After the feast, the villagers—and the dog—escorted the three heroes of their village to the berth where their ship was docked. The remains of the Buggy Pirates' fleet should have been there as well, but when they arrived, there was nothing—no pirate ships at all. Only one dilapidated merchant ship remained.
This raised questions among them, but no one lingered on it for long. They said their goodbyes to the three and watched as the ship finally set sail, disappearing into the distance.
But then—
The dog suddenly barked, staring at the sea near the shore.
The villagers followed its gaze and froze.
From beneath the water, wreckage began to surface. Ships—many of them—emerged from the sea, completely destroyed. Hulls were shattered, masts broken, and the remains looked utterly annihilated. Blood began to rise with the debris, spreading across the water.
Everyone stared at the horrifying sight.
They didn't know what had happened, or who could have done something so devastating and gruesome. No bodies could be seen—only blood, flowing endlessly from the ruined ships, staining the sea red.
♤
While the villagers were still trying to understand what had happened, things were quieter aboard the merchant ship.
Zoro, sharp as ever, noticed the lingering smell of blood and death around the vessel. He stayed silent. He knew one thing—or maybe two—about what had occurred, and perhaps that was why there were no pirate ships docked anymore. Without a word, he settled back into the corner and fell asleep.
Meanwhile, Nami and Luffy were still fighting over the money.
Nami had taken half of the treasure she had stolen, but Luffy simply handed his share over to Orange Town. She didn't know whether she should feel happy or angry—but either way, she vented her frustration on Luffy.
"G-gomen nasai…" Luffy said, puffing up like a pufferfish.
Then—creaaak—
The merchant ship let out a loud groan as it swayed under their movements.
Nami knew what that meant.
"Luffy, I think you need to find another ship. This one's going to break soon," she said. "If you don't, you won't be able to venture the seas."
"W-what? W-where a-are we going to find a ship?" Luffy asked.
Nami opened the map she was holding. "There's an island nearby. We can ask around and see if they have one…" She paused. "Hmm… it's called Syrup Village."
"Oh, naruhodo…" Luffy said. "Okay, next destination!"
He stood up, pointed toward the open sea, and shouted, "To Syrup Village!"
"Shishishishi—!"
He laughed as the ship sailed onward.
♤
As the merchant ship sailed across the sea, Nami couldn't stop thinking about the same question.
"Hey, Luffy… do you know what that bandage man's name is?"
"His name?" Luffy tilted his head. "Well, now that you mention it, I've never heard his name before," he said curiously.
"What? You don't even know his name?" Nami asked.
"Nope," Luffy said, shaking his head. "Is 'bandage man' not a good name?" he added simply.
Nami shook her head. "This idiot…"
Then Zoro, who had been sitting in the corner, opened one eye.
"Oy… Luffy. What about his katana? What's its name?"
"Huh?" Luffy shouted. "Swords have names?!"
"Tch…" Zoro scoffed. He knew that katana was dangerous—and that was exactly why he was curious.
♡
The sailing continued, but for some reason, none of them could sleep. Maybe the earlier battle had sent their adrenaline soaring, keeping them wide awake and oddly energetic.
Luffy's mind wandered to food.
Zoro tried to force sleep by closing his eyes.
Nami, however, was thinking about the total amount of gold she had collected. She whispered softly to herself, eyes closed, "A little more…"
Then she heard a voice.
"W-what's the little m-more?"
She gulped. She recognized it. It was the bandage man.
She had no idea how he had gotten there without making a sound. Slowly, Nami opened her eyes. The white bandages covered his eyes, but she could make out the eye sockets, the shape of his nose, and the red lips of his mouth.
Nami was sitting along the railing, hugging her knees tightly. In front of her, the man squatted, heels flat on the deck, elbows resting on his knees—like some delinquent.
She gulped at the sight. He was huge, even sitting down.
Zoro opened one eye, too. Like Nami, he hadn't noticed how the man had suddenly appeared. He was concentrating on his senses—especially hearing—but had heard no steps, no movement. The man had simply… appeared.
Luffy, as usual, didn't seem bothered at all.
"Oh, bandage man, you missed the feast. They cooked a lot of dishes," he said, licking his lips.
"I-I have a-already e-eaten," the bandage man said.
"You've eaten? Finally! What did you eat?" Luffy asked, genuinely curious—he had never seen the man eat before.
The bandage man pointed at Nami.
"I-I have e-eaten h-her."
He said it casually, as if greeting her with a simple, "Hey, good morning, and thanks for the food."