"That skeleton just stormed off—what the hell is happening?!" Nami's tone was equal parts fear and fury, her fingers curling around her staff.
Usopp's knees wobbled beneath him. "He can't just vanish into thin air!" he squeaked, ducking behind a coil of rope.
Chopper's ears drooped as tears glistened in his eyes. "We… have to go after him," he murmured, voice cracking.
At the rail, Luffy squared his shoulders against the frosty breeze, eyes bright with resolve. "All right—let's go save our new friend."
Franky stepped forward, goggles reflecting the swirling mist. "If we're chasing that crazy skeleton, we'll need the Mini Merry II—our little speedboat!"
Luffy's grin stretched ear to ear. "A small boat? Woah, I can't wait!" He whipped around, calling over his shoulder, "Sanji—prepare a pirate bento, please!"
Robin slipped through the fog toward the galley hatch. "Bento's ready," she sang out, a soft smile warming her calm demeanor.
Sanji emerged, cloth in hand, eyes turning into hearts when he saw Nami. "Mon amour, fear not—I shall remain here at your side, protecting you from any… spooky intruders," he cooed, fluttering a rose-shaped napkin at her.
Nami rolled her eyes but allowed a faint blush. "Thanks, Sanji."
Usopp hovered nervously at Franky's elbow. "Wait—hold on. We're actually heading to that creepy island, right?"
Nami crossed her arms. "Even if the Sunny's trapped, Lucas can open a portal for us. No need to brave any haunted shores."
Franky's grin grew mischievous. "Ah, but I've one more trick up my sleeve—something special I haven't shown you all yet."
Question marks practically floated above their heads. "Special?" Usopp echoed.
"Behold: the Soldier Dock System, Channel 2," Franky announced, slapping a gleaming panel on the rail.
"Channel 2?" Usopp squinted at the labels: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4.
Franky tapped each in turn. "The Sunny runs on five channels—two zeros, one, two, three, four—each with a different function."
Lucas strolled up, grin crooked. "Isn't that six?"
Franky waved a spanner. "Five channels just sounds cooler, okay?"
Nami smirked. "You showed us 0, 1, and 3 already."
"And you said 2 and 4 were empty," Usopp added.
Franky chuckled, eyes twinkling. "They were so special I kept 'em secret! Now, test Channel 2—you'll love it."
Nami and Usopp exchanged a daring glance. "Uh… sure," they replied in unison.
Chopper's tail wiggled. "Me too—I want to see!" he piped, scampering after them.
Moments later, the crew on deck—Zoro, Lucas, Robin, and Sanji—heard engines sputter. Ahead, through the mist, Nami's triumphant shout rang out: "It's the Mini Merry II!"
Sure enough, a perfect scale model of the Going Merry, engines flaring tiny bursts of steam, slid alongside the Sunny. Nami steered with confident grace as Usopp and Chopper climbed aboard, giggling.
"It's Merry's little sister!" Usopp cheered, clapping his hands. The boat bobbed in a playful rhythm, its wooden hull shining wet in the fog.
Chopper waved at them. "So cute!"
Zoro leaned on his sword, nodding approval. "Franky outdid himself."
Lucas sipped a cola, eyebrows raised. "Impressive engineering."
Robin smiled, watching Nami navigate the small craft. "A perfect gift."
Framed by swirling droplets, the Mini Merry II darted into the mist like a living thing. But soon the fog swallowed it, leaving the Sunny in an eerie silence.
Luffy's voice cut through the quiet. "Nami—hurry up! I want a turn!"
From the fog came a shriek that sounded all too familiar: "Kyaaaa!"
Sanji's face paled. "That sounded like Nami and Usopp in trouble!"
Robin pressed a hand to her brow. "The fog is too thick. I can't see them."
Before anyone could react, a loud clang echoed across the main deck. The Sunny's massive anchor dropped with a jarring thud.
Luffy's brow furrowed. "Huh—the anchor just dropped?"
Zoro drew one sword, stance low. "No one touched it, right?"
Franky looked up, panic flickering across his features. "Lucas—another prank?"
Lucas straightened, almost bored. "Not me."
Then the hatch behind them creaked open on its own, a ghostly wind gusting through the galley. Wood groaned as the door swung wide.
Sanji spun, fists clenched. "No one's even near it! What's going on?!"
Franky muttered, "This is—beyond spooky."
Luffy's cheeks stretched into a grin. "Hmm!" he said, his rubber skin elongating as he sniffed the air.
Sanji stomped a foot. "This—is not time to joke around!"
Lucas's body blurred. With a shimmer of chrome and whirring servos, he transformed into his Sotoraggian form: a sleek, robot-like alien with thrusters on his back and scanning visors over two insectoid eyes. Strange glyphs danced across his armor plates.
"Gruth k'Zaal fi-nor shra!" he intoned in mechanical clicks and hums—a command to activate his life-sign scanner. Jets flared as he zoomed toward the mast, scanning every inch with glowing beams.
Below, the others watched in fascination and dread as Lucas dove through walls of rolling fog. A metallic claw snapped around unseen air, yanking something invisible out of the mist. He slammed it onto deck with a crack that echoed like thunder.
Luffy's eyes shone. "Nice work, Lucas—what did you get?"
The crew closed in: Sanji, Robin, Zoro, Franky. On the deck lay a shapeless space—until a bolt of electricity arced from Lucas's back cannon, crackling across the air. In the flicker, a man's silhouette appeared: cloaked in darkness, save for a grotesque animal's mouth crudely stitched across his face.
"An invisible saboteur!" Luffy exclaimed.
Franky revved a fist. "He's the one messing with our ship!"
Robin's voice was sharp. "Invisibility Devil Fruit user."
Zoro cracked his knuckles. "Show yourself, coward."
Sanji's jaw clenched with fierce jealousy. "The Suke Suke no Mi—none shall eclipse my dreams!"
From the unseen figure came a groan as he staggered to consciousness. Sanji's temper flared; before anyone could stop him, he delivered a swift kick that sent the man tumbling over the rail into the churning sea.
Lucas reverted to normal, brow arching. "Don't tell me that's because you wanted those invisibility powers to… peep around?"
Sanji squared his shoulders, fury in his gaze. "All Devil Fruits have unique abilities in this world! I… I always wanted that fruit. Now some coward got it first—just my luck!". "My dream of the Suke Suke no Mi is crushed—ruined!" His chest rose and fell.
Franky's mouth twisted. "You—kicked him off the Sunny?!"
Sanji shrugged, unaffected. "He's not our problem. Let him tangle with sea monsters."
A hush settled over the deck as waves slapped the hull, rain-laden wind whispering through the rigging. The crew exchanged uneasy glances—adrenaline still thrumming in their veins. Together, they stood on the deck of the Sunny, bracing against the fog-blanketed sea, ready for whatever ghostly menace might come next.
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