The members of the former Spade Pirates had gradually assembled on the shore, all coming to see off the small group that was preparing to set sail once again. The atmosphere was bittersweet—filled with the warmth of lasting friendships but tinged with the melancholy that comes with farewells.
As they chatted and shared final memories, everyone suddenly noticed Jerry behaving strangely. For no apparent reason, he had started slapping his thigh and laughing uncontrollably, his laughter growing so intense that sweat began beading on his forehead.
"Hahaha, is Jerry having one of his episodes again?" Wallace rumbled with amusement, his deep Fishman voice carrying fondly across the beach.
The companions had grown accustomed to Jerry's occasional moments of seemingly random enthusiasm, when he would become lost in some private joke or exciting thought.
"Is there something wrong with his head?" Deuce muttered, though his complaint was delivered with obvious affection rather than genuine concern.
"What's gotten into him this time?" Ace asked, genuinely confused by his friend's sudden outburst of mirth.
"Boss Jerry! Wake up! It's time to get moving!" Skull called out, approaching Jerry and waving his skeletal hand in front of Jerry's eyes in an attempt to snap him back to reality.
"Meow..." Kotatsu added his own commentary, circling around Jerry's feet with concerned feline sounds.
"Ahem!" Jerry finally composed himself, wiping the sweat from his face and attempting to look serious. "I just thought of something that made me happy, that's all."
He looked around at his assembled friends, both those staying and those departing. "If everyone's ready, then it's time for us to set off!"
The mood became more solemn as the reality of their departure settled over the group. These were people who had shared incredible adventures, faced mortal dangers together, and formed bonds that would last a lifetime.
"Everyone, take care of yourselves," Jerry said earnestly. "Until we meet again!"
"You take care too!" came the chorus of replies from the assembled Whitebeard Pirates and former Spade Pirates.
After exchanging final farewells, the small crew of three humans and one cat boarded their weather-beaten pirate ship to begin yet another chapter of their adventures.
Partings filled with deep emotion, journeys through trials and tribulations, and the hope of brighter tomorrows ahead—this was the way of life for those who chose the path of adventure on the high seas.
Companions who had traveled together through thick and thin would eventually separate, just as childhood sweethearts often found themselves outmatched by those who appeared later in life.
A few days later, they found themselves sailing through the vast expanse of the New World's ocean, with no land visible in any direction. Under the brilliant blue sky, a gentle sea breeze provided a soothing, relaxing atmosphere that made their journey feel almost meditative.
"Jerry," Deuce called out, putting away the notebook where he had been recording their recent experiences, "have you decided on a new name for our pirate crew?"
It was probably while writing about their current situation that Deuce had realized they needed to establish their new identity, separate from their past as the Spade Pirates.
Jerry, who had been sitting peacefully by the ship's railing with his fishing rod in hand, was caught completely off guard by the question. His brain seemed to short-circuit for a moment before he blurted out the first thing that came to mind:
"Well, how about we call ourselves the Black Star Pirates!"
"What's the meaning behind that name?" Deuce and Skull asked almost simultaneously, clearly puzzled by Jerry's sudden suggestion.
Faced with their questioning looks, Jerry's mind began racing as he tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for his impulsive choice.
"Have you ever heard of black stars?" Jerry asked, hoping to buy himself some time to think.
"Not really. What are they?" Deuce replied, his expression indicating that he suspected Jerry was making things up as he went along.
"Oh, good! I'm glad you haven't heard of them," Jerry said with obvious relief.
"They're... uh... astronomical phenomena. Very rare cosmic events."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Deuce pressed, his skeptical expression intensifying.
Seeing Jerry's eyes darting around as he tried to formulate an answer, Deuce decided to turn the tables on him.
"Come on then, what's your real explanation?" Deuce asked, imitating Jerry's usual tone when he was being evasive.
After a moment of panic, Jerry seemed to find his stride and launched into an elaborate justification.
"Let me put it this way," Jerry began, starting to sound a little more serious despite making it up as he went.
"We used to be the Spade Pirates, right? So the 'Black' in our new name—it comes from that. Spades are black. It's a way of carrying on Ace's legacy, even if the name has changed."
Deuce and Skull listened, intrigued.
"And the 'Star' part," Jerry continued, tapping his finger against the air like he was drawing constellations, "that's about what we aim for. Stars are what sailors use to guide their way across the sea. They're constant. Distant. Bright. They represent ambition."
He pointed up at the sky. "Even in the darkest night, stars shine. So 'Black Star' means we're born from darkness, but we shine anyway. We're pirates with a past... but we're still aiming for the top."
Skull blinked. "...Whoa. That actually made sense."
"Right?" Jerry grinned, pleased with himself. "Black for our roots. Star for our future. We carry the past, but we sail toward something greater."
Facing his two companions' narrowed, skeptical eyes, Jerry delivered his hastily constructed reasoning in one breath, clearly pleased with his ability to spin such an elaborate story on the spot.
Skull, who had been listening in amazement, shook his skull in admiration. "Boss Jerry, you're incredible! I can't believe you actually managed to make that sound almost reasonable!"
"Although it does have a certain logic to it," Deuce admitted reluctantly, "I still feel like there's something you're not telling us about this name choice."
Deuce had a nagging suspicion that Jerry's explanation wasn't the complete truth, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was missing.
"Haha! So you're okay with it then?" Jerry asked with obvious satisfaction.
"It's decided! We are now officially the Black Star Pirates!"
Seeing that neither of his companions raised any further objections, Jerry laughed triumphantly and moved quickly to cement his victory before they could reconsider.
Kotatsu, who had been awakened by their animated discussion from his comfortable nap at Jerry's feet, looked up at the group and seemed to give them an approving gesture with his paw.
The conversation then shifted to other topics as they settled into their new routine as an independent crew once again.
At that moment, Deuce stretched and yawned, but suddenly all three humans stopped their casual conversation at the same time.
The reason for their sudden alertness was that the gentle, refreshing breeze they had been enjoying had gradually intensified without them noticing, transforming into a howling gale that was beginning to seriously affect their ship's stability.
"Oh no! Did someone jinx us?" Jerry asked with mock accusation.
"Maybe someone mentioned smooth sailing earlier, so now we're getting the opposite," Skull suggested with his characteristic dark humor.
"You two still have time for jokes? Get to work!" Deuce shouted, recognizing the seriousness of their situation.
Seeing that his friends were still making light conversation while their circumstances were rapidly deteriorating, Deuce sprang into action and ran toward the mast with Skull following close behind to help secure the sails.
To describe their sailing strategy since departing from the Whitebeard Pirates, it could best be characterized as purposeful drifting. They had no specific destination in mind, content to let the ocean currents and Jerry's abilities guide them toward whatever adventures awaited.
They had simply chosen a direction based on their Log Pose readings and allowed Jerry to control the ocean currents beneath their ship, letting them drift at a comfortable pace toward whatever lay ahead.
Since Jerry could now manipulate the ocean currents with minimal effort, sailing at normal speeds required almost no energy expenditure on his part. His recovery rate was faster than the energy he used, making him essentially a living engine for their ship.
This meant they effectively had no need for a traditional helmsman position unless they recruited additional crew members in the future. With their current small numbers, there was no point in wasting manpower on tasks that Jerry could handle effortlessly.
Jerry could sense changes in the natural environment around them and position himself at the bow to control the water near the surface, allowing their ship to easily avoid dangerous whirlpools, reverse currents, and other maritime hazards.
However, while Jerry could control water, he had no power over the wind itself.
The wind continued to strengthen, and the waves grew correspondingly larger and more violent.
Suddenly, some of the wooden planks that had been repaired during their time with the Whitebeard Pirates—perhaps because the nails were old and couldn't withstand the increased stress—were torn loose by the sudden acceleration of the wind and went flying into the sky like projectiles.
"Another major storm?" Jerry observed grimly, looking up at the sky above them.
Dark clouds were gathering with alarming speed, and the sky turned an ominous black color in what seemed like an instant. Then the heavy rain began falling in sheets that reduced visibility to almost nothing.
Jerry sighed with resignation, then turned and shouted instructions to his companions over the howling wind.
"You two! Take Kotatsu and find something to tie yourselves to for safety!"
"Leave the rest to me!"
The powerful wind generated massive waves across the ocean surface. The combination of high winds and towering waves created a chaotic environment where seawater seemed to dance wildly in the gale, painting the entire sky a deep, threatening blue.
Their ship was already in poor condition, and despite Jerry's best protective efforts, wooden boards continued to be torn away from the hull at regular intervals, disappearing into the storm.
Jerry found himself multitasking on an unprecedented scale. He used his water manipulation abilities to control the currents beneath their feet, propelling the ship at high speed in an attempt to escape the storm's range.
Simultaneously, he created barriers of controlled water to stop enormous waves from crashing down on them, forcing the massive walls of seawater to fall harmlessly back into the ocean before they could reach the ship.
To prevent the items stored in their cabin from being damaged by water, and to keep debris and his friends from being thrown around on the increasingly slippery deck, Jerry also condensed a protective water barrier around the entire hull, similar to the coating used for underwater travel.
When rainwater and seawater made contact with this protective layer, they would slide harmlessly off the sides of the ship and back into the ocean.
But even with all these precautions, the waves continued surging and the wind kept raging. Jerry could only do his best to maintain their stability and keep them moving toward calmer waters.
After struggling through most of the night, Jerry finally managed to save their battered ship from complete destruction.
In the gentle light of the morning sun, the small crew looked at their pirate ship with its countless holes and gaps, and a feeling of desolation settled over them all.
Not only was the deck riddled with damage, but the sides of the ship bore numerous gaps where wooden boards had been blown away entirely, or the broken remnants of planks that had been partially torn off. The scene was one of complete devastation.
Several long moments passed as they all stared at the miserable condition of their ship, rendered speechless by the extent of the damage.
"Jerry," Deuce finally said with dark humor, "our new pirate crew was just formed, so why does it feel like we're about to disband already?"
"Ah, well..." Jerry replied with forced optimism, "the old has to go before the new can come!"
He pointed toward the horizon where land was beginning to become visible. "Look ahead and see if you can identify that island, Skull."
Skull pulled out a telescope and focused on the distant landmass, his expression growing increasingly concerned as he studied what he was seeing.
"Boss Jerry! That place... it looks like Totto Land, which belongs to the Big Mom Pirates!!!"
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