On the deck of the Oro Jackson.
The crew sprawled haphazardly across the ship, barrels of alcohol rolling everywhere. Laboon, with an empty barrel perched on his head, wobbled in circles on the deck, occasionally letting out cheerful cries.
"Woo (Another drink)"
Crocus chased after Laboon: "Hey, Laboon, take it easy. Can island whales even get drunk?"
Buggy, red-faced, hung from the mast, clutching a half-empty bottle of rum: "I-I can still drink... hiccup..."
Rayleigh adjusted his crooked glasses, surveying the chaotic scene with a helpless shake of his head.
Roger, laughing heartily, slung an arm around Crocus's shoulder as he chased Laboon: "Doctor! Another song!"
Crocus then bared his shark-like teeth: "I-I'm the ship's doctor... Damn it, I can't just sing anytime—
Here's 'Binks' Sake' for everyone, yo-hohoho, yo-hohoho..."
In a corner...
Rhett finally woke from his unconsciousness. He struggled to push the straw hat off his face, only to be greeted by Laboon's enlarged, round face.
"Woo! (You're awake!)" Laboon excitedly slapped Rhett's back with his fin, nearly knocking him out again.
"La...Laboon, ease up... easy..." Rhett weakly waved his hand, "How long... was I out?"
"Three days," Rayleigh approached, handing him a glass of water, "You pushed yourself too hard this time. We owe you, but your current strength isn't enough to handle such large-scale bursts twice."
It was like the exhaustion after a grueling shift, followed by the need for rest—if you don't recover properly, you'll collapse.
Rhett took the glass, suddenly noticing the unusually festive atmosphere on the ship: "What are we... celebrating?"
Rayleigh pushed his glasses up, the lenses reflecting a sharp glint: "Celebrating our survival, and also—" he magically produced a stack of fresh bounty posters, "the Navy raised our bounties."
Rhett glanced around, then bared his shark-like teeth: "So, after we escaped, you all just threw a party and left me lying here for three days, huh?"
Rayleigh casually picked his nose: "Crocus said you were just exhausted. A good sleep would fix you up. We left you here so you could soak in the party atmosphere."
"You assholes, you know I'm injured. I need rest."
Roger rushed over, taking the straw hat Rhett handed him and pulling him to his feet: "You're awake, Rhett! Let's join the party."
Roger and Rayleigh knew Rhett's exhaustion wasn't a real issue—it might even push him to break his limits. So they were completely unfazed.
Marineford, Fleet Admiral's Office.
Kong slammed his fist on the desk, cracking the solid wood: "The Roger Pirates again!"
Smashing desks was a basic operation for the Fleet Admiral. The desk, noble as it was, bore the brunt.
Sengoku stood nearby, holding freshly printed bounty posters: "This time, they clashed with Shiki in the Edd War.
Because of the 'Scarlet Mist,' our intelligence officers couldn't get too close. We only know Shiki was defeated."
"The most troublesome part," Tsuru, the strategist, added, "is that this battle has shaken the balance of the New World again. Shiki lost over half his forces, and the Roger Pirates... seem even harder to deal with now."
Kong's face darkened as he flipped through the bounty posters: "Roger... 3.5 billion berries; Rayleigh... 2.8 billion berries; Gaban... 2.2 billion berries; Rhett... 1.8 billion berries..."
When he reached the last one, his brow furrowed: "What is this?"
On the bounty poster, beside a cute photo of Laboon wearing a tiny blue hat, it read:
[Bounty: 50 berries (alive)]
"50 berries?!" Kong roared, "Is this a joke?"
Tsuru shrugged helplessly: "The Five Elders believe... giving a whale a high bounty would undermine the Navy's authority..."
Back on the Oro Jackson, Laboon sulked in a corner, drawing circles.
"Hahaha! 50 berries!" Buggy rolled on the deck, clutching his stomach, "Laboon! You've got a bounty now!"
Buggy and Shanks, who hadn't seen their own bounty posters yet, were initially annoyed. But after seeing Laboon's 50-berry bounty, they suddenly felt less urgent.
Laboon poked at the 50-berry bounty poster with his fin tip, his tiny hat tilting to one side: "Woo... (I tried so hard...)"
Rhett stifled a laugh, comforting him: "Don't be sad. This means the Navy fears you enough to give you a bounty."
Laboon looked at Rhett with hopeful eyes: "Woo? (Really?)"
Roger suddenly raised his glass: "To our little hero—Laboon! Cheers!"
"Cheers!!!"
Amidst the crew's laughter, Laboon finally perked up. He blasted a water column, perfectly hitting Buggy, who was mocking him.
"Hey! Who said you could attack me?!" Buggy chased Laboon around the ship in a rage.
Rayleigh watched the comical scene, a smile tugging at his lips. He turned to gaze at the calm sea in the distance, murmuring: "It seems... we're about to embark on a new adventure."
Rhett walked up beside him, also looking out at the sea: "Yeah... but before that..." He pointed at the crew, who were now causing another ruckus, "we need to figure out how to fix this broken ship."
The Oro Jackson gently rocked in the sunset, its scars bearing witness to the thrilling battle.
Tom's kid really is something else. Rhett couldn't help but marvel at Tom's incredible skill. Any other ship would have sunk long ago.
The crew busied themselves patching up the damaged hull.
"Hey, Rhett, we're running out of fog. Can you conjure some more?" Roger called out.
Rhett hurled a plank at him: "You idiot, we need planks to fix the ship. Do you even know how to repair a ship?"
"Hey! Buggy! Pass me that plank!" Shanks shouted from the mast.
"Why should I listen to you?!" Buggy grumbled but obediently handed over the plank.
Laboon swam around in the sea, using his head to transport lumber. He had put away his tiny hat to keep it clean, aspiring to wear a hat every day like his captain.
Rhett took a moment to buy a newspaper and leaned against a tree by the shore. Frowning as he read: "The Navy's been making big moves lately."
Rayleigh approached, handing him a cup of coffee: "What's going on?"
"The Navy's established three G-bases in the New World, trying to push in." Rhett pointed at the newspaper, "And they've deployed more patrol ships. It seems our battle with Shiki has unsettled the World Government. It's hard for the Navy to enter the New World on such a large scale. I wonder how long these bases will last."
Meanwhile, in a corner of the New World, Shiki, his head wrapped in bandages, stared at the latest bounty posters: "Jihahaha... Roger... We'll meet again soon..."