It was close to four days since the staggering events on Wringly Island had Occurred.
The entire day after it. The Crew was surprisingly silent. All of them processed what had happened differently. It was strange. They'd seen bad, and arguably worse on Arabasta.
And while it was true that someone like Leroy had thought about it. They had won. They helped to stop the tragedies that were unfolding at the hands of the Royal Marshal Privateer. And even if, Leroy wasn't going to forget what he saw.
He could rest east in moving forward.
This was different in a single way. It was already over. They saw the fallout of it all. And then heard exactly what it did and what happened to cause it to happen.
It seemed to affect Raven the Most. She had stayed below deck the entire day. Sulking on the couch, and didn't even come to eat. Noir needed to bring her a plate himself.
As for the others, Noir was shocked, but held a stoicism about himself so the crew could rely on him.
Jeanne questioned so many things she thought she knew. She grew up on a small island in the West Blue. A place where the common accepted knowledge was told to her as facts of the world.
That veil already had holes in it because of her dad. But being with Leroy. Day by day it burned away.
Kirk was similar. He shed tears in his bed the night after, tears for both Dezzi, and Wringly. He knew the pain that both faced.
Kále, of course, was stoic in the face of it all. He thought about it. But he was quick to move on.
And perhaps strangest of all. Dezzi, was the quickest to get back to normal. They'd grown so comfortable with the crew, and now with that secret out, They felt like they had nothing left to hide. They always wore baggy clothes, and hoodies, or changed when no one was looking.
But they'd gotten comfortable enough that it was clear, they didn't care if it was seen. Or if they were.
But for Leroy. He ruminated on the Palm. Just- thinking. Until everything was back to as it was.
The sound of running water filled the galley as Noir and Kále stood next to each other. Noir washing dishes and then handing Kále them, drying and setting them to the side.
"Here, Kále." Noir said, handing a freshly washed ceramic plate.
"Yeah." Kále took it, and dried it with a clean rag, setting it in the dish rack.
"Kinda strange seeing them get along." Dezzi whispered to Leroy, who sat at the table reading a book.
"Heheh. Well I knew they'd get along eventually. But I guarantee one of them will do something, and then they'll get back to bickering eventually. Its how they show affection!" He said in a teasing smile
"Oh…" Dezz gave a face of surprise and slight confusion
The door to the galley opened up, Kirk pushing it open with his behind and spinning around.
"Okay, so- it's gonna be a bit longer before we reach Water 9." The Koi Fishmen said as he shut his journal shut in his hand and leaned on his leg.
"From what I can see, it'll be clear and almost windless up until…Wednesday."
He could literally sense the upcoming weather. Not just predict it with charts and the like. As to why was a mystery onto himself. Perhaps it was due to his skill. Or his Koi Lineage with the real fishes known for sensing changes in temperature.
"Huh!?" Leroy suddenly shot from his feat, hands slamming on the table as distraught look spread across his face "Seriously? Wednesday! That'd mean we'd be on the water another week!"
"Yep. But! Jeanne just spotted some land up ahead. I know She talked to you before about having maintenance done on the Palm when we reached Water 9."
"Instead we'll just do it there." He tilted his head as he spoke.
"Hah- Okay. We've gotta careen the ship right? And scrape the barnacles from the bottom and?" He cocked a brow
"See if there's any damage to the bottom of the ship and plug it up. Then deal with anything else we've missed from before. She's long overdue for a checkup."
The ship creaked as it slowly and gently sailed towards the small sand bar that was just off the horizon, Leroy sitting on the palm, hand on his chin.
He was. Extremely bored. He'd gone through the Model Kits that he had saved and picked up at a hobby shop all the way back in Louge Town. He'd gone through a few of the books that Raven had as well. But some of them just weren't for him. And least at that moment
"Ugh!" He groaned loudly as he fell backwards. Arms splayed outwards.
"I'm so borreeeed!!" The sun gleamed against him, the warmth absorbing into his rubbery skin with his eyes shut
"I'm sure you can find something to do." Kirk said as he sat shirtless in his Sun chair, flipping pages through his Atlas. Sunglasses on his nose.
"Kiiiirrrkk!!" He whined
"Yes?"
"What're yoouuu doiiiinngggg." He leaned his head back, hair falling into a mess as he viewed the world upside down.
"Reading. Which maybe you could go do to fill your boredom." He didn't even look up to the Captain
"Ughhh!" Leroy rolled over onto his stomach. Hands hanging down. A Clear pout
"Cheer up Cap." The sound from the crows nest shifted his gaze up to the Markswoman "We'll be at the Island in under an hour! We can test my new weapon when we get there!"
"O!" That got his attention. Suddenly propping himself up by his arms.
"Okay!" His voice took a sudden shift to palpably excited.
Spinning around back on the palm, he recrossed his legs and tucked his hands into his lap. Staring out into the horizon at the sand bar. The ambient sounds of the crew backdropping the journey. From Káles weights shaking, to the pages of Raven and Kirks books slipping, the tinkering of Jeanne, the distant muffled noise of the kitchen with Noir, or the rustling of organization of medicine with Dezzi