The moon shone bright, and the stars scattered faintly across the sky as the sea breeze howled over the waves.
Sandy didn't return to the Going Merry. At this moment, he sat in a small boat rented from the Baratie with the noblewoman, Moodie, enjoying the night view together.
Where did Sandy get the Berries? Just from the two hundred and fifty Berries Nami gave him?
Of course not. People seemed to forget—what kind of ability user was Sandy? Would someone like him ever lack Berries?
The oars cut through the shimmering water, leaving glowing trails behind.
Carried by the salty night wind, Moodie's perfume and delicate scent filled the air, making Sandy's heart ripple.
At that moment, Moodie turned to him, her eyes soft beneath the moonlight. She pointed toward the Going Merry not far away and asked, "Is that your ship?"
Sandy nodded. "The one wearing the straw hat is my captain. I don't know when we'll be setting sail."
Moodie sighed softly. "Life is like duckweed… drifting wherever the current takes it."
Sandy wrapped his arm gently around her waist. "Why so sad all of a sudden?"
Moodie shook her head. "I'm going back tomorrow. I'm just a weak woman—sailing on the Grand Line isn't for me."
Sandy frowned slightly. "So, you're leaving tomorrow?"
She nodded. "I was supposed to take the Navy captain's ship, but… I didn't expect him to be that kind of person."
Sandy chuckled, pulling her closer. "Let's not talk about him, alright?"
Moodie smiled faintly. "Okay."
"Cough, cough," Sandy said with a teasing grin. "The wind's pretty strong out here. How about we head inside the boat?"
Moodie gave him a playful look before following him in.
Feeling Sandy's mischievous hand at her waist, she giggled, "Stop messing around, I'm ticklish!"
Sandy laughed softly. "Ticklish? Don't worry, I'll help you get used to it soon enough."
"Ah, you bad guy…"
The sea breeze continued to whistle outside. Occasionally, the sound of chefs arguing echoed from the Baratie, while the waves rocked Sandy's restless little boat far into the night…
-XXXXX-
The next morning, sunlight sparkled across the sea as the Baratie grew lively once again.
When Sandy woke, Moodie was gone—vanished like a dream. The empty space beside him made him feel an unexpected loneliness.
But he couldn't stay still. He had bigger dreams to chase. Especially… that woman from Amazon Lily.
As soon as he stepped into the restaurant, Usopp ran over with an envious grin. "Sandy, how did you sleep last night?"
Seeing Nami's teasing expression, Sandy quickly played dumb. "Last night? Don't even remind me! You didn't stop me when I was drunk ended up sleeping outside in the sea breeze all night! Achoo! See? Probably caught a cold!"
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "That so?"
Sandy snapped back, "What's with that tone? You wanna fight, huh?"
Zoro smirked, hand already moving to his swords. "Come on, who's afraid of who?"
Nami sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "That's enough. Let's go eat."
Sandy immediately flattered her. "You're still so gentle in the morning, Nami."
Nami nearly burst out laughing. "Gentle? You are sure you're talking about me?"
Still, when she remembered how close Sandy had been with that noblewoman yesterday, she teased, "You should save that line for your lady friend."
Usopp chimed in at the right time. "I wonder how long Luffy's planning to stay here!"
"Huh? Who's calling me?" Luffy's voice rang out as he turned, waving excitedly. "Oh, Usopp! There you are!"
Sandy looked up. "Luffy, I said—how long are we staying here?"
Luffy pouted. "That depends on when the old man's willing to let me go."
The moment he finished speaking, a blur zipped past and stopped in front of Nami.
Who else but Sanji?
"Good morning, Miss Nami," Sanji said warmly. "Do you need anything to eat? I've gone ahead and made your meal free of charge."
Then, his expression instantly shifted as he glared at Sandy and the others. "But you lot—pay full price."
Nami giggled. "Thanks, Mr. Sanji."
Sanji's eyes turned into hearts. "Of course, Miss Nami~!"
Sandy pointed toward him and asked Patty, the burly chef who'd beaten up Gin yesterday, "Hey, Chef, why does your restaurant keep such a weird creature around? You should probably get him checked by a doctor…"
Before he could finish, Sanji lashed out with a kick.
But to Sandy, it was just one word: slow.
He casually caught Sanji's leg with one hand.
The people around couldn't help bursting into laughter.
Zoro roared, "Hahaha! Kick him again, pervert chef!"
Patty snorted, trying not to laugh. "Sanji, come back! I'll take you to the doctor myself—hahaha!"
Sanji glared at Sandy, veins popping. "You bastard!"
Sandy grinned. "Your leg strength's not great."
Sanji's eyes twitched. "What did you just say!?"
Nami stepped in quickly. "Mr. Sanji, please don't fight… for my sake?"
Sanji froze, then his expression melted into pure devotion. "Yes, Miss Nami."
Watching that, Sandy sighed internally. This guy was definitely hopeless.
Sure, Sandy liked beautiful women too—but there was a difference.
He did it with purpose.
Sanji did it by instinct.
One was in control. The other wasn't.
Poor Sanji.
Sandy, still in a good mood from last night, didn't bother arguing anymore.
Soon, the group sat around a table, and Zoro immediately ordered a bottle of sake.
Sandy sighed. "You delinquent drunk—be careful of liver failure! Waiter! One bottle of alcohol!"
Zoro's expression darkened. "This guy's still as annoying as ever."
Gradually, the restaurant grew busy again—until a shout broke through the chatter.
"Chef Zeff! It's bad! Krieg is here!"
The entire restaurant went silent.
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
There stood Gin, helping a towering man clad in golden armor into the restaurant.