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Nami, still shaken, looked at the others. "What do we do now?"
Zoro stood at the door looking over the crew. With Luffy and Coby out of commission, the responsibility of making decisions fell on him.
"Let's wait for a while longer. There's no rush," Zoro said, his voice direct and decisive.
The crew nodded in agreement. The recent battle with Aokiji had taken its toll on everyone, and they needed time to recover, especially the three who had been frozen. There was no sense in rushing off before they were ready.
The crew anchored the Going Merry at Long Ring Long Land, allowing everyone to rest and recover. Sanji made sure to keep everyone fed with hearty meals, while Chopper monitored the health of Luffy, Robin, and Coby.
For four days, they stayed at Long Ring Long Land, giving their captain, vice-captain, and archaeologist the time they needed to heal. During that time, the crew relaxed, enjoyed some of the island's unique scenery, and took the chance to unwind after the intense confrontation with the Admiral.
They also released Bellamy and Sarquiss on the island, not caring what their fate would be. The ice connecting two islands were still there, but crew gave fair warning to not hurt civilians. But Bellamy and Sarquiss were in no position to hurt anyone. Their worlds were destroyed when they appeared in a sky island, they were like empty shells.
Luffy, always the quickest to bounce back, was the first to recover. On the third day, he was already up and running around, eager to get back to the sea. "I'm ready to go! Let's set sail!" he declared, his usual energy back in full force.
Robin and Coby, though slower to recover, were both on their feet by the end of the fourth day. Robin was quiet, her thoughts her own as she read through some of the notes she had made during their time on Skypiea. Coby, meanwhile, spent some time training, getting back into shape after the encounter with Aokiji.
With everyone back on their feet, the crew finally prepared to leave Long Ring Long Land. They hoisted the sails, and with the wind at their backs, the Going Merry set off once more.
The third day after leaving the island, the weather began to stabilize. The crew could feel the change in the air—no more sudden shifts between hot summer and mild spring, just a steady, springy warmth. The seas were calm, the sky clear, and the crew enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere as they sailed.
On the deck of the Going Merry, Nami sat beside Coby, feeding him a dessert that Sanji had made just for her. The sweet treat melted in Coby's mouth, and he nodded in appreciation. Nami smiled, enjoying the relaxed moment, ignoring the fact that Sanji was glaring at them from the shadows, his expression filled with jealousy and hate. Neither of them paid any attention to the cook's antics.
Meanwhile, the sound of laughter echoed across the deck as Luffy prepared to perform yet another one of his ridiculous stunts. Usopp and Chopper were already cheering his name, egging him on. "Do it again, Luffy!" Usopp yelled, clapping his hands together in excitement.
"Yeah! Show us the face!" Chopper added, bouncing on his hooves in anticipation.
Luffy, ever the entertainer, grinned widely. He had been repeating this act all day, much to the amusement of his crewmates. Without missing a beat, he ran out from the kitchen, holding a bag of flour tightly in his arms. As he reached the middle of the deck, the bag suddenly exploded, covering him from head to toe in a cloud of white powder. Luffy stood there, frozen, his entire body stiff as if he had been turned to ice sculpture.
With the flour coating him, Luffy twisted his face into a goofy expression that mimicked the way he had looked when Aokiji froze him. His eyes bulged comically, and his mouth hung open in an exaggerated gape. For a few seconds, he remained still, completely silent as if waiting for a reaction.
Then, Usopp and Chopper burst into laughter, doubling over as they tried to catch their breath. "That's perfect, Luffy!" Usopp managed to say between fits of giggles.
"You look just like you did when Aokiji froze you!" Chopper added, wiping away tears of laughter.
Even Coby, who had been quietly enjoying his dessert, couldn't help but smile at Luffy's antics. The captain's ability to turn even the most serious situations into something humorous never failed to amaze him.
Nami, shaking her head, chuckled softly. "Luffy, you're such an idiot," she muttered, though there was a fondness in her voice.
Sanji, still lurking in the shadows, scowled as he saw Nami's attention shift back to Coby. His irritation grew, but as soon as Robin appeared, he shifted focus immediately, his demeanor changing in an instant. "Robin-chwan! Can I make something warm for you?" His voice was filled with enthusiasm as he twirled out from his hiding spot.
Robin chuckled lightly. "A hot coffee, please."
Sanji twirled away with a wide grin. "Right away, my dear Robin!"
As Sanji hurried off to the kitchen, Chopper wandered over to Robin, his small form bouncing with energy. "How are you feeling now, Robin?" he asked, his eyes wide with concern.
Robin smiled down at him, her voice gentle. "All better, thanks to you, doctor."
Chopper immediately blushed at the praise, trying to hide his embarrassment behind his usual bravado. "D-Don't praise me, idiot! It doesn't make me happy!" Despite his words, he couldn't stop himself from dancing in joy, clearly delighted by her compliment.
Luffy, Usopp, and Zoro, who had been lounging nearby, suddenly noticed something strange in the distance. A large frog with scars all over its body was swimming freestyle in the water, its movements powerful and rhythmic.
Luffy's eyes lit up with excitement. "Whoa! Look at that!" he exclaimed, pointing at the frog. "We gotta catch it!"
Usopp and Zoro both turned to look, their expressions varying from curiosity to disbelief. "What kind of frog swims like that?" Usopp muttered, scratching his head in confusion.
Zoro just shrugged. "Who cares? It's weird."
Nami, hearing the commotion, turned her attention away from her conversation with Coby and noticed that the ship had veered off course. She instantly snapped into action. "Why did you change the course?!" she bellowed, glaring at the trio.
Luffy pointed excitedly at the frog. "Look at it, Nami! Coolest frog ever!"
Nami, still annoyed by the sudden course change, grabbed her binoculars and peered into the distance. The frog was indeed massive, swimming freestyle like it was in a race. But something else caught her eye—a lighthouse standing tall on a small patch of land far away from the usual sea routes.
"Why would there be a lighthouse in the middle of nowhere?" Nami muttered, confused.
Coby, still munching on Nami's dessert beside her, looked over at the distant structure and spoke through a mouthful of cake. "It's a train station."
Nami blinked, taken aback. "A train station? In the middle of the ocean?" She shot him a puzzled look, trying to make sense of it.
Coby swallowed the last of the dessert and nodded. "Yeah. It's connected to a sea train that runs across the water to different islands."
Luffy's eyes widened with excitement as he overheard their conversation. "A train on the ocean? That sounds awesome! Can we ride it?"
Nami frowned, lowering her binoculars. "A sea train? That's crazy..."
Robin, who had been listening in quietly, added, "If there's a train station here, it's likely there are more routes that lead to other important islands nearby."
Usopp leaned over the railing, trying to get a better view of the lighthouse. "A train on water? How does that even work?"
Zoro shrugged, uninterested in the details. "Does it matter? If it's on the way, we can check it out."
Nami considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, why not? It might be worth checking out. Who knows what we'll find?"
Luffy pumped his fists into the air, his usual enthusiasm bubbling over. "Alright! Let's go see this sea train!"
Suddenly, the crew heard a strange noise, a loud rumbling that made the ship tremble. "What is that?" Sanji asked, looking around as the noise grew louder.
Before anyone could answer, the train appeared, barreling toward them at full speed. It had come out of nowhere, and the crew was caught off guard. The frog had been swimming on the opposite side of the ship, so they hadn't noticed the train until it was nearly on top of them.
"Shit! It's coming right at us!" Zoro shouted, eyes widening as the massive metal behemoth closed in on their position. The train's tracks gleamed in the sunlight as it rushed toward them, steam billowing from its engine.
The earlier shift Luffy had made while chasing the frog had inadvertently put the ship directly in the train's path. If they didn't move fast, they were going to be hit from the side, and there wouldn't be any time to recover.
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