"Hey, Luffy, it's already noon!" Kai called out to Luffy, glancing at the clock.
"You heard Vivi's speech, right? You know what that means," Zoro added, looking serious.
Luffy turned his head, confused. "What do you mean?"
"It means Miss Vivi won't be joining us. She just said goodbye," Sanji exhaled, blowing out a cloud of smoke.
"No way! Vivi will definitely come!" Luffy insisted, refusing to accept the reality.
The crew sighed collectively, sharing Luffy's sentiment. They all wanted Vivi to stay. After spending so much time together, they had grown attached to her presence.
"Everyone!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out from the shore. Everyone's heads snapped toward the sound in shock.
"Vivi! You're here!" Luffy yelled, a wide grin spreading across his face. He turned to the others with a victorious look. "I told you she'd come! Hehe!"
But Vivi's next words stopped their excitement cold.
"Everyone! I'm here to say goodbye to you all."
Her voice cracked with emotion, and her eyes filled with tears. "I've had the happiest time of my life with you. But... my heart belongs to this country."
She sobbed openly. "Everything I love is here, so I can't continue this journey with you. Thank you, truly, for everything."
"Vivi..." Luffy murmured, a pang of sadness hitting him.
Vivi wiped her tears and called out, "When we meet again... will you still call me your nakama?"
For a moment, there was silence. Then, the crew shouted in unison, "Of course!"
Luffy climbed the rail of the ship and waved. "Vivi, you'll be a great princess! Goodbye!"
"Goodbye, Vivi!" the crew echoed, waving and shouting their farewells.
As the Going Merry drifted away, Vivi stood at the shore, watching until the ship was a distant speck. Tears streamed down her face, her heart heavy with the memories of their time together.
"Goodbye, everyone!" she shouted one last time, before turning to Karoo. "Let's go home."
"Quack!" Karoo responded, and the two walked away.
"Ugh, this is so boring!" Luffy groaned, hanging off the railing of the ship, looking thoroughly disinterested.
The rest of the crew wasn't faring much better, slumped against the railings and looking dejected.
Zoro, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow. "If you didn't want to say goodbye, you could've just kidnapped her and dragged her on board."
Instantly, the crew turned on him with accusations.
"You heartless monster!"
"How could you say that?!"
"Cold-blooded green-haired freak!"
"Seaweed brain!"
Zoro's forehead pulsed with frustration. He was tempted to knock them all out but decided against it. Even his three-sword style wasn't a match for ten angry crewmates.
Off to the side, Robin, who had been quietly reading, chuckled at the scene.
Zoro eventually gave up and wandered to the front of the ship, where Kai lay relaxing at the bow. "Hey, Kai... are Marine Admirals really that strong?"
Kai opened one eye, surprised by Zoro's sudden question. He sat up and studied Zoro's face, seeing the determination burning in his eyes—the desire to become stronger.
With a small smile, Kai turned to the sea. "They're insanely powerful. They're on par with Mihawk."
Zoro's eyes widened. "As strong as Mihawk?"
Kai nodded. "You've faced Mihawk before. You know what that means."
A fire lit in Zoro's eyes. The thought of more powerful opponents excited him. Without another word, he grabbed his weights and started training, his mind focused on becoming even stronger.
Kai watched him for a moment and nodded in approval. Zoro's always pushing himself, he thought. But no matter how much he trains, the road ahead is long.
A few days later...
"Luffy, Usopp, Chopper! Did you catch anything good?" Kai asked, approaching the trio.
"We're trying, but these fish are too smart. They won't bite!" Luffy complained.
Just then, Usopp's fishing rod jerked violently. "I got something! Help me reel it in!"
Luffy and Chopper rushed over, their excitement growing. "One... two... PULL!"
Together, they hauled up a giant conch shell.
"Whoa, look at that!" Chopper exclaimed.
"It looks delicious!" Luffy drooled at the sight.
"It'd make a great grilled conch," Sanji remarked, inspecting it from the side.
"Are you serious?! You're gonna eat this thing?!" Usopp gulped nervously.
Suddenly, the conch split open, and out popped a man.
The crew's jaws dropped.
The man stretched and sighed. "Phew! That was close. I thought I was a goner!"
"Who are you?" Luffy asked, his usual bluntness kicking in.
"Haha! I'm Les Les, your friendly neighborhood mail-order salesman! I can deliver anything from bottled water to cannons!"
He puffed out his chest proudly. "Today only, I'll give you guys a discount on everything!"
"I need some special paper," Nami said, approaching him. "The kind that won't wear out from the sea breeze."
"Ah! Excellent choice!" Les Les pulled out a stack of paper. "This is our top-tier Millennium Paper, made from thousand-year-old trees. It's indestructible!"
Nami's eyes sparkled. "How much?"
"48 million Berries for 1,000 sheets," Les Les replied smoothly.
"Two million!" Nami countered, slicing the price with a swift negotiation.
Before the bargaining could continue, Kai stepped in, placing a hand on Nami's shoulder. "Let me handle this."
Nami looked surprised. Kai wasn't known for haggling.
Kai approached Les Les, his gaze steady. "We'll take everything in your conch. Name your price."
The crew was stunned.
As the negotiations continued, Kai couldn't help but smile. Things were changing fast, but with his crew by his side, nothing seemed impossible. The sea was vast, and their journey was just beginning.
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Power Stones would be appreciated if you liked the story.