Ignoring Nekomamushi's expectant stare, Jerry continued eating his own fish while speaking casually, "I'm not doing anything special. I figured you just woke up and haven't eaten yet, so I thought I'd share."
"Garu nya nya! Then let's eat together!" Nekomamushi declared enthusiastically. "Today's battle ends here!"
Having already achieved a satisfying fight with Jerry and nursing his own fractured arm, Nekomamushi found his attention completely captured by the remaining fish in Jerry's bag. He had no desire to continue their conflict.
After all, the Whale Forest hadn't actually been violated—Carina had only reached the outer perimeter. Since his territory remained unharmed and Jerry's crew had actively helped the people of Kuri in Wano Country, they were clearly friends rather than enemies. There was no point dwelling on minor trespassing.
Like Duke Inuarashi, Nekomamushi's heart remained tied to Wano despite his physical presence on Zou. As a former retainer of Kozuki Oden, he was deeply concerned about their homeland's suffering under Kaido's occupation. The knowledge that these visitors had aided Wano's people meant more to him than any minor territorial violation.
Seeing Nekomamushi calling for a truce, Jerry considered for a moment before producing an impressive spread of provisions. Fruits like bananas and apples appeared alongside various types of fish, exotic desserts, and even some milk tea he'd acquired during their travels.
"Since we've resolved our differences, why don't we have a proper celebration?" Jerry announced with a grin. "Everyone hiding in the trees and on the cliffs, come join us!"
The gathered Guardians perked up immediately at the sight of the feast. Monkey minks stared longingly at the bananas, while other species focused on their preferred foods with obvious excitement. They all turned hopefully toward their leader for permission.
But Nekomamushi had already succumbed to temptation, pouncing on the fish with single-minded determination.
Seeing their boss's enthusiastic approval, Pedro quickly organized several Guardians to contribute their own supplies and cooking equipment. Soon they had established a proper banquet in the forest clearing that had been flattened during the battle.
Noticing Nekomamushi's injured hand, Deuce approached with medical supplies after finishing Jerry's treatment. Nekomamushi showed no intention of slowing his eating pace, simply extending his arm while continuing to devour fish with his free hand.
"A man who loves freedom shouldn't let a little injury interfere with eating, drinking, and having fun," Nekomamushi declared around a mouthful of food. "Just don't give me any shots."
During the festivities, Pedro overheard Deuce mentioning their encounter with the Big Mom Pirates while enjoying some dessert. The jaguar mink's eye gleamed with interest as he moved closer to inquire about details.
After listening to Deuce's account, Pedro glanced meaningfully at Jerry. He had personal experience with Big Mom's terrifying power.
The celebration continued until dawn, with all off-duty Guardians participating enthusiastically. Jerry's barbecue skills proved popular with many of the minks, earning him numerous compliments and requests for recipes.
As sunrise painted the sky above Zou in brilliant colors, the gathering gradually dispersed. The Guardians returned to their duties while Jerry's crew made their way back to their accommodations.
During the walk home, Jerry explained to Carina that the treasure supposedly guarded in the Whale Forest wasn't the kind of wealth she'd been hoping to find. Her infiltration attempt had been pointless from the start.
After everyone had returned to their lodgings, Carina lingered in the entrance hall, stopping her friends before they could retreat to their rooms for much-needed sleep.
"Why did you help me back there?" she asked quietly, genuine confusion in her voice.
Jerry looked at her with mild surprise. "What kind of question is that? We brought you aboard for our own reasons, but now you're our crewmate. If we don't help you, who else should we help?"
"Get some rest," he added with a tired smile. "You must be exhausted after causing trouble all night."
While Jerry had enough stamina to handle staying awake for a full day and night since their morning arrival, he preferred to maintain proper rest schedules. There was no point in pushing himself to baldness-inducing exhaustion when it could be avoided—lost hair never grew back.
Deuce and Skull nodded in agreement with Jerry's response, making it clear that they shared his sentiment about crew loyalty.
As they separated to their individual rooms, Carina found herself contemplating the word "crewmate." It felt both strange and familiar. She wasn't really a pirate and had never truly belonged to this group.
But she had once had a partner.
Memories of her time in the East Blue with an orange hair girl brought a wistful smile to her face. She wondered if the young navigator had learned to be more trusting after their last encounter, or if she was still as suspicious as ever.
"Well, better get some sleep," she murmured to herself.
Around noon, Carina was jolted awake by Skull's panicked shouting. Apparently, one of his precious collector's badges had gone missing, and he was desperately enlisting Jerry and Deuce's help to find it. With Kotatsu's assistance, they eventually located the item in a corner where it had probably been dragged by a curious rodent.
As she emerged from her room into the main hall, Carina found her path blocked by a familiar white rabbit. She absently patted Carrot's head in greeting.
Carrot turned around with a sweet smile, her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's as she chewed the roasted carrots Jerry had prepared the previous night.
"Hey hey hey, Carina!" Carrot said cheerfully, throwing her arms around the older woman in an enthusiastic hug.
"Ow! You're getting food crumbs all over my face," Carina protested as carrot particles from Carrot's overstuffed mouth transferred to her cheek.
"Oh, sorry! Let me clean that up for you, hehe," Carrot apologized, quickly wiping away the residue with her hand and immediately eating it. She refused to waste even the smallest bit of her favorite food.
Once they'd finished their interaction, Jerry clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Alright, let's spend today exploring on our own. Go wherever you want to see—except the forbidden areas, obviously."
"Once we've finished our tour, we'll set sail again and continue our journey."
Carrot's eyes lit up with unmistakable excitement at the mention of sailing and adventure. The previous afternoon, while fishing with Jerry, she had peppered him with curious questions about life beyond Zou between her playful antics with Kotatsu.
Jerry's stories—half true accounts, half entertaining embellishments—had captured her imagination completely, leaving her with bright eyes and a burning desire to see the wider world.
After two and a half days of thorough sightseeing, Deuce finally declared himself satisfied with their visit. The ancient kingdom had provided him with countless fascinating details and cultural observations, keeping his notebook constantly busy with new entries.
On their final morning, Jerry's crew gathered to bid farewell to their various mink friends before heading toward their ship.
"How was it, Deuce? Did you learn a lot?" Jerry asked as they walked through the peaceful streets one last time.
"Absolutely! If you don't get out and explore, you really don't realize how many wonderful places exist in this world," Deuce replied enthusiastically.
Jerry chatted with each of his friends about their experiences during the visit. Deuce had gained tremendous inspiration for his writing, Carina had enjoyed the freedom to explore without constant supervision, and even Skull had kept himself busy with various projects.
"I noticed that Den Den Mushi don't seem to be widely used here," Skull explained with obvious pride in his accomplishments. "Probably because they've been isolated from the outside world for so long."
"But I saw that there are native Den Den Mushi species in the forest, including the white anti-wiretapping varieties," he continued excitedly.
"After some negotiation, I helped them establish two complete communication and counter-surveillance systems. The signal quality is excellent and the range is impressive. From now on, the Musketeers and Guardians can say goodbye to communication by shouting across the forest!"
Skull was thoroughly pleased with his contribution to Zou's infrastructure. If he'd had more spare parts available, he would have gladly installed several additional systems. He'd even made a trip back to their ship to retrieve components from their storage.