Chapter 47 — "Bounty Hunters and Hungry Dreams"
Sunny's POV
The morning sun glistened off the sea like scattered jewels, turning the endless blue into a sparkling canvas that stretched to the horizon. I leaned against the Merry's railing at the bow, stretching my arms wide and letting the salty wind brush across my face, carrying with it the faint scent of adventure and salt-kissed freedom. The ship rocked gently beneath me, her timbers creaking in that familiar, almost affectionate way—as if the Merry herself was humming a soft tune, her spirit stirring in the wood like a quiet heartbeat growing stronger with each passing day. I could feel it, that nascent life pulsing through the vessel, responding to our presence, our laughter, our chaos. She was more than just a ship now; she was becoming part of the crew, alive in her own quirky way.
"Ughhhh, I'm starving!" Lucy's voice cracked through my morning calm like a cannonball shattering glass. I glanced back over my shoulder, spotting her sprawled dramatically across the deck, arms and legs stretched out like a starfish on a beach towel. Her straw hat had slid off her messy black hair, landing crookedly beside her, and she pounded the wood weakly with one fist for emphasis. "My stomach's eating itself! Sunny, make food appear! You can do anything!"
I rolled my eyes, but a smile tugged at my lips despite myself. "You literally ate half the pantry last night, Lucy. How are you already hungry? That was enough meat to feed a Sea King."
"Half the pantry isn't breakfast!" Lucy shot back, pouting as she sat up abruptly, her rubbery body snapping into position like a spring-loaded toy. She rubbed her belly in exaggerated circles, making pitiful whining sounds that could've rivaled a wounded animal. "I need fuel for adventures! Without food, I'll deflate like a balloon!"
Zoro grunted from where he sat cross-legged nearby, his three swords propped against his shoulder like loyal companions. He was sharpening one blade methodically, the rhythmic scrape of whetstone on steel adding to the morning symphony. "Just eat air. You talk enough to fill your stomach with hot wind."
"Shut up, moss-head!" Lucy barked, launching herself to her feet and pointing accusingly at him, her finger stretching slightly for emphasis. "Your head's so green, you probably photosynthesize! That's why you're always napping like a plant!"
Zoro's eye twitched, but he didn't stop sharpening. "At least plants don't whine every five minutes. Keep it up, and I'll use you as bait for the next fish we catch."
Usopp, who had been wisely pretending to polish his slingshot from a safe distance near the mast, snickered under his breath but quickly covered it with a cough when Lucy shot him a glare. "Hey, don't drag me into this! I'm just… uh… preparing for battle. Yeah, that's it!"
I sighed, shaking my head at the familiar routine. Another day, another shouting match between those two—it was like clockwork, as predictable as the tides. But there was something endearing about it, the way their bickering filled the air with energy, turning the vast ocean into our own little chaotic world.
Nami sidled up beside me at the railing, her orange hair catching the sunlight like flames dancing in the breeze. She leaned in close, her shoulder brushing mine in that casual, intimate way that always sent a quiet thrill through me. "Navigator's orders: ignore both of them before they drive us all overboard." Her voice was low and teasing, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she glanced up at me.
{ego}: This crew is pathetic. A fake captain with a bottomless gut, a sleepy mosshead, and a liar with a nose for trouble. You're the only one with any sense, Sunny-boy—don't let them drag you down.
[system]: ♥ But Master looks so cool with the wind in his hair! Way better than Zoro's snoring face or Lucy's food obsession. Ara ara, I could watch you like this forever~ Maybe Nami could join us for a private viewing?
I chuckled inwardly, wrapping an arm around Nami's waist and pulling her closer, enjoying the way she fit against me. "Sounds like a plan. Though if Lucy keeps whining, we might have to throw her overboard just for peace."
Nami laughed softly, her head resting on my shoulder as the wind played with her hair. "You're terrible. But… yeah, I wouldn't mind a quiet moment. Just us, the sea, and no drama." Her hand found mine, fingers intertwining, and for a heartbeat, the world narrowed to just her warmth, her scent of tangerines and salt, the soft curve of her smile. I leaned down, brushing a light kiss against her temple, feeling her shiver slightly in response.
"Quiet moments with you? I'll take as many as I can get," I murmured, my voice low enough for only her to hear.
She blushed faintly, nudging me playfully. "Smooth talker. Save some for when we're alone."
It was peaceful—almost too peaceful—until Lucy's sharp eyes caught something on the horizon. She froze mid-scamper, pointing wildly. "We've got company! Look, look! Tiny boat! Maybe pirates? Maybe treasure?!"
I followed her gaze, my Observation Haki kicking in instinctively. Two specks on the waves—a tiny, rickety boat drifting aimlessly, bobbing like a cork in the gentle swell. "Not pirates. More like… idiots about to drown. Two men, one yelling, the other slumped. They're in trouble."
Lucy's excitement didn't wane. "Rescue mission! Let's go save 'em—and if there's treasure, dibs on the shiny stuff!"
Zoro groaned, sheathing his sword. "Great. More strays. As if we don't have enough mouths to feed."
Usopp peered nervously over the side. "What if they're cursed? Or Marines in disguise? Or—"
"Navigator's override," Nami interrupted, already adjusting the sails with practiced ease. "We're helping them. It's the right thing to do." She shot me a wink, her hand lingering on my arm as she passed.
Sure enough, as we closed the distance, the scene became clearer. The boat was barely seaworthy—a patched-up dinghy with mismatched oars, looking like it had survived a storm by sheer luck. One man was yelling dramatically, waving his arms like a windmill in a gale. "Heyyy! Over hereeee! Save us, you magnificent ship of mercy!"
His partner lay slumped against the side, pale and wheezing, looking like he hadn't eaten in days.
Lucy, ever the enthusiastic one, stretched her arm out like a fishing line and hauled them aboard before we even fully stopped. "Gotcha! Welcome to the Going Merry! You okay? You look like ghosts!"
The loud one jumped onto our deck with surprising agility, striking a ridiculous pose—knees bent, arms flexed, two swords strapped crisscross to his back. "I am the great bounty hunter Johnny! And this here is my partner, Yosaku! We owe you our lives, strangers!"
His partner, Yosaku, collapsed immediately upon boarding, wheezing dramatically as he clutched his stomach. "Bro… I see the light… it's orange…"
"Yosaku!" Johnny yelped, crouching beside him in a panic. "Don't die on me, bro! We still gotta catch that big bounty!"
Nami was the first to kneel down, her sharp eyes scanning him with professional precision. She pressed a hand to his forehead, then checked his gums and nails. "He's not dying—he's malnourished. Look at him: weak, pale, gums bleeding… it's scurvy. Classic sailor's disease."
"Scurvy?" Usopp blinked, scratching his head. "Like, pirate scurvy? From too much rum and no veggies?"
"Exactly," Nami explained briskly, already rummaging through her bag. She pulled out a fresh orange from our endless pantry stock—courtesy of RBG's modifications—and peeled it efficiently. "It happens when you don't get enough vitamin C on the sea. Here, eat this. Slowly."
Yosaku, still trembling, opened one eye weakly. "…Orange… angel? Have I ascended to heaven?"
Lucy burst into laughter, clutching her sides. "He called you an angel, Nami! That's hilarious! You're more like a devil with that staff!"
Nami rolled her eyes, but a faint blush crept to her cheeks as she helped the man take a bite, holding the orange steady. Juice dribbled down his chin, and within moments, some color returned to his face—his eyes brightening, his breaths steadying. "Th-thank you… goddess…"
Johnny clasped his hands dramatically, bowing so low his forehead nearly hit the deck. "You saved him! Thank you, orange-haired goddess! We'll repay you somehow—bounty hunters' honor!"
"Don't exaggerate," Nami muttered, but she was smiling now, a soft, genuine curve to her lips that made my chest tighten. She glanced up at me, her eyes warm. "See? Helping people pays off."
I knelt beside her, brushing a stray hair from her face. "You're the real hero here. Always knowing what to do." My voice was low, just for her, and she leaned into my touch, her blush deepening.
Zoro tilted his head, recognition dawning. "Johnny. Yosaku. Haven't seen you two idiots in a while. Still chasing bounties like fools?"
Johnny brightened instantly, slapping Zoro on the back. "Zoro-aniki! Long time no see! You're with this crew now? Man, they're lucky!"
Lucy leaned toward me, whispering loudly. "Aniki? Means moss-head has friends? Actual human friends?!"
"Shocking, right?" I whispered back, earning a glare from Zoro.
"Oi. I heard that," Zoro growled, but there was no real heat in it—he even cracked a rare smile as Johnny and Yosaku regaled us with tales of their "epic" hunts.
Johnny, oblivious to the teasing, began boasting loudly about their latest adventures—most of which sounded like spectacular failures. "We took down a pirate with a 5 million berry bounty! But then we spent it all on bad maps… and fish that gave us food poisoning…"
Yosaku, still weak but perking up, nodded along. "Yeah… bad times, bro…"
As they settled down, sharing a meal from our stores, I leaned on the mast, watching the scene unfold. It was a strange little family we'd gathered—an money-obsessed navigator with a heart of gold, a greedy rubber captain with endless energy, a directionless swordsman with unbreakable will, a liar with hidden bravery, and now two half-starved bounty hunters who looked like they'd stumbled out of a comedy skit. And somehow, I fit right in— the guy with voices in his head and a knack for soul-crushing battles.
Later, as the excitement faded into a lazy afternoon haze, we gathered on deck around a makeshift table of crates. Johnny cleared his throat, wiping orange juice from his chin. "Listen, you helped save Yosaku, so I'll repay the favor. If you're looking for something—anything—I know just the place. A floating restaurant called Baratie. Best grub on the seas!"
"Restaurant?" Lucy's eyes lit up like fireworks, her mouth already watering as she leaned forward. "Floating food heaven? Tell me more! Do they have all-you-can-eat meat buffets?!"
Johnny grinned, nodding vigorously. "Aye! The best food you'll ever taste! And the cooks there are no joke—tough as nails, fight like demons. Led by this guy Zeff, old pirate turned chef."
Lucy leapt three feet into the air, fists clenched in victory. "YES! We're going there! I'll eat everything they have! Meat mountains! Pasta pyramids! Dessert deluges!"
"Of course you will," Zoro muttered, rolling his eyes as he took a swig from his sake gourd. "Just don't bankrupt us before we get there."
Usopp looked intrigued, adjusting his goggles. "A restaurant ship? That sounds amazing. Floating feasts? Sign me up! Maybe they have secret recipes I can 'borrow' for my inventions."
I glanced at Nami, who gave me a small, knowing nod. She remembered our talk from before—about needing more hands on deck, especially in the kitchen. "We'll need two chefs," I said aloud, keeping my tone casual.
Johnny blinked, scratching his head. "Two? Isn't one enough? Most crews get by with a guy who can boil water."
"Not when Lucy eats like a bottomless pit," I replied calmly, gesturing at her as she mimed shoveling imaginary food into her mouth.
"HEY!" Lucy pouted, crossing her arms. "I'm growing! Adventures burn calories!"
Nami giggled softly, nudging my side with her elbow. "He's not wrong. If it were just me, Nojiko could handle cooking for us back home. But with Lucy around… we'd need an army to keep up." She leaned her head on my shoulder, her laughter warm against me.
"Fine!" Lucy huffed, puffing her cheeks like a chipmunk. "Then we'll get two chefs. Twice the food! Twice the fun! I'll test them personally—eat-off challenge!"
Everyone groaned at once, the deck echoing with collective despair. "No eat-offs!" Usopp yelped. "You'll scare them away!"
Zoro snorted. "Or bankrupt the restaurant. Imagine the bill."
The discussion spiraled into comedic chaos—Lucy demanding a "mountain of meat" as her recruitment test, Usopp insisting on a cook who could also craft explosive fireworks ("For flavor bursts!"), Zoro claiming he didn't care as long as they brewed strong sake and left him alone. Johnny and Yosaku joined in, boasting about Baratie's "legendary fights" over bad meals, turning the whole thing into a raucous planning session.
In the middle of it all, Nami leaned closer to me, her voice a whisper amid the noise. "Good call on the chefs. We really do need them." Her hand slipped into mine under the table, fingers tracing lazy circles on my palm—a subtle touch that sent warmth spreading through me.
I squeezed back, my thumb brushing her knuckles. "Just making sure our bottomless captain doesn't starve us all. But hey, with you navigating, we could sail on empty stomachs and still make it."
She chuckled, her eyes locking onto mine with that intensity that always left me breathless. "Smooth. Keep talking like that, and I might just navigate us to a private island instead." She winked, leaning in for a quick, stolen kiss that tasted like salt and promise.
{ego}: Gag me. You're turning into a sap, Sunny-boy.
By the afternoon, the Merry's sails were stretched wide, the wind filling them with a satisfying snap as we set our course for Baratie. The sea rolled beneath us, the horizon calling like an old friend.
Ahead, in the shimmering distance, the faint shape of a great floating structure appeared—a ship like no other, a restaurant drifting on the sea, promising food, fights, and maybe a few new faces.
Lucy jumped onto the railing, pointing dramatically with one stretched arm. "Baratie! Here we come! Food paradise awaits!"
Yosaku, still recovering on a deck chair, groaned weakly. "Please… more oranges first… or I'll faint again…"
Johnny slapped his back heartily. "Don't worry, bro! At Baratie, we'll feast like kings! And with Zoro-aniki's crew, it'll be epic!"
The crew erupted in laughter, the deck alive with chatter and teasing—Usopp spinning yarns about "conquering the kitchen," Zoro threatening to nap through it all, Lucy planning her "ultimate eating strategy."
I looked ahead, my heart steady. Baratie. A new step, new allies, new chaos. Whatever came, we'd face it together.
And hopefully, with a lot more food.