"Wahaha!"
"So amazing! We're really flying!"
Chopper and Merry ran excitedly back and forth across the deck, watching the sea surface grow closer below, letting out delighted shrieks.
Nearby, Nika sat cross-legged on her special perch, hugging her precious sake gourd, putting on a composed, seen-it-all-before air like a veteran big sister.
Nami stood at the entrance of the second-floor living quarters, gripping the railing as she calculated their descent speed and trajectory. A hint of worry lingered on her face.
"At this rate, it'll take quite a while to fall from ten thousand meters down to the sea. I can't shake the feeling that something unexpected is going to happen..."
Would they even be the Straw Hat Pirates if nothing unexpected happened?
"Hehehe, no need to worry, Nami! I'm here, aren't I?"
Vivi smiled as she walked over, extending her hand. A wisp of gentle wind curled around her fingertips.
She had just acquired the power of the Fūfū no Mi, and this was the perfect opportunity to put it to use—at the very least, she could help adjust their descent angle and posture, or provide some cushioning as they neared the sea surface.
"Vivi, it's a good thing we have you!"
Nami felt a bit more at ease.
She looked around and asked, "Where's Luffy? That guy isn't training again, is he?"
"There. Right over there." Vivi pointed helplessly toward the deck.
Nami walked over and sure enough, there was Luffy, pounding away at that golden stele with rhythmic thumps, steam rising from his body.
Beside him, Robin had already set up a red-and-yellow striped parasol. She reclined leisurely on a white lounge chair, absorbed in a book, as if the dull percussive sounds from the deck were the finest background music.
Zoro also approached. Unlike his usual habit of immediately joining in the training, he was flexing his still-sore arms.
"Where are Usopp and Sanji?" Luffy paused, wiping sweat from his brow. "They're not coming today?"
"They pushed themselves too hard a few days ago. Their muscles are still protesting. Said they need a few days to recover." Zoro watched Luffy's seemingly tireless fists and felt a phantom ache in his own muscles.
That kind of high-intensity impact training placed an enormous burden on the body. Only someone with Luffy's monstrous constitution could sustain it almost nonstop.
"Still, Zoro, your improvement is pretty impressive," Luffy said sincerely.
He could sense that Zoro's sword strikes were growing sharper, his application of Armament Haki increasingly refined.
"Not even close. How could I compare to a monster like you?!" Zoro shot back fiercely. He had no intention of falling too far behind.
"So, you ready?"
"Wait a second!" Zoro hastily called a halt. Sometimes he suspected Luffy just wanted an excuse to punch him.
"What's up?" Luffy asked.
"Luffy, that move you demonstrated yesterday—the one where you used Armament Haki to strike from a distance without touching—how does that work?"
He recalled the technique Luffy had casually shown. A single punch, without direct contact, had left a clear dent in the stele's surface. That was clearly a more advanced application of Haki.
"Huh? Oh, that." Luffy thought for a moment, trying to explain it in terms Zoro could grasp.
"It's probably an application you get after training Armament Haki to the next level.
Unlike regular hardening or coating, this kind of Armament Haki lets you flow the power, then release it outward.
You can turn it directly into a solid impact force, or form a defensive barrier. It might even be able to block certain intangible attacks..."
Luffy raised his arm. The pitch-black Armament Haki rippled across his skin like a living thing.
"I'm still getting used to this power myself. It feels pretty amazing."
"Nani?! The NEXT LEVEL?!"
Zoro's eyes bulged. He was suddenly very displeased.
He had only recently mastered the basics of Armament Haki coating and hardening. He'd thought he was finally closing the gap—and now Luffy had gone and unlocked a whole new tier?!
Not only had the gap not shrunk, it felt like it had expanded into an entirely new dimension!
He knew Luffy trained like a demon.
But the sweat and effort he, Zoro, poured into his own training was nothing to scoff at either!
Why was it that this guy improved like a rocket?!
A wave of indescribable frustration and defiance surged in his chest.
THUD.
Zoro slammed the heavy iron weight he'd been using as a barbell onto the deck, then stalked off into the cabin without another word, muttering under his breath.
"Extra training. If it doesn't kill me, I'll train until it does."
He refused to believe he couldn't catch up.
If he'd seen Luffy suddenly nod off in the middle of training and wake up completely refreshed, Zoro might have felt a bit more resigned.
A few days later, on a calm, sun-drenched morning, the Going Merry finally touched down smoothly on the surface of the Blue Sea.
The Octopus Balloon, its mission complete, released its tentacles and drifted gracefully back up into the sky.
Returning to the familiar azure ocean, everyone was visibly exhilarated, as if reuniting with an old friend after a long separation.
Nami and Vivi were already enthusiastically discussing their shopping list for when they reached Water 7, especially items for little Merry—new clothes, accessories, and such.
Of course, their top priority was converting the astonishing amount of gold and treasure on board into more usable Berries.
Aside from the two massive steles—refined by the Shandia primarily for training—they still had a vast collection of gold and silver jewelry, vessels, and ornaments.
Little Merry had joined the discussion. Though she was a ship spirit, she was still a girl at heart, and she was just as interested in pretty dresses and shiny accessories.
Usopp, meanwhile, had dragged Sanji into a planning session. They were discussing how to use the properties of the Sky Dials to reinforce and upgrade the Going Merry's structure and functionality.
He was taking this very seriously. Even though they had decided to build a larger ship capable of carrying the Merry, optimizing and strengthening the Merry herself was equally important. It would affect their sailing safety—both until the new ship was completed, and in certain specific situations afterward.
Chopper trotted over to Nami, rubbing his little hooves together sheepishly.
"Nami, the ship's medical supplies are almost out. I need to stock up... and I need some money."
The current Nami was practically overflowing with wealth. With a grand flourish, she handed Chopper a thick stack of bills.
"Here. Ten million Berries. That should be enough, right? Make sure to buy good-quality ingredients."
"Ten million Berries?!"
Chopper was stunned by the number. He fumbled to take the money and began counting on his hooves, trying to calculate how many times this sum equaled his own bounty.
After much confused tallying, he gave up and carefully wrapped the money in a clean cloth, clutching it tightly to his chest.
Nami added with a cheerful smile, "Chopper, this is a huge amount of money, okay? Whatever you do, don't lose it!"
Hearing this, Chopper immediately secured the pouch to his body and nodded vigorously, his small face assuming a deadly-serious expression—as if vowing to defend this fortune with his life.
***
Dive deeper into the story with 30+ advance chapters, available now on Patreon!patreon.com/CNBLUE
If you're enjoying the novel, please consider leaving a review. Your support is crucial and helps the story grow immensely. Thank you!