OPTC Chapter 304: Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
"Fishmen?" Zeff recalled for a moment. "The last I heard about them was in the newspapers, a few months ago. It said that Jinbe, a fishman, had become one of the Seven Warlords. Other than that, I haven't heard much."
Zhang Da Ye thought for a bit. A few months should be enough time for Arlong to leave the Grand Line. Though gathering his crew and preparing a ship would have taken some time. Maybe he even wandered the Grand Line for a while before heading to East Blue. His first destination might not have been fixed at all.
Sanji suddenly perked up. "Fishmen? Wait—are you talking about mermaids? Have you seen a real mermaid before?"
"You mean mermaids, not fishmen," Zhang Da Ye corrected casually, already guessing what was going on in Sanji's head. "Mermaids rarely leave Fishman Island. But we'll be passing through there later on. Want to come with us?"
Sanji, who had just been so determined to find the All Blue, now looked torn—his expression swinging between dreamy and serious.
Zhang Da Ye found it amusing and decided to tease him further. "We're actually pretty close with the royal family of Fishman Island. The mermaid princess there is about your age. If you go now, you could be her childhood friend. And when you both grow up…"
"Childhood friend… of a mermaid princess?!" Sanji swayed on his feet like a seaweed caught in the current, completely lost in fantasy.
"Don't daydream, you brat. You can't even make soup properly." Zeff smacked him on the head with his leg.
"Stupid old man! I'll surpass you one day!" Sanji stormed off toward the kitchen, still fuming. If he stayed any longer, he might actually explode.
Zeff turned back to Zhang Da Ye. "So, you came to East Blue to look for that Fishman Pirate Crew?"
Zhang Da Ye waved it off. "We're just passing through. If we happen to run into them, fine. They're small fry. It's not like they've done anything to offend me—I wouldn't come all the way from the Grand Line just to deal with them."
That last part made Zeff pause. So if someone *did* offend him, he really would chase them from the Grand Line all the way to East Blue? He suddenly felt a little sympathy for anyone unlucky enough to anger Zhang Da Ye.
Since there wasn't any useful information left to gather, Zhang Da Ye and his group soon took their leave and set sail again.
As they were saying their goodbyes, the exhausted chefs stumbled out of the restaurant, vowing to grow stronger and one day defeat Artoria.
"I'll be waiting," Artoria said, her eyes burning with excitement. "When I come back, we'll have a rematch!"
Zhang Da Ye just wanted to know—if Artoria won next time, could they eat for free at Baratie?
Probably not. So their next destination became the fabled Golden Island—to search for the treasure of the "Golden Pirate" Woonan.
Zhang Da Ye hadn't really cared about treasure before, but now he genuinely hoped they'd find some gold.
Otherwise, at this rate, Boss Zhang was going to go bankrupt.
A few hopeful days passed at sea.
It was December 24, Year 1510 of the Sea Calendar. The weather was cloudy, and according to their ship doctor and weather forecaster Wendy, snow was expected tonight.
"Course looks good?" Zhang Da Ye asked Shark Chili, as he did every day.
Shark Chili checked the map and compass. "No problem. We'll arrive in about two or three days."
"Food supply?" Zhang Da Ye continued.
"At normal consumption rates, we've got enough for twenty days," Rui Meng Meng reported. She had been helping Tom in the kitchen and now also managed the storage. She kept track of every item precisely—assuming Tom and Artoria didn't sneak off to snack again.
"Perfect. It's Christmas Eve, so let's decorate the Amber!" Zhang Da Ye called out.
They had already prepared a Christmas tree back in the Goa Kingdom, keeping it potted so it stayed fresh and green. Tom climbed a small stepladder with a big pair of scissors, trimming it neatly.
The cut branches weren't wasted—Tom bundled them into green wreaths to hang on the walls of the dining hall.
Rui Meng Meng brought out the decorations they'd bought earlier and handed them around.
Carla fluttered up to hang a golden star at the top of the tree, then flew in circles to wrap the tree with strings of colorful lights.
Wendy and Perona stood on stools to hang lollipops and candy canes from the branches.
Zhang Da Ye unwrapped a lollipop and stuck it into Artoria's mouth, then gently pulled her away from the tree.
Artoria followed reluctantly, gazing at the candy-covered tree like it was the most delicious thing she'd ever seen.
Ye Yan directed the flag spirits, who fluttered up and down, hanging ribbons, bells, and snowflake ornaments all around the ship's rails and masts.
Brook sat at the piano and started playing "Jingle Bells," using the sheet music Tom had provided—otherwise, he'd have to guess from Zhang Da Ye's humming.
Everyone bustled about, transforming the Amber into a glowing Christmas ship. Even Tom's figurehead at the bow now wore a Santa suit.
When night fell, the entire ship lit up in a blaze of color. Strings of lights outlined its shape against the dark sea.
The Christmas tree stood tall on deck, shining brightly. Everyone gathered before it—Artoria in the center, Wendy holding Carla, Perona holding Tom, with Zhang Da Ye, Rui Meng Meng, Ye Yan, and Brook standing behind them.
Golden Bird, their flag spirit, hovered with a camera, taking pictures from different angles.
Shark Chili switched between normal and super transformation forms just to join the photos in multiple poses. He briefly considered summoning the Shark Giant but decided against testing the Amber's weight capacity.
Far away, a lookout on another pirate ship shouted, "Captain! Unknown ship spotted!"
"What? How'd you see that in this darkness?"
"It's all lit up, sir! No moon tonight, so it stands out clear as day!"
"Ha! Boys, turn off our lights! Let's sneak over and ambush them. With that many lights, it's gotta be a rich man's yacht!"
"AYE!"
The resting pirates quickly set sail again, heading toward the Amber.
But before they got far, a massive golden slash ripped across their ship, splitting it clean in half.
For a moment, no one felt a thing—until the two halves began sinking. Only then came the screams.
"What happened?!"
Back on the Amber, Artoria sneakily plucked a candy cane from the tree, making sure no one noticed.
She didn't know who those pirates were, but after all the effort Zhang Da Ye had put into this celebration, she wasn't about to let anyone ruin it.
She licked the candy cane, her ahoge bouncing contentedly. So sweet. Maybe she'd reward herself with a lollipop next.
A gentle breeze stirred the bells hanging around the ship, their jingles mixing with the first soft snowflakes drifting down. Wendy caught one in her palm—a perfect crystal flake that slowly melted into a droplet.
"It's beautiful…" she whispered, gazing up at the glowing snowfall.
Brook began playing again. Tom joined in with a flute, a clarinet, a violin, a trumpet—switching between instruments with joyful ease. Even a simple song like "Jingle Bells" became a full symphonic performance.
"Jingle bells, jingle bells…" Zhang Da Ye started singing along.
Strictly speaking, his voice wasn't exactly pleasant—and it clashed a bit with the two musical masters—but no one cared.
Soon Wendy and Carla joined in, their voices light and sweet. "Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!"
Perona rolled her eyes but eventually sang too, pretending she wasn't enjoying it. "Through the wind and snow, we ride our sleigh tonight…"
Rui Meng Meng wasn't confident in her voice, but quietly followed along. "Across the fields we go, laughing all the way…"
"This song's childish," Ye Yan muttered—but she was singing the lyrics more clearly than anyone else. "Bells on bobtails ring, making spirits bright…"
Artoria swayed gently with her candy, humming with everyone while deciding where to take the first bite of her giant lollipop.
Shark Chili, upon hearing Zhang Da Ye sing, almost jumped overboard—but Brook's soothing music helped him resist the urge. Listening longer, he felt something stir inside him.
It reminded him of the Rumbar Pirates' final song—the one recorded for Laboon. But that song had carried sorrow beneath the smiles. Their laughter had faded, one voice at a time, until only silence and loneliness remained.
This time was different. As the Amber crew sang, more voices joined in, one after another. The song wasn't perfect, but it was full of warmth and genuine joy.
For the first time, Shark Chili wanted to sing too. He opened his mouth.
"Jingle bells, jingle bells…"
His voice was rough and awkward, but when he saw his companions smiling at him, Zhang Da Ye's eyes shining with surprise, he kept going.
"Jingle all the way…"
Brook's hollow eyes gleamed with tears as he smiled and joined the singing too.
Tom didn't sing, but his hands danced from instrument to instrument, filling the night with bright, cheerful sound.
"Singing… isn't so bad after all," Artoria murmured, hanging her untouched lollipop back on the tree. She took a breath and joined them.
"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way~
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh~"
The joyful chorus, the music, the bells, and the sea breeze merged together under the falling snow—marking the Amber crew's very first Christmas Eve.
Dinner that night was a feast, followed by laughter and games. Everyone took a break from training, chatting, snacking, and telling stories late into the night.
Only when the two little girls began yawning did they all finally head to bed.
As usual, Zhang Da Ye tucked Tom into his little bed. Tom's tiny den was decorated too, with a small stocking hanging by his pillow for Santa's gift.
"Good night, Tom," Zhang Da Ye said softly, switching off the lamp.
Tom waved sleepily before closing his eyes, worn out but happy.
Once Tom began snoring lightly, Zhang Da Ye quietly pulled out the Santa suit hidden under his blanket and slipped out of bed. But as he passed by Tom's nest, his fake beard dropped to the floor with a small thud.
Tom stirred. His eyes blinked open groggily.
Zhang Da Ye quickly bent down and whispered a lullaby beside his ear.
"Fireflies, fireflies, fly away home…"
By the end of the song, Tom's breathing slowed again. Zhang Da Ye gently pulled up his blanket and placed a pair of earmuffs over his head.
[Tom's Soundproof Earmuffs: Once you wear these, not even a drum or a firecracker will wake you. Spike-approved—you'll never wake a sleeping cat again.]
Zhang Da Ye sighed in relief as he left the room—though he felt a bit deflated. After all that practice with hypnosis from Jango's ring, a simple lullaby still worked better.
"You're slow," Ye Yan whispered from the hallway, already dressed in a reindeer costume and carrying a big sack.
"Had a minor setback," Zhang Da Ye replied, pulling on his Santa outfit and taking the bag of gifts she handed him. He'd prepared presents for everyone beforehand—tonight, it was time to deliver them.
He wasn't sure if anyone really believed in Santa Claus, but that wasn't the point. It was the spirit of it—the warmth and joy of giving.
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