As the Going Merry fully sailed out of Drum Island's waters, the cherry blossom snow in the distance gradually faded.
The atmosphere on deck was still a bit subdued.
Chopper sat curled up in a corner, his pink top hat shading his eyes as he stared silently at the fading silhouette of the island.
"Chopper… is he gonna be okay?"
Usopp shuffled over to Ronan and asked in a low voice.
"What he needs right now is time, not comfort," Ronan replied softly. "Leaving your homeland to set sail… is a kind of ritual in itself."
Nami nodded gently.
"Let him have some space."
Sanji, cigarette in his mouth, was skillfully preparing meat without even looking up.
"He's experiencing the moment a man sets out on his journey! At times like this… words are unnecessary."
Just then—
A completely out-of-place, ridiculous sound shattered the mood.
"Hey! Hey! Heave-ho—!"
Everyone turned.
Luffy had somehow produced two chopsticks and expertly wedged them between his nose and mouth.
Eyes wide, he scuttled sideways across the deck like a crab, striking exaggerated poses as he wiggled the chopsticks.
"Look at me! Look at me! I'm Chopstick Robot—Luffy!!"
"PFFT—!!"
Usopp burst out laughing first.
"Luffy, you idiot! You're doing THIS at a time like this?!"
Even Zoro shook his head helplessly, though a grin crept onto his face.
"The moon's out, the cherry blossoms bloomed… and apparently someone's brain bloomed too."
Luffy's ridiculous antics broke through the lingering melancholy like a warm wave.
"Hey! Chopper! Stop spacing out!"
Usopp ran over, grabbed Chopper's arm, and shoved a cup into his hand.
"How long are you gonna sit there?! Look at that idiot Luffy!"
"Huh…?"
Chopper hesitantly lifted his head.
"Here, drink!"
Sanji walked over and wrapped an arm around Chopper's fluffy neck, laughing boldly.
"Today's a double celebration! Vivi-chan is cured, and we've gained an amazing doctor! How can we not drink and sing?!"
Ronan stepped forward and crouched in front of Chopper.
His gaze met Chopper's directly, his tone calm yet firm.
"Don't worry, Chopper. They're all reliable companions."
"Companions…?"
Chopper froze.
That word had once been so far out of reach for him.
"That's right."
Nami leaned in as well. Though she had nearly frozen on Drum Island, her smile now was bright and warm.
"They might be a little strange… but from now on, we're all companions! You'll get used to it!"
"Alright, everyone!"
Luffy yanked the chopsticks out of his nose and jumped onto a higher spot, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Let me introduce properly! Tony Tony Chopper—our ship's doctor from now on!"
"To celebrate our new crewmate… and those beautiful cherry blossoms…"
"Let's have a feast!!!"
"OOOHHH!!!"
All the suppressed emotions burst out at once.
Sanji brought out steaming dinosaur meat, its rich aroma instantly filling the ship.
Usopp grabbed his drum and started beating out a lively rhythm.
Luffy dragged Chopper into his ridiculous chopstick dance.
At first, Chopper was stiff and unsure.
But under Luffy's carefree laughter—
And with chopsticks stuffed awkwardly onto his face—
He finally burst into genuine laughter.
"Companions… I have companions too!!"
The firelight of the banquet lit up the deck of the Going Merry, chasing away the last traces of winter's chill.
Ronan leaned against the mast, holding a cup of wine as he watched his wildly celebrating crewmates.
He glanced toward the horizon.
Drum Island had completely disappeared from sight.
"Not a bad experience…"
As the Going Merry sped forward, guided by the Eternal Pose pointing to Alabasta, the surrounding scenery began to change dramatically.
The heavy gray clouds that had blanketed Drum Island's waters gradually dispersed.
The biting cold vanished almost overnight.
The thick snow on deck melted into streams of water that drained back into the sea.
The sunlight was no longer pale and weak.
It became bright and scorching, turning the ocean into a sea of glittering gold.
Nami finally shed her bulky coat and changed into lighter clothes.
Feeling the warm sea breeze, she looked toward Vivi, who stood on deck stretching her body.
"Vivi, the weather's completely stabilized."
Nami wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead.
"That bone-freezing cold from Drum Island is finally gone."
Vivi took a deep breath.
In her bright eyes, there was both eagerness to return home and a hint of worry.
"Yeah… we've entered Alabasta's climate zone."
"This dry, sandy wind is unique to this region."
But just as the calm atmosphere settled—
Zoro, standing in the crow's nest, suddenly narrowed his eyes.
His hand gripped the hilt of his sword as his gaze sharpened toward the sea ahead and to the sides.
"Hey… take a look ahead."
A cold smile curved his lips.
"Looks like this is another 'sign' of approaching Alabasta."
Everyone paused and looked out.
On the distant horizon, where sunlight reflected off the sea—
A cluster of black dots had appeared.
As the distance closed, their true forms became clear.
They were ships.
Over a dozen warships of varying sizes, all flying the same flag.
On those flags—
A strange purple emblem stood out.
"So many ships… when did they show up?!"
Luffy crouched at the bow, his eyes gleaming—not with fear, but excitement.
Usopp quickly raised his telescope.
After just one glance, his face turned pale.
"H-hey… hey!! Every single one of those ships has the Baroque Works symbol!"
"There are twelve of them!"
Ronan slowly stood up, resting his ebony staff on his shoulder.
"That's quite a number."
He glanced at the enemy ships forming a fan-shaped encirclement around them, his tone calm.
"But the quality of the enemies… doesn't seem all that impressive."
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