The three massive dinosaur corpses lay sprawled near the shoreline, steam still rising faintly from their hides.
"I'm guessing that's our meat?" Luffy asked casually, glancing at Sanji.
Sanji nodded proudly, cigarette dangling from his lips. "Yeah. And as you can clearly see, mine is the biggest."
"No way!" Johnny shouted. "Ours are way bigger!"
"Wrong," Zoro cut in flatly. "Mine's the biggest."
Luffy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't care. We don't need all of them anyway."
He stepped forward, drew his sword, and held it upside down in front of his face. The chatter died instantly.
"Star Counter."
The world blinked.
Luffy vanished.
A breath later, he stood beside the ship, back turned to everyone, calmly sliding his sword back into its sheath.
Click.
That was the only sound—before perfectly square slabs of meat slid cleanly off the dinosaurs, dropping in neat piles and leaving nothing but immaculate skeletons behind.
Silence.
Zoro's eyes were wide. He had never seen that many slashes delivered in such a confined space—let alone without feeling a single gust of displaced air.
"Take the meat," Luffy said, already walking toward the ship. "Get ready to sail."
No one argued.
Within minutes, the ship buzzed with movement. Meat was hauled and stored, sails were readied, the anchor pulled. Johnny and Yosaku took the wheel. Zoro secured the anchor. Sanji and Usopp waited at the mainmast. Nojiko and Vivi stood at the bow, staring out at the sea.
"All set, Captain!" Zoro called.
"Wheel ready!" Johnny and Yosaku shouted.
"Then sail."
The sails dropped. Wind caught them. The ship surged forward.
Nami checked her charts. "If we keep going straight, we'll exit from the western side of the island."
As the river widened into open sea, two colossal figures stood on either bank.
"Hey—it's the giants!" Usopp shouted.
Dorry and Brogy stood tall, weapons resting at their sides, gazes fixed on the horizon.
"Great danger still lies ahead," Brogy said, voice booming.
"These trials have always stood between islands," Dorry added. "They test resolve."
"But you protected our duel," Brogy continued. "You fought like true warriors."
"No matter what you face," Dorry said, "never abandon your pride."
"Keep sailing straight," Brogy thundered.
Luffy nodded. "You heard them."
"Aye!" Johnny and Yosaku answered.
The ship exited the river.
The ocean darkened.
A shadow rose beneath them.
Then the sea exploded upward.
A colossal goldfish breached the surface—so large it dwarfed the horizon—its mouth yawning wide enough to swallow the ship whole.
"TURN—!" Nami screamed.
"Hold steady," Johnny said desperately.
"KEEP GOING STRAIGHT!" Luffy roared.
Usopp screamed something incoherent.
The ship sailed directly into the monster's mouth.
Darkness closed in—
—and then the sky erupted.
A blinding white flash ignited behind them. Blue and red energy tore through the water like spears, ripping through the creature's throat. The force blasted the ship forward, hurling it back into open sea at terrifying speed.
They slammed onto the waves, still moving.
Behind them, the goldfish collapsed, a massive hole burned clean through its body.
On the distant shore, Dorry and Brogy stood with shattered weapons, laughing thunderously.
"Hahaha! That was fun!"
Luffy grinned. "Nami, set course for Alabasta."
She nodded, hands steady despite everything.
Then Luffy turned to the three newest additions to the crew.
"You three. With me."
Inside the captain's quarters, the room was simple—bed, desk, cupboard. Luffy sat on the bed and looked at them.
"Enough code names. Real names."
"Mikita," Ms. Valentine said.
"Gem," Mr. 5 replied.
"Marianne," Ms. Goldenweek said between bites of rice cake.
Luffy nodded. "Good."
He poured himself a drink. "Here's the deal. When Crocodile falls, Baroque Works collapses. A lot of people will suddenly be… unemployed."
Gem's eyes sharpened. "You're building something."
"Close," Luffy said. "Not an organization."
He slid a chest out from beneath the bed and opened it.
Inside lay items that made all three of them freeze.
Rare artifacts. Impossible weapons. Things that shouldn't exist.
"This is the underworld," Luffy said calmly. "Weapons. Information. Artifacts. Influence."
Mikita swallowed. Marianne stared in awe. Gem exhaled slowly.
"You're building power," Gem said.
Luffy smiled faintly. "I'm building inevitability."
Outside, the ship cut cleanly through the sea—straight ahead.