The midday sun hung high above Syrup Village. Its golden light reflected off the calm sea surface, while the wind carried the smell of salt all the way to the shore.
Kaya led Luffy and the others along the path to the beach. When they arrived, they stopped immediately.
A white caravel had moored elegantly at the water's edge. Standing beside it was Merry with a proud smile, as though he had been waiting for that moment for a long time.
"A caravel...!" Nami exclaimed. Her eyes lit up with enthusiasm.
Zoro nodded with satisfaction, folding his arms. "Not bad."
Meanwhile, Luffy just stood fixed in place. His gaze swept across the entire body of the ship before stopping at the sheep-shaped figurehead at the bow.
His eyes immediately lit up.
"Is this... ship really for us?" he asked in a tone that was almost disbelieving.
"Yes." Kaya smiled gently. "Please use it however you like."
Merry stepped forward proudly.
"The design might look simple, but I built this ship myself. Its name is Going Merry."
He began explaining the various parts of the ship, from the sails, the helm, to how to navigate.
But only a few sentences had come out of his mouth when Nami immediately raised her hand.
"Wait, wait. Explanations about steering the ship are enough for me alone."
"Eh?"
"Luffy won't remember any of it."
"Oi!"
Nami only sighed. "Just trust me."
Luffy was no longer paying attention to their conversation. He walked up to the ship and looked at the sheep figurehead while smiling wide.
"Wow... this ship is so cool!"
He looked at the sheep figurehead from various angles.
"The front part is the coolest!"
In his heart, he had already decided that spot would become his favorite seat.
Behind him, Kaya spoke up again.
"We've also prepared provisions for your journey. Food, fresh water, and other necessities have already been loaded into the ship."
Luffy turned with a beaming face.
"Really? Thank you! That's a great help!"
Before the conversation could continue...
"GYAAAAAA! HELP! SOMEONE STOP ME!!"
A panicked scream echoed from the top of the hill.
Everyone spontaneously turned.
Usopp could be seen rolling uncontrollably down the slope while hugging a large bag on his back.
"Usopp-san!" Kaya cried in panic.
Luffy tilted his head.
"What is he doing?"
"More importantly, stop him," Zoro said flatly. "If we don't, he's going to crash into the ship."
Without much discussion, Zoro and Luffy stepped forward.
They raised one foot each almost simultaneously.
THUD!
Usopp slammed into their soles and stopped immediately.
His body went limp, while his face was still pressed against both their feet.
With tears still flowing, he mumbled faintly.
"S-sorry... for the trouble...."
"Yeah."
Luffy answered casually without lowering his foot even slightly.
Usopp slowly stood while wiping his face.
Kaya came up to him.
"So... you're really going to leave, Usopp-san?"
"Yeah!" Usopp answered firmly, though his voice trembled slightly. He looked at the wide sea before him. "I have to set off before my resolve wavers! So don't try to stop me!"
Kaya lowered her head slightly.
"I wasn't planning to stop you."
She smiled thinly.
"I always felt... that someday you would choose to leave."
Usopp turned.
"But... you sound sad."
He was quiet for a moment, then broke into a wide smile.
"In that case, when I come back, I'll tell you adventures far more amazing than all my lies up until now!"
Kaya's smile bloomed in return.
"Yes."
"I'll be looking forward to it."
Seeing that smile return to Kaya's face, Usopp let out a sigh of relief.
"You three take care of yourselves, okay! See you all again!"
He turned and looked at the Straw Hat ship beginning to prepare to sail.
Luffy was leaning casually on the ship's railing.
"Why?"
Usopp blinked in confusion.
"Huh?"
"I figure we'll meet again someday at sea."
Zoro snorted quietly.
"Idiot."
He pointed toward the deck.
"Just get on."
Usopp blinked several times.
Luffy smiled.
"Aren't we friends?"
The sound of waves accompanied a brief silence.
Usopp's eyes slowly welled up.
The next second he jumped as high as he could.
"In that case... I get to be captain, right?!"
"No!" Luffy answered quickly. "I'm the captain!"
"So still not allowed, huh?!"
Laughter burst out.
Not long after, the white sail of Going Merry spread open, caught by the wind. Slowly the ship left the shore of Syrup Village.
On the calm open sea, Going Merry moved slowly following the wind's direction.
The sound of waves hitting the hull mixed with the cries of seagulls circling in the blue sky.
"This is great! I love it!" Nami called out while patting the ship's sail.
On it was now painted the new Jolly Roger of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Usopp puffed his chest with pride.
"Of course it's great! I've been drawing on walls for years!"
He lifted his chin high.
"I'm a man of many talents."
In the corner of the deck, Luffy was crouching while drawing circles on the floor with his finger.
"...That was supposed to be my masterpiece."
His tone sounded so gloomy that even Zoro glanced over briefly.
Zoro then compared Usopp's flag with Luffy's drawing lying nearby.
One looked like a genuine pirate symbol.
The other...
Looked like a scribble from a child just learning to draw.
"Usopp's is definitely better."
Luffy immediately hung his head.
An aura of gloom seemed to emanate from around his body.
"I see..." he mumbled.
But that dejected mood didn't last long.
He immediately stood and pointed at the main sail.
"Then paint one there too!"
"Leave it to me!"
Usopp raised his brush with full enthusiasm.
The work took several hours.
By the time the sun had begun to set in the west, the paint had finally dried.
All four of them stood looking at the finished result.
The Straw Hat Jolly Roger flew proudly on the Going Merry.
"Done!" Usopp announced proudly.
"Yeah!" Luffy replied.
"Looks pretty cool," Zoro said with a thin grin.
Nami nodded with satisfaction.
Then her eyes fell on Luffy's drawing still lying in the corner of the deck.
"So... what should we do with that?"
"Tear it up," Zoro answered without hesitation.
"Burn it," Usopp added.
"What?!"
Luffy immediately hugged his drawing.
"That's a memento!"
Nobody paid him any mind.
All three looked toward Nami.
Nami crossed her arms.
"So I'm the deciding vote?"
"Hmm..."
She tapped her chin as though deliberating an extremely important decision.
Several seconds later, a wide smile appeared on her face.
"LET'S BURN IT!"
"YEAH!"
"Agreed!"
"That's not fair!"
A short while later, Luffy's masterpiece had turned to ash carried away by the sea breeze.
Luffy knelt while staring at the remains of the burning with glistening eyes.
"My masterpiece..."
While the other three laughed without a shred of guilt.
It wasn't long before Luffy had forgotten the tragedy entirely.
He was standing on deck doing physical training.
Zoro came up to him.
"Oi, Luffy."
"Hm?"
"That technique you used against Buggy."
"Which one?"
"The one that made you move so fast."
"Oh."
Luffy understood immediately.
"That's called Soru."
Zoro put on a serious expression.
"Teach me."
"Sure."
Luffy stood straight.
"The principle is simple. Kicking the ground many times in a very short period."
The moment that sentence finished...
WHOOSH!
His body vanished.
Zoro furrowed his brow.
A moment later Luffy reappeared near the ship's figurehead.
"Something like that."
Zoro's eyes widened slightly.
Luffy then bent his knees.
"This one is Geppo."
He jumped.
Buk.
Buk.
Buk.
His body moved through the air as though there were invisible steps supporting each of his footfalls.
Usopp and Nami who happened to be passing by stopped immediately.
Usopp's mouth fell wide open.
"How is he doing that?"
Luffy landed back on deck.
"It's because I kick the air very hard."
"That doesn't explain anything at all!" Usopp protested.
Luffy just laughed.
Then he turned toward them.
"Do you two want to learn too?"
"No."
Nami's answer came as fast as lightning.
"Me neither," Usopp replied.
"I still have plenty of other things to do."
Luffy shrugged.
"Alright."
After that he started training Zoro until night came.
The next day.
Even before the sun rose, Luffy was already awake.
He slowly moved Usopp's hand which had been covering his face while sleeping and went out of the cabin.
The morning air felt cool.
The ship's deck was still empty.
Luffy immediately started his physical training.
While running around the ship and doing various basic exercises, his mind went back to his fight against Kuro.
During that fight...
For a brief moment he felt he could catch the direction of his opponent's attacks before they came.
The feeling was very faint.
But clear enough to keep him thinking about it.
Kenbunshoku Haki...
If he kept training his instincts and perception, perhaps someday that ability would awaken on its own.
What was still a problem was Busoshoku Haki.
He still hadn't found a way to train it.
Luffy stopped for a moment.
Sweat dripped from his forehead.
He remembered what Garp had said.
Busoshoku was a power that created an invisible armor for attacking and defending.
"Armor..."
Luffy repeated the word quietly.
"Armor..."
His eyes suddenly went wide.
"Wait a moment."
In that case...
Wouldn't it make sense if he had to continuously focus on enduring attacks?
The more he thought about it, the more sense his theory made.
Maybe he really did need to be hit many times.
Luffy nodded firmly.
"I'll try that later."
Then he went back to training.
The sun began to appear above the horizon.
"2998!"
Luffy went down into a push-up.
"2999!"
Sweat dripped to the floor.
"3000!"
Thud.
He immediately let himself fall flat on his back.
His breathing labored.
His entire body felt hot.
At that moment the cabin door opened.
Nami came out while stretching her body.
When she saw Luffy, she blinked in surprise.
"You're already up?"
"Yep."
Luffy raised one hand.
"I've been up for a long time."
"Heh."
Nami leaned on the ship's railing.
"I wouldn't have guessed."
"Why?"
"Because you don't look like someone who likes waking up early."
Luffy was quiet for a moment.
Thinking about it...
He used to be exactly like that.
But since that strange dream had entered his life, many things had changed.
He started training harder.
Started waking up earlier.
Even occasionally reading to pass the time.
Luffy shook his head.
Then looked at Nami.
"Nami."
"Hm?"
"Will you help me train?"
Nami looked suspicious.
"What kind of training?"
Luffy picked up a piece of black cloth and covered his eyes.
"You just need to attack me as hard as you can."
"...What?"
"I'll try to dodge."
Nami looked at him for several seconds.
"Luffy."
"Hm?"
"That's a stupid idea."
"Yeah, but let's do it."
Nami let out a long sigh.
Then raised her wooden staff.
"Then don't complain."
SWISH!
The staff immediately shot toward Luffy's head.
"Ow!"
Missed.
Second hit.
"Ow!"
Missed again.
Third hit.
"OW!"
Still missed.
Several minutes later...
Nami's breathing had started to labor.
While Luffy's head was covered in lumps.
At that point Zoro came out of the cabin.
He yawned while stretching his body.
Then stopped.
Looked at Luffy.
Looked at Nami.
Then looked at Luffy again.
"What is going on here?"
"Nami is hitting me."
"He asked for it!" Nami protested.
"I'm training."
Zoro frowned.
"By getting hit?"
"One part of the training."
Before Zoro could comment, Usopp appeared from inside the cabin.
The moment he saw Luffy's face, he jumped in alarm.
"Whoa!"
Usopp pointed at his face.
"What happened to you?!"
Luffy rubbed one of the lumps on his head.
"I'm training."
"Training for what?"
Luffy grinned.
"Haki."
End of Chapter 21