Chapter 57 – The Mark of Our Dream
Sunny's POV
The sea was calm that morning. The kind of calm that carried memories instead of wind. The waves reflected the sunrise like gold spilled across blue glass — quiet, shimmering, and peaceful.
But peace doesn't last long with Lucy around.
"Alright everyone!" she shouted from the deck, hands cupped around her mouth, grinning like she owned the ocean. "Come on up! We're doing something important!"
Her voice echoed across the ship, crashing into the silence like a cannonball.
Zoro groaned from his nap spot near the mast. "What now… another 'friendship contest' or something?"
Sanji, who had been chopping vegetables in the galley, nearly tripped over himself rushing out. "LUCY-SWAAAN! Whatever you need, my heart and soul are yours!"
Aqua, sipping tea beside Nami, sighed dramatically. "Here we go again. Another 'crew meeting' that'll end in chaos."
Nami smirked. "She said important, not organized. So yeah—chaos."
Nojiko laughed softly. "I'll get Bell-mère's letter. She'd want to see this."
Her words pulled the mood into something gentler, something fragile. Everyone quieted as she stepped into the cabin. Even Lucy, for a heartbeat, stopped smiling.
I felt that same sting in my chest. Bell-mère's farewell still hung heavy in the air.
She had hugged us all with that fierce warmth only a mother could have — tears in her eyes, pride in her voice. "Go live free. That's all I ever wanted for you."
Freedom. It was heavy, and yet… it felt like wings.
Nojiko returned, holding the folded letter carefully. The seal was broken now, but none of us had the heart to throw it away. She placed it beside the rail, where the sea breeze could touch it.
Lucy took a deep breath, her grin returning with a bittersweet edge. "Bell-mère's watching, right? Then we can't just sail around looking like random troublemakers!"
Aqua tilted her head. "Lucy, we are random troublemakers."
Lucy puffed her cheeks. "Not until we have a flag!"
Usopp, who had been polishing his slingshot, perked up instantly. "A flag? Wait—like, an actual pirate flag?"
"Exactly!" Lucy beamed. "We're making our symbol. Our mark. The world's gonna see it and know—it's us!"
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "You mean, a big target."
Lucy pointed dramatically at him. "A big dream, mosshead!"
Sanji lit a cigarette and chuckled. "Heh. Whatever makes you happy, captain-chan."
"I'm serious!" Lucy said, puffing her chest out. "Every great crew has a flag! Roger had one! Shanks has one! Even Buggy has one—and we're way cooler than him!"
Everyone burst out laughing. Even Aqua couldn't hold back a giggle.
"Alright," Nami said, brushing her hair aside. "Then what's the design?"
Lucy blinked. "Uh… I was hoping Usopp would do it!"
"Eh? Me?" Usopp pointed at himself, eyes wide. "Why me?"
"Because you're our artist!" Lucy said. "You've got the imagination of a thousand suns!"
Usopp rubbed the back of his head, grinning nervously. "Well, when you put it that way…"
Nojiko handed him a brush and a large white cloth. "Go on, Picasso. Make something legendary."
"Legendary?" Usopp's grin grew confident. "Say no more! Leave it to the great Captain Usopp—the man who once painted an entire seagull mid-flight!"
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "That's… oddly specific."
"It's true!" Usopp said defensively. "You just weren't there to see it!"
Aqua crossed her arms, smiling slyly. "Sure, sure. Just don't paint a stick figure this time."
As everyone laughed, Usopp crouched near the deck, the brush in his hand trembling with excitement. He dipped it into the black paint and began his masterpiece.
Each stroke was wild but full of heart—like everything we did. Lucy crouched beside him, watching with her usual spark.
[system]: Processing crew morale levels... [system]: Lucy's enthusiasm = 189% (Warning: exceeds safe limit for human hearing). {ego}: Narrator commentary: Lucy's smile has now reached "Sun-core" brightness. May cause blindness to nearby pessimists.
I snorted. "You two still arguing in my head?"
{ego}: "Hey, someone's got to record this chaos properly." [system]: Correction: I am not 'arguing.' I am monitoring for potential insanity triggers. Mostly from Lucy. {ego}: "So… all of them, then?"
I grinned. Yeah, that sounded about right.
Usopp finally leaned back, sweat dripping down his forehead. "Behold! Our glorious symbol of freedom!"
We all crowded around the cloth.
And—
…It was hideous.
The skull was crooked, the hat was uneven, and the smile looked like it was screaming for help.
Lucy's face went pale. "W–wha… what is that?"
"It's art!" Usopp shouted proudly. "Raw, emotional, terrifying art!"
Aqua tilted her head. "It's terrifying, alright."
Zoro was deadpan. "Looks like it got punched by gravity."
Sanji blew smoke through his nose. "Even Picasso would sue you for that."
Lucy blinked twice, then suddenly clutched the flag to her chest, grinning like an idiot. "I love it!"
Everyone stared. "Huh?"
"It's perfect!" Lucy said. "It's messy! It's loud! It's us!"
Nojiko chuckled softly. "You really can find beauty in anything, huh?"
Lucy winked. "That's what captains do!"
[system]: Emotional resonance detected: crew bond increased by 27%. {ego}: "Heh. You're actually tearing up, tin can." [system]: Incorrect. My circuits are simply… overheating. {ego}: "Sure. Call it what you want, Yandere.exe." [system]: Would you like me to delete your existence, narrator? {ego}: "Love you too, psycho."
I burst out laughing mid-thought, earning a few weird looks. "Sorry, sorry—just… internal dialogue problems."
Nami sighed, shaking her head. "You've officially lost it."
"Maybe," I said with a grin. "But at least we've got a flag now."
Lucy lifted the flag high, the morning sun shining behind it. The black cloth fluttered in the wind, the silly crooked skull almost glowing.
It wasn't perfect—but it was ours.
---
The flag fluttered proudly above us, its crooked grin defying the wind itself.
Lucy was beaming like she'd just punched fate in the face and won. "Alright! The Lucy Pirates are officially born!"
Zoro muttered, "I thought we agreed not to name it after you."
Lucy blinked. "Did we?"
"Yes."
"Oh." She scratched her head. "Then… Sunny Pirates?"
I grinned. "Tempting, but I'm not the one leading this circus."
Aqua crossed her arms, smirking. "How about The Absolute Chaos Crew?"
Usopp gasped. "That actually sounds awesome!"
Nami sighed, rubbing her temples. "Please, something that doesn't sound like a disaster warning."
Nojiko chuckled. "Well… you are one."
Before the argument could spiral, a dramatic voice cried from behind the galley door—
"My heart! My poor bleeding heart!!"
Sanji stumbled out, clutching his chest like he'd been stabbed. "So many goddesses… on one ship… and all taken by fate!"
Blood spurted from his nose like a geyser.
Lucy flinched. "S–Sanji?! What's wrong with your face?!"
"Wrong?!" Sanji cried, twirling in place, hearts in his eyes. "It's the face of love!" He pointed at Nami, then Nojiko, then Aqua, and finally at Lucy. "I, Sanji Vinsmoke, vow to serve all four of you for eternity!"
[system]: Warning: Subject Sanji has entered "Simp Overflow" mode. Blood pressure critical.
{ego}: "And there goes his last three brain cells."
[system]: Correction: He only had two.
Zoro snorted. "Guess we've got a chef powered by nosebleeds."
Sanji turned, eyes blazing. "WHAT WAS THAT, MOSSHEAD?!"
"You heard me, love-zombie."
Within seconds, the deck turned into a battlefield—Zoro blocking kicks with the blunt of his sword, Sanji screaming about "sacrilege to beauty," Lucy cheering both on, and Aqua filming it with a seashell camera she'd somehow invented overnight.
Usopp was narrating dramatically from the mast. "AND THE WARRIORS OF CHAOS CLASH AGAIN—IN THE LEGENDARY DUEL OF WHO'S DUMBER!"
Nojiko and I stood side by side, watching them destroy the railing.
I sighed. "You'd think they'd get tired of this."
Nojiko smiled. "You'd think."
After about five minutes of shouting, Zoro finally yawned mid-fight. "I'm bored."
Sanji froze. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN BORED?!"
Zoro just walked off. "Wake me when you can actually hit me."
"WHY YOU—!"
Lucy suddenly threw an arm around Sanji's shoulder. "Oi oi, that's enough! Save that fire for the kitchen!"
Sanji blinked. "Kitchen?"
"Yup!" Lucy grinned. "It's dinner time, and we're having a cook-off!"
Nojiko smirked. "Oh, you're on."
The two locked eyes, lightning practically sparking between them.
[system]: Analyzing threat levels... Culinary combat detected.
{ego}: "Oh no. It's Food Wars but in One Piece."
[system]: Activating audience safety protocol.
{ego}: "You mean popcorn?"
[system]: Correct.
Within minutes, the deck transformed into a battle kitchen.
Sanji spun his knives with elegance, flames licking his cigarette as he hummed a love song. "For my beloved angels, I shall create a symphony of taste!"
Nojiko, calm and confident, rolled up her sleeves. "Let's see if you can keep up, pretty boy."
Lucy bounced in place. "A duel of deliciousness! Begin!!"
Aqua and I were the judges—well, technically Aqua decided that herself. "I'm the goddess of water; I have divine taste."
Usopp raised his hand. "And I'm the god of… hunger!"
"Fine!" Lucy said. "Both of you can judge!"
The duel began.
Sanji's movements were like art—graceful, flashy, poetic. He diced, sautéed, and flambéed like the kitchen was his dance floor.
Meanwhile, Nojiko worked quietly but with precision. Her knife glided smoothly, her eyes focused. Each cut was exact, each spice measured perfectly.
The smell hit us like a wave—roasted garlic, caramelized onions, citrus, and something that could only be described as heaven.
Sanji twirled a pan dramatically. "Behold! Ocean Love Pasta! The taste of passion itself!"
Nojiko smirked, plating her dish. "And here's mine—Home by the Sea Stew. The taste of warmth and memory."
Lucy clasped her hands. "WAAAH! They both look so good!"
Aqua took a bite of Sanji's pasta and immediately blushed. "Oh… this… this flavor! It's like being hugged by a thousand angels!"
[system]: Emotional overload detected.
{ego}: "Don't moan, goddess. This isn't that kind of manga."
Then she tried Nojiko's stew—and tears fell instantly. "It's… it's Bell-mère's cooking."
The deck went quiet. Even Sanji's expression softened.
Nojiko smiled faintly. "I used her old spice blend. Figured she deserved a seat at our first dinner under the new flag."
Lucy's eyes shimmered. "That's… that's perfect."
Even {ego} didn't speak for a moment.
Then [system] said softly—
[system]: Emotional resonance: maximum. Crew unity reached 100%.
{ego}: "Guess even you can feel it, huh?"
[system]: Affirmative. Warmth subroutine engaged. …It's nice.
Sanji wiped his eyes dramatically. "I… I can't even be mad at losing to something that pure."
Nojiko chuckled. "Good. Because you did."
"AAAAAH!" he cried, collapsing to the deck.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, we all sat around a long table—our mismatched family, laughing, eating, and arguing over who got the last piece of bread.
Lucy raised her cup high. "To Bell-mère! To our flag! And to the dream that'll never die!"
Everyone cheered. Even the waves seemed to join in.
The crooked skull flag fluttered proudly above us, catching the last light of dusk.
[system]: Mission complete: Crew established.
{ego}: "Heh. And thus begins the legend of the dumbest, loudest, happiest crew on the sea."
[system]: Correction: strongest.
{ego}: "You say that like it's not the same thing."
I laughed softly, watching them all—Lucy's grin, Aqua's teasing, Nami's smirk, Nojiko's calm, Zoro's quiet strength, Usopp's chatter, Sanji's ridiculous charm.
Yeah… this was home.