The Going Merry drifted peacefully through the cloud layer, descending toward the blue seas below. The Straw Hats had said their goodbyes to the sky people, though "goodbye" might have been too light a word - half the island's population had been openly weeping as they watched Nolan's figure disappear into the clouds. What the sloth didn't know was that by next year, visitors would find golden statues of him erected across Skypiea, his legend already woven into their history.
Back on the ship, chaos reigned.
"NAMI! NAMI! PLEASE! ONE MORE TIME!" Luffy wailed, his rubbery arms wrapped around the navigator's legs like overly attached vines. Tears and snot flowed freely down his face as he looked up with the most pitiful expression imaginable.
Usopp had prostrated himself on the deck, forehead pressed against the wood. "I BEG YOU, GREAT NAVIGATOR-SAMA! BESTOW UPON US YOUR GLORIOUS GAZE ONCE MORE!"
Chopper added his own assault, his big, watery eyes somehow growing three sizes larger. "Pwease?" he squeaked, tiny hooves clasped together.
Nami's eye twitched violently. "I SAID NO! THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME ALREADY!" Her fist became a blur as she delivered three consecutive punches to their heads, creating matching lumps.
From the sidelines, Sanji and Zoro observed with practiced indifference - though if one looked closely, they were both subtly leaning forward in anticipation. They'd long since learned to let the more excitable crew members do the begging for them.
Sanji cleared his throat. "Food's ready," he announced loudly.
Normally, this would have sent Luffy rocketing toward the galley at speeds that defied physics. Today, however, the captain merely glanced toward the food, then back to Nami with frightening intensity. His stomach growled loudly, yet he held firm.
Nolan chuckled from his spot against the railing. "Can't destroy... men's romance," he mused, thoroughly enjoying Nami's suffering.
"This is your fault!" Nami hissed at him, pointing an accusatory finger. "If you hadn't given me these stupid eyes—"
"You're the one... who showed them off," Nolan countered with a lazy shrug.
With an exasperated sigh, Nami finally relented. "FINE. One last time." She dramatically closed her eyes, then snapped them open to reveal the swirling crimson patterns of the Mangekyo Sharingan. The eerie glow cast strange shadows across her face.
Usopp immediately fainted from sheer awe. Chopper began bouncing in circles, squealing about how "COOL!" it was. Luffy's jaw hit the deck, his eyes sparkling like a child seeing fireworks for the first time.
"Zo-chan~!" Yachiru piped up from her perch on Zoro's shoulder, swinging her tiny legs. "Do you want eyes like that too?"
Zoro actually considered it for a moment. "You know how to get them?"
Yachiru put a finger to her chin, thinking deeply. Then beamed. "Nope!" she declared cheerfully.
Zoro sighed. "Figures."
As the commotion died down, Sanji's voice carried from the galley again. "Anyone who doesn't come eat in the next ten seconds loses their portion to Luffy!"
That finally broke the spell. The crew stampeded toward the food, leaving Nami rubbing her temples - though secretly, she was rather pleased with her new acquisition. Even if it did come with three overexcited children constantly begging for demonstrations.
Nolan lazily chewed on his lunch from the comfort of his floating nimbus, watching the chaotic scene unfold below with half-lidded eyes. His portion sat safely out of reach - experience had taught him that leaving food unattended around Luffy was like offering meat to a starving sea king.
"Right, Robin," Nolan suddenly mumbled through a mouthful of food. "Why refuse?" His words were barely coherent, but Robin had long since mastered the art of deciphering Nolan-speak.
She stretched languidly, the movement accentuating her curves in a way that would have sent Sanji into cardiac arrest had he not been busy trying to pry Luffy off Usopp. "You'd already decided who those eyes belonged to, hadn't you?" she mused, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "I'll patiently wait for whatever... unique gift you have in mind for me."
Their peaceful conversation was abruptly shattered by the sound of splintering wood.
"GIVE IT BACK!" Usopp shrieked, his nose elongated and wrapped around Luffy's wrist like a rope. "That was my special portion!"
"But I'm still hungry!" Luffy protested, his other hand already stretching toward Sanji's carefully prepared platter of desserts.
Sanji's eye twitched violently as he delivered a sharp kick to both their heads. "I SAID STOP THAT, YOU INGRATES!"
The impact only made them roll directly into Zoro's spot, sending the swordsman tumbling into the mast with a loud thud. "The hell?!" he roared, immediately drawing his swords.
Chopper screamed and dove behind Nami, who was too busy counting imaginary beli from her new golden treasure to notice. "My cabinets!" the doctor wailed as the wrestling match sent medical supplies flying overboard.
Nolan sighed deeply before floating up to the Merry's sheep figurehead. He patted the wooden carving gently. "I'm sorry, Merry... they're chaotic," he murmured, as if consoling a living being.
Robin blinked at the peculiar display but wisely chose not to comment. After sailing with this crew, talking to ships seemed almost normal compared to some of the other quirks she'd witnessed.
From her perch on Zoro's shoulder, Yachiru suddenly pointed at the commotion. "Zo-chan! They're playing without us!"
Zoro grunted. "That's not playing, that's—"
"YAY! WRESTLING TIME!" Yachiru launched herself like a pink cannonball directly into the fray, accidentally kneeing Usopp in the stomach.
"GACK! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" Usopp wheezed, now convinced the tiny girl was some secret weapon.
Nami finally looked up from her calculations, took one look at the destruction, and immediately saw her repair bills multiplying. "EVERYONE STOP RIGHT NOW OR NO ONE GETS A SHARE OF THEIR ALLOWANCES!"
The effect was instantaneous. The fighting ceased mid-punch, with Luffy's fist frozen an inch from Usopp's nose. Even Yachiru hovered mid-air before plopping onto the deck.
Silence.
Then—
"Allowance?" Luffy tilted his head.
"You'll give us?" Usopp's eyes turned to berries.
Nami smirked. Crisis averted.
Nolan, still perched on the figurehead, shook his head and took another lazy bite of his food. Just another day on the Going Merry.
---
The marine lieutenant's boots clicked sharply against the polished deck as he delivered his report. "Vice Admiral Garp is currently en route to headquarters! Estimated arrival in this sector within three weeks, sir!"
Vice Admiral Onigumo didn't glance up from the tactical maps spread across the navigation table. The smoke from his cigar curled around his face as he considered the information. His massive battleship cut through Grand Line waters near Banaro Island with mechanical precision.
"Turn the ship," Onigumo finally ordered, tapping ash over the map's edge. "We'll intercept them at Enies Lobby. Those Straw Hat brats always take the predictable path." His eight spider-like mechanical arms twitched unconsciously - a nervous habit from his Devil Fruit powers.
The lieutenant hesitated. "Sir, with all due respect, Garp-"
"Garp's sentimentality isn't our concern," Onigumo interrupted, his voice like gravel. "We have direct orders from Admiral Akainu." His limbs clinked against his tea cup as he took a sip. "Pirates are pirates. Eliminate them now, save the trouble later."
The unspoken implication hung heavy in the air - they didn't need to bring the Straw Hats in breathing. A single survivor would satisfy the technicality of "arrest." Onigumo had built his reputation on this pragmatic approach, earning his place among Akainu's most trusted enforcers. Unlike those soft-hearted fools under Aokiji's banner, he understood true justice required getting one's hands dirty.
As the crew scrambled to change course, a panicked shout came from the crow's nest: "S-Sir! You need to see this!"
Onigumo sighed through his nose before striding to the railing. His sharp eyes tracked the pointing finger upward - where a ship was literally falling from the sky. The wooden vessel tumbled end over end, its sails flapping wildly as it descended toward the ocean.
Then he saw the flag.
A grinning skull with a straw hat.
A slow, predatory smile spread across Onigumo's face. His arms unsheathed eight swords in perfect unison. "Well now," he murmured, cigar smoke curling from his lips. "Jackpot."
---
Thank you for pointing out the mistakes boys,