"What? Lock already dealt with the butler while I was asleep…?"
Luffy shouted to everyone in surprise.
"Stop making noise! It's your fault, idiot, for letting yourself get hypnotized and fall asleep!"
Zoro snapped back at him.
"Well, I just wanted to see if that guy's hypnosis could make me stronger," Luffy said casually, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Arigato, everyone~"
Kaya smiled sweetly at Luffy and the others. "Before you leave, I want to give you a gift."
Everyone followed her to the coast.
Meanwhile, Usopp ran home to pack his things.
"Let me introduce you. This is the Going Merry. Although it's a bit old, it's still seaworthy." Merry said proudly.
"Next time I come back, I'll tell you a story even more amazing than the lies I used to tell. Just wait for me, Kaya!"
"Mm, I'll be looking forward to it~"
Then Usopp boarded the ship, leaving the island with Luffy and the others.
"It's done! This will be our pirate flag from now on. Pretty cool, right?"
Luffy held up a black flag bearing a skull wearing a straw hat, showing it to Lock and the rest.
"That's our flag?"
Zoro crossed his arms. "The pirate flag is a symbol of death and terror. Yours doesn't bring fear at all."
Nami rested her chin in her hand, thoughtful. "Even so… it does have its kind of charm."
Lock, lying lazily on a folding chair, said calmly:
"Well, what we've done so far doesn't exactly scream 'death and terror.' Doesn't matter if the flag is scary or not."
"Okay, Usopp, draw one on the sail too!" Luffy ordered.
Usopp painted the skull-and-straw-hat symbol onto the sail.
"Perfect!" Luffy grinned.
[Later, the crew stopped at a small island filled with animals. There, they met a man whose body was trapped in a box — Gaimon. Luffy invited him to join, but Gaimon refused. Soon after, the crew left the island.]
Biu—!
Puff—Boom—!
"I was aiming… why didn't I hit it?" Luffy scratched his chin, staring at the rock he failed to strike with the cannon.
"I told you to let me try." Usopp closed his eyes, pointing proudly at himself.
Dala dala…
"Judging from the angle, this should be about right." Usopp adjusted the cannon and aimed at the rock.
"Fire!"
Bang——!
Boom——!
The distant rock shattered.
"Awesome, a direct hit!" Luffy shouted in awe.
"So what? My aim is amazing. Scared yet?" Usopp boasted.
Luffy clenched his fists in excitement. "Then it's decided! You'll be our sniper!"
Inside the cabin—
"Come to think of it, before entering the Grand Line, we need to assign positions," Luffy said, sitting on a wooden cabinet.
"That's true. And with such a beautiful kitchen, of course, I could cook… if you pay me." Nami teased with a smile.
"This is an important role for long voyages," Zoro added, leaning against the refrigerator.
"Yes, we do need someone like that." Lock agreed quietly.
"Exactly! It's essential for a pirate crew," Luffy said.
"Musician!" he declared with a grin.
"You're an idiot," Zoro muttered immediately.
"What about a navigator?" Nami barked, annoyed at Luffy's nonsense.
Lock chuckled. "That's exactly the kind of thing you'd say."
"Because pirates all have to sing!" Luffy insisted.
Suddenly—
Bang—!
"Come out, pirates!"
A roar echoed from the deck.
Luffy rushed out and found a man in sunglasses, a big "海" (sea) tattooed on his face, wearing blue clothes, and wielding a machete while damaging the ship.
"Who are you?" Luffy demanded.
"Shut up! Who cares who I am?!" The man swung his blade, but Luffy dodged easily.
Bang—!
"I've chopped down countless pirates! Do you think some nameless brat can stand in my way?" he shouted, swinging again.
"This voice…" Zoro muttered from inside the cabin.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but you're not allowed to destroy our ship!"
Luffy grabbed him and flipped him hard.
Boom—!
"Ugh!"
"Hey… could it be Johnny?" Zoro stepped out, staring down at the man.
"Huh? Who's calling my name so casually—" the blue-haired man turned, then froze.
"Brother Zoro!" Johnny shouted in shock.
"It is Johnny."
"Brother, why are you here?! Where's Joseph? Isn't he with you?"
Luffy tilted his head, utterly lost. "Eh? What's going on?"
Dang rang~ Dongdongdong Lululu
On another ship, a pink-haired man with a facial scar poured wine for a blonde woman in a red dress.
"Where are you taking me today?" she asked with a playful smile.
"To the greatest restaurant in the world," the man said smoothly.
"In the middle of the ocean?" she asked, intrigued.
He only raised his glass, confirming it without words.
"Cheers to your beauty~"
Clink—
"Well… I'll look forward to it," she replied with a smile.
Back on the Merry—
"So you know each other. What's going on?" Luffy asked, scratching his head.
Johnny pulled Joseph, who was slumped against the railing. "Joseph… he's sick."
"Sick?"
"He was fine days ago, then suddenly turned pale, fainted, his teeth loosening… blood coming from old wounds. I don't know what to do!" Johnny cried, covering his face.
"When I was caring for him by the rocky shore—bam! Suddenly, a cannonball flew from this ship…!" His voice cracked as he wept.
Luffy and Usopp's jaws dropped. They realized exactly why Johnny had stormed aboard.
Both bowed deeply. "We're sorry!"
"If apologies fixed everything, there'd be no need for Marines!" Johnny barked, trembling with anger.
"Brother… Joseph isn't going to die, right?" Johnny looked desperately at Zoro.
Zoro clenched his fists, sweating. He couldn't deny that Luffy and Usopp had made things worse.
Da da da…
"Don't worry, it's just scurvy." Nami stepped forward. "Luffy, Usopp, there are sour plums inside. Go get them!"
They scrambled back with plums and squeezed the juice, though impatiently they stuffed whole ones into Joseph's mouth instead.
"This disease just means a lack of plant nutrients—what we call vitamin C," Nami explained.
"Nami, you're amazing! Like a real doctor!" Luffy said cheerfully.
"This is basic common sense. You'll die one day from not knowing things like this," Nami scolded.