Eustass Kid held Krieg high, a defiant and cruel smile on his face.
Behind him, the Krieg Fleet was engulfed in flames, sinking into the sea one after another with agonizing groans.
World Economic Journal Headline: "Recently, the former overlord of the East Blue, the Krieg Pirates, were massacred by the Kid Pirates; over five thousand men perished, leaving no survivors!"
Inside the restaurant, Sanji, having packed his belongings, walked out the door with an expressionless face and headed straight for the Dream Chaser.
On the floating platform, Patty and Carne stood on either side among other chefs, watching him pass with cold gazes as if they were indifferent to his departure.
Reaching the edge of the platform, Sanji tossed his bundle onto the Dream Chaser and hopped aboard.
"Let's go, Goku."
He spoke to Goku, who was already waiting for him on the ship.
"Aren't you guys going to say goodbye to each other?" Goku peered over the railing, looking curiously at Sanji and then at the expressionless crowd below.
"There's no need. No sense in being sentimental."
Sanji smiled faintly, appearing very composed, but from start to finish, he never turned around to face the crew of the Baratie.
"I really don't get you guys," Goku muttered, scratching his head as he prepared to hoist the sails.
Just then, a piece of advice, seemingly plain but filled with deep concern, drifted down from the second floor of the Baratie.
"Sanji, the wind is strong on the sea. Don't catch a cold."
Zeff had stepped out at some point, leaning against the railing and watching Sanji's back with a smile.
That usually stern gaze appeared incredibly soft in this moment.
Sanji's body stiffened, and then he began to tremble slightly.
Drip!
Drip!
Before he knew it, tears overflowed like broken strings of pearls, steadily hitting the deck.
Sanji pursed his lips and sniffled constantly, the cool facade he had been maintaining crumbling to pieces.
He thought of how Zeff had once lost a leg to save him.
He thought of the guidance, care, and attention Zeff had given him all these years. He could no longer restrain the surging emotions in his heart. He whirled around, knelt heavily toward Zeff, and cried out at the top of his lungs:
"Old Man Zeff!! Thank you for everything you've done for me all these years!!"
"I will never forget the debt I owe you!!"
Zeff continued to watch him with a smile, but tears had begun to pool in his own eyes.
At the same time, the other chefs—who had also been feigning coldness—could no longer keep a straight face and burst into tears.
"Waaaah!! Dammit!! You brat!!"
"It's so lonely! We're going to miss you so much!!"
Sanji raised his head and stood up, watching the companions he had spent years with. Seeing those tough guys who never cried weeping like babies made his own tears flow even harder.
"That's enough! What's with all this blubbering? If we're saying goodbye, let's do it like men!"
Zeff wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and shouted to everyone.
A short while later, the Dream Chaser set sail. Goku and Sanji stood on the deck, waving and shouting:
"Goodbye, everyone!"
"Take care, you brats! Until we meet again!"
...
...
On the sparkling surface of the sea, a small boat was speeding forward.
On the boat, Nami stood at the bow, gazing ahead as countless thoughts raced through her mind.
Eight years ago, the Arlong Pirates invaded and occupied her village, demanding tribute for every person there.
Back then, her and Nojiko's adoptive mother, Belle-mere, couldn't scrape together enough money. Unable to deny the existence of her children and wanting them to survive on the island, she sacrificed herself and was brutally murdered by Arlong, the leader of the Arlong Pirates.
After killing Belle-mere, Arlong discovered Nami's extraordinary talent for drawing charts. He forced her to work for him, promising she could buy back her village for 100 million Berries.
From then on, at only ten years old, she was forced to become a member of the Arlong Pirates, slaving away to draw maps for the man who killed her mother.
Not only that, she shouldered the immense burden of liberating the village alone, embarking on a grueling journey of stealing treasure from pirates to earn those 100 million Berries.
Over these eight years, she had endured countless hardships and faced numerous life-and-death crises, slowly accumulating a vast fortune piece by piece.
She never expected that she would successfully collect the final 100 million Berries so easily today, finally allowing her to buy the village back from Arlong.
'Goku, thank you so much for everything during this time, really...'
An unconscious smile played on her lips. In her mind's eye, the figure of a naive young man appeared—one who had initially made her grit her teeth in frustration but later moved her deeply, eventually becoming someone she truly liked.
She never dreamed that in the final stages of collecting her goal, she would meet such a kind-hearted companion who was willing to risk his life for her.
Because of him, gathering the remaining Berries had been far easier than before, and she had felt a warmth she hadn't known in eight years.
To her, Goku was already one of the most important people in her life. She was grateful to him, trusted him, and didn't want anything bad to happen to him. She even hoped she could sail the seas with him, helping him find his family and chase his dreams while pursuing her own.
But to achieve that, she first had to complete one task: buying back the village from Arlong.
'Arlong, I've brought the 100 million Berries. You'll keep your word, right?'
She glanced at the treasure on the boat, her fists subconsciously clenching.
She knew all too well that pirates were often treacherous people who went back on their word. Someone as vile as Arlong was highly likely to do just that.
But what choice did she have?
This was her only chance. If she didn't seize it with everything she had, there would be no way to free the village or herself from his control.
So now, her only hope was that he would honor his promise. Once he received the 100 million Berries, he would relinquish control over the village and stop forcing her to draw charts, allowing her to be truly free to return to the Dream Chaser and follow her dreams on the Grand Line with Goku.
While she was lost in thought—alternating between worry, anxiety, and longing smiles—the Dream Chaser was steadily closing the distance behind her, unbeknownst to her.
"Hey! Sanji, I see Nami!"
Standing on the monkey-head prow, Goku stood up and pointed ahead, shouting to Sanji.
"Really!"
Sanji, who was at the helm, rushed out of the cabin and peered into the distance.
Before long, his hands were cradling his face, and his eyes had turned into two red hearts.
"Ah! That graceful figure... it's Nami-san for sure!"
After leaving the Baratie, the two of them had been chasing after Nami in the Dream Chaser.
Since Nami was in a relatively slow boat, they had successfully caught up after about an hour of pursuit.
As they drew closer to Nami and could clearly see her, they both shouted in unison:
"Hey! Nami!!"
"Nami-san!! I've come for you!!"
Lost in her thoughts, Nami suddenly heard the two voices and thought she was hallucinating.
But as the voices continued, she spun around and saw Goku and Sanji waving frantically at her.
For a moment, she stood there stunned, her mouth moving but unable to say a word.
'You guys... why are you here?'
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