At the coast of Syrup Village.
A triangular-sailed ship with an aft mast had anchored on the calm sea.
With just one glance at the sheep-head design of the prow, Genrou, who had just followed Merry to the port, instantly recognized it — the first pirate ship of the Straw Hat crew, the Going Merry.
That's right. After a few days of work, Merry had successfully designed and built the Going Merry.
"Genrou-san, this is the sailboat I built for you all."
"You can call it the Going Merry. It's my proudest creation."
"It has a storage room, bedrooms, a kitchen, and more. It will definitely be of great use in your future adventures."
Merry pointed toward the ship, his face glowing with pride.
Seeing such an excellent vessel, Luffy immediately rushed onto the deck with excitement. He examined every corner — here, there, and finally leapt to the figurehead as if discovering his true destination.
"Thanks, Merry. Talk to our navigator about the ship; she'll take note of everything."
Genrou patted Nami on the back and nudged her toward Merry.
Then, he turned to follow Luffy and Zoro aboard the new vessel.
"Please wait, Genrou-san."
At that moment, Kaya's voice called out from behind.
"Something wrong, Ojou-sama?"
Genrou turned and waved casually at Usopp, who had already jumped onto the Going Merry, then shifted his attention back to Kaya.
"Genrou-san, thank you so much for coming."
"You not only saved this village, but you also gave Usopp the chance to chase his dream."
"This isn't much, but please accept these Berries."
Kaya bowed and handed over a small suitcase to Genrou.
Nami, who had just been talking with Merry about the ship, immediately turned her head to look.
Genrou opened the case and glanced inside — it was filled with over ten million Berries.
Considering Kaya's wealth, Genrou didn't refuse. He casually tossed it over to Nami.
Seeing this, Nami was so thrilled she nearly jumped with joy.
"Genrou-san sure dotes on Nami-san," Kaya remarked with a soft smile.
"It's just division of labor. With her handling the money, Luffy and Zoro won't waste it all."
"As for me, I've got enough pocket change."
Genrou shrugged with a smile.
"Ojou-sama, this is really goodbye."
"If fate allows, we'll meet again—huh?"
Genrou was just about to say his farewells when a sudden barrage of cannon fire rang through the air.
He turned his head—and saw over a dozen black cannonballs flying toward them.
Most were headed for the Going Merry, but a few were also targeting him and Kaya directly.
Kaya immediately shut her eyes in fear.
"Tch. Persistent, aren't they... these women."
With a sweep of his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), Genrou quickly located the source: a Marine battleship in the distance — Tsuru's ship.
Rankyaku! (Storm Leg)
Genrou raised his leg and fired off a massive wind blade, slicing all the cannonballs midair before they could land.
"Kaya, Merry — if the Marines come questioning you, just say I stole the ship from you."
"Nami, we're leaving."
He patted Kaya on the shoulder, then moved quickly past Nami, wrapping an arm around her slim waist as he jumped onto the Going Merry with her.
"Take care, Genrou-san, Usopp, everyone!"
Kaya finally recovered and waved at them frantically.
"Ojou-sama, we must go now."
"We can't cause trouble for Usopp and Genrou-dono."
Merry rushed over and took Kaya's hand, pulling her away toward the heart of Syrup Village.
He wasn't a fool. The earlier shelling made it clear that if he and Kaya stayed, they'd only burden Genrou and the others — and might even make the Marines suspect they were allied with pirates.
—
Meanwhile, on the Going Merry.
Once on deck, Nami quickly spotted the Marine battleship in the distance.
"Damn it! Why the hell is there a Marine ship here?!"
"Genrou, don't tell me they're here for you?"
Nami clenched her jaw, glaring at him in frustration.
"Nami, shouldn't we be more focused on escaping for now?"
"Use your navigation skills and steer the Going Merry away from them."
Genrou gave her shoulder a light tap and headed toward the stern.
Though annoyed, Nami could only do as Genrou said. She began directing Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp to maneuver the ship away from the Marine vessel.
Thanks to her excellent navigation and the Going Merry's nimble design, the distance between them and the Marine battleship gradually increased.
Naturally, this was not what Tsuru and the others aboard the Marine ship wanted to see.
Tashigi leapt into the air, using Geppou (Moonwalk) to chase after the Going Merry.
Behind her, several other powerful female Marines followed her lead, charging forward across the sky.
(End of Chapter)
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