The festivities at Ryugu Palace continued well into the night, but the atmosphere around the Straw Hat Pirates had shifted. While the fishmen danced and drank, the crew gathered near the entrance of the banquet hall, huddled around a massive sack of treasure.
Nami knelt before the open sack, her eyes reflecting the golden shimmer of jewels, crowns, and ancient coins. She picked up a ruby the size of a fist and rubbed it against her cheek.
"I take back everything I said," Nami declared, her voice trembling with emotion. "Luffy, you are the greatest captain in history. You didn't just save the island. You saved my wallet."
"Shishishi," Luffy grinned, sitting on a barrel of sake. "I told you I had a present."
"But wait," Usopp whispered, looking over his shoulder as if Big Mom herself were standing there. "You really told Big Mom she is fired? And you refused to pay the tribute? And you beat up her messengers?"
"Yeah," Luffy nodded, grabbing a chicken leg.
"We are doomed!" Usopp clutched his head. "She is an Emperor! She commands fleets! She has giants! She eats people! And now we are heading into her territory with a target on our backs!"
"It is fine," Zoro said, inspecting the edge of Shusui. "If she comes, we cut her."
"You can't just cut an Emperor, you moss-brained brute!" Usopp shrieked. "We need a plan! A fortress! A new identity! Maybe I should wear a mask and call myself Sogeking again!"
"You already do that," Chopper pointed out.
Luffy swallowed his food and hopped off the barrel. He walked over to the treasure sack where Nami was happily counting coins. He reached in and pulled out a small, ornate box. It was covered in intricate carvings and sealed with a heavy clasp.
The Tamatebako.
"Nami," Luffy said seriously. "You can have all the gold. But I am keeping this box."
Nami looked up, pausing her counting. "That old box? It looks valuable, but if the Captain wants it as a souvenir, I guess I can let it go. What is inside? Jewelry? A map?"
"A bomb," Luffy said flatly.
Nami froze. Usopp stopped breathing. Even Zoro looked up.
"A... what?" Nami asked slowly.
"A bomb," Luffy repeated, tucking the box under his arm. "There is a ton of explosives rigged to blow up as soon as someone opens the lid. It would probably wipe out everyone in this room."
"EHHHHHH?!" The crew screamed in unison.
"Why are you holding it?!" Nami scrambled backward, knocking over a pile of gold coins. "Get it away! Throw it in the ocean!"
"No," Luffy smiled, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "This is a tool. I might need to send a present to someone later. Maybe Blackbeard. Or maybe Akainu."
"You are evil," Sanji muttered, looking at his captain with newfound fear. "Since when did you become a tactician who uses bombs?"
"Since I decided to win," Luffy said. He walked over to Franky. "Franky, store this in the soldier dock system. Put it in a secure locker. Do not let anyone open it. Not even Usopp."
"Hey!" Usopp protested. "I have nimble fingers!"
"Super safe!" Franky gave a thumbs up, taking the box carefully. "I will put it next to the cola reserves. No one goes there but me."
Suddenly, the Minister of the Left, a catfish merman, approached them nervously. He held a strange device in his hand—a Log Pose with three needles instead of one.
"Navigator-san," the Minister bowed to Nami. "If you are heading to the New World, your current Log Pose will be useless. The magnetic fields in the New World are chaotic. You need this."
He handed her the triple-needle pose.
"A New World Log Pose," Nami marveled, strapping it to her wrist. "Three needles? They are all pointing in different directions. How do I read this?"
"The needles tremble based on the danger of the island," the Minister explained. "The more violent the needle's movement, the more dangerous the island. Usually, pirates choose the safest route."
Luffy leaned in, looking at the needles. One was steady. One was twitching slightly. The third one was spinning and vibrating like crazy.
"I like that one," Luffy pointed to the crazy needle.
"Of course you do," Nami sighed, rubbing her temples. "The path of certain death. Why did I expect anything else?"
"Because it is an adventure!" Luffy laughed.
The next morning, the Thousand Sunny was docked at the exit port of the island. The ship was fully repaired, the coating reapplied, and the larder stocked with enough Deep Sea meat to feed an army.
A massive crowd had gathered to see them off. King Neptune, the Princes, Jinbe, and thousands of citizens waved flags and cheered.
"Straw Hat-sama!" "Thank you for saving us!" "Come back soon!"
Luffy stood on the figurehead, waving back. "See ya! Don't let Hody out of jail! And keep the meat ready for when I come back!"
"Luffy-kun," Jinbe stood at the edge of the dock. "I will handle matters here. Go on ahead. I will meet you in Wano."
"Wano?" Zoro's ears perked up. "That is the land of samurai, right?"
"Yes," Jinbe nodded. "It is currently under the control of Kaido. I suspect our paths will converge there. Do not die before I arrive."
"I won't," Luffy grinned. "We'll be waiting, Jinbe!"
Suddenly, the water rippled. A massive shape rose from the depths. It was Shirahoshi. She was trying to hide behind a coral tower, but her size made it impossible. She was sniffing loudly, trying not to cry.
"Cowardly-hoshi!" Luffy shouted.
Shirahoshi flinched. She slowly swam forward, her eyes red and puffy. "Luffy-sama... everyone... you are leaving."
"Yeah," Luffy said. "We have to go."
"I..." Shirahoshi bit her lip. "I promised not to cry. I promised to be brave."
"You are doing a bad job," Luffy noted bluntly.
"Luffy!" Nami hit his leg. "Be nice!"
Luffy jumped off the ship, utilizing Geppo to fly through the air. He landed on Shirahoshi's nose, standing right in front of her giant eyes.
"Listen," Luffy said. "You aren't a crybaby anymore. You stood up to Hody. You called the Sea Kings. You are strong."
Shirahoshi's eyes widened. "I... I am?"
"Yes," Luffy smiled. "But you need to get stronger. Because next time I come back, you are coming with us."
"Really?" Shirahoshi gasped, a fresh wave of tears forming. "You mean it?"
"I promised," Luffy extended his pinky finger. "We will build a bigger ship. Or we will make Franky turn the Sunny into a giant robot that can carry you. Either way, you are joining the crew for a real adventure."
"A giant robot?" Franky yelled from the deck. "I like that idea! Super Franky Shogun Mark Two!"
Shirahoshi extended her massive pinky. The tip of her finger touched Luffy's hand, engulfing it.
"I promise," she sobbed, but this time she was smiling. "I will wait for you... Captain!"
Luffy laughed. "Shishishi! That's the spirit!"
He jumped back to the ship.
"Set sail!" Nami shouted. "Release the mooring ropes!"
"Aye aye!" The crew responded.
The Thousand Sunny detached from the dock. The buoyancy of the coating took over, and the ship began to rise rapidly. They waved until the figures on the dock became small dots, and the light of Fishman Island faded into the deep blue below.
They were in the open ocean now, ascending the dark tunnel toward the surface.
"Currents are getting stronger!" Franky warned, steering the wheel with his large robotic hands. "We are hitting the Whitestrom!"
"Whitestrom?" Brook asked, tuning his violin. "Is that a type of tea?"
"It is a giant underwater dragoney-whirlpool!" Usopp screamed, pointing out the window.
Outside, the water was churning violently. Massive white currents, looking like underwater tornadoes, twisted and turned. They were caught in the updraft of the Red Line.
"Hold on!" Nami yelled, reading the currents with her expert intuition. "Franky! Starboard 30 degrees! Ride the edge of the vortex!"
"Super!" Franky spun the wheel.
The ship groaned, tilting dangerously. Barrels rolled across the deck.
"This brings back memories," Robin smiled calmly, holding onto a railing.
"What memories?!" Usopp cried. "Of dying?"
"We aren't dying," Luffy stood at the bow, staring upward. His Observation Haki pierced through thousands of meters of water. He could feel it. The surface. The chaotic, untamed energy of the New World.
"There it is," Luffy whispered.
"Light!" Chopper shouted.
Above them, the darkness turned to a murky gray, then a blinding white. The pressure around the bubble decreased rapidly.
"We are surfacing!" Franky yelled. "Prepare for the pop!"
WHOOSH.
The Thousand Sunny burst through the surface of the ocean like a cork from a champagne bottle. They flew high into the air, water cascading off the deck.
POP.
The resin bubble expanded to its limit and burst, disappearing into shimmering sparkles. The fresh, salty air of the surface hit their faces.
But it wasn't a sunny day.
The sky was a bruised purple. Lightning—red lightning—cracked across the clouds. The sea itself was boiling in patches, and in the distance, pillars of fire rose from the water. Rain fell, but it wasn't water. It was hail the size of cannonballs.
"What is this weather?!" Nami screamed, shielding her face from the hail. "The needle is spinning crazy! The wind is blowing in four directions at once!"
"Welcome to the New World," Zoro grinned, tying his bandana. "Hell has good weather today."
"This is not good!" Usopp dodged a hailstone that punched a hole in the deck. "We are going to sink in five minutes!"
"Luffy!" Sanji shouted, kicking a massive hailstone away. "Orders?"
Luffy stood on the lion head. The wind whipped his red vest. He looked at the chaos. He looked at the lightning. He looked at the sea that wanted to kill them.
He laughed.
"Go straight!" Luffy pointed into the heart of the storm.
"Straight?!" Nami yelled. "Are you crazy? We need to find an island to stabilize the Log Pose!"
"The needle is pointing that way," Luffy lied, pointing at a patch of sea that looked particularly nasty. He knew where they needed to go. He needed to find the distress signal.
"Fine!" Nami gave up. "Franky! Coup de Burst if we get surrounded by Sea Kings!"
Suddenly, the Transponder Snail on the deck began to ring. Puru. Puru. Puru.
"A call?" Robin asked. "Who would call us here? We just arrived."
"Maybe it is the Welcome Committee," Brook joked.
Luffy picked up the receiver.
"Hello? Pizza delivery?" Luffy asked.
Static crackled on the other end. Then, a voice filled with pain and desperation broke through.
"...Help... is anyone there? ...It's cold... so cold..."
The crew froze.
"...The samurai... he is cutting us... boss... help..."
"...someone... save us... Punk Hazard..."
Click.
The line went dead.
"Samurai?" Zoro's hand went to his sword.
"Punk Hazard?" Nami checked her charts. "That isn't on any map. The needles aren't pointing to it."
"It sounded like a distress call," Chopper said, his ears twitching. "They said it was cold. And someone was being cut."
"It is a trap," Usopp stated confidently. "Definitely a trap. The Navy uses fake distress calls all the time to lure pirates into ambushes. We should ignore it. Definitely ignore it. Safety first."
Luffy looked at the snail. He looked at the direction the voice seemed to come from—a specific sector of the chaotic sea.
"They asked for help," Luffy said.
"Luffy," Usopp pleaded. "It is a trap."
"And they mentioned a Samurai," Luffy added, looking at Zoro.
Zoro smirked. "I am interested."
"And Punk Hazard," Robin mused. "The island that was closed off by the World Government four years ago after a chemical accident. It shouldn't exist on the Log Pose."
"A mystery island!" Luffy's eyes sparkled. "With samurai! And cold people!"
"Why are you excited about the cold people?" Sanji asked.
"Because if it's cold, maybe there is snow meat!" Luffy declared.
"There is no such thing as snow meat," Sanji sighed.
"Nami!" Luffy pointed the ship toward a dark cloud formation in the distance, ignoring the Log Pose completely. "Set course for Punk Hazard!"
"But we don't know where it is!" Nami argued. "The Log Pose isn't pointing there!"
"Just follow the smell of trouble," Luffy said confidently. "My nose tells me it's that way."
"Your nose is not a navigation instrument!" Nami yelled, but she began to turn the wheel. She knew it was futile to argue. If the Captain wanted to go to the ghost island, they were going to the ghost island.
"Franky," Luffy said. "Prepare the Mini Merry. I have a feeling we might need to split up when we get there."
"You got it, Captain," Franky nodded.
Luffy leaned against the railing, watching the red lightning illuminate the dark sea.
Caesar Clown, Luffy thought, his expression hardening for a split second. Law. Vergo. And Momonosuke.
He clenched his fist.
This is where the war against Kaido really starts. I'm going to ruin Doflamingo's smile before he even knows I'm here.
"Hey, Luffy!" Usopp called out, pointing at the sea. "Is that... a giant fish?"
Luffy looked down. A massive school of Island Whales, relatives of Laboon, breached the surface, blowing water into the stormy sky. They sang a deep, resonant song that cut through the thunder.
"Laboon's family," Brook whispered, tears (if he had eyes) streaming down his skull. "They are greeting us."
"They are leading the way," Luffy smiled. "Follow them! They are going to Punk Hazard!"
"Whales don't go to poison islands!" Usopp cried.
"These ones do!" Luffy laughed. "Full speed ahead! To the land of ice and fire!"