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...
During Nami's questioning, the clever Apis unwittingly revealed all the secrets.
"What? A dragon..." Nami and Tashigi exchanged stunned looks, not expecting such a revelation.
Apis regretted telling them about Ryu, but it was too late. Fortunately, the two older girls seemed kindhearted, and the young man didn't seem like a villain.
"A flying dragon, so powerful! Can we go see it together?" Nami asked eagerly.
Apis hesitated before nodding. "Okay, but you mustn't upset Ryu."
"We won't," Nami assured her.
So Ron, Nami and Tashigi followed Apis up the hill until they reached a cave.
"Ryu, I brought visitors!" Apis called happily.
Nami and Tashigi's eyes widened as they saw the massive dragon before them, old and unable to move from its place in the cave.
" Ryu is too old to move," Apis explained. "It can no longer hunt and relies on me to bring it food."
"What a magnificent creature," Nami sighed, then asked curiously, "How did it end up in this cave? Is it from your village?"
"No," Apis shook her head, explaining that after eating the Whisper Fruit, she heard the dragon's screams and found it in the cave.
The dragon was immobilized and often unconscious. Only when Apis visited could they communicate through the power of the Whisper-Whisper Fruit.
"Ryu's greatest wish is to return to the Dragon's Nest, but I can't help it," Apis lamented.
"Back to the Dragon Nest?" Nami thought for a moment and then turned to Ron. "Captain Ron, should we help Apis and the Ryu fulfill this wish?"
"Absolutely," Ron agreed without hesitation. This could be a good opportunity to help Apis and Ryu and at the same time bring the young girl aboard their ship.
"But the dragon is huge. What should we do?" Tashigi asked, looking at the dragon's massive form with concern.
"Are you really willing to help?" Apis asked eagerly, her eyes wide with excitement.
"Of course," Nami replied confidently. "Ryu is unable to move and must be seriously injured. He wants to return to the Dragon Nest to be healed. Rest assured, we will help you."
"That's fantastic!" Apis cheered happily.
"The real question is how do we transport Ryu's massive body?" Nami scratched her head.
Hearing that, Apis couldn't help but feel desperate.
Tashigi was deep in thought as well, but couldn't come up with a solution.
Ron smiled slightly and suggested, "There are plenty of big trees in the forest nearby. We can make a huge raft out of them and tow it with the Going Merry."
"Brilliant idea!" Nami's eyes lit up.
"Indeed it is!" Tashigi agreed with a smile.
"Wow, big brother, you are so smart!" Apis looked at Ron with a newfound respect. At first, she had mistaken him for a follower of the two older girls, but now she saw him as the captain.
So they got to work, with Ron taking the lead in cutting down trees with his sword. The wood was then fashioned into a large raft.
Apis accompanied Nami to the village to gather ropes, and after some time, they successfully constructed the raft.
With Ron's strength, they managed to move the massive body of the wyvern onto the raft. With one hand on the rope, Ron pulled the raft down the mountain path.
"Wow!" Nami, Tashigi, and Apis followed behind, amazed at Ron's strength and determination.
When Ron reached the shore with the raft, Makino and Nojiko watched in surprise from the Going Merry.
"What's going on, Captain Ron?" Makino shouted.
"What kind of creature is that?" Nojiko asked, fascinated by the dragon.
Wrapped in a cloak, Kaya approached the side of the ship and looked curiously at the dragon. "Ron, what is this?"
"This is a dragon. Wait for Nami to explain," Ron replied. "I'll push the raft into the sea and secure it."
Ron then maneuvered the raft into the ocean and secured it to the stern of the Going Merry.
Soon Nami, Tashigi, and Apis arrived with explanations about the dragon. The girls agreed to help Ryu find its home.
And so the Going Merry set sail again, bound for the dragon's legendary homeland, the Lost Island.