The marines panicked, frantically searching but failing to find the pirates they were so close to capturing. "It's as you said, the Ghost Pirate is quite troublesome," Hina remarked, standing next to Smoker, her voice tinged with frustration.
"We... we got away!" Usopp rejoiced as the Merry reappeared by the shore, no longer invisible or intangible.
"That-was-awesome!" Luffy cheered, his excitement palpable.
"Yeah, it was my first time seeing a magic show," Chopper added, his eyes wide with wonder.
"Fufufu, it was great, right? I'm great, right?" Lucas said pompously, basking in the praise from the three.
"Alright, quiet down now. Look," Nami said, pointing to the shore where Vivi was approaching.
"Hey! Look, it's Vivi!" they exclaimed. She came closer, tears streaming down her face as she spoke aloud through a megaphone. Although she wasn't coming along, the Straw Hats accepted her decision as they readied to leave.
"If we meet again, will you call me your friend one more time?" Vivi said, her voice breaking with emotion. The Straw Hats were deeply touched by her words.
As the Merry began to turn and head off, Luffy started to speak. "We'll..."
But Nami quickly clamped her hand over his mouth. "Are you crazy? The marines might hear you," she warned.
Luffy stood silently for a moment, then turned around and raised his fist high. The others followed suit, lifting their fists in a silent promise as they sailed away. Vivi, standing on the shore, raised her fist in return, bidding them farewell with all her heart.
As the Merry set sail, the sun began to rise, casting a golden light over the ocean.
The mood was dull as the Straw Hats missed having Vivi onboard. "We miss Vivi," they said sulkily, their voices low and melancholic.
"Come on, guys, enough whining. If you knew you'd miss her this much, you should've brought her with you by force," Zoro said, his tone blunt.
"Uh, how crude," they replied, offended.
"We're not barbaric like you, you jerk," Nami snapped.
"Yeah, marimo!" Sanji added, and the others joined in insulting Zoro.
"Okay, I get it. Just don't sulk in front of me," Zoro remarked, shaking his head. "What a bunch of babies," he muttered, walking the other way.
"Have we finally left the island? That was quite impressive, escaping from the Marines like that," a voice suddenly spoke from the lower deck. The Straw Hats gasped in shock and alertness, recognizing Crocodile's accomplice.
"It's you! How did you get here?" Nami panicked. Zoro reached for his sword, ready to attack.
"Oh, wow! What a beautiful lady!" Sanji fawned over her, hearts in his eyes.
"Alert, alert! Enemy on board! I repeat, we have an enemy on board!" Usopp panicked and Chopper went to hide, screaming.
"You're doing it wrong," Lucas remarked.
"Oh, it's you. You're alive!" Luffy remarked casually.
"What's that about, Luffy? Did you forget she tried to blow us up?" Usopp said, incredulous.
"Relax! I'm not here to pick a fight," Robin said as she used her powers to disarm Zoro and Nami.
"Oh! Why don't you use those abilities on me?" Sanji remarked, swooning.
"Right! I borrowed some of your clothes. I hope you don't mind," Robin said as she took a seat. Nami, however, was more concerned for her safety than her borrowed clothes.
"Monkey D. Luffy, I've taken a liking to you and your crew," Robin said, settling down.
"Yeah, so?" Luffy replied, his curiosity piqued.
"I want to join your crew," she said, striking the Straw Hats with shock.
"Okay then," Luffy agreed without hesitation.
"What? Luffy, you can't be serious!" the Straw Hats exclaimed.
"Hehehe, come on, guys. She's not that bad. Besides, she's one of us now," Luffy said, looking at them with a laugh.
"Well, if that's what the captain wants..." Lucas remarked, shrugging.
"What, you too?" Usopp said, incredulous.
"Well, I'm not okay with this," Usopp declared dramatically, pulling out a table and two chairs. "Usopp the interrogator will find out the real reason you're here," he said, donning a detective hat. Robin went along with his charade, answering his questions. The others, not keen on their captain's decision, went about their own business.
"Right, Lucas, since you're going out, can you bring back the items on that list?" Sanji said, handing Lucas a small list as he prepared to open a portal.
"Sure," Lucas replied.
"No, no, no, no, noooo! Luffy, we can't trust this woman!" Usopp yelled after his interrogation ended. "Hey! Are you even listening?" he shouted.
"How pathetic. I can't believe he got handled so easily," Nami muttered.
"This is Luffy, though," Zoro remarked.
"She was the vice president of Baroque Works, a criminal organization plotting to bring down a nation, for crying out loud. You might have the others fooled, but you will never fool me. I'll kick you out the first suspicious thing you do," Nami said, her voice firm.
"...Well, I'll keep that in mind. By the way, I've kept some of Crocodile's jewels with me," Robin said, placing a sack full of jewels on the table.
"Ooh!" Nami's eyes sparkled. "How considerate of you, big sis," she said, her demeanor softening.
"So simple," the others remarked, rolling their eyes.
"Cheee! I was a fool to rely on Nami. I guess it's only you, me, and Sanji, huh?" Usopp muttered to Zoro.
"Like a polished jewel glistening in the night, oh, how your beauty illuminates my heart. Your presence clears all my worries away, and like metal being pulled towards a magnet, I'm drawn by your beauty! Here is your snack, my love," Sanji came out, dancing and twirling, presenting Robin her snack.
"Figures!" Zoro and Usopp remarked in unison.
"Looks like it's just us," Usopp sighed.
"Hey, Usopp, look!" Luffy called.
"Huh?" Usopp turned to see what it was about.
"I'm Chopper," Luffy said, making Usopp burst into laughter. He, along with Chopper, started fooling around, and the ship sailed smoothly.
"Now that's strange," Nami wondered aloud, examining the log pose.
"Oh, is something wrong, Ms. Navigator?" Robin asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Nothing much, really. It's just... the log pose is pointing up," Nami said, puzzled.
"Maybe you broke it," Luffy suggested.
"Huh, rain?" Usopp wondered as rubble fell on him.
"Wait..." he said, realization dawning on him.
"I don't think this is rain," Sanji said as a shadow covered the Merry, drawing the Straw Hats' attention above.
"Ahhhh! We're gonna die!" Usopp panicked as a ship fell from the sky, heading straight for them.
As the ship crashed into the sea, waves raged, shaking the Merry violently. The Straw Hats clung desperately to the ship as the waves tossed it from side to side. To make matters worse, bits of debris from the falling ship continued to rain down from the sky. This chaos carried on for a few more minutes, until the sea finally calmed down. The Straw Hats sighed in collective relief, their hearts still pounding from the ordeal.
"Yo!" Lucas said, appearing back on the deck. "What happened here?" he wondered, noticing the soggy mood and the tension in the air.
"Next time, can I tag along?" Usopp said, still shaking from fear, his voice trembling.
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