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Following Merry's introduction, Bai Ye explored every nook and cranny of the ship.
Eventually, he made his way to the keel.
The keel was the most important part of the entire ship, and Merry had naturally used the best materials and added all sorts of protective reinforcements in the design.
But Bai Ye wasn't taking any chances—he was going for double insurance. After all, if the keel gets damaged badly enough, you'll still end up needing a whole new ship, no matter how much money you throw at it or how good your materials or shipwrights are.
With a flick of his wrist, several pre-made talismans appeared in Bai Ye's hand.
Each of them was enchanted for reinforcement and protection.
He clapped his hands together, slapping the talismans onto the keel. The yellow paper suddenly burst into flames, burning in mid-air before quickly vanishing into the air.
The faint golden patterns from the talismans remained etched into the keel. If you looked closely, you could see a soft golden glow wrapping around the entire thing.
"Looks like you really care about this ship, Mr. Bai Ye."
Merry, who had been watching in awe, smiled with a hint of relief.
"Of course I do," Bai Ye said with a soft smile as he looked fondly at the ship."This is the ship that's gonna carry the future Pirate King, the ship that'll make a name for itself across the whole world."
Something seemed to flicker in Bai Ye's eyes as his smile deepened."It's also a very important member of our crew~"
For a moment, Merry had a strange feeling.
It was like the ship beneath their feet had just… chuckled softly.
It even swayed slightly, almost like it was happy.
As if—it had a soul.
Of course, Merry quickly chalked it up to his imagination. The swaying was probably just a sudden gust of wind or something.
After all, how could a ship possibly have a consciousness?
Ship spirits and stuff like that… were just legends within legends.
The day of departure had finally arrived.
Luffy and the others stood at the bow of the ship, quietly waiting for the last member to show up.
"You don't think that idiot Usopp chickened out, do you?" Nami said suspiciously.
"He grew up in this village, after all. He probably wanted to say goodbye properly," Bai Ye replied, shaking his head gently.
Somewhere on the island, at a secret base with a pirate flag flying overhead…
Usopp stood face to face with Onion and the other two kids.
"So… you guys already know, huh? I'm heading out to sea. Gonna become a pirate."
His voice was a little choked up, but he still forced a smile at them.
"Captain Usopp~!"
The three of them were already crying their eyes out, overwhelmed by memories of when they first met Usopp. The sadness just hit them all at once.
"Hey, hey, hey!!!"
Usopp saw their tear-streaked faces and couldn't hold back anymore either.
Still, even while bawling, he shouted at them:
"I've finally decided to chase my dream! Shouldn't you guys be happy for me? Why the hell are you crying!?"
"Tell me!!!"
"What's your dream?! Say it loud!!!"
In the end, Usopp screamed with everything he had left in him.
"I wanna run an awesome tavern!!!"
"I wanna be a top-notch carpenter!!!"
"I wanna become a great novelist!!!"
Wiping their tears away, they shouted back even louder at their captain.
"Then!!!"
With a look full of hope on his face, Usopp grinned:
"Go chase your dreams with everything you've got!!!"
Then, he raised the pirate flag behind him, gave it a big wave, and yelled into the sky:
"I hereby declare!!!"
"The Usopp Pirates!!!"
"Are disbanded!!!"
"Captain Usopp!!!"
"You're really slow, Usopp~"
In front of the Going Merry, Bai Ye looked at Usopp, who was lugging around a huge backpack.
"Hahaha, took me a bit longer to pack up."
Usopp rubbed his nose with a finger, pretending to be cheerful.
"Hey, I should be the captain, right!?"
"Are you kidding me? Of course I'm the captain!"
"Hahahaha!"
Amidst all the laughter, Usopp boarded the ship.
The Going Merry was ready to set sail!!!
Even though no one said anything, they all noticed Usopp's eyes were red and puffy from crying.
Well… except maybe Luffy. That guy probably didn't notice a thing.
Or maybe he was just still mad that Usopp claimed he should be captain.
Bai Ye just patted Usopp on the shoulder and said:
"Once you finish your own journey, make sure you come back~"
Usopp lowered his head, holding back tears as best he could. He gave a firm nod:
"Yeah!"
This is the price of becoming a pirate—leaving your hometown, your friends, and your family behind.
Even the one you love the most.
Under a big tree, Kaya—now fully recovered—stood watching the pirate ship as it slowly pulled away. Her eyes were full of sadness… but also hope.
"Miss Kaya, if it hurts so much, why didn't you ask Usopp to stay?"
Merry stood beside her, confused.
Kaya didn't turn around. She just kept looking at Usopp laughing and messing around with everyone on the ship, and softly said:
"What right do I have to stop a man from going to sea?"
"Usopp's dream is to become a brave warrior of the sea!"
"And besides…"
She finally turned around, and Merry saw her cheeks were already soaked with tears.
"I really want to hear the stories Usopp will tell when he comes back~"
Merry stayed silent. He just stood quietly by her side.
"Merry~"
"Yes, Miss?"
"I want to study medicine. Before he left, Mr. Bai Ye gave me some medical books. I want to learn."
"Is it for Usopp?"
"Yeah. The places he's going… they'll definitely be dangerous."
"I want to be able to treat his wounds when he comes back."
"Understood, Miss."
Merry gently nodded.
You'll definitely be back in time.
"Captain Usopp's gone now."
On the hilltop, Onion, Carrot, and Pepper were also watching the pirate ship sail away.
"Yeah… and the Usopp Pirates are officially disbanded."
Their voices were low.
"Captain said we should each follow our own dreams now. So from here on out, we go our separate ways and chase our ambitions."
"Right! When Captain Usopp comes back—or the next time we see him—we've gotta blow his mind!"
Their voices got more excited with each word.
"Alright then!"
The three of them—Onion, Carrot, and Pepper—looked at each other and shouted in unison:
"Pirates!!! Pirates are coming!!!"
"Pirates have invaded the village! Everyone run for your lives!!!"
Without missing a beat, the three of them took off yelling and sprinting toward the village, keeping Usopp's unique way of announcing pirates alive.
Because from now on, they had to make sure Usopp's voice would never disappear from this village.
"....."