Chapter 48 — The Man in the Chest
(Sunny POV)
The sea breeze was soft that morning, carrying the salty tang of freedom. Standing at the bow of the Merry, I let the wind brush my face while the others bickered behind me.
"Full speed ahead! Captain Usopp commands it!" Usopp declared dramatically, planting one foot on the railing.
"Oi, don't stand there, you'll fall," Zoro grunted, already half-asleep with his swords as pillows.
Lucy ran in circles across the deck, arms spread wide like sails. "Wooo! We're flying! Sunny, look, I'm an airplane!"
"That's not even a thing yet," I muttered, suppressing a smile.
Nami leaned against me, pointing out to sea. "Navigator's orders: ignore both of them."
{ego}: "This crew is pathetic."
[system]: "♥ But Master looks so cool with the wind in his hair! Way better than Zoro's snoring face."
It was peaceful—until Lucy screamed, "ISLAND!" and nearly toppled overboard pointing at it.
Sure enough, a small patch of green rose from the sea, an uncharted island.
"Not on the map," Nami said, eyes narrowing. "Which means it could have treasure."
"Or food!" Lucy added.
"Or monsters," Usopp said, already shaking.
Zoro cracked one eye open. "Let's just get it over with."
I sighed. Another day, another detour.
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The Strange Beasts
The island looked normal at first—trees, rocky cliffs, birdsong—but the first thing we ran into was anything but normal.
"Is that… a lion with a mane made of sunflowers?" Usopp squeaked.
The creature roared, petals fluttering dramatically.
Lucy's eyes sparkled. "SO CUTE! LET'S KEEP IT!" She charged forward, arms wide.
The lion-pig-plant-thing swatted at her, only for me to casually flick a pebble with Haki, distracting it long enough for Lucy to glomp it into submission.
"Fluffy!!! You're mine now!"
"Don't bring that on the ship," Nami warned.
Next was a rabbit with a snake's tail. Then a dog with bird wings. The place was basically a zoo made by someone drunk on imagination.
Every time, Lucy tried to adopt them. Every time, Zoro had to pry her off.
By the time we reached the cliffs, I was already done. "If the next animal has six heads, I'm leaving."
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The Chest-Man
Then we found him.
At first, I thought it was a treasure chest lying in the grass. Then the lid creaked open and a face popped out.
"WHO DARES DISTURB MY DOMAIN?!"
Usopp screamed like he'd seen death itself. Lucy screamed back—out of excitement. "TREASURE MONSTER!"
Zoro blinked. "…What the hell?"
The man—if you could call him that—was literally fused into the chest. Arms and legs sticking out, torso completely swallowed by wood and iron.
"Finally, worthy challengers!" the chest-man bellowed. "I am Gaimon, guardian of this island!"
I tilted my head. "So… if we open you, do we get loot?"
"HEY!" Gaimon spluttered. "I'm not a loot box!"
Lucy gasped. "Sunny! He's rare! Don't open him—we need to tame him!" She crouched like she was approaching a wild animal.
Usopp, still shaking, muttered, "This is some nightmare…"
{ego}: "Pathetic. Stuck in a box for decades? Trash." [system]: "♥ He's funny though! Master, don't you want to keep him too?"
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The Story
Once he realized we weren't going to stab him for gold, Gaimon relaxed and told us his tale.
Twenty years ago, he'd been a pirate searching for treasure. His crew betrayed him and left. He climbed a cliff to claim the treasure himself, but slipped and fell into this chest… and got stuck. Ever since, he'd lived here, guarding the animals and the treasure he could never reach.
As he spoke, his voice grew heavy. Loneliness clung to him like dust.
Lucy bawled instantly, clutching her face. "THAT'S THE SADDEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD!"
Usopp's eyes watered despite himself. "Damn it… even I'm crying…"
Nami pressed closer to me, her grip tight on my sleeve. I could feel the way her heart wavered
And I… I just felt the weight of his soul.
A man broken, but still smiling for the sake of others.
A tear slipped down my cheek before I even noticed.
"Why… why is Sunny crying harder than everyone else?!" Lucy wailed.
Zoro groaned, pinching his nose. "First a dog, now a chest. This crew is hopeless."
{ego}: "You shame us again."
[system]: "No, Master's empathy makes him wonderful! Cry all you want, I'll hug you forever!"
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The Attempt
Lucy, of course, decided to "help."
"Don't worry, Chest-san, I'll pull you out!" She grabbed his arms and yanked with all her strength.
"W-wait—!" Gaimon squeaked.
POP—nothing.
Zoro tried next, grunting as he pulled. The chest creaked but held firm.
Finally, Usopp joined in. "If we combine forces—!"
CRACK—the chest groaned ominously.
"STOP!" Gaimon yelped, flailing. "You'll rip me in half!"
They let go at once, and he sagged with relief.
I just crossed my arms. "Face it. That box is you now. Might as well own it."
Gaimon blinked—then chuckled. "Maybe you're right, boy. Maybe this is who I am now."
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Departure
We left him there, surrounded by his odd animal friends. He waved as we walked back to Merry, grinning for the first time in years.
"Thank you," he called out.
Lucy waved both arms wildly. "BYE, CHESTY-SAN!"
Usopp sighed. "This was the weirdest day of my life."
"Not even top ten," Zoro muttered.
Nami slipped her hand into mine as we boarded the Merry. "You were really kind to him, Sunny." Her voice was soft, almost shy. "You're good at giving people hope."
I looked at her, smiling faintly. "Guess that makes us the hopeless crew."
Lucy immediately popped up between us, grinning like a maniac. "Hopeless pirates are the best pirates!"
Usopp groaned. Zoro shook his head. And Nami, cheeks pink, refused to let go of my hand.
As the Merry sailed away, laughter filled the deck.
Maybe Gaimon was stuck on his island forever… but at least he wasn't alone anymore.
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