The Going Merry was stocked and ready. The giants, Dorry and Broggy, stood at the shore, waving their colossal arms.
"May your sails never tear and your battles be glorious!" they roared together.
Vihaan saluted with a confident smile, Zoro gave a sharp nod, and Luffy waved like a child at a carnival.
As the ship pulled away from Little Garden, the crew felt different — stronger, tighter, and just a bit more like a family.
A few hours into their journey, the Merry drifted into a gentle current and reached a small floating merchant barge. There, a strange man with a ridiculous wig and crooked smile awaited.
"Welcome! Welcome! Travellers of the sea! Rare treasures from all across the Blue!"
The man tried to shove trinkets and potions onto the crew, wildly overcharging.
"I'll give you a deal! One bottle of special love perfume for only—"
SHINK.
Vihaan's hand flashed.
A tiny mirror shard hovered inches from the salesman's throat.
"You just tried to sell Nami a broken compass," he said calmly, eyes cold.
The merchant froze. "I-I-I—fine! Take whatever you want! Just leave me alive!"
He ran away in terror, jumping off his own barge and paddling off in a barrel.
Inside his abandoned storage, the crew began to loot responsibly.
Nami discovered a large case filled with high-quality cartography parchment, quills, and weather-proof ink. Her eyes sparkled.
"Oh Vihaan…" she whispered with sultry mischief, launching herself into his arms. "You always bring me the best things."
She locked lips with him, a deep kiss that made Sanji shriek in heartbreak.
Zoro picked up a handcrafted sword polisher, and an iron-resistance rack used for marine-grade conditioning.
"Hmm. I could use this."
Luffy found stomach-filling candy pills with a warning label: "Do not exceed 1 daily."
He ate five.
...And it actually worked.
His stomach went silent for once, causing the entire crew to drop their jaws.
Usopp found premium string wire, more tensile and lighter than what was in his slingshot — and a jar of triple-refined gunpowder.
"My sniping range just doubled," he muttered, gleeful.
Sanji gathered rare spices, cookware, a few cheeky comics, and a self-help book titled "How to Impress Women Without Getting a Nosebleed."
Zoro spotted it and cracked, "You need a whole damn library, cook."
Sanji turned red. "Screw you, mosshead!"
"Bring it, love-cook."
And off they went, sparring all over the ship's deck as usual.
Just as things calmed down, a flamboyant ship shaped like a giant white swan appeared, sailing gracefully beside the Merry.
A slender, flamboyant man with thick mascara and ballet poses stood at the bow.
"Hellooooooo, sweeties! I'm Bon Clay — but my friends call me Mr. 2!"
Luffy laughed. "You're funny!"
Bon Clay somersaulted onto their deck.
"To celebrate our meeting, I shall show you my fabulous power!" he declared.
He touched Luffy's face and suddenly transformed into him.
The crew gasped.
"It's my Clone-Clone Fruit ability! Anyone I touch — I can become!"
He flipped through faces like a deck of cards — Luffy, Zoro, even Vihaan for a split second.
But as he tried to touch Nami, Vihaan appeared between them instantly, mirror shards floating around him like a shimmering aura.
"That's enough. You don't touch anyone else."
Bon Clay stepped back, recognizing the calm power in Vihaan's tone.
"Well! It seems this ship has both beauty and brains," he said, tipping his swan hat. "Farewell!"
He flipped backward onto his ship, striking a final pose.
As he sailed off, Usopp squinted through a scope.
"Guys… that ship says… Baroque Works. He's Mr. 2!"
Sanji grabbed a pan. "Let's go after—"
"No," Luffy said, crossing his arms. "He didn't hurt us. Let him go."
Vihaan watched the swan-shaped ship disappear into the distance.
"He's dangerous… but not our enemy yet."
The next day,The sun had barely risen, its golden hue casting soft light across the ship's deck. Nami stood at the helm, a warm breeze brushing through her hair as she studied the new maps. She had been feeling off since the night before — but she ignored it. The Grand Line didn't wait for anyone.
Just as she turned to call for a minor sail adjustment—
Her knees gave out.
"Nami!" Usopp shouted.
She tumbled forward — but never touched the ground.
Vihaan appeared in a blink, catching her bridal-style in a smooth sweep. Her arms hung loosely, face flushed red with fever.
Sanji dropped to his knees, hands to the sky in pure agony.
"IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!!!"
But Vihaan didn't even look at him. His focus was entirely on her.
"She's burning up," he muttered, gently shifting a strand of hair from her forehead. "She's not okay."
He swiftly carried her below deck, into her room, and laid her carefully on her bed. She whimpered slightly, lost in her fever.
Zoro frowned. "What happened?"
"Not sure," Vihaan said quickly. "But her fever's high. Dehydration? Illness?"
He rushed out, returning with a jug of water and a cloth, then reached into his personal kit and pulled out a small vial — the medicinal ointment Crocus had given him back at Reverse Mountain.
He dabbed a portion onto her forehead and neck, gently massaging it in.
"She needs rest. This will stop the fever from rising… but it's not curing it."
Luffy walked in slowly, unusually quiet. "Do we need to stop somewhere?"
Vihaan nodded. "We have to. She can't sail like this."
Sanji, still sulking by the wall, said with a trembling lip, "Please… take care of her."
Vihaan looked at him, his voice calm but serious. "I already am."
Everyone had eaten lightly and turned in early — except for Vihaan.
He sat by Nami's bedside, shirt slightly unbuttoned, his hair damp from having wet the cloth for the fiftieth time. The room was quiet except for her shallow breathing and the occasional creak of the ship.
She stirred, her face flushed, whispering something unintelligible.
Vihaan gently wrung out the cloth again, placed it on her forehead, and adjusted her blanket.
"You'll be okay," he said softly. "Just stay strong, Navigator."
He sat back, rubbing his tired eyes, still alert and unwavering — a quiet guardian in the dark.
Outside, the Going Merry sailed calmly — but a new course had been plotted.
A detour was necessary. For Nami… and whatever fate was steering them next.
AND THAT COVERS THE LITTLE GARDEN ARC , NEXT CHAPTER WHICH I WILL BE POSTING TOMMOROW STARTS DRUM KINGDOM ARC , ITS GONNA BE FUNNY , FULL OF CARE AND OFC A NEW CREW MEMBER , AFTER DRUM KINGDOM WILL BE ANOTHER SHORT BREAK FROM THE CREW , JUST A BIT OF FILLER , IMPORTANT BUT FILLER NONE THE LESS SINCE IT WASN'T THERE IN THE ORIGINAL STORY