Years passed, and Kaito was now a 22-year-old young man. He was on an island with Zoro and Kuina. Zoro was now 15 and Kuina 17; they had grown well over the years.
At the beginning of the year, Kaito, with Kuma's help, had kidnapped Sanji and sent him to the Kamabakka Kingdom with Ivankov. For Chopper, however, he explained the benefits of going to the Tori Tori island and detailed the situation there. After almost six years of training with Kureha, having absorbed all her knowledge, he agreed to go after a heartfelt goodbye from his adopted parents, Kureha and Hiluluk.
Sanji, however, was a different case. Kaito couldn't just explain where he was going, so he made the boy excited about the ladies and sent a porn book with him to ease his hellish days to come. Kaito also explained to Ivankov not to let Sanji become one of them.
Returning to the present, Kaito took Zoro and Kuina to meet Luffy. They were bored on the island and wanted to wander around with him.
A funny fact was that after Garp witnessed the growth of Luffy and Ace, he began to educate them harder and harder. He even took them to other islands for their battles, as the fights had large destructive after-effects.
Luffy, helpless in the face of the monster in front of him, developed Gear 4: King Kong. Its shape was similar to a "Garp building," as he didn't need it to fly because he had already mastered Rokushiki.
He mastered it due to Kaito's pressure. The technique of "returning to life" could only be mastered by learning all the other Rokushiki techniques. Kaito wanted him to learn it for a reason: this technique was a weakened version of the Nika form.
As one masters Rokushiki, they gain perfect control over every part of their body. So, Luffy could now enlarge his fists without blowing air into them. He also no longer had to use Haki continuously in Gear 4, as he could control the tension of his skin with Rokushiki alone.
With his current ability and Haki mastery, Luffy had truly turned into a monster, becoming even stronger than Kaito, who had already mastered internal destruction Haki.
Luffy's education with Garp let him reach a very refined level of Haki, becoming a master of Armament Haki and mastering the future sight aspect of Observation Haki.
His only problem was his body's age. His body, still in its development stage, ran out of gas very fast. To help with this, Kaito, with the help of Ivankov and Law, created a specific diet and medical regimen to prevent him from expending his lifespan while training.
Afraid of Luffy and the others being poisoned, Kaito also made them increase their poison resistance over the years.
But for now, Luffy's fighting style had taken shape. When Kaito told Zoro that he was weaker than a 13-year-old boy who he was going to join , Zoro decided to challenge him.
He had Ace bring Luffy to meet at the training island—named so because it was where Garp trained them... no, educated them, to dissuade them from being pirates.
Garp tried to ask them who taught them Haki, but Luffy and Ace refused to tell him no matter what. This was because Kaito had told them that if his identity were exposed, Garp would have to inform the Navy, which would harm his parents and the people in his village.
So, even though Garp knew Luffy was lying, he couldn't do anything about it. And Kaito, who had a wider range of Observation Haki, would always leave before Garp reached the island.
"Hey, Eagle, it's been a while," Luffy said as they reached the island.
"You came. Are these the guys who will challenge that monster?" Ace said, a helpless tone in his voice.
Even though Ace and Luffy had mastered Conqueror's Haki, they still couldn't use it for coating. Even Kaito and Zoro couldn't.
Kuina, however, had not awakened Conqueror's Haki as Kaito had thought she might. She gets a little depressed about it from time to time, but nothing could be done.
"Yeah, this is Zoro and Kuina. They wanted to challenge him," Kaito replied with a smile.
Ace—who Kaito still hadn't decided to give the Mera Mera no Mi—was on a losing streak against Luffy. Luffy's punches caused massive damage, not mention Luffy's Gear 4 was too much for Ace's still-developing body.
The only one who could fight him was Kaito. It wasn't because he was stronger, but because he was faster. He kept fighting from a distance to wear Luffy out until he ran out of stamina . Luffy hated Kaito's way of fighting, but Kaito replied, "You are going to fight different kinds of people and must know that there's no such thing as being unfair in pirate fights."
"Hey, I'm Zoro."
"Hello, I'm Kuina."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Ace."
"Hey, I'm Luffy! The man who's going to be the Pirate King!"
Ace shook his head as he looked at Luffy, who still had the same mindset as a child despite his current strength.
"Yosh, let's begin!" Luffy said.
Zoro replied by taking out his sword.
"You are strong," Luffy said, looking at Zoro.
"You too," Zoro replied.
Zoro launched a flying slash at Luffy, who dodged and instantly moved toward Zoro. Zoro launched another flying slash, but Luffy dodged again and continued forward. Zoro decided to meet him head-on.
Ace saw this and immediately shook his head. "Bad decision."
Kuina looked at him, but Kaito replied, "Luffy has complete control over his body. With his fruit giving him the power to enlarge, you can see the results of this combination."
Luffy laughed as he saw Zoro coming directly at him and threw a punch. His punch speed was normal, but just as Zoro went to dodge, his fist got bigger, surprising him. Zoro tried to defend but was sent flying into a rock, which shattered.
"Tsk, what a monster. You've created a beast, Eagle," Ace said.
"Hehehe, as expected of my genius training and my genius captain. Our combination will be deadly."
Zoro struggled to stand up, but Kaito said, "Okay, that's enough."
"I can continue to fight!"
"No, Luffy would have punched you again while you were still trying to get up. So don't get worked up; it's just a spar. But if you think you can come up with a way to cut him, I will stand down."
Zoro thought for a moment. "I think I can."
Kaito said, "Luffy, show him the Second Gear."
"Okay!" Luffy said, his skin suddenly turning red. He could now control his heart rate without using the Gear 2 pose.
He then started to move at an incredible speed.
"You thought your speed might higher, right? Luffy was just warming up. Come here and watch why he's called a monster. I will fight him myself."
"Hey, you are a monster too!"
"Hahaha, that's only because I exploit his weakness."
"Hmph, you won't be able to run away like you did before."
"Ooooh, did you develop something from what I suggested?"
"Shesheshe, something like that."
"Interesting, then let's begin."
Kaito immediately launched an attack.
"Thunder Needles!"
As the needles were coated with Haki, Luffy dodged and activated Gear 2.
"Gear 2!"
He immediately closed the distance, and midway, he transformed again.
"Gear 4: Snakeman!"
"Oooh, you developed Snakeman?"
"That's not all! Python!"
The attack started to chase Kaito, who still managed to dodge due to his speed. But suddenly, as he appeared at a distance, he found a fist right in front of him, giving him no time to dodge.
"Shit, his Observation Haki broke through to three seconds?!"
Kaito protected himself with his sword, but Luffy suddenly enlarged his fist. However, Kaito, who also had a three-second future sight, was not surprised and used another method.
"Lightning Whip!"
The whip met the fist, pushing Kaito back. The attack was faster and stronger, so it only cushioned the blow before it slammed into his sword. He was sent flying as if hit by a train. But the Lightning Whip twisted around Luffy's fist like a rope, stopping Kaito's momentum before he slammed into the ground.
"Fuck, that hurts."
Luffy was disappointed as he exited Gear 4; he had started to feel strained, and Kaito had told him never to overwork himself unless it was a matter of life and death.
"Damn, I almost got him."
"No, you didn't. Even if I was slammed into the ground, my fully developed body wouldn't be so weak."
Luffy stopped for a second before slamming his fist into his other hand. "Right, right! Like Grandfather, who took a punch but only had a scratch on his face."
Kaito's face twitched. "Hey, I'm a normal human. Don't compare me to that monster!"
'What the hell, were you fighting Kaido or something?' Kaito said internally after they finished.
"I'm planning to begin my journey next year."Ace said after they came back.
"Oh, still aiming for Pirate King and all?"
Kaito asked.
"Yeah,not because I care but more because I want to understand my father more. I want to understand why, even after knowing about his death, he continued his journey."
"Well, I guess I wish you good luck."Kaito said.
"Ace, let's spar as well," Kuina suddenly said.
Kaito looked at them with an interested expression. Ace, having become more adaptable, had listened to Kaito's advice and trained in swordsmanship. His skills were really good, even though he wasn't a specialist, as he had also learned the Marines' Six Styles and fist techniques from Garp. So, who would win between the two of them, especially since Kuina had only learned the Six Styles with swordsmanship.?
Ace became interested and said, "Okay."
The two stood facing each other with their swords unsheathed, then moved at the same time and met in the middle.
"Silent Petal Slash!" Kuina said as her sword suddenly flashed toward Ace.
Not to be outdone, Ace countered, "Spade's Judgment!"
Their swords connected, but Kuina, adapted to fighting heavy power like Zoro's, wasn't overwhelmed and immediately switched to a speed offense.
"Flicker of Frost!"
"Shivering Needle!"
The problem was that Ace was also adapted to speed from fighting Luffy, who was both fast and powerful. So he wasn't slow.
"Gale Spade!"
"Vacuum Spade!"
Ace continued to overwhelm her until she found his sword at her throat.
"That's a good fight."
"Thank you."
"Even though you are faster than me, my Observation Haki is better from fighting Luffy, whose attacks are overwhelmingly faster."
Kuina thought for a moment.
Luffy, who had watched the fight, suddenly said, "Hey, join my crew! Both of you."
"No," Zoro and Kuina said immediately.
"Eh? Why? We are going to have a lot of fun!"
"I'm not interested in becoming a pirate," Kuina said.
Luffy then turned to Zoro. "Okay, you are going to join my crew, then."
"I told you, I'm not going."
"Why?"
"My dream is to become the strongest swordsmaster. I don't want to become a pirate."
"Oh, is that so? But I've decided you will be my companion."
"What a dense kid."
"Hahaha, the Pirate King and the strongest swordsmaster! This is going to be fun. Come on, join my crew, Zoro."
"...Why would I join your crew?"
"It's more fun to have companions instead of traveling alone, right? Then be my companion."
Zoro looked at Luffy for a while, then at Kaito, and sighed. "Fine. I will join you."
"Hahahaha, great! Now I have two companions!"
"Actually, Luffy, I have some people in mind if you want to meet them," Kaito said.
"Really? Okay, let's go!"
"Good, let's go meet them then. Kuina, Ace, do you want to come?"
Ace thought for a second, then shook his head. "No, I will return instead. I can wait a year before beginning my journey."
Kuina also shook her head. "Not interested. I will go to the Goa Kingdom to see if there are any swords there."
"Okay, be careful."
Kaito took Zoro and Luffy to Usopp first.
Usopp, who had somewhat refined Observation Haki, sensed them and came to protect his village. His legs shaking as he hid behind a hill, he said, "You people, I can kill you from a far distance, you know! But I'm a benevolent person, so I will allow you to leave unharmed if you don't hurt anyone."
"...Hahaha, you are Usopp, right? I met your father when he came to my village."
Luffy said but his voice came from a different direction that Usopp expected.
Usopp looked behind him to see Luffy standing there.
"Aaaaaah!"
Zoro looked at him and became speechless. What a weak kid. I don't understand why Kaito likes someone like him.
"Yosh, Usopp, join my pirate crew!"
"What? Join your crew? How old are you?"
"I'm 13 years old. I will begin my journey when I'm 17."
Usopp looked at him, then at Kaito, and his eyes widened. "Sir, you are here! It has been a long time."
"Yeah, it has. How are you, and how is your mother doing?"
"She is doing great. She still misses Dad from time to time, but she did as you said and found something to do. She is now teaching kids in the village."
"Oh, good. But why are you still shaking? Didn't you say you would become a brave warrior of the sea?"
"Ah... Hahaha, I felt three strong presences coming to the island, so I thought they were pirates."
"Well, we are going to be pirates. This is our captain, Luffy, and this is our swordsman, Zoro."
Usopp's eyes widened. "You are joining him?"
"Yes. Before I met you, I had already decided to join him."
Usopp stayed silent for a moment, then said, "Okay, I will join."
Luffy laughed and said, "Great! We are now four people!"
"Usopp, we are going to meet one more candidate that I know. Do you want to join us?"
Usopp thought for a moment. "Okay, I will go tell my mom first, though."
"Good, I will also come with you to say hello."Kaito said as he went with him.
After they met Usopp's mother, she agreed to let him go.
They then went to Nami's village. After they landed, they went directly to Bell-mère's farm. They saw the three of them doing farm work.
Kaito called out to them first. "Hey, guys! How is the farm going?"
The three—Bell-mère, Nojiko, and Nami—looked up to see them.
"Gold Mask Man!" Nami yelled as she saw him and ran towards them. Bell-mère and Nojiko also followed.
"Hey, I'm Luffy, the man who is going to be the Pirate King!"
Nami looked at him stupidly. What is this guy saying? But she replied, "Hey, I'm Nami."
"Hey, Nami! I brought my future captain to see you because you are the greatest navigator in the East Blue!"
"Oh, Mr. Gold Man, you are embarrassing me!"
"Oh, you are a navigator? Great! Then join my crew!"
"...Wait, he's the captain?"
"Unfortunately, so," Zoro and Usopp said at the same time.
"Hahaha!" Luffy didn't care and just laughed.
"Hey, are you really going to join him? He looks so..." Nojiko said.
Luffy looked at her for a moment. "Awesome?"
"Stupid!" Nojiko, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp said simultaneously.
Bell-mère looked at them with a smile as they kept talking and came to Kaito's side.
"Are you going to join this kid's crew? He looks innocent."
"Yeah, he does. Maybe that's why he will be great. I don't see his innocence as a bad thing; it's a good thing. If he weren't innocent, maybe he would have become a Marine by now. His grandfather is Monkey D. Garp, the Marine Hero."
"What? That kid?!" She turned to see Nami beating him up.
"Hahaha, yeah. Even with a monster like Garp beating him to change his mind, he never wavered and didn't even try to lie."
Bell-mère looked at him and could tell that Nami was happy. She sighed and said, "I will try to convince her not to go with you, but if I fail, please take care of her. She is my baby girl."
"Absolutely. Don't worry; I promise she will be fine."
While Kaito was talking to Bell-mère, Luffy and the others were talking.
"Nami, I'm going to travel in four years, so you have to be ready."
"...Why are you talking like I'm going to join you?"
"That's because I've already decided that," Luffy said, picking his nose.
Nami looked at his punchable face but held back.
"I don't care about pirates. I only care about my money, my maps, and Bell-mère's tangerines."
"Maps?"
"Yes, I'm going to draw a map of the whole world!"
"Oh, that's great! You will be able to achieve that because I'm going to be the Pirate King and travel the whole world!"
"You idiot, I told you I'm not going to join! You seem like a poor kid who never held anything of value. I bet the highest price of something you've heard about is 10 Berries."
"Hmm, I ate a Devil Fruit that Kaito wanted to buy for 10 billion Berries. So I guess the highest price I've heard is 10 billion Berries."
"...What? You ate a Devil Fruit worth 10 billion Berries?!"
"Yes."
"Spit it out! Spit it out right now!" Nami said, choking him.
"Hey, you are suffocating me! Maybe I can give you some of my poop to see if there's any left."
"Who would want something like that?!" Nami said, starting to hit him.
Kaito came over and said, "Oh, guys, looks like you are having fun."
"No, we aren't!" they immediately answered.
"So, Nami, we will see you in four years, then."
Nami fell silent, then said, "Gold Man, are you really going to join his crew?"
"Yes."
"...Fine, I will join. But I want you to send me to Weatheria to study there."
"Hmm, Nami, you are still kind of young."
"Don't worry, I have already talked to Bell-mère-san, and she agreed."
After asking Bell-mère again, she asked if Nami would be safe.
"Oh, don't worry. They are all scholars and kind old people, and you can contact her by Den Den Mushi frequently."
"...Okay."
After Nami got the approval, he took her to another island to avoid having Kuma expose himself. On the way, he called Kuma and asked him to meet them.
Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Nami looked at Kuma's huge body and were surprised.
"Hey, Kuma. It has been a while."
"Yes, it has. Nice to meet all of you. I am Bartholomew Kuma."
"Hey, I'm Luffy, the man who is going to be the Pirate King!"
"..."
Kaito smiled and said, "These are the others."
"Hey, introduce yourself properly!" the others yelled immediately.
After the introductions, Kaito said, "I want you to send Nami to Weatheria."
Kuma turned his head to look at Nami, then at Kaito. "You are kidding, right?"
"No, Nami herself wants to go to study."
"And where did Nami hear about such an island?"
"She is smart; she could have figured it out herself."
"A few months ago, you had me send a 15-year-old boy to Ivankov to train to be a cook. Then you sent a young 11-year-old reindeer to the Tori Tori Kingdom to learn medicine. Now you want to send this young 13-year-old girl navigator to Weatheria . Looks like you are assembling the best crew. So, cook, doctor, swordsman, sniper, archaeologist, and musician... You just need a shipwright and a helmsman, and you are ready."
"Eh? Cook, doctor, musician, and archaeologist? Why don't I know about them?" Luffy asked with a confused face.
Kaito smiled. "Yeah. You know me; I don't do things half-assed. Since I decided to join Luffy, I will do it fully prepared. As for a shipwright, I have someone in mind, but he had a difficulty. You didn't meet him because Ginny was pregnant with Baito at the time."
"Oh, him. I remember. Well, good. I guess a helmsman is all you need."
"I tried to invite Fisher, but he refused. I'm thinking of inviting Jinbe, but the whole Shibukai situation is complicated."
"...You are really bold. You wanted to invite the previous captain of the Sun Pirates to be a helmsman?"
"Well, I respect him. Even though he is weaker than Jinbe, I said he can still work."
"You do know he is with us and is the leader of the Fish-Man Karate Squad."
"So what? He can be a captain or leader anywhere else. Only here can he be a companion of the future Pirate King."
"Hahaha, that is right!" Luffy said immediately, even though he hadn't understood anything else before that sentence.
The others, hearing them talk, were also confused.
"Okay, young lady. Have a safe trip," Kuma said to Nami before sending her away.
Luffy and the others saw Nami disappear and immediately flew into a rage.
"What the hell did you do to my companion?!" Luffy said as he entered Gear 2 immediately and sent a giant fist towards Kuma, who simply repelled it.
Zoro took out his swords, but looking at Kaito, who was simply standing there, he thought for a moment and sheathed them again.
"Gomu Gomu no... Giant Red Hawk!" Luffy said, following with another punch.
Kuma was surprised that a 13-year-old kid could have such power. He dodged immediately by disappearing. Then, just as he reappeared and was about to explain, he found another fist in front of him. He repelled it again, but even with his repel power, the Haki caused him damage. He looked at Kaito only to see him smile. Shaking his head as he understood, he disappeared and appeared in front of Luffy, shooting him with an air cannon.
Luffy flew back slightly but held his ground.
"Kuma, he is a rubber man. Your air cannon isn't effective against him."
Kuma immediately understood and retreated to a distance. "Wait, Straw Hat boy! She is okay. I just sent her to the place she wanted to go."
Luffy was confused but calmed down. "Really?"
"Yeah, ask Kaito. He always travels like this."
Luffy turned to him. "Kaito? Your name is Kaito? Is that true?"
Kaito tsked. "What the hell, Kuma, why did you say my name?"
Kuma was taken aback. "You didn't tell them your name?"
"Yeah, I liked the mysterious personality I created, so I kept it."
"....Well, it's your fault for not trying to explain the situation."
Kaito shook his head as he removed his golden mask.
"Well, Luffy, Usopp. Nice to officially meet you. But don't tell anyone my name, as I got caught doing something and have a 1 billion Berry bounty on my head."
"Whaaaaat? 1 billion?!" Luffy and Usopp were shocked.
"Yeah. So, Luffy, if your grandfather Garp knew about me, he would be required to catch me or at least report me. I plan to hide my Devil Fruit ability and only use my sword unless necessary so I can start fresh."
"Hmm, okay. Anyway, is Nami really okay?"
"Yeah."
Zoro was fine, as he knew everything about Kaito, but Usopp, on the other hand, was having trouble breathing.
First, a big man appeared. Then Nami disappeared. Then the kid I've been having fun and laughing with turned out to be a monster that can make the giant man retreat and is also apparently the grandson of Hero Garp. Then the gold mask guy turned out to be someone with a billion Berry bounty. Who are these people? What's going on? I'm going to the sea with such monsters?!.
"Hey, Usopp. Are you alright. You seem ill, does your stomach hurts." Luffy said as he saw Usopp's pale face.
Of course. Here is the edited version of that scene, focusing on strengthening the dialogue, clarifying motivations, and enhancing the emotional impact.
---
Usopp immediately answered, his voice a little too high. "I'm alright! Very good! Don't worry about it."
"Well, good," Luffy said, though his brow was slightly furrowed.
Kaito smiled with understanding, then turned to Kuma. "Looks like we might need your services one more time soon, Kuma."
Kuma gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Anytime. Just call me." With a soft puff, he vanished, leaving them alone on the shore.
The journey back to their boat was quiet, the earlier excitement replaced by a tense silence. Usopp trailed slightly behind, his usual bravado completely absent.
"Usopp," Kaito finally said, his voice cutting through the quiet. "You've been quiet for a while. What's going on?"
Luffy and Zoro turned to look as well. They had noticed the uncharacteristic silence.
"I... I think I'm not going to be able to travel with you guys, after all," Usopp mumbled, unable to meet their eyes.
Luffy's head snapped around. "What? Why?"
"Yeah, I thought about it and... my mother might need me. So it's better if I don't go," Usopp said, the lie tasting bitter on his tongue.
Luffy stared at him for a long, uncomfortable moment. "...You're lying, Usopp."
Usopp flinched, his shoulders slumping. Just as he was about to stammer out another excuse, Kaito spoke, his tone calm but firm.
"Okay, I understand your fear, Usopp. But there's something you all need to understand. While we are not yet an official pirate crew, we have gathered and given our word to the captain. To back out now is to leave the crew before it has even set sail. Among pirates, there is nothing more despicable than betrayal, regardless of the circumstances. So, I'll ask you plainly. Is this truly about your mother?"
Usopp remained silent, his fists clenched at his sides. When he finally spoke, his voice was thick with tears he could no longer hold back. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! I want to go with you guys more than anything! But... but I saw you all fight! I'm too weak! I'll just become a burden and get you all killed!" He broke down, sobbing openly.
Luffy was taken aback. "What are you talking about? We would never think you're a burden!"
Zoro was about to add his own blunt agreement, but Kaito held up a hand, stopping him.
"Wait, Luffy. There is nothing wrong with a man feeling ashamed of his own weakness. It means he has pride. If he thinks he isn't good enough, then our job isn't to dismiss his feelings—it's to help him get strong enough to believe in himself."
Luffy and Zoro looked at Kaito, who continued, his gaze fixed on the weeping Usopp.
"Listen, Usopp. The path we're choosing leads straight into a storm. It will be more dangerous than you can imagine. I believe in Luffy with all my heart, but I also believe a captain is only as strong as his crew. To help him achieve his dream, I've been searching for exceptional people and sending them on journeys to train. I found a place for you, too."
Luffy's eyes lit up with interest. "What kind of island?"
"...You can't go, Luffy," Kaito said flatly.
"Why not?"
"Because if you went, you'd just start eating, and you might eat the entire island while forgetting about your dream and the rest of us."
Luffy looked utterly confused, while Zoro asked, "Is it an island that tests your will or something?"
"If it were just that, I wouldn't be worried. It's an island where the plants themselves produce food. Trees that grow roasted meat, bushes that sprout whipped cream, rivers of chocolate... everything you can imagine. For Luffy, it might literally be his One Piece."
Zoro and Usopp looked at Luffy, whose eyes had morphed into giant meat symbols, drool already dripping from his chin.
"Wait, then why did you say it's dangerous?!" Usopp asked, a flicker of his old curiosity returning.
"The problem is the island is a predator. The plants use the food as bait to lure prey into traps. But the real danger is the island itself. The entire landmass is one gigantic, carnivorous plant. It attracts people with its bounty, and then... the whole island becomes a mouth and eats them."
Usopp turned a sickly shade of green. Zoro grunted in shock, while Luffy, snapping out of his food trance, declared, "No! It's too dangerous! I'll go with Usopp to protect him!"
Zoro and Kaito immediately punched him on the head. "Thwack!"
"You just want to go there to eat!" they yelled in unison.
Kaito turned back to a trembling Usopp. "But Luffy's misguided idea does have a point. If someone is there to protect you, the training loses its meaning. The point is for you to become strong enough to survive it. So, train for one year. Hone your Rokushiki and your Observation Haki. If, after a year of brutal work, you believe you are strong enough, I will send you. This is your trial, Usopp. Not ours."
Usopp looked from Kaito's serious face to Luffy's concerned (though still drooling) one, and finally to Zoro's challenging stare. He took a deep, shaky breath, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. A spark of determination, faint but real, ignited in his eyes.
"Good," Usopp said, his voice firmer now. "I'll train for a year. Then I'll go."
"Good," Kaito replied, a genuine smile gracing his lips as they finally boarded their ship, a new, concrete plan solidifying their fragile crew.