Kon walked behind Jango as he stepped onto the deck of the Bezan Black, the Black Cat Pirates' former ship.
The vessel loomed large, its dark hull sturdy and wide, with plenty of room for the crew.
Luffy bounced ahead, grinning under his straw hat, while Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Kaya followed, their footsteps echoing on the wooden planks.
Kon looked around, his eyes wide. "Wow, this ship is quite good and big," he said, spinning in a circle.
Nami's eyes gleamed as she clutched her bag. "I'll go check the treasure room," she said, already heading toward the cabins.
'Finally, some real loot,' she thought, her heart racing at the thought of the amount of gold in such a big ship.
Before she could take another step, Goku leaped onto her shoulder, his four arms waving as he made sharp, pointed gestures.
Nami froze, her face paling. "What's he saying?" she asked, her voice tight.
Kon glanced at Goku, then shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, Goku says he doesn't trust you with the money that'd buy him lots of bananas. He is going to come with you to the treasure room. If you steal anything, he'll shoot you."
He chuckled, mimicking Goku's stern face, then added, "He's serious about his bananas!"
'Goku's so protective of his snacks,' Kon thought, laughing as Goku puffed out his chest, one hand on a pistol.
Nami's forehead broke into a sweat, her eyes darting to Goku's guns. "Haha, very funny," she said, forcing a laugh, but her hands trembled.
'When I joined this crew to rob them clean, I didn't account for a smart monkey,' she thought, her grand plans crumbling.
'This is biting me in the ass.' She backed away from the cabin, smiling nervously at Goku, who glared back, his tail twitching.
'I'm not getting shot over bananas,' she thought, staying put.
Jango said,"There is no treasure. Kuro his most of the treasure somewhere. He did not trust any of us."
Nami hearing this slipped in defeat.
Luffy, oblivious to the tension, stood at the ship's bow, staring at the black cat figurehead.
"We need to change that," he said, scratching his head. "I want it to be original for our crew."
'No way the Pirate King's ship has the figurehead of some other crew,' he thought, picturing something grander.
Kaya stepped forward, smiling softly. "I can provide a new figurehead instead of the cat one. We have a ship with a sheep head—you can replace it with that."
'It's the least I can do,' she thought, grateful for their help against Kuro. "You can wait a day, and I'll have workers replace it. I'll also have the ship stocked with supplies for your journey… to become the King of Pirates. Consider it a thank-you for saving the village and me."
Kon's eyes lit up. "Supplies? Like sweets?" His mouth was already watering.
Kaya laughed, then turned to Usopp, her expression warm. "And would you please take Usopp with you? He's too shy to ask, but he wants to adventure the seas like his father."
Usopp, standing beside her, sputtered, his long nose twitching. "But, Lady Kaya, I have to protect the village…"
'Leave? Me?' he thought, his heart racing. 'I'm not ready for that! What if I get killed by another pirate? Or worse what if Marines find me and torture me to get information about my dad?'
Kaya waved him off, smiling. "Don't listen to him. I know he wants to go. He'll leave with you if you allow him in your crew."
'Usopp's braver than he thinks,' she thought, nudging him gently.
Luffy rubbed his chin, then grinned. "A second sniper besides Goku? Cool! Welcome to the crew, Usopp!"
Usopp blinked, his protests fading. 'They want me?' he thought, a small smile creeping onto his face. 'Maybe I can be like Dad.'
Luffy mumbled to himself, counting on his fingers. "Hehe, we've got a Captain, Vice-Captain, Swordsman, Navigator, Dancer, and two snipers. Not even a month since I started my journey!"
"I can't wait to meet Ace and show him my crew. He's gonna be so jealous," he mumbled, grinning at the thought of his brother's face.
The next day, the crew gathered at the dock, where the ship now sported a sheep figurehead, its goofy grin replacing the menacing cat.
Workers bustled around, loading crates of food, water, and supplies.
Zoro leaned against a railing, sharpening a sword, while Nami checked the supplies, muttering about their lack of gold. Usopp stood nervously, clutching his slingshot, still processing his new role.
Luffy and Kon stood at the bow, staring at the sheep figurehead. "Bezan Black was Kuro's ship," Luffy said, frowning. "We need a new name for ours. Something cool."
Kon's eyes lit up. "How about the Fire Ship? Sounds awesome!"
Luffy shook his head. "Nah, too stiff. Meat Paradise! A ship that is always full of meat,"
Kon pouted. "Meat Paradise? Boring! Goku's Banana Boat!"
Goku chirped in approval at that name.
Luffy leaned forward as he put his case forward, "Meat Paradise would make our enemies hungry and surrender!"
'Who can fight when they're craving meat?' Luffy thought seriously
Zoro groaned from the railing. 'These idiots are naming our ship after food,' he thought.
Nami rolled her eyes, muttering, "We'll never get anywhere with these names."
Usopp, trying to stay relevant, piped up. "Uh, how about Sniper's Pride?"
'Sounds cool, right?' he thought, but Luffy and Kon ignored him, still arguing.
Kaya, watching the chaos, stepped forward, smiling gently. "Shall I suggest one?"
Luffy and Kon stopped, turning to her, nodding eagerly. "Go for it!" Kon said.
"How about Going Merry?" Kaya said, gesturing to the sheep figurehead.
Luffy and Kon blinked, then grinned. "Sounds good," they said in unison, high-fiving.
Luffy climbed onto the figurehead, throwing his arms up. "It's decided! The ship's called the Going Merry! Let's sail!"
----Author Notes------
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