Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for just $7 to get early access to all upcoming chapters!
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations
─────
Chapter 162: The First Feast
For the entire noon, the Straw Hat crew enjoyed their very first proper meal since arriving on Sky Island, graciously hosted in the home of the incredibly welcoming Pagaya.
Pagaya's house wasn't overly large, but it was a marvel of Skypiean architecture—a typical Cloud Wood house. The walls and floors were entirely constructed from compressed Island Clouds, offering a firm, sturdy structure that still retained a faint, springy texture underfoot, like walking on a very dense carpet. The interior was simple but wonderfully cozy, with a few cherished family photos hanging on the pale walls and strange, beautiful plants capable of growing in the sky-soil resting on the windowsills.
This father-daughter duo showed extraordinary hospitality to these bizarre travelers from the Blue Sea, completely unfazed by the fact that they had crossed ten thousand meters of empty air to crash into their front yard.
From the moment Luffy and the others sat down around the large dining table, the noise in the kitchen hadn't stopped for a second. The sounds of frying, roasting, steaming, and boiling echoed through the small house. Sanji had offered to help, but Pagaya had politely insisted on treating them. He brought out every single ingredient stored in the house—sky fish, unfamiliar cloud-vegetables, and sweet Cloud Apples—and turned it all into a massive, piping-hot feast.
Konis bustled in and out of the kitchen, her delicate wings fluttering slightly with her swift movements, carrying plate after plate, a genuine, delighted smile plastered on her face the whole time.
And the Straw Hats' way of returning this boundless enthusiasm was simple: eat every last crumb in sight.
It was an incredibly easy task for this crew.
Honestly, Luffy alone, with his arms stretching across the table to vacuum up plates of food, was enough to give Pagaya and Konis the illusion that they were about to be eaten out of house and home. Mountains of plates piled up next to the captain, his cheeks bulging to cartoonish proportions as he chewed.
But what the Skypiean hosts didn't know was that one person at the table hadn't even started trying.
Ganyu sat quietly in the corner, a stark contrast to the chaotic dining etiquette of the pirates around her. She took small, polite, measured bites of a vegetarian dish, chewing slowly and occasionally chiming in on Konis and Nami's casual chat about the local culture.
"Ganyu, you're eating so little!" Luffy paused his ravenous consumption just long enough to glance over at her, looking genuinely concerned. He swallowed a whole fish, bones and all. "You won't have the energy to adventure if you don't eat meat!"
Ganyu's eyelid twitched slightly. Seeing Konis looking over with a worried expression, fearing her food wasn't to the guest's liking, the adeptus smiled faintly to reassure her. "Luffy, I'm already quite full. The food is wonderful, really."
"How is that possible?" Luffy tilted his head, completely oblivious to the room's atmosphere. "Don't you usually eat way more than… urk—!"
Before he could finish exposing her secret, Ganyu acted with lightning speed. She physically muted him by grabbing a long, crusty loaf of bread from a nearby basket and shoving it directly into his open, rubbery mouth.
Luffy muffled a confused sound, chewing the bread instinctively.
Seeing this, Zoro couldn't hold back a sudden snort of laughter, choking slightly on his drink. But he quickly restrained himself, coughing into his fist after Ganyu shot him a terrifyingly calm warning glare. He might not understand women well, but his recent, highly painful experiences on the Grand Line had taught him one absolute truth: never, ever provoke a woman when she is actively trying to hide something.
—————
Sometime later.
"I'm stuffed! Let's go out and play?!" Luffy shouted, his stomach stretched into a massive, taut sphere.
"Yeah!" Usopp agreed, patting his own distended belly.
With their colossal appetites finally satisfied after the feast, the restless, adventurous spirit carved deeply into the Straw Hats' bones was reignited. Sitting still was never their strong suit. Luffy, Zoro, Robin, and the others all expressed an immediate desire to explore the streets of Angel Island, eager to see what a town in the sky actually looked like.
Finally, after some brief discussion, the group decided to split up. They would leave two crew members behind at the beach to guard the Going Merry, while the rest, accompanied by Konis as their volunteer guide, would stroll down Angel Island's main commercial street.
Soon, the group gathered at the intersection between the sandy coast and the paved road leading into town.
Luffy, finally deflated back to his normal size, looked at the two crewmates left behind—one tall, blue-haired archer, and one small, blue-nosed reindeer. He rolled his eyes playfully, placing his hands on his hips before landing his gaze on Ganyu. "Ganyu, are you absolutely sure you don't want to come with us? A sky town! Think of the weird stuff they might have!"
Ganyu looked down at Chopper, who was currently pressing himself tightly against her leg, peeking out at the others. She sighed inwardly. Leaving the little guy alone on the ship simply wouldn't do. "No, I'll stay here," Ganyu replied softly. "I'm a bit worried about leaving Chopper to guard the ship by himself."
Luffy looked genuinely confused, tilting his straw hat back. "What's there to worry about with Chopper guarding the ship? He's strong!"
As the captain of this chaotic crew, Luffy possessed a defining trait—whether it was his greatest strength or a fatal flaw was hard to say—and that was his equal, unwavering, almost irrational trust in every single member of his crew. If they were his nakama, he believed they could handle anything.
But it was precisely to repay this unreserved, heavy trust that many of his crewmates had pushed themselves far beyond their physical and mental limits in the original story.
Like this exact moment, leaving Chopper alone on the Going Merry.
Ganyu knew the lore. If things proceeded like the original timeline, an immensely powerful enemy would find a way to transport the Going Merry directly to the forbidden God's Land. And waiting for Chopper there would be one of Enel's elite Priests—an opponent who would mercilessly beat the little doctor half to death while he desperately tried to protect their home.
Now that Ganyu was here, she naturally wouldn't sit back and watch tragedy strike. Therefore, whether it was for Chopper's physical safety or to ensure the Going Merry wasn't damaged further, staying on the ship during their initial time on Sky Island was the most logical course of action.
However, things rarely go exactly as planned.
Chopper was, naturally, a thousand times in favor of Ganyu staying behind to keep him company. Of course he wanted to stay with his strong, gentle, and closest companion. With Ganyu there, he felt invincible.
But as the others began to turn away, the reindeer's sensitive ears twitched. He overheard Usopp and Nami whispering a few paces away.
"Ganyu is right to stay," Nami murmured, glancing back. "With Chopper's courage, if he's left alone on the ship in an unknown place, he'll definitely start crying from fear right away."
"Haha, yeah," Usopp agreed, adjusting his goggles. "I hate to say it about Chopper, but he might actually be an even bigger scaredy-cat than you, Nami."
"Exactly, he really can't compare…" Nami nodded in agreement, before suddenly freezing as the insult registered. She spun around, her teeth sharpening into points. "Wait? Hey, hey… why are you suddenly dragging me into this! Even within our Weakling Trio, I'm the bravest one!"
Hearing their hushed exchange, Chopper froze. A sudden, potent mix of shame and annoyance flooded his chest, quickly followed by a hot surge of defiance. His small, furry body, which had been leaning comfortably against Ganyu's leg for safety, slowly pulled away. He stood up a little straighter, his hooves planting firmly in the cloud-sand.
He was a pirate. He was the doctor of the future Pirate King. He absolutely refused to be looked down on and called a coward by his own crewmates forever!
─────
Support this fanfict by leaving Positive Review, Comments, and Power Stones.
For Advance Chapters:
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations