The raucous night had bled into a morning no less boisterous, the island's pulse unyielding.
Pirates stirred as ever, but with an undercurrent of restless buzz—a subtle thrill, anticipation edging their routines, painting the calm with eager strokes.
A far cry from last night's island-wide insanity.
Today marked race day.
Faces lit with that long-awaited gleam, joy unmasked.
Entrants exuded ambition, bettors bantered favorites, and even sideliners sparkled with speculation.
Dead End's victor? Who?
That crew's edge, this one's grit—chatter churned ceaseless overnight, voices amping as start-time neared.
Meanwhile, the Straw Hats lounged lax, zero jitters.
Roused at the inn, they savored a serene breakfast—polar flip from the prior pandemonium.
Meal mopped, they clustered in the entryway, facing off.
"About what's next—I'm dipping from the ship for now. Catch at the goal."
Kiri dropped it casual.
Blunt bomb blanked the bunch—stunned silence, shock rippling.
No sunny send-off. Faces flickered dismay; some soured swift to unease. Luffy's moue mirrored the malaise.
First words? Collective gut-punch echo.
"Dip? Thought you crewed full, Kiri."
"Circumstances. Race-run only."
Luffy's plain pique pulled Kiri's wry shrug—expected pushback.
Fair query, full disclosure? Fumbled fog.
Kiri parsed phrasing private.
"Need a snag. Solo snag suits. No direct dash, no Merry mount—but endgame's synced. See you there."
"Nah—too sudden, fuzzy... There? Ship? Goal gripe? Real split?"
"Yeah. One-off."
Usopp's echo-ask earned echo-answer; Kiri's calm curve deflected deft, demeanor dialed steady.
Crew clicked his core—scheme sans-snitch? First. Probe-pure.
Sanji sparked next: cig sparked, smoke sighed, stare steady.
"Eh—we ain't sweating betrayal, but blanks blank. Off-ship snag? Spill the snag?"
"Secret."
"Oi—no deets?!"
Kiri's quip-quiet zipped Usopp's zap.
Sanji surged sequel.
"Hide-and-hunt? Plus Baby 5-chan fling, now lone-wolf? Next nook—spill the scheme...!"
"Jealous jolt, huh. No sleaze, swear."
"Right—me here's plenty."
"Nah—not that vibe."
"Eh~?!"
Baby 5's blast—blush-burst. Kiri's kin? Locked. Cling constant: side-stick, service-sweet. Now? Nuzzle-nest, shoulder-swoon—couple-cue clear.
Last night? Latch locked—love-lilt loud.
No peel: plea-pure, peril-proof.
Room ruckus? Rip-roar.
Why her? Whiplash whirl—why now?
Crew cringe-clung: confusion crest.
But Baby? Beam blind—Kiri crane, plea-pout.
"Me? Needed? Ahh... but Kiri craves—how to...?"
"Crave? My chest calls~!"
"S-Such need? Uu... how—?"
"Baby 5."
Kiri's cut: arm-arc anchor—shoulder-swoop.
Sanji's spite-spark: envy eclipse.
Crew cringe? Sigh-sync.
Baby's blush-burst: Kiri-cue, gaze glued.
"Chat later. Quiet till?"
"Yes, you~♡"
"Why him hog the hottie?! Rage real, damnit!!"
"Sanji—hush. Mid-mission."
"Yaaas, Silk-chaaan~! Mute mode♡"
Kiri-Silk sync snapped tension taut—air anchor.
Scan-check: crew cue—re-round.
"Back sure. Safe sync—goal gala."
Brevity blanked blanks—bare-bones buy-in? Brutal.
Doubt default? Fair flag. But Kiri's core? Crew creed—grave tone tugged trust-tug, betrayal blindspot.
Luffy led lock: nod nicked neat.
Deep-dive? Ditched—dispatch dialed. Eyes echoed echo.
"Got it. Goal grind."
"Luffy—sure?"
"Kiri calls—chill's cue."
Silk's soft-skein snagged Luffy's light-lilt—worry wipe, beam bare.
Rest? Ripple reluctant, but captain's call? Crew clasp.
Room rift? Rare—rift-rift raw. Temp-trail? Taboo tilt. Faces flux faint—shade shared.
Kiri's cue-cull: targeted tight—warning warm, fret-free.
One-by-one: eye-lock, essence etched.
"Sanji—coolest clock in the chaos. Ifs? Yours."
"Eh? Aye."
"Silk—dissonance deep; harmony hers."
"Ah... uh-huh."
"Nami's no-nag, but brawls? Backup boys. Usopp—neg's niche, but boost the bold. Cover cool."
"Y-Yep. Leave lead."
"Got the grip. Chill."
Hesitant hitch? Handled whole—reply ripple rich.
Glow gained: gaze glide.
"Zoro—rest run."
"...Aye."
Arm-cross grouch-grunt. Grasp-gut? Good gauge. Rest? Sense-solo.
Final flick: Luffy lens.
"And... Luffy."
"Yo."
"Fun full-throttle."
"Shi shi shi—duh!"
Instant ink—zero zip.
Luffy's lift? Lilt-loud—approve aloud, send swift.
Crew contagion: unease unspool—grin-glow gradual. Relief ripple? Ready real.
Bystand blur: Vivi, Igraham? Void-vortex—vet-vibe veiled. Time-tally? Trust-trove.
Tri-sibs sidelined? Scene-scan strange.
Wordless weave? Wonder-warp. Young? Yet yoda-yield—pirate-peek plenty.
Nod neat: Luffy lead-lurch.
Crew cue; captain crisp.
"Time to roll. Kiri—we lead."
"Watch wings. No half-measures."
"No loss. King's call."
"Kuk... right. Almost slipped."
"Hm?"
Kiri's kin-kick: toss true—palm-pluck prime.
"What's? Eternal?"
"Tough spot? Tap it. Dead End? Devilish."
"Nn—fuzzy, but filed."
Luffy's loot-lug: trouser-tuck tight.
Crew crest: door-dash done—wait zilch. Chat-check? Blind.
Luffy's lag? Leisure-lift—amble after.
Kiri kin + Baby? Outbound—back-burner beam.
Weird warmth: wingless wander? Wistful whiff.
Old overlay? Omen old.
But Kiri clung course—solo-stay, step stalled.
Outer out: crew crank—halt-hitch, Kiri-kite.
Faces flux: lead Luffy? Beam back.
"Goal gala. Show, Kiri."
"Count on. Might beat ya there."
"Nah—neck-and-neck. Later~"
"Uh-huh. Later."
Wrist-waggle light; line lunged port-prime, fade fleet.
Back-burn linger; lungful large—Kiri's keel to Baby.
Her? Hurdle high.
Hazard heap: honey-hued, but haze-heavy. Latch-loud? Leverage lean, but loose-lip lure. Trust-trove? Thin thread.
Handled hinky? Honest hitch.
But Kiri's kin-clasp? Crew-cue closer—confusion cuff, but cog calm.
Ally-angle? Ace play.
King-coup calculus: clash cascade.
Emperor echo—Yonko yoke; Marine maul HQ; Warlord wolf-pack. Throne-tug timeless—world-whirl whips on. No neat nix.
Spear? Or shank? Schrayer's say-so.
Green grasp? Sure. But buddy-bent? Bloom bright—bond base, bend bold. All? Angle.
Worth wager.
Chill calc: choice chase, optimal out.
Smile steady: Baby beam, bliss-bound.
"Right—your ripple now. Head home, yeah?"
"N-No~?! Obsolete already?!"
"Nah—not that. Grind gears soon—circumstances clash. Crew-cue's safer."
"Wanna work wonders~! Whatever—life-light for you!"
"Haa... geez."
Kiri's crown-crush: head-hug haggle.
No nasty nudge—nay, nectar-nice. But bedlam-bait? Brain-bruise.
Her? Hurdle-hug: plea-push, peril-phobic.
Fear-flick? Fret-fog. Cling-crush? Crave-cure.
Yesterday? Yoke young—whim-whirl wild.
Reel? Reject-rut.
Kiri's keel: kind-kvetch.
"Final farewell? Nah—next nudge."
"Uu... but..."
"Crew counts. Joker's kin? Jinx joint—Grand Line gamble. Play pal—peace prevails."
Stroke soft: hair-halo hush.
Baby's baffle-brow: blank blink.
Such fragile flair. Crew-care cue, pat pure—Kiri's curve? Crinkle-calm, but cloud-crease.
Unwitting? Wide-open.
Heart-hurt hit.
Sudden: Baby's bow—chest-clutch claw.
Kiri's cue-crack: chuckle crinkle—quick-quell, mask mend.
Hide-hint? Hurt-hush.
Memory-mire? Muck mid.
Now? Need nix—nod neat.
"Yeah. Your lead."
"Sorry."
"But... one more whim?"
"Spill."
"Next meet? Your yarn—deep dive."
"...Sure. Deal dawn."
"Yes. Promise pure."
Light-lilt lift; Baby bolt—bound brisk.
Kiri's keel: send-stare.
"Off~ Buff'll hunt. Gotta ghost."
"Uh. Safe stride."
"See ya, you~♡"
"Nah... 'you' tag? Tweak it."
Wrist-whip wild; trot-tick fade—fleet frame, far flick.
Kiri's lone-linger: sigh soft, simper slight.
Solo? Sought.
Arms-aimed sky: stretch-sting, sinew sigh.
Drop deep: breath-balm.
Prep pristine.
Crew cause—self-solo sync. Flop? Forbidden.
Re-clasp resolve: one-man march.
Kiri's kink-kick: port-pass—right-rift, rock-rim rare.
Wrong? No—nail niche.
Ghost-gulch? Why?
Wait-watch: vessel veiled.
Stride swift—semi-scamper.
Wall-whisk: sea-sweep—cleft-crash, sub surfaced still.
Target tucked: pirate pack.
Cliff-cue: crew-crane—Law lead, arm-anchor.
Stern: Bepo beam, Penguin, Shachi—heart-horde hull-deep.
Polar Tang prow: full-force front.
Kiri's curve-cue: drop direct.
Paper poise: plummet peculiar—gravity graze, glide ghost.
Heart-hands? Holler-hush—Law lone, lock lax.
Thud-thrift: deck-drape neat.
Kiri's keel: Law lens first.
"Roll."
"Aye aye, Captain."
Flat-flick: fool-frolic fade.
Law's lead-lurch: hatch-haste.
Kiri cue-close.
Crew cascade: compartment claim.
Deck-dwindle? Five-flat.
Churn-chug: sub-sink swift—dive-deep done.
--------------------------
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