The Going Merry cut through the waves, her battered hull creaking softly with every rise and fall of the sea.
Behind them, Enies Lobby was shrinking—its endless waterfalls still roaring, its white towers now scarred and broken. Smoke drifted faintly into the sky, a distant reminder of everything they had left behind.
For a while, no one spoke.
The wind was gentle. Almost too gentle.
Then—
A sudden chill crawled across the deck.
Nami shivered, arms tightening around herself. "…Did it just get colder?"
Zoro opened one eye, gaze drifting back toward Enies Lobby.
"Yeah," he muttered. "That wasn't natural."
Sanji exhaled smoke slowly. "Tch. Figures."
Robin followed their gaze. Far in the distance, the sea shimmered strangely—frozen mist clashing against heat and smoke.
"…That must be it," she said quietly. "The Marines probably sent an Admiral."
Usopp swallowed. "…For that Bullet guy?"
Luffy leaned against the mast, arms crossed, staring calmly at the horizon.
"He'll be fine," he said without hesitation.
Everyone looked at him.
Luffy grinned faintly. "That guy was strong. Really strong."
Zoro smirked. "Yeah. Monsters like that don't go down easy."
The cold lingered for a moment longer—
Then faded.
The sea returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
⸻————
Moments Later.
Robin stood near the center of the deck.
She hesitated.
Then she took a breath.
"…Everyone," she said.
The Straw Hats turned toward her.
Robin bowed deeply.
"Thank you," she said, her voice trembling just slightly.
"For coming for me."
"For saving me."
"For… giving me a second chance at life."
Silence followed.
Then—
Nami smiled warmly. "Don't be silly."
Sanji turned red instantly. "Of course we saved you! You're our crewmate!"
Chopper nodded so hard he nearly fell over.
"Yeah! That's what friends do!"
Zoro scoffed lightly. "Hmph. Took you long enough to figure that out."
Usopp wiped his eyes aggressively. "Y–Yeah! I mean—what kind of crew would we be if we didn't?!"
Robin laughed softly.
A real laugh.
Luffy stepped forward, hands on his hips.
"Good," he said. "Because you're not going anywhere."
Then his expression softened.
"When we get back to Water 7," he continued, "we're gonna bury the Merry."
The words hit like a wave.
Usopp stiffened.
"…And," Luffy added gently, "we'll take some of her parts. The wood. We'll use it in our next ship."
Usopp looked up sharply. "…You mean it?"
Luffy nodded. "She's part of our crew. She'll keep sailing with us."
Usopp clenched his fists—
Then smiled through tears. "…Yeah."
Franky, who had been leaning against the railing, suddenly straightened.
"…About that," he said.
Everyone turned.
Franky scratched the back of his head. "The reason I stole your 300 million…"
Nami's eye twitched.
"…Go on," she said dangerously.
Franky winced.
"…Was to buy a special kind of wood. Something you can't find normally—not even in Water 7."
Robin's eyes widened slightly.
"It's called Adam Wood," Franky said. "The toughest wood in the world."
The crew froze.
"…Adam?" Usopp whispered.
Franky nodded. "The same wood used to build the Oro Jackson."
Shock rippled across the deck.
"The Pirate King's ship?!" Chopper gasped.
Franky grinned proudly.
"And after watching you idiots storm Enies Lobby," he continued,
"fight the World Government…"
"and save Nico Robin without hesitation—"
His grin softened.
"I've decided something."
He looked at Luffy.
"I'll build your next ship," Franky said. "For free."
Everyone stared.
"It's my dream," he said quietly,
"to build a ship that sails the entire world."
"To the end of the Grand Line."
Luffy's eyes lit up. "Really?!"
Franky nodded.
"But—" Luffy added quickly, pointing at the Merry. "You have to use parts of her. Some of her wood. Wherever you can."
Franky laughed. "That's easy. I can do that no problem."
Relief washed over the deck.
For the first time since Enies Lobby—
They relaxed.
Then—
CRACK.
The sound sliced through the air.
Sharp.
Violent.
Wrong.
The deck lurched hard to the side.
"…Huh?" Nami whispered, gripping the railing as the ship tilted beneath her feet.
Another sound followed—
CRRREEAAAK.
Longer this time.
Deeper.
Usopp's eyes widened in horror.
"…No," he breathed. "No no no—please…"
The Going Merry shuddered violently, her mast groaning as if crying out in pain.
Chopper clutched his hat. "M–Merry…?"
The wood screamed.
And then—
She split.
The hull cracked cleanly down the middle, a jagged line ripping through the ship from bow to stern.
Everyone screamed.
"MERRY!!!"
Water surged upward instantly, flooding the deck as the two halves began drifting apart.
The Merry slowed.
Stopped.
Silence fell.
No wind.
No waves.
Only the sound of water pouring into her broken body.
They stared.
Frozen.
Unable to move.
Usopp dropped to his knees.
"…No… you can't…"
"You can still sail… right?"
Luffy stood at the edge of the deck, fists clenched so tightly his hands trembled.
"…Merry…"
Then—
A horn echoed across the sea.
A ship emerged from the mist, cutting through the water fast.
Iceburg stood at the helm, eyes wide as he took in the sight.
"…Damn it," he muttered.
"Get on!" he shouted. "Straw Hats! Franky! Everyone—now!"
Sanji grabbed Robin. "Move!"
Zoro lifted Chopper under one arm. "Don't look back."
They moved fast—grabbing ropes, supplies, pulling one another across.
Usopp hesitated.
He looked back at the Merry.
"I—"
"I can't just—"
Franky grabbed his shoulder. "…She's done, kid."
Usopp's teeth trembled. "…I know."
As they stepped onto Iceburg's ship, Luffy lingered at the edge.
He turned back one last time.
"Ice pops," he said quietly, voice rough, "can you help us haul some of her parts?"
Iceburg looked at him. "…What parts?"
"Just the wood," Luffy said. "The parts that carried us."
Iceburg nodded solemnly. "…Of course."
He looked at the broken ship again. "…The rest?"
Luffy swallowed. "…We'll burn her."
Everyone nodded.
⸻—————
The fire crackled softly.
The Going Merry drifted on the sea, flames dancing along her shattered hull.
The night sky reflected in the water.
No one spoke.
Nami hugged herself, tears silently streaming down her face."She really tried her best…"
Chopper sobbed openly. "She saved us so many times…"
Zoro lowered his head. "…Yeah."
Then—
A voice spoke.
Gentle.
Warm.
Familiar.
"Thank you."
Nami gasped, eyes widening. "…Merry?"
The voice echoed softly, carried by the flames.
"I was so happy," it said.
"For taking you across the sea."
"For hearing your laughter."
Usopp's breath hitched.
"I wanted to go farther," the Merry continued.
"But I couldn't…"
Usopp collapsed fully to his knees, hands pressed against the deck.
"I'm sorry!" he cried. "I broke you… I kept pushing you… I'm sorry!"
"No," the voice said kindly. "I was happy."
Luffy clenched his fists, shoulders shaking.
"…Thank you," the Merry said softly. "For loving me."
"For calling me your ship."
The flames burned brighter, rising high into the night.
Sanji wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
"…Damn ship…"
Iceburg exhaled slowly, eyes shining.
"…That," he said quietly, "was a Klabautermann."
"The spirit of a ship that's been deeply loved."
The fire slowly faded into the distance.
The sea carried the light away.
And with it—
A beloved friend.
The Going Merry sailed on.
One last time.
—————————
Water 7 breathed again.
For the first time since Enies Lobby, there were no alarms screaming through the air.
No cannons.
No collapsing towers.
No fear carried on the wind.
Only the gentle lap of water against wooden docks.
The slow creak of gondolas drifting through canals.
Lantern light shimmering across the city like scattered stars.
The war was over.
And for a brief moment—
So was running.
The Straw Hats rested.
For a full week.
They slept in real beds, sheets clean and soft.
They ate hot meals that didn't taste like survival.
They woke up with no immediate danger clawing at their backs.
Luffy spent most days sprawled on the floor, mouth wide open, drool pooling beneath his cheek as he snored without shame.
Zoro claimed rooftops as his territory, sleeping wherever the sun hit just right.
Sanji cooked endlessly, yelling at anyone who dared enter his kitchen—especially when Nami appeared.
Nami herself sat buried in ledgers, counting berries with terrifying focus, occasionally smiling when the numbers worked out in her favor.
Usopp and Chopper roamed the city freely, pointing at ships, inventors, and shops, laughing like kids again.
Robin watched the water from quiet balconies, hands folded, eyes soft—no longer searching for an escape route.
Franky worked alongside Iceburg in the shipyards, sparks flying late into the night as laughter echoed between hammer strikes.
For seven days—
They were not criminals.
They were not fugitives.
They were just people.
⸻————-
On the seventh night, Water 7 came alive.
Music spilled into the streets.
Laughter echoed between buildings.
Food disappeared faster than Sanji could cook it.
The Straw Hats partied like they had survived the end of the world.
Which, in a way—
They had.
Luffy laughed so hard he fell backward off his chair.
Usopp bragged loudly, retelling Enies Lobby for the hundredth time—each version more exaggerated than the last.
Chopper danced on a table.
Franky struck poses.
Zoro drank.
A lot.
Sanji twirled between tables, plates balanced effortlessly.
Amid the noise—
Robin leaned against a stone wall just outside the light of the celebration.
She watched them.
Her crew.
Her home.
Then—
A voice spoke from behind the wall.
"…So you finally found your place, huh."
Robin froze.
She didn't turn right away.
She didn't need to.
"…Kuzan," she said calmly.
The Admiral stepped out of the shadows, tall and relaxed, hands in his pockets. The warm lights of the party didn't touch him—he stood half in moonlight, half in memory.
"Yes," Robin continued softly. "What Saul said was true."
She looked back toward the laughter.
"The sea is vast."
"And anyone can find a place where they belong."
Kuzan smiled faintly.
"…Then," he said, "I suppose I won't regret my decision."
Robin turned fully now.
"…Killing me?" she asked.
Kuzan's expression darkened—not with cruelty, but weight.
"Back then," he said quietly, "absolute justice went too far."
The sounds of celebration felt distant.
"Innocent people died."
"Civilians were erased."
"And we told ourselves it was necessary."
His voice lowered.
"We—the few who wanted to change the Marines from the inside—"
"…had to endure it."
Robin's eyes softened, but she said nothing.
"We had to turn a blind eye," Kuzan continued.
"Even when it hurt."
"Even when it was wrong."
He looked away.
"That's the sacrifice we made."
Silence stretched between them, filled only by distant laughter and flowing water.
Then—
Kuzan looked back at her.
"But seeing you now…" he said. "I'm glad."
Robin blinked. "…Glad?"
"That you found a home," he said. "That you're alive."
A rare, genuine smile touched his face.
"…Take care of it."
With that—
He turned.
The air chilled briefly as ice crept along the stone beneath his feet.
And then—
He was gone.
Robin remained where she was, the warmth of the celebration slowly returning.
She looked back at her crew.
At Luffy laughing without fear.
At voices calling her name.
Robin smiled.
And stepped back into the light.
———————
On the morning of the eighth day—
Water 7 changed.
Boots echoed across stone bridges.
Marine coats fluttered in the breeze.
Civilians froze as warships docked along the outer canals.
A Marine shouted, "By order of the World Government! We are searching for the Straw Hat Pirates!"
A crowd gathered quickly.
A dockworker stepped forward. "No pirates here!"
A shopkeeper raised her voice. "Water 7 doesn't shelter criminals!"
An old man slammed his cane against the stone. "They saved our city!"
Murmurs turned into shouts.
"They stopped CP9!"
"They saved Iceburg!"
"They're heroes!"
The Marines hesitated.
Then—
A figure stepped forward.
Towering.
Broad.
Wearing a Vice Admiral's coat.
His head was covered by a mask shaped like a dog's snarling face.
The crowd went silent.
"…Move," the Vice Admiral growled.
No one did.
He sighed.
Then—
He punched the wall beside him.
BOOM.
Stone exploded.
The entire building collapsed inward, dust filling the air.
Screams erupted.
"Vice Admiral!"
"We're going."
He walked forward.
⸻———-
Inside the house—
The Straw Hats jolted awake.
"What the hell was that?!" Usopp screamed.
Zoro was already on his feet, hand on his sword. "…That wasn't a cannon."
Sanji lit a cigarette. "…Marines."
Footsteps approached.
Heavy.
Unhurried.
The door didn't open.
It vanished.
The Vice Admiral stepped through the dust.
"I'm looking," he said calmly, "for one Monkey D. Luffy."
The room went silent.
Then—
They saw him.
Luffy.
Still asleep.
Snoring.
The Vice Admiral stared.
"…You haven't changed," he muttered.
Then—
He vanished.
Sanji's eyes widened. "What the—?!"
Zoro turned sharply. "So fast—!"
The air shifted—
And the Vice Admiral reappeared directly in front of Luffy.
THUMP.
A fist slammed into Luffy's face.
"Ow!" Luffy yelped, rolling off the couch.
"That hurt!"
The crew exploded into motion.
"LUFFY!"
"YOU BASTARD!"
Before anyone could attack—
The Vice Admiral removed his mask.
White hair.
Wrinkles.
A familiar grin.
"…It's been a long time," he said.
Luffy stared.
His eyes widened. "…G–Grandpa?!"
Monkey D. Garp smiled.
"BWAHAHAHA!"
"Miss me, brat?"
The room then erupted.