The Masira Pirates and the Shoujou Pirates were enthusiastically guiding the Straw Hat Pirates toward the shore, where Montblanc Cricket's house stood sturdily on the docks.
The salty wind carried the sound of waves hitting wooden planks, and laughter echoed between the ships as they drew closer.
The Straw Hats were soon introduced to Shoujou, who, as it turned out, was Masira's brother. Both of them were members of the Saruyama Alliance.
Despite their earlier display of hostility, it became clear that their bond was far from fragile.
In fact, after Luffy happily announced that everyone would come aboard, the two brothers immediately reconciled, offering their apologies without hesitation, almost as if their fight had never happened at all.
Douglas found the sight somewhat amusing. Even after such intense brawling, the pair managed to laugh together again within minutes.
'Maybe that's how men fight,' Douglas thought, watching Masira and Shoujou standing hand in hand on the Going Merry's deck, while their respective crews handled the ships behind them. 'They just need to beat the hell out of each other, and it's fine after that.'
"My name is Shoujou, though most people know me better as Sonar King Shoujou," he said proudly, his tone carrying both pride and sincerity. "I'm part of the Saruyama Alliance, and like my brother Masira, I've been a huge admirer of the Tales of Noland ever since I was young. So when I heard you were heading toward the Golden Island, I temporarily forgot about my sworn brother. For that shameful display, I sincerely apologize."
Masira's eyes welled slightly, touched by his brother's words. "I forgive you, Shoujou. Honestly, I share the blame. When I found out that the Straw Hats had a way to reach Sky Island, I also lost sight of everything else, including you." The two brothers then hugged, the tension between them melting away completely, while Luffy laughed heartily beside Usopp and Chopper, who were both cheering them on.
"Brotherhood is a rare thing to find in these seas," Robin commented quietly, standing near Zoro, Douglas, and Nami. Her calm tone carried a kind of admiration, and the others nodded in agreement, each of them understanding the truth in her words.
"So," Robin continued, turning her attention toward Douglas, "I heard there was some sort of commotion earlier — something about two pirates being killed. Was that you?" Her eyes flickered with mild curiosity as Douglas seemed to be calculating something silently in his head.
"It's not like they stayed dead forever," Douglas replied in a casual voice, glancing at her with a faint grin. "I brought them back."
Robin chuckled softly, while Nami crossed her arms and complained. "You should've been there, Robin. It was awful. There was blood everywhere!" she said, her voice trembling slightly at the memory.
"That little bit of blood scared you? You've been sailing for years now," Zoro teased, smirking at her reaction.
"What did you say?" Nami snapped, immediately losing her frightened expression as she punched Zoro squarely on the head.
Douglas couldn't help but laugh. "Hahaha! You're afraid of Nami, huh? You know her weakness, so why do you even let her scare you?" he said teasingly.
Nami turned toward Douglas with that familiar, fiery glare, preparing to punch him next.
But before she could swing, Douglas quickly pulled out a thick wad of cash and smacked it against her face.
Her eyes instantly turned into berry signs as she grabbed the money and held it tightly.
Robin, Zoro, and Douglas all burst into laughter, though the peace didn't last long.
After a short pause, Nami gave Douglas a solid punch on the head anyway.
"It's not enough for me to let that slide," she said matter-of-factly while pocketing the money with a satisfied grin.
Douglas rubbed the sore spot on his head and sighed. "You're impossible."
Nami winked, sticking her tongue out playfully. "You love it."
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The group continued sailing for a while, the gentle waves rocking their ship, until a massive castle appeared in the distance. The sight immediately caught the attention of the Straw Hat Pirates, leaving most of them in awe. They all assumed it must be the real home of Mont Blanc Cricket. However, Douglas, who already knew the truth behind the structure, showed little reaction. Zoro and Sanji, on the other hand, slowly began to sense that something felt off as they approached the shore.
Luffy, full of excitement as usual, jumped ahead while dragging Usopp along. He stretched his arm forward, grabbing onto a rock near the shore, pulling the two of them closer with that familiar grin plastered on his face.
"They're definitely going to be disappointed," Douglas said calmly, watching them go. Both Zoro and Sanji nodded in agreement, while Nami, after a closer look, also realized what was wrong with the picture before them.
When the ship finally reached the shore, they found Luffy and Usopp sitting dejectedly near the sand. Their earlier excitement had faded as they pointed toward the "castle," revealing that it was nothing more than a hollow display, while the actual house nearby was just a small wooden cabin.
"Hahahaha! The boss made that display to look like a castle," Masira explained with a hearty laugh. "It's a trick that fools anyone trying to rob the place. They think they've found a fortune, only to realize it's fake, and they leave disappointed without checking inside." Shoujou stood beside him, nodding proudly as if he had told the story himself.
"Pretty clever plan. Maybe a bit unnecessary, but clever nonetheless," Douglas commented, his eyes scanning the fake castle's design with a mix of interest and amusement. Nearby, Luffy and Usopp quickly recovered from their gloom, their curiosity reigniting as always.
"So, where's the descendant of Noland?" Sanji asked, glancing around the quiet area and noticing that no one seemed to be around. Masira and Shoujou exchanged looks and began scanning the surroundings as well.
"Maybe the boss is busy with something," Masira said after a moment. "We can just wait a bit." Meanwhile, Douglas had already unfolded his blueprints on the ground and started unpacking the materials he had bought earlier, knowing that the process ahead would take time.
"I'll begin processing the materials first," Douglas said while organizing his tools. "It'll take a while since we're working in bulk." Luffy nodded eagerly, and Usopp, being fairly good with gadgets, walked over to help, curious to see what Douglas was planning.
As Douglas started setting things up, a sudden splash came from the nearby water. A man resurfaced from the sea, shaking off droplets before raising his voice toward the group.
"Masira! Shoujou! Whose ship is this?" he shouted. The Straw Hats turned their heads at once, surprised by the sudden appearance. Masira and Shoujou immediately sprinted toward the man, excitement written all over their faces.
"BOSS!!! WE'RE GOING TO SKY ISLAND!!!" they both yelled in unison, unable to contain their enthusiasm. Their shouts only left the man looking even more confused as he blinked at them, clearly unsure what they were talking about.
"What are you two saying?" he asked, still sounding puzzled, as his eyes drifted toward the unfamiliar faces now walking toward him. Luffy led the way, wearing that same wide grin he always had when meeting someone new.
"You must be the descendant of Noland!" Luffy said with cheerful confidence. "My name's Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm going to be the Pirate King!"
Masira and Shoujou beamed proudly beside him, while the man they called "Boss" stood there, still drenched, still confused, trying to make sense of what was happening before him.