Onboard the Going Merry:
Chopper sat at the stern, watching pink snowflakes drift beneath the moonlight, as Drum Island grew smaller behind them.
"I'm leaving, Doctor Kureha. My adventure… is finally beginning."
Behind him, the crew was in full swing.
---
Sanji, leaning on the mast, jeered at Zoro:
"Ah hah! You swordsman, you got ambushed and took a swim!"
Zoro, arms crossed and fuming:
"You curly-brow, weren't you ambushed too?"
Sanji smirked:
"Idiot—I was saving Usopp! You just weren't paying attention!"
Zoro ran his fingers along his blade:
"We both got ambushed—stop making excuses."
Usopp nudged Zoro:
"At least you didn't get lost. You still made it back to the Merry."
Zoro glanced over at Luffy—who was hilariously jamming chopsticks into his face.
Vivi couldn't help laughing:
"He climbed the wrong mountain thinking it was the dock, then got caught in an avalanche! I found him stranded in my village."
Seeing all this, Shirogai, sipping milk tea, calmly sprayed Usopp:
"Pfft!"
Usopp was speechless.
Sanji burst out laughing:
"Hahaha, who hikes a mountain to find a dock?"
Zoro, fuming, reached for his sword.
Sanji raised his fists:
"Want a piece of me?"
Luffy then trotted over, making outrageous faces, sending the whole group into fresh laughter.
---
Luffy grabbed Shirogai's arm:
"Hey, Shirogai, make faces with me!"
Shirogai scowled, stretched his face using his Rubber Fruit powers into a ridiculous meme expression, and asked deadpan:
"Like this?"
Luffy collapsed in laughter, the chopsticks flying out.
Even Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp couldn't stop chuckling as their earlier feud evaporated.
---
Chopper, drawn in by the uproar, was handed chopsticks by Shirogai and Luffy:
"Do this, Chopper!"
Even Nami was amused—when she wasn't scolding Shirogai:
"Hey, don't corrupt him!"
Shirogai only grinned and chased her.
Eventually, Chopper caved—and laughed harder than anyone.
---
After the laughter subsided, they gathered for a feast.
Shirogai and Sanji prepared a deck-wide banquet in record time.
Under the full moon and the Straw Hat flag, the Straw Hat Pirates raised cups high, even giving one to Duck.
Usopp toasted:
"To our new crew member, Chopper! Cheers!"
Everyone cheered as the Going Merry sailed away, Drum Island disappearing from view.
Chopper, shyly tipsy, admitted:
"Hehe, this is my first time drinking alcohol… I don't… I don't really like it, but… it's… nice being with you all."
They all laughed warmly at his honest, bashful admission.
---
Later, Zoro and Sanji engaged in a boozy challenge:
Zoro taunted Sanji:
"Can't handle your drink, perverted cook?"
Sanji stood firm:
"Bring it, green algae head!"
Their wooden mugs clanged as they tried to outdrink each other, encouraged by Luffy and Usopp.
---
Meanwhile, Shirogai noticed something in the water—a pod of sea creatures approaching.
He calmly activated Conqueror's Haki, extending it downward.
Immediately, the creatures panicked and fled.
---
Drunk and overwhelmed, Chopper tumbled into Shirogai's arms, and was fast asleep in seconds.
Shirogai gently pinched Chopper's cheek:
"First-time drinker, huh… you'll have a headache in the morning."
He chuckled and returned to his mug.
---
Morning After
Groans filled the deck—headaches all around.
Shirogai surveyed the hung-over crew:
"What a troublesome bunch. They can't hold their drink, yet they push themselves to the limit!"
Meanwhile, Nami stood at the bow, focused on the sea ahead.
She called to Shirogai:
"Heavy rain's up ahead. Let's steer away from it!"
---