normal human limits, she rocketed into the deep water, quickly catching up to Chopper and grabbing him by his horns. The deep dive was entirely natural to her altered biology.
They surfaced a minute later, tossing the three paralyzed, coughing idiots onto the grassy deck.
"I have no lungs to fill with water, but I still felt like I was drowning!" Brook coughed, sputtering saltwater. "Skull joke!"
"You three are banned from the ocean!" Nami scolded, wringing out her orange hair.
"Now that the comedy routine is over," Zoro said, casually drawing Shusui. The black blade gleamed in the sunlight. "I believe we have a mermaid to save."
Zoro didn't jump off the ship. He simply swung his sword from the deck.
"108 Pound Phoenix."
A compressed, spiraling blade of purple-black Haki shot from the sword. It flew across the water and struck the massive iron chain holding Hatchan's cage suspended in the air.
CLANG!
The chain shattered like brittle glass. The cage plummeted downward, smashing into the wooden dock below. The impact warped the iron bars, popping the door wide open.
Hatchan stumbled out of the cage, rubbing his bruised head. He looked up at the Sunny, locking eyes with Zoro.
"You... you freed me," Hatchan gasped in disbelief.
"I just cut a chain," Zoro grunted, sheathing his sword. "What you do now is your business, octopus."
Hatchan didn't need to be told twice. The guilt, the shame, and the burning desire to protect Camie flooded his six hearts. He turned toward the balcony where Macro, Gyaro, and Tansui stood in shock.
"MACRO!" Hatchan roared, drawing his six heavy cutlasses from his belt. "YOU TOUCHED CAMIE!"
"Get him!" Macro yelled, drawing a massive harpoon.
Hatchan didn't just attack; he exploded. He leaped from the dock to the balcony with astonishing speed, his six arms becoming a blur of steel.
"Rokutoryu: Tako Tsubo no Kamae!" (Six Sword Style: Octopus Pot Stance)
Hatchan parried Macro's harpoon with two swords, deflected Gyaro's incoming net with two more, and used his final two swords to deliver a brutal, synchronized double-uppercut with the flat of his blades directly under their chins.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The three Macro Pirates were launched high into the air, spinning comically before crashing through the thatched roof of their own stilt-house.
"He's actually pretty strong," Usopp noted, genuinely surprised.
"He was an officer of Arlong for a reason," Sanji muttered.
Hatchan immediately dove into the water, slicing through the heavy lead net that had trapped Camie and Pappag. He pulled the gasping mermaid and the sputtering starfish to the surface, lifting them safely onto the wooden dock.
"Hatchin!" Camie cried, hugging his neck tightly. "You saved us!"
"I'm sorry, Camie," Hatchan wept, hugging her back with three arms while patting Pappag with a fourth. "I'm so sorry I let you get captured."
Their heartwarming reunion, however, was interrupted.
A lone Flying Fish Rider, who had avoided the shield dome earlier, had circled high above the village. Seeing the traitorous octopus freed, the rider gunned his mount, diving straight down toward the dock with a heavy iron harpoon raised.
"Die, traitor!" the rider screamed.
Hatchan looked up, his eyes widening. He was too slow to raise his swords in time. He threw himself over Camie and Pappag, preparing to take the lethal blow in his back.
FWOOSH.
A golden, fiery streak blurred across the sky.
Princess Vivi, fully transformed into her magnificent, radiant Simurgh hybrid form, descended like an avenging angel. Her golden-orange wings flared brilliantly, blinding the rider for a fraction of a second.
"Sonic Spear: Pierce!"
Vivi didn't aim for the man. She drove her Vibranium spear directly into the wooden saddle of the flying fish, severing the leather straps and the steering mechanism in a single, flawless strike.
The rider was thrown violently from the saddle, tumbling across the wooden docks while his fish happily flapped away, free from its burden.
Vivi landed softly between Hatchan and the fallen rider, her blue and purple tail feathers floating elegantly in the air. She leveled the tip of her humming spear at the groaning thug.
"This village is now under the protection of the Straw Hats," Vivi declared, her voice carrying the absolute, uncompromising authority of a royal commander. "Any further hostilities will be met with lethal force."
The rider took one look at the glowing, mythological bird-woman holding a high-tech spear to his throat and instantly fainted from sheer terror.
Back on the ship, Brook watched the display of power with empty, awestruck eye sockets. He saw Zoro's casual, devastating slash. He saw the Princess's divine speed. He saw the cyborg and the navigator rescue the captain.
They are all so incredibly strong, Brook thought, gripping his cane sword. I am the newest member of this crew. I cannot simply stand back and be a spectator. I must contribute to this victory!
Brook stepped forward, walking gracefully to the very edge of the railing. He didn't draw his sword. Instead, he reached into his black suit and pulled out a beautifully polished, elegant wooden violin and a bow.
"Attention, foul brigands!" Brook announced loudly, his voice echoing across the water. "I, Brook the Soul King, shall serenade you into submission!"
The remaining Flying Fish Riders, who were circling the perimeter looking for an opening in the shield dome, paused. They looked at the skeleton standing on the railing with a violin.
"Is he... is he going to play us a song?" a rider asked, bewildered.
"Nemuriuta Flanc!" (Lullaby Parry)
Brook placed the violin under his jaw. He drew the bow across the strings.
He didn't play a fast, aggressive battle anthem. He played a slow, hauntingly beautiful, incredibly soothing lullaby. The melody drifted across the water, carrying a subtle, hypnotic resonance that vibrated directly into the inner ear.
The effect was instantaneous and widespread.
Out on the water, the Flying Fish Riders suddenly stopped revving their engines. Their eyes grew heavy. They slumped forward over their handlebars, snoring loudly. The flying fish themselves blinked slowly, their fins drooping as they, too, fell into a deep, peaceful slumber, splashing gently onto the ocean surface.
"It's working!" Usopp cheered. "He put the whole squad to sleep!"
"That's our musician!" Chopper added, clapping his hooves.
But Brook's attack was not a targeted spell. It was an area-of-effect lullaby.
Thud.
Luffy, who had just recovered from his near-drowning experience, instantly collapsed onto the grassy deck, a snot bubble expanding from his nose.
Thud.
Chopper fell over backward, snoring softly, a blissful smile on his furry face.
Thud. Thud.
Even Oimo and Kashii, despite their giant fortitude, found their eyelids drooping uncontrollably until they slumped against the main mast, fast asleep.
"BROOK, YOU IDIOT! YOU'RE PUTTING HALF THE CREW TO SLEEP!" Sanji roared, violently pinching his own leg to stay awake.
"Ah! My deepest apologies!" Brook gasped, abruptly stopping the music. He tucked the violin away. "I am still calibrating the acoustic radius! But fear not! I shall finish the job!"
Brook leaped gracefully from the railing of the Thousand Sunny.
He didn't activate a jetpack or wings. He landed lightly on the surface of the water, his dress shoes making a soft patter sound. He immediately broke into a high-speed sprint, his long, bony legs churning furiously as he literally ran across the top of the ocean, defying gravity through sheer lack of mass and incredible velocity.
"Yahazu Giri!" (Arrow-Notch Slash)
Brook became a black-and-white blur. He ran past the sleeping Flying Fish Riders bobbing in the water. He didn't cut them deeply; he simply executed precise, lightning-fast strikes that shattered their weapons and sliced their leather jackets, neutralizing their threat without lethal force.
He moved like a phantom, effortlessly gliding over the water and disarming the entire enemy squad in seconds before leaping onto a nearby wooden dock and striking a flawless, sheathing pose.
"It is done," Brook announced smoothly.
Suddenly, a loud, panicked shout echoed from the sky above the village.
"WAKE UP, YOU STUPID FISH!"
Everyone looked up.
Luffy, who had somehow managed to sleepwalk, jump, and hijack another flying fish mid-air during the lullaby, was currently plummeting toward the village. The fish he was riding was completely, utterly fast asleep, its eyes closed and a tiny snot bubble on its snout, dropping like a stone.
"HE'S GOING TO CRASH!" Usopp shrieked.
"LUFFY!" Nami yelled.
Luffy and the sleeping fish plummeted downward, crashing spectacularly through the thatched roof of the largest stilt-hut in the center of the Macro base.
KRA-CRASH!
Dust, straw, and wooden splinters exploded from the hut.
The crew tensed, waiting for Luffy to emerge.
Inside the ruined hut, the dust slowly cleared. Luffy pushed the heavy, snoring flying fish off his chest, coughing and waving his hand to clear the air.
"Man, that was a bad landing," Luffy muttered, dusting off his red shirt.
He looked up.
Standing in the center of the room, looking absolutely furious, was a very large man wearing a heavy leather jacket and riding boots. The man was holding a massive, multi-barreled harpoon gun. He wore an iron mask shaped like a visor, completely hiding his face.
This was Duval, the leader of the Flying Fish Riders, who was currently unmasked.
"You..." Duval growled, his voice muffled by the iron mask. His hands shook with uncontrollable rage. "You Straw Hat Pirates... you just crashed through my roof! You ruined my base! You made a mockery of my Flying Fish!"
Luffy stared at the man's unmasked face.
Luffy blinked once. He blinked twice. He rubbed his eyes. He leaned forward, squinting extremely hard in the dusty light of the ruined hut.
"Sanji?" Luffy asked, tilting his head. "What are you doing in here? We're all fighting outside."