Chapter 41 — The Flashback and the Little Dog
(Sunny POV — Flashback: Six Months Ago)
Paradise hurts.
Not in the poetic sense. In the literal, my-ribs-are-being-crushed sense.
I was a prisoner on my own couch. Aqua was latched onto my left arm like an affectionate octopus, cheek pressed to my shoulder. Nojiko had my right side completely locked down, her arms wrapped like chains, humming contentedly as if my arm were a stuffed toy. I couldn't feel my fingers.
On the TV, the movie continued—bad CGI monsters chasing villagers through plastic-looking forests. But I couldn't see more than half the screen, thanks to a waterfall of blue hair and blue-pink hair draped across me.
"I can't move," I muttered flatly, staring at the unreachable juice glass on the side table. It was three inches away. Three! It might as well have been at Enies Lobby.
"Shut up, you love it," Aqua mumbled, eyes still glued to the flashing screen. She nuzzled closer, her voice thick with smugness.
"Stop squirming. You're warm," Nojiko added, tightening her grip like a python.
In the corner, Belle-mère sat in her rocking chair, puffing on a cigarette and watching us with a smirk that could peel paint. "Ara~ Ara~ My boy is so popular. What a terrible burden it must be."
"This is hell disguised as paradise," I sighed.
The cigarette tip glowed as Belle-mère chuckled. "Don't complain. Men would kill for your suffering."
I stretched, fingers twitching desperately toward the glass of juice. It wobbled, mocked me, and stayed out of reach.
BRRRRRING! BRRRRING!
The Den Den Mushi on the table flared awake, its shell contorting into a panicked face.
Aqua shifted, nearly crushing my lungs. "Don't answer it."
Nojiko pressed closer. "Yeah, let it ring. Movie night."
I wiggled a single finger free and jabbed the receiver. "Yeah?"
"SUNNY!" The voice on the other end was sharp, desperate. Nami.
Instantly, Aqua's and Nojiko's grips tightened—possessive reflex.
"I'm in Orange Town!" Nami's breath was ragged, her words tumbling fast. "I tried to grab a measly million berries from some clown pirate—he's got some weird Fruit power—his men have me cornered, I can't—!"
I didn't hear the rest.
Time didn't slow. It folded.
One blink: I was pinned on the couch.
The next blink: the air above Orange Town cracked like thunder.
I stood between Nami and a grinning, blue-haired clown whose torso was levitating a few feet away. His men froze, confusion etched on their faces.
My Haki spilled out like a tidal wave. The alley groaned under the pressure. Pirates slammed into walls before they understood they were under attack.
Buggy blinked, eyes bulging. "W-WHO THE HELL ARE—?"
I didn't let him finish. A flick of my wrist. A needle-point pulse of Conqueror's Haki. Buggy's body crumpled like wet paper, his painted eyes rolling back as the light went out.
Silence.
Nami's jaw dropped, her chest rising and falling. "H-how…?"
Before I could speak, she surged forward, grabbed my face, and kissed me. Hard.
It wasn't a peck. It wasn't hesitation. It was adrenaline, relief, and raw, reckless fire. Her lips crashed into mine, her tongue brushing mine for an instant. My breath caught. For one surreal heartbeat, the chaos of the world narrowed to the press of her lips.
When she pulled back, her face was crimson, her voice trembling. "That's… your payment. Don't get used to it."
Then the world folded again.
We reappeared in my living room at the exact moment the Den Den Mushi stopped ringing. To Aqua and Nojiko, I hadn't even left.
But Aqua's eyes narrowed like knives. She'd felt the ripple of space. Jealousy radiated off her like steam.
Nojiko, by contrast, wore a sly, satisfied grin. "Well… that escalated quickly."
Belle-mère exhaled smoke, lips curved in a knowing smile. "Ara Ara~ my boy's growing up."
I slumped back into the couch, stunned, the taste of salt and adrenaline still lingering on my tongue. "I just wanted to watch a movie…"
--- Flashback end ---
The streets of Orange Town were still half-smoldering from Buggy's cannon fire, rubble stacked like broken toys along the roads. Amid all that destruction, one small figure sat in front of a battered pet shop.
A dog.
A white little dog with scars across his face and eyes sharper than most pirates we'd met so far. He sat proud, unmoving, guarding the crumbling building as though it was the greatest treasure in the world.
Lucy crouched down immediately.
"Oi, cute doggy~! Don't worry, I, the future Pirate Queen, will protect you!"
The dog growled.
Lucy froze mid-pose. "…He doesn't like me."
"Smart dog," Zoro muttered with a smirk.
But then, the mayor of Orange Town, a tiny old man with a cane and a giant moustache, walked up and explained. "That dog's name is Chouchou… He's been guarding that pet shop ever since his master passed away."
The words hit harder than any cannonball.
"Passed… away?" I repeated, blinking.
The old man nodded, voice soft. "The shop's owner raised Chouchou since he was a pup. The man died of illness some months ago. But before he went, he told Chouchou to watch over the shop. Since then, that dog hasn't moved from its doorstep, guarding it against thieves and pirates. Day and night… all alone."
My chest squeezed.
The world tilted a little.
Lucy bit her lip. Zoro's eyes narrowed. Nami, clutched her arm as if the story pierced straight through her.
And me?
I broke instantly.
"BWAAAAHHH!!!" I collapsed to my knees, face waterfalls in full blast, tears spurting like a busted geyser. "THIS IS THE SADDEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD!! W-WHY IS THE WORLD LIKE THIS?! WHY CAN'T GOOD DOGS BE HAPPY TOO?!"
Lucy started crying too, but hers was competitive. "NO, I'M CRYING HARDER THAN YOU! MY TEARS ARE THE TEARS OF A PIRATE QUEEN!"
"Shut up, both of you," Zoro muttered… but his shoulders were trembling. His mouth pulled into a hard line, but a single tear rolled down his cheek anyway. He swore quietly under his breath.
And then—
"Uuuh…" Nami's voice cracked. She crouched, fists pressed against her eyes. "That's… that's so unfair. Poor Chouchou… losing his master, and still keeping his promise even when no one asked him to…"
Chouchou barked once, as if agreeing.
That did it. The four of us were bawling like idiots in the middle of a wrecked street, and the poor dog just tilted his head, probably wondering why a bunch of humans were louder than Buggy's cannons.
And then—
Things escalated.
Because in my grief, I tried to lean forward for a "comfort hug" with Chouchou, but I tripped on the rubble.
"Sunny!" Nami yelped and grabbed me before I face-planted into the dirt.
But in the process, she yanked me straight into her chest.
Soft. Warm. Suffocating.
My face was buried so deep I couldn't breathe. My tears instantly soaked through her shirt.
"H-Hey! S-Sunny! Don't—!" Nami's face went red as a tomato, but she didn't push me away. If anything, her hands trembled as she held me tighter.
Lucy immediately noticed.
"Oi, Nami! Don't you dare steal Sunny's oxygen with your boob-based ambush technique!"
"WHAT KIND OF TECHNIQUE NAME IS THAT?!" Nami screeched, face even redder, trying to pull away—but she didn't.
Meanwhile, Zoro muttered, "Pathetic…" and turned away—only to be caught by Lucy pointing at his face.
"You're crying too, Zoro!"
"I'M NOT—shut up!" He swiped at his cheek furiously.
I finally peeled my face free from Nami's chest, gasping like a drowning man. "I… I think… I saw heaven for a second."
"IDIOT!" Nami smacked me but her voice wavered, like she couldn't decide between being mad or embarrassed.
Lucy cackled. "Pfft—Sunny, you perv!"
"I wasn't trying to!" I defended, still wiping tears. "The boobs ambushed me! I was vulnerable!"
Even Zoro barked a laugh at that, despite himself.
And somehow, through all the chaos, Chouchou wagged his tail for the first time. Just a small flicker of happiness, as if seeing us cry, fight, and laugh together made him feel a little less alone.
The old mayor smiled warmly. "You see? That's why Chouchou never gives up. He believes that loyalty means never leaving your loved ones behind. That's something worth crying about, don't you think?"
We all nodded, even through our tears.
I knelt down in front of Chouchou, meeting his steady gaze. "You're a real hero, Chouchou. I promise—no matter what happens, I'll protect the people I care about too. That's my dream."
The dog gave a quiet bark, like he approved.
For a moment, the burning ruins of Orange Town felt lighter, warmer. Not because the fire was dying—but because a little dog's loyalty reminded us what we were fighting for.
Of course, Lucy had to ruin the moment.
"Alright! Enough crying! Let's go beat up Buggy and make him pay for making Chouchou sad!"
Zoro smirked. "Finally, something we agree on."
Nami straightened, still flustered but determined. "And don't forget—we still need that Grand Line map. Buggy's not keeping it."
I wiped my face one last time, stood tall, and cracked my knuckles. "Right. For Chouchou… and for the adventure ahead."
As we marched forward, Chouchou barked again, tail wagging proudly behind us.
And I swear—if a dog could cry, he would've joined us too.