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  The rest of the crew settled into an unfortable quiet, the gravity of the situation sinking in. Usopp wasn’t just some crewmate who had a small spat with Luffy. This was deeper than that—this was about respect, about trust. And unless Usopp could find it in himself to apologize, they couldn’t just go back to the way things were.

  Luffy stood up, stretg his arms over his head. “I’m going for a nap,” he said with a yawn, trying to shake off the heavy atmosphere. “Wake me when there’s meat.” His voice carried none of his usual carefree excitement, but it was clear he didn’t want to dwell on the issue any longer.

  The crew watched as Luffy walked away, disappearing into the bedroom without another word. They khis wasn’t easy for him, but no one was going to say anything more. The decision had been made.

  Later that evening, Kokoro showed up, instantly cutting through the heavy mood that had been lingering over the crew. Her usual grin spread across her face as she waved her hand, her voice raspy but cheerful.

  Kokoro joihe group, casually taking a seat. Her words immediately catg everyone’s attention. " isnd the Log Pose is pointing to... is Fishman Isnd."

  The crew’s eyes lit up at the mention of the infamous undersea isnd. But none of them reacted as enthusiastically as Sanji, who immediately shot to his feet, twirling ih hearts in his eyes. "Fishman Isnd? I’ll finally see mermaids!" he shouted, already lost in his fantasies.

  Coby, lounging nearby with his arms behind his head, snickered and threw a ent at Sanji, "Haven't you seen one already?"

  Sanji’s excitement instantly turned into fury, his entire demeanor shifting as he gred at Coby with pure murder in his eyes. "I have not!" he decred vehemently.

  The rest of the crew looked between Sanji and Coby, fused. They all remembered what had happe Enies Lobby when Coby had kicked Sanji into the sea, where he’d been rescued by Kokoro in a strange manner. Apparently, Sanji had blocked that part from his memory, unwilling to accept that his first enter with a mermaid had been with Kokoro.

  Kokoro chuckled at the exge but didn’t dwell on it. She shifted the versatioone a little more serious now. "Before you get too excited, there’s something you should know," she said, leaning forward slightly. "There’s a small hurdle between Fishman Isnd and Water 7."

  "A hurdle?" Zoro asked, narrowing his eyes as he crossed his arms.

  Kokoro nodded. "It’s called the Florian Triangle. Every year, ships vanish in that area, and no one knows why. Some say it’s hauhere are rumors of ghosts and even a talking skeleton."

  Nami visibly tensed, her face paling at the mention of ghosts. "G-Ghosts?" she stammered, her voice shaking slightly.

  In trast, Luffy’s eyes lit up with excitement. "A talking skeleton?! I want oo join our crew!" His enthusiasm was clear, his imagination already running wild with the idea.

  Nami shot him a horrified look, but Luffy didn’t seem to care. The idea of meeting a skeleton was clearly more exg to him than the danger of disappearing ships. Zoro and Sanji also looked mildly ied, though none of them seemed particurly worried about the supposed danger.

  As Kokoro tio expirange occurrences in the Florian Triangle, Nami’s disfrew. She tried to stay calm, but the thought of sailing through a pce full of ghosts clearly didn’t sit well with her. The rest of the crew, meanwhile, listened ily, each of them preparially for the strange journey ahead.

  As they were talking, Mozu and Kiwi, the square sisters, strolled in with ey and Gonbe. Mozu fshed a grin, her voice cheerful. "Big Bro Franky is calling you guys. The Dream Ship is done."

  ey chimed iedly, boung on her heels. "And it’s amazing!"

  Luffy’s eyes sparkled, his excitement bursting out of him. "Ehh?! It’s done already? That was fast!"

  Kiwi nodded, her arms crossed fidently. "Five top-notch shipwrights worked day and night. No breaks!"

  The entire crew buzzed with anticipation, the mood shifting from casual to eager in seds. They got up from their spots in the garden, following the square sisters out of the guesthouse. But as they stepped into the street, Franky’s gang was already there, blog their way.

  "Straw Hat-san!" Zambai called out from a distance, waving them down as they approached. "We have something important to show you."

  Luffy perked up, curious. "What is it? Mood news?"

  Zambai shook his head, "We’ve got a request to make. Have you seeest wanted posters?"

  Luffy’s grin somehow grew even wider, as if that ossible. "Wanted posters?"

  Zambai nodded, pulling out a stack of posters. "Yeah, and you’ve got an eous bounty on your head along with Vice-Captain-san. The rest of your crew also has new bounties."

  Sanji’s eyes sparkled with excitement, already boung in pce. "Me too?"

  Nami looked anxious, "Me too?"

  Chopper, always hopeful, squeaked, "Me too?"

  Zambai id the posters on the ground, and the crew gathered around to see. Each poster was revealed one by one, and the crew's reas varied from stuo ecstatic.

  "Straw Hat Luffy, Dead or Alive, 350 Million Beri," Zambai read out, his tone almost reverent.

  Luffy burst into ughter, throwing his hands in the air. "Shishishi! That’s awesome!"

  came Coby's poster. "Coby the Copy Ninja, Dead or Alive, 333 Million Beri."

  Coby raised an eyebrow at the price, "Must be Spandam's doing."

  "Pirate Hunter Zoro, Dead or Alive, 120 Million Beri."

  Zoro smirked, clearly satisfied with his new bounty.

  "Devil’s Child Nico Robin, Dead or Alive, 80 Million Beri."

  Robin gave a small smile, but her expression remained calm, as if she had expected it.

  "Cat Burgr Nami, Dead or Alive, 16 Million Beri."

  Nami let out a small yelp, "I am waoo?"

  Zambai moved on, showing Usopp’s poster, still with the Sogeking mask. "The Great Liar Usopp, Dead or Alive, 40 Million Beri."

  "Cotton dy Lover Chopper (Pet), Dead or Alive, 50 Beri."

  Chopper’s face fell as he stared at the ridiculously low bounty. "F-f-fifty Beri? Why am I a pet?!"

  "Bck Leg Sanji, Dead or Alive, 77 Million Beri—photo unavaible."

  Looking at the drawing on Sanji's bounty poster, Coby burst into ughter, nearly choking on his drink. The poster had a crude, cartoonish sketch of a man with blonde hair and a curly eyebrow, but otherwise, it looked nothing like Sanji.

  Sanji fell to the ground, staring at the poster in disbelief. "What the hell is this?! That's supposed to be me?!"

  Zoro couldn’t resist. "That is just like you," he teased, a smirk tugging at his lips.

  Sanji jumped to his feet, fmes bzing around him in pure rage. "How is this like me, you moss-headed bastard?!"

  Before Sanji could lu Zoro, Zambai interrupted by pulling out another poster. "Our request is about this one." He held up the bounty for Franky. "Cyb Franky, Dead or Alive, 44 Million Beri."

  The crew’s attention shifted to Franky’s wanted poster, and Zambai tinued, his voice suddenly serious. "With this bounty on his head, Big Bro 't stay on nd. He’ll be hunted down, and there’s no pce for him in Water 7 anymore."

  Zambai fell to his knees, bowing his head deeply in front of Luffy and the crew. "Please, take Big Bro Franky with you! He deserves to sail the seas, not hide like a criminal on nd!"

  Luffy scratched his head, fused. "Why are you asking us? Franky’s the one who decides what he wants to do."

  Zambai raised his head, desperation in his eyes. "He won’t leave! He thinks his pce is here, but with a bounty on his head, he’ll never be safe. Please, take him with you!"

  The crew gathered their things and made their way toward the junkyard, where they had first anchored the Going Merry. This time, it wasn’t to say goodbye but to meet their new ship. Excitement buzzed in the air, though none of them said much as they walked through the bustling streets of Water 7. They were about to see the ship that would carry them into the chapter of their adventure.

  --

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