The chaos below continued to simmer, but the rooftop had emptied. The Straw Hats had gathered on the Going Merry's deck, each reacting to the night's events in their own way.
Luffy sat cross-legged on the figurehead, a half-eaten cookie in each hand. His cheeks were stuffed, crumbs raining down into the water. "These are good," he said, mouth full. "Takuya gave me these. He's nice."
Usopp stared at him. "Nice? He drugged half the island!"
"Did he?" Luffy tilted his head, genuinely confused. "The cookies taste fine to me."
"That's because you have no taste buds," Zoro muttered, leaning against the mast with a bottle of sake. He took a long swig and wiped his mouth. "Or brain cells."
Sanji stood apart from the others, his back against the railing, a fresh cigarette dangling from his lips. He hadn't spoken since he returned from the rooftop. His eyes were fixed on the Dune Serpent, where Nami's silhouette moved behind a lit porthole.
Zoro followed his gaze. "Still watching her?"
Sanji said nothing.
"Face it, cook. She's changed. You saw it the same as me." Zoro took another drink. "She was hugging that money pouch like it was her long-lost child. Smiling like a demon. Takuya didn't even have to tell her to keep it. She convinced herself."
Sanji's jaw tightened. "He corrupted her."
"Did he?" Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Or did she just... find herself? Nami's always loved money.
Always been ruthless when she needed to be. Maybe Takuya just gave her permission to stop pretending."
Sanji turned to face him, his eye blazing. "She sold drugged cookies to hungry people!"
"And she enjoyed every second of it," Zoro said calmly. "You saw her face. That wasn't guilt you were looking at. That was joy. Pure, unhinged joy."
Sanji's hands shook. He wanted to argue, but he couldn't. He had seen it too.
Usopp was pacing back and forth, his hands on his head. "This is bad. This is really bad. First Robin joins them. Then Vivi stays with them. Now Nami is selling drugged cookies and laughing about it? What's next? Is Takuya going to turn Chopper into a drug mule?"
Chopper, who had been quietly eating a cookie, froze. His eyes went wide. "A drug mule? What's that? Am I going to be a drug mule?"
"No!" Usopp shouted. "I don't know! Maybe! Anything is possible now!"
Chopper started trembling. "I don't want to be a drug mule! I'm a doctor!"
Luffy swallowed his cookies and patted Chopper's head. "Don't worry. You'll be a great drug mule."
"THAT'S NOT HELPING!" Usopp and Zoro shouted together.
Zoro snorted into his sake. Usopp buried his face in his hands. Sanji lit another cigarette, his third in the last ten minutes.
"She used to call him a drug dealer," Sanji said quietly. "Now she is one."
"And she's proud of it," Zoro added. "Did you see her face when she said she'd do it again? That wasn't shame. That was ambition."
Sanji crushed his cigarette against the railing. "I'm going to stop him."
"Stop who? Takuya? Nami?" Zoro leaned his head back against the mast. "You can't stop someone who doesn't want to be stopped. She chose this, Cook. She chose him."
Sanji had no answer.
---
Elsewhere, in the shadows of Mock Town
On a rooftop opposite the chaos, two figures stood motionless. They had watched everything—the stall, the cookies, the riot, the rooftop conversation between Takuya and Cricket.
One of them raised a Den Den Mushi to their face. The snail's eyes took on a cold, calculating gleam.
"The target has acquired a South Bird," the figure said, their voice muffled by a hood. "He's heading for the Knock Up Stream at dawn. Destination appears to be some Sky Island."
A pause. Static crackled through the snail.
"Understood," came the reply from the other end. "Continue observation. Do not engage. Report any new developments."
The figure hung up and turned to their companion. "They want us to keep following."
The other nodded. Neither spoke. They melted back into the shadows, disappearing as silently as they had come.
---
Aboard a Marine ship, en route to Jaya
The sea was rough, but the Marine vessel cut through the waves with purpose. Smoker stood at the helm, his coat billowing in the wind, two cigars clenched between his teeth. Behind him, Tashigi adjusted her glasses, a stack of reports in her hands.
"Anything new?" Smoker growled, not taking his eyes off the horizon.
Tashigi flipped through the pages. "We received a Den Den Mushi transmission from Jaya about an hour ago. There was... an incident."
Smoker turned slightly. "What kind of incident?"
Tashigi's face was pale. "Mass hysteria. Cookie-related. Apparently, someone sold drugged cookies to half the town. Pirates were fighting each other over crumbs. A woman started a religious cult about a 'Cookie Messiah.'"
Smoker's eyebrow twitched. "Cookie-related mass hysteria."
"Yes, sir."
"And who was responsible?"
Tashigi hesitated. "The reports are... conflicting. Some witnesses described a man in a cloak. Others mentioned a group of women running a stall. But the name that kept coming up—" She swallowed.
"Come to the Dark side we have cookies!."
Smoker's jaw tightened. The cigars in his mouth crackled.
"That man," he said slowly, "is a menace."
"Also, sir," Tashigi continued, "there's more. The Straw Hats are involved. And it seems Takuya is preparing to set sail at dawn. Destination unknown, but witnesses mentioned something about a 'Sky Island."
Smoker stared at her. "A Sky Island."
"Yes, sir. I know it sounds absurd, but—"
"It's not absurd," Smoker interrupted. "Nothing about that man is absurd. He's dangerous. Unpredictable. And now he's dragging pirates into his chaos." He turned back to the horizon. "How far are we from Jaya?"
"Half a day, sir. Maybe less if the winds hold."
Smoker nodded. "Increase speed. I want to be there before he disappears again."
Tashigi saluted. "Yes, sir!" She paused. "Sir... the drugged cookies. What do we do about that?"
Smoker took a long drag from his cigars. "Add it to the list."
"The list, sir?"
"The list of reasons I'm going to arrest that man." Smoker's fists clenched on the helm. "Drug dealer. Pirate collaborator. Wedding officiator. And now... cookie poisoner."
Tashigi blinked. "Wedding officiator, sir?"
"Don't ask."
She decided not to.
---
Back on the Going Merry
The night wore on. The Straw Hats eventually drifted off to sleep, except for Sanji, who stayed at the railing, watching the Dune Serpent's lights flicker in the distance.
Zoro had passed out against the mast, his sake bottle empty. Usopp was curled in a ball, muttering about drug mules in his sleep. Chopper had transformed into his small form and was snoring gently in the crow's nest.
Luffy was still on the figurehead, staring at the stars.
"Hey, Sanji," Luffy said without turning around.
Sanji didn't answer.
"Takuya's not a bad guy."
Sanji's eye twitched. "He drugged an entire town, Luffy."
"He gave me cookies. They were good."
"That's not the point!"
Luffy finally turned to look at him. His expression was serious—more serious than Sanji had seen in a long time.
"Nami looked happy," Luffy said. "Really happy. I haven't seen her smile like that since... I don't know when."
Sanji opened his mouth to argue, but nothing came out.
Luffy tilted his head, thinking. "She's been through a lot, right? Arlong. Belle-mère. All that running and crying and drawing maps for bad guys."
Sanji nodded slowly.
"So if she finds happiness in cookies and money and whatever else..." Luffy shrugged. "Then who cares? We're pirates. We do what we want. That's the whole point."
Sanji blinked. "But—"
"Did Takuya ever force her?" Luffy interrupted. "Like, grab her arm and say 'sell this or else'?"
Sanji thought about it. He had watched the stall. Nami had been laughing. Arguing. Defending her profits. No fear. No hesitation.
"No," Sanji admitted. "She did it herself."
"Then don't think too much about it." Luffy turned back to the stars, picking at his teeth with a fingernail. "She's not a kid. She can choose. If she wants to sell cookies, she sells cookies. If she wants to count money, she counts money. That's her freedom."
Sanji's cigarette had burned down to nothing. He didn't notice.
"And Takuya?" Luffy added, almost as an afterthought. "He's not bad. He gave me cookies. And he helped Robin. And Vivi stays with him because she wants to. That's fine."
He yawned, stretched his arms above his head, and leaned back against the figurehead.
"Stop worrying so much, Sanji. Just enjoy the journey. We're going to the sky! That's amazing!" He grinned wide. "I'm going to eat a cloud!"
Sanji stared at him. Then, despite everything, a small, tired smile crept onto his face.
"You're impossible," he said.
"I'm the captain," Luffy replied, already half-asleep. "Same thing."
Sanji shook his head, lit a fresh cigarette, and leaned against the railing. The stars were bright. The sea was calm.
'Maybe he's right,' Sanji thought. 'Maybe I've been thinking too much.'
He took a long drag and watched the Dune Serpent's lights in the distance.
'Or maybe I've been thinking too little.'
Either way, the sky was waiting.
The next morning came too quickly. The sun rose over Jaya, painting the sky in shades of gold and pink. The chaos of the previous night had faded into groggy confusion—pirates waking up with headaches and no memory of why they were covered in bruises.
On the shore, Cricket waited with his gear. His monkey sat on his shoulder, looking nervous. Behind him, the Saruyama Alliance had gathered—Masira and Shoujou, both looking hungover and confused.
"You sure about this, boss?" Masira asked, scratching his head. "Going to the sky? That's... that's crazy."
Cricket didn't answer. He was watching the Dune Serpent prepare to set sail. Takuya stood at the helm, calm and unhurried. The women moved around him—Nami checking the log pose, Robin organizing maps, Vivi securing supplies, Mira playing with the south bird.
"They know something we don't," Cricket said finally. "And I'm tired of wondering whether my ancestors actually lied about sky island or if it was all true and no one believed him. I want to make sure I wasn't stupid like my ancestors who believed in something they had no way to prove right or wrong!"
The Straw Hats gathered on the Going Merry. Luffy was bouncing on the figurehead again, unable to contain his excitement. "Sky Island! Sky Island! Sky Island!"
Usopp was checking and rechecking his equipment. "I can't believe we're doing this. I can't believe any of this."
Chopper was already in his heavy point, ready for battle. "What if there are giant monsters in the sky? What if—"
"Then we'll fight them," Zoro said simply. He was sharpening his swords, calm as ever.
He climbed aboard the Going Merry, his monkey chattering nervously.
Luffy grinned. "Welcome to the crew!"
Cricket raised an eyebrow. "I'm not joining your crew. I'm just... coming along for the ride."
"Same thing!"
"It's really not."
But Luffy had already turned away, shouting orders at no one in particular.
Sanji stood at the kitchen door, a tray of sandwiches in his hands. He had stayed up all night making them—a peace offering, maybe. Or a goodbye. He wasn't sure.
His eyes found Nami on the Dune Serpent. She was laughing at something Mira said, her money pouch tucked safely into her bag. She looked happy. Genuinely happy.
'She chose this,' Zoro's words echoed in his head. 'She chose him.'
Sanji set the sandwiches down and lit a cigarette.
"I'm not giving up," he muttered. "I'm just... regrouping."
Zoro overheard and snorted. "Keep telling yourself that, cook."
The two ships raised anchor and set sail, following the south bird's pointing head. The wind was strong, the sky clear. Behind them, Jaya grew smaller. Above them, the clouds swirled, hiding secrets that had waited centuries to be found.
Sanji stood at the railing, watching the Dune Serpent cut through the waves. Nami was at the helm now, her hair blowing in the wind, her face focused on the horizon.
'She's not mine anymore,' he thought. 'But maybe... maybe she never was.'
He took a long drag and let the smoke disappear into the morning sky.
The two ships sailed side by side, following the south bird's unwavering direction. The sea had grown strange—currents swirled in patterns Nami had never seen, and the air itself felt thicker, heavier, like the sky was pressing down on them.
Cricket stood at the bow of the Going Merry, his pipe clenched between his teeth, his eyes scanning the horizon. "We're close," he said. "The Knock Up Stream is just ahead. I've tracked the currents for years. It should erupt any minute now."
"Any minute?" Usopp's voice cracked. "What do you mean 'any minute'? Can't you be more specific?!"
"No," Cricket said flatly. "That's not how nature works."
Luffy was bouncing on the figurehead. "I'M READY! SKY! SKY! SKY!"
On the Dune Serpent, Nami had taken the helm. Her face was focused, her hands steady. The log pose pointed straight up. The south bird on Mira's shoulder chirped nervously.
"Everyone hold on to something," Takuya said calmly. "It's going to get bumpy."
Vivi grabbed the mast. Robin crossed her arms and planted her feet. Mira hugged the south bird like a stuffed toy.
Then they heard it.
A distant roar, like a thousand waterfalls crashing at once. The sea began to churn. Bubbles rose from the depths. The air grew hot.
"THERE!" Cricket shouted, pointing at a spot ahead where the water was bulging upward.
But before they could reach it, another sound cut through the roar.
A ship. Marine ship. Coming fast from the east, sails full, smoke billowing from its smokestack.
And on its deck, a man with white hair and two cigars, his coat flapping behind him.
"TAKUYA!" Smoker's voice boomed across the water. "STOP RIGHT THERE!"
Takuya turned and looked at the approaching ship. He didn't look worried. He looked amused.
"Smokey," Takuya called back, cupping his hands around his mouth. "You're late. Again."
Smoker's face went red. "DON'T CALL ME SMOKEY!"
"Then be faster, Smokey."
Smoker's fists clenched. Smoke poured from his elbows. "I'm placing you under arrest! For drug trafficking! Mass poisoning! Pirate collaboration! And—and—" He fumbled, his face redder. "And whatever else I can think of!"
Takuya smiled. "That's a long list. You should write it down. Maybe use bullet points."
Nami was still at the helm, her eyes darting between the Marine ship and the growing bulge in the sea. "Takuya! We're out of time! The stream is about to—"
"I know." Takuya didn't move. He just kept looking at Smoker.
Smoker's ship was closing in fast. He raised his jitte, smoke already curling from his body. "You're not getting away this time!"
Then Smoker launched himself.
His lower body dissolved into white vapor, and he shot forward like a missile, crossing the distance between the ships in seconds. His hand stretched out, reaching for Takuya's collar.
"GOT YOU!"
A/N: If my story made you smile even once, that's a win for me. That's what I want to live for—brightening dull days and reminding people that joy still exists. My dream is to make a difference in someone's life through my stories, to someday reach a legendary level of storytelling, and spread as much happiness I can in this world, before I take my leave from this world.
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