Recap from Merry's point of view*
She was a ship, a caravel to be exact.
She was well cared for by her creator, Merry, who also gave her a name, and her first owner, Kaya, who's birthday present she was.
She was used as a hiding spot by Usopp and Kaya, the first of which told the most outrageous tall tales.
She remembered curiosity as the first emotion she ever felt.
Kaya and Usopp grew, and so did the group, that used her as a hideout.
Three young boys joined them and they made up the 'crew' of the officially inofficial pirate gang 'Usopp pirates' with Usopp as the captain and Kaya as his vice.
Happy times, those were, but they wouldn't last. Kaya's parents died and she fell into depression, using Merry's figure head to talk about all those bottled up feelings.
The ship could do nothing but listen, as she was only barely able to actually think.
She worked mostly on raw emotion at this point, but listening, that she could do.
Over time, the visits became more and more scarce, until they ceased completely.
And so, Merry learned the crushing emotion called loneliness.
Then everything changed.
Suddenly, she had a new owner, a crew to man her and she'd be used to sail the seas! Here she learned how excitement felt.
She also felt the ache of missing someone.
It was eerily similar to loneliness, but it was staved off by the crazy and ludicrous antics, that her new owner and crew got into.
She learned how to worry, how to be anxious, how to feel an endless amount of joy, how to care for someone and finally, how to live.
She was even stolen by Nami, who confessed while crying bitter tears, that she didn't feel worthy of staying on Luffy's crew, since she already was part of a very violent one.
Merry didn't think it mattered since she clearly wanted to be with the strawhats and the strawhats with her, but she was just a ship. Everything worked out in the end, and she even got a new 'hair cut' made of tangerine trees!
Her first conscious thought was
'I have to save them!' They were riding the east blue river up the Reverse Mountain, when she suddenly veered too far to the left. Instinctively, she knew, that they'd crash if it wasn't corrected faster than even their fantastic navigator could.
So she did. It took everything she had out of her, and they still nearly crashed, but she saved her crew, that she grew to love, even if they didn't even know, what she did.
Here, she learned to feel proud of herself and to feel relieved. She also learned, that exhaustion wasn't something she particularly liked.
From then on, she saved them quite a few times, and it got easier.
Especially Luffy needed to be saved more than just a few times from falling into the water.
Who sleeps on a figure head, barely big enough to sit on?!
He actually laughed and thanked her a few times, as if he knew she saved him.
She learned exasperation and the warmth, that came with being thanked genuinely in that time.
They picked up new, unique crew mates, that she grew to love all the same.
With every new member, that grew to appreciate her, she felt a bit more 'awake', and she enjoyed the feeling of actively taking part in the lives of her most prescious people.
Along the way, she was hurt in more ways than she could count, but she endured the pain for her crew. Usopp fixed her up amateurishly but with a loving touch, so it wasn't too bad.
Until 'The Hyena' Bellamy broke her keel.
It was the most painful experience she ever had to suffer.
The moment it happened, she knew that she wouldn't last much longer.
Instead of despair, she felt content, though. She knew, that she wasn't strong enough to keep carrying them through this dangerous sea, and if they wanted to have a chance to reach their dreams, she would need to be replaced. She just hoped, that their new ship was of the friendly sort.
Sky Island was a treat, that she was happy to be able to experience in her final weeks.
She wanted to prolong her time with the crew, and managed, for the first time, to fully manifest her spirit to fix up her body as well as she could. Determination was on the forefront of her emotions on that day.
Afterwards, the crew suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of an admiral.
Never before did Merry feel despair and helplessness as intensely as at that moment.
The one they met decided to spare them, she lost not a single member of her crew.
If she could, she would have cried from relief.
Luffy then decided, that Merry needed a thorough check-up, which led them to Water Seven, the home of the world-famous company of shipwrights: Galley-La.
Their verdict was devastating for the crew, especially for Usopp, but expected from Merry herself.
Luffy tried to play it down and simply stated, that they'd need another ship.
Usopp took offense. Merry could feel it, though. The bone deep sadness radiating from the usually jovial captain.
They fought and she couldn't do anything to mediate. It tore her apart, not being able to comfort her crew. She felt helpless and resigned, that day.
Then, once again, everything happened too fast. Robin seemingly betrayed the crew, same as with Nami.
Once again, there was a tragic background. The captain decided, that Robin deserved nakama, and she'll get some, if she wanted or not. Turns out, there was someone out there, who considered her family already.
Just as Merry readied herself to brave the Aqua Laguna for her crew, likely the last thing she'd do in her 'life', she felt a... presence calming her down.
It was all-encompassing, powerful beyond belief and gentle. The presence told her, not with words but with feelings, that it would help. That she should rest and save her energy for later, when the crew would come before her to say their last good-bye.
She didn't know why exactly, but she trusted this presence with her crew. Maybe it was their new ship? A strong one, like the one's from the legends, that Usopp liked to tell.
Turn out: She was wrong.
The presence was a person.
Someone, who felt deeply for Robin. Someone who could fully understand Merry, who could actually talk to her.
If this was the last time she'd meet the crew, maybe he would help her talk to them? Just as she was about to ask, he started talking.
~General~
"You guys don't seem surprised, that Merry is actually alive?"
Luffy shrugged.
"She always caught me when I fell from the figure head. Shishishi."
Then Usopp continued.
"It always felt like someone else was listening when I told my stories to Kaya and the kids and later too, when I was working on something."
Nami had something to say too.
"She corrected the course sometimes, even before I could. The first time I felt it happen was at the Reverse Mountain."
Even Robin had at least suspected something.
"When I use my fruit on a person, I face some resistance. The stronger the person, the stronger the resistance, usually.
Merry had the same thing.
I thought, that it may just be a special kind of wood or polish, but this explains it."
Zoro and Sanji also noticed the ship's uniqueness.
"Always felt, that if I cut the ship, I'd cut a person, so I didn't."
"And for me, it was similar to Usopp's experience. I always felt someone looking over my shoulder while cooking, but I never found anyone when I looked."
Chopper looked up in a shy way and simply said. "She feels like a friend. I'm a talking reindeer, I don't have the right to say, that this is strange."
It wasn't just that for them.
They couldn't really put it in words, but they felt at home on the ship in a way, that they never felt before.
"Well then, let me explain."
The Presence said.
"Your ship, Merry, was, and is, exceptionally loved, all throughout her... life, if you will.
So, to better protect what's important to her, she developed a spirit.
Those shipbound spirits are called Klaubautermann, and they are an extension of the ship's will."
By now, everyone was emotional.
They felt blessed and anguished at the same time. Blessed to know, that the ship they loved so much actually loved them back with equal intensity! The anguish came from the fact, that they had to say farewell for the last time.
And then came the words, that changed Merry's fate. They led into what Merry would later on think back to as the best decision of her life.
"I have a way, that may be able to safe you, Merry, or at least your consciousness."