Chapter 172: A Farewell in the Snow! Thank You, going merry
They had escaped that hellish Enies Lobby.
They had shaken off the Marine warships that were chasing them like mad dogs.
At this moment, the surface of the sea gradually calmed down.
The Going Merry carried the scarred Straw Hat across the vast ocean.
Although the hull was in ruins, the mainmast broken, and the sails riddled with bullet holes, it still stubbornly broke through the waves.
Ahead, several massive ship silhouettes emerged in the dawn.
Those were the rescue ships of the Galley-La Company, led by Mr. Iceburg himself.
"Hey—!! Everyone—!!"
"We're over here!!"
Luffy stood at the bow, waving his arms, a brilliant smile of survival on his face.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; their tensed nerves could finally relax.
"Thank goodness... we're finally safe."
Nami slumped onto the deck, wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Chopper was bandaging the blood-covered Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, while Usopp was weeping uncontrollably as he hugged the broken mast.
Just as everyone was cheering and preparing to pull alongside the large Galley-La ships to transfer...
Suddenly.
Crack—!!
An extremely abrupt snapping sound rang out across the silent sea without warning.
The sound wasn't loud, but it felt like a heavy hammer slamming into everyone's hearts.
Everyone's smiles instantly froze.
Rumble...
Before Luffy could even react.
The Going Merry's proud sheep-headed figurehead, along with the forward deck, just snapped off... without warning.
Like an old man who had burned through his last spark of vitality, it finally couldn't support its heavy body and collapsed.
The bow separated from the hull, and seawater instantly surged into the break.
"Merry—!!!!"
Luffy let out a terrified scream.
Ignoring his own pain, he rushed to the break like a madman.
That was his favorite special seat; that was where the soul of this ship resided.
Luffy reached out both hands, desperately trying to pull the broken bow back, attempting to piece it back together with his hands:
"Hey! Merry! What are you doing!"
"Don't joke around! We've already escaped! Everyone is here! We're supposed to go on adventures together!!"
"Connect! Connect already!!"
But no matter how hard he tried, the broken keel could never be restored.
The cold seawater poured relentlessly into the cabins; the going merry was slowly sinking.
"How... how can this be..."
Usopp rushed over with a hammer and wooden planks—the tools he usually used to repair the ship.
"Repair it! Quick, repair it! As long as we stop the water..."
But looking at the massive crack that had completely split into two, Usopp's hands trembled violently, unable to even hold a single nail steady.
The nail dropped to the floor with a despairing clink.
He knew better than anyone... this was no longer a problem that could be solved by repairs.
"Franky!!!!"
Luffy suddenly turned around and grabbed the nearby Franky.
His fingers dug into Franky's arm, his eyes full of pleading:
"You're a cyborg, right? You're a shipwright!!"
"Fix it, quickly!! We have as much money as you need! We'll give you all the hundreds of millions of Berries we just got back!!"
"Please! Save it, quickly!!"
Nami also cried as she looked toward the approaching Paulie and the other foremen:
"Mr. Paulie! You guys are top-tier foremen from Galley-La! You must have a way, right?"
"Please... think of something!
"Merry... it just saved us!"
Faced with the heart-wrenching pleas of Luffy and Nami.
The usually arrogant Franky was silent now.
He looked at the broken keel—the ship's spine and its lifeline.
Franky slowly took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of bloodshot eyes.
On that usually cynical face, there was an unprecedented expression of gravity and respect.
He didn't say a word; he just looked at Luffy and gently... shook his head.
"..."
Luffy froze, his hand gripping Franky's arm losing its strength.
"How can this be..."
Beside them, Paulie pulled down the brim of his hat and gritted his teeth, unable to bear the sight of Nami and Chopper crying. His voice was low and raspy:
"...It's no use, young lady."
"The keel... is completely broken."
Paulie pointed at the ruined little ship, his tone filled with deep shock:
"Actually, back in Water 7, it had already been given a death sentence.
"Logically speaking, it should have been impossible for it to sail here."
"That it could carry you through those certain-death waves and even hold out until now..."
"This in itself is a miracle that completely defies the common sense of shipbuilding."
"This ship... in its final moments, surpassed its limits to save you."
Franky stepped forward, his large hand resting on Luffy's trembling shoulder, his voice somewhat choked up:
"Straw Hat, let go."
"This ship... has done its best.
"It fought until the very last moment and protected all its crew members."
"Let it... rest properly, like a man."
"..."
Luffy knelt on the water-soaked deck, his head bowed.
Large tears dripped onto the wooden planks—the going merry's final warmth.
He knew Franky was right.
As the Captain, he had to accept this cruel reality.
Not far away.
Tatsuya had been standing quietly.
His trench coat fluttered in the sea breeze, and his black hair obscured his eyes.
Hum—
Within the vision of Tatsuya's Sharingan, he saw a different sight.
The Ship Spirit, wearing a little yellow raincoat and holding a small wooden hammer, was standing on the broken sheep-headed figurehead.
Its body was becoming increasingly transparent, as if it might dissipate into the wind at any moment.
However, there was no pain or regret on its face.
It was smiling, using those gentle, large eyes to look at each of its weeping companions.
It reached out a small hand, seemingly wanting to wipe the tears from Luffy's face, but it passed right through.
[Don't cry... everyone...]
Tatsuya seemed to read its lips.
Tatsuya took a deep breath, suppressing the bitterness in his heart.
He walked over to Usopp, who was crying so hard he was almost about to faint.
"Stop crying, Usopp."
Tatsuya reached out and gently patted Usopp's shoulder, his voice soft:
"It's very happy."
"What are you saying..." Usopp looked up, his face covered in snot and tears.
"It's about to sink... how could it be happy!"
"Because it fulfilled its mission."
Tatsuya adjusted his glasses, his gaze tenderly fixed on the small figure in the void:
"It protected its most beloved companions until the very last moment.
"For a ship, there is no happier ending than this."
"I can see it... it's smiling."
Hearing this, Usopp froze for a moment, then began to cry even harder, wailing heart-wrenchingly:
"Waaaaah!! I know that!! But... but I can't bear to let go!!!"
...
At some point, fine snow began to fall from the sky.
Pure white snowflakes fell onto the dark sea and the ruined deck, as if the ocean itself was sending off this brave warrior.
Everyone had already transferred to the Galley-La Company's large ship.
A small boat carrying the remains of the going merry floated quietly on the sea.
They decided to give the going merry a final sea burial—a fire burial.
This was the oldest and most honorable way to say goodbye.
Let it return to the sea in a blaze of glory rather than rotting at the cold bottom of the ocean.
Luffy held a torch in his hand.
His arms were wrapped in bandages, and they were trembling violently.
All his companions stood behind him.
Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Tatsuya.
Everyone watched the little ship that carried countless memories for them.
It was their home from their start in the East Sea.
It was the companion that had carried them into the skies, dived into the deep sea, and crossed the Grand Line.
"Merry..."
Luffy's voice was choked with endless longing:
"The bottom of the sea is very dark... you'll be lonely."
"So... we're going to send you off."
Luffy closed his eyes, hardened his heart, and let the torch fall.
Whoosh—
The moment the flames touched the wood, they ignited rapidly.
It wasn't a terrifying fire, but a warm, golden light.
The flames consumed the broken mainmast, the patched deck, and finally surrounded the smiling sheep head.
Snowflakes fluttered as the flames soared into the sky.
Amidst this sorrowful silence.
That voice... the voice that had once called out to them by the broken bridge, rang out again.
This time, it wasn't in their minds, but seemed to echo between heaven and earth, in the depths of everyone's souls.
[I'm sorry...]
That youthful voice, carrying a hint of apology, drifted away with the sparks.
[I wanted to carry everyone... to even further places.]
[I'm sorry... I really wanted to adventure with you forever.]
Nami could no longer hold it in; she covered her mouth and sobbed loudly: "Merry!!"
Chopper wailed even louder, snot and tears smearing his face: "We're the ones who are sorry! Merry!!"
Even the usually tough Zoro silently turned away, looking up at the snowy sky.
Sanji lowered the brim of his hat, the cigarette in his hand long since extinguished, as a crystalline tear fell from the corner of his eye.
[But... I was truly happy.]
The voice became cheerful, filled with warmth and gratitude.
[Thank you... for everything until now.]
[I was... truly happy.]
The final word of thanks, as the going merry's keel collapsed in the flames, turned into countless dancing points of light and rose toward the sky.
"Merry—!!!"
Luffy shouted to the heavens, his tears like a bursting dam.
Usopp knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably; it was the final farewell to his closest comrade-in-arms.
Robin wiped her tears, looking at this group of companions, her heart filled with warmth.
These were people who could love even a ship so deeply.
Beside them, Franky, though an outsider, was also streaming with tears, crying like a three-hundred-pound child.
"Uuugh... this was truly... a SUPER good ship!!!"
Franky sobbed while strumming his guitar: "This is a man's farewell!!"
Tatsuya stood at the very back of the group.
The firelight reflected on his face, casting shifting shadows.
He watched the sheep head gradually turn to ash in the flames, and he watched the Ship Spirit waving goodbye to everyone in the firelight.
Tatsuya slowly raised his hand, pushed up his glasses, and thought to himself:
"Goodbye, Merry."
"We will carry your will to Laugh Tale."
"Until then... rest well."
At the very moment the going merry completely sank into the sea.
Beside Tatsuya's ear, a cold yet exceptionally pleasant system notification sound suddenly rang out, audible only to him.
[Ding!]
[Detected that the 'Ship Spirit' is about to dissipate...]
[Host participation is extremely high, and the bond with this vessel is profound.]
[System automatically collecting...]
[Collection successful!]
[Congratulations to the Host: The Ship Spirit of the going merry has been successfully extracted and saved to the 'System Space'.]
[Note: This spirit is in a dormant state. When the Host obtains the next high-quality ship, this spirit can be infused into it, allowing it to inherit Merry's will and memories and continue sailing with the Host.]
Hearing this prompt, Tatsuya's originally sorrowful eyes suddenly sharpened.
He snapped his head up, looking at the now empty surface of the sea.
Tatsuya's mouth curled into a relieved smile amidst the glint of tears.
"So that's how it is..."
"That's right."
"The Straw Hat Pirates' ship... how could it not have a soul?"
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