As the Going Merry gently rocked on the waves, a fresh breeze carried the scent of salt and adventure. The Straw Hat crew had gathered on deck, waiting for their captain.
The moment Luffy set foot on the ship, a folded piece of paper smacked him right in the face. Blinking in confusion, he peeled it off and saw Nami standing there, arms crossed, an amused smirk playing on her lips.
"You might want to take a look at this," she said, flicking her finger against the parchment.
Luffy unfolded it, revealing a freshly printed bounty poster with his own grinning face staring back at him.
Wanted: Monkey D. Luffy
**Bounty:30,000,000 Beli**
"Eh?" Luffy tilted his head. "Oh, neat. But this is just the start. Very soon, my bounty amount will rise."
The crew's jaws dropped at his dismissive reaction.
"Neat?!" Usopp shouted, waving his arms frantically. "You're already on their radar, and you think it's neat?!"
Sanji let out a low whistle as he lit a cigarette. "It means we'll have the Marines and bounty hunters all over us."
Zoro, leaning against the railing with his arms crossed, glanced at Luffy. "Not that it matters. We were heading into danger anyway."
Luffy yawned, stuffing the poster into his pocket. "I'll see everyone later."
Before anyone could press further, he stretched his arms and swung himself up onto the figurehead of the ship, lying down with a contented grin.
The crew exchanged glances before Sanji turned to Zoro. "So, what do you think, moss-head?"
Zoro cracked his neck. "I think he had fun in town."
Sanji smirked. "Yeah, looks like it."
Luffy's eyes remained closed, but he laughed. "If you guys want to have fun, then master everything I teach you. Then you can enjoy yourselves too."
Zoro smirked, resting a hand on one of his swords. "And if we want to fight Smoker?"
Luffy stretched his arms, grinning. "He'll be after me soon, so you'll get your chance."
Sanji exhaled smoke. "Tch, fine. But next time, don't hog all the action."
Nami sighed and rubbed her temples. "We should focus on more important matters. Luffy, I got the Log Pose for our voyage."
Luffy sat up, his hat tilting slightly. "Oh? Nice, Nami! You're the best!"
Nami smirked. "Of course, I am. It wasn't easy, you know? Good thing I got it before seeing your new bounty, or the price would've tripled."
Usopp leaned in. "So, where's our next stop?"
Nami adjusted the Log Pose on her wrist. "The Grand Line is our next destination, obviously. But we'll be following the Log Pose's direction carefully. We don't want to end up lost in that dangerous sea."
Luffy stretched and hopped down from the figurehead. "Alright then! If we have the Log Pose, there's nothing left to do here. Let's set sail!"
The crew moved into action. Zoro hoisted the anchor, Usopp adjusted the sails, and Sanji secured their food supplies below deck. The Going Merry slowly drifted away from Loguetown's harbor, the town shrinking in the distance.
As they sailed toward the Grand Line, a sense of excitement filled the air. The world ahead promised adventure, danger, and the unknown. But for the Straw Hat Pirates, that was exactly what they wanted.
And so, with the sun setting behind them and the vast sea ahead, the Going Merry embarked on the next leg of its journey, ready to challenge whatever lay beyond the horizon.