The kitchen of Drum Castle was a flurry of activity, steam, and savoury aromas. It smelled of roasting meat, simmering heavy stews, and baking bread—the kind of hearty, soul-warming food designed to combat the sub-zero temperatures outside.
Sanji moved like a conductor before an orchestra of pots and pans. He chopped vegetables with a speed that blurred the air, flipped steaks with a casual flick of his wrist, and seasoned soups with the precision of a chemist.
Ben leaned against the stone archway, watching. "Impressive as always, Sanji. But we need to make this portable. The crew back on the ship is probably freezing and starving. Especially the Giants."
"Hai, hai," Sanji replied, not breaking his rhythm. "I've prepared high-calorie rations for the Marimo and the long-nose. Massive portions of meat for the Giants. And..."
He paused. His demeanour shifted from professional chef to swooning artist. He picked up a container.
The other containers were practical, sturdy wooden bento boxes stacked high with food. But this one... this one was a work of art. It was wrapped in pink silk cloth. A fresh, winter rose (where did he even find that?) was tucked into the knot. The box itself seemed to be polished to a mirror sheen.
Ben stared at it. He rolled his eyes so hard it hurt.
"Let me guess," Ben deadpanned. "That one isn't for Zoro."
Sanji puffed out a cloud of smoke, clutching the box to his chest. "Of course not! Would I waste such elegance on a moss-head? This... this is a masterpiece of culinary affection! It contains a delicate seafood risotto, a light salad with a vinaigrette made from rare mountain herbs, and a fruit tart for dessert! It is a meal fit for a goddess!"
He handed it to Ben with trembling reverence. "For Robin-chan. Handle it with your life, Wizard. If the risotto gets shaken, I will kick you."
"Right," Ben scoffed, taking the box and slipping it into his spatial pouch along with the mountain of other food containers. "I'll try not to trip. Thanks, Sanji. Keep an eye on Nami."
"Always!" Sanji declared, pirouetting back to the stove to make soup for the patient.
Ben walked to the window. The snow was falling in thick, silent sheets. He focused on the magical signature of the Going Merry far below in the harbour.
"Apparate."
CRACK.
The world twisted. The warmth of the castle vanished, replaced instantly by the biting, salty freeze of the harbour.
Ben appeared on the deck of the Merry.
The scene that greeted him was one of surreal, quiet camaraderie. The snow had piled up on the railing, but the main deck was clear—mostly because two giants were sitting there.
Dorry and Brogy, clad in their light Viking gear, were sitting cross-legged. Between them sat Zoro, shirtless, steam rising from his shoulders as he meditated in the cold. Karoo, the spot-billed duck, was huddled between Brogy's massive boot and the main mast, shivering violently and looking miserable.
"Focus, little swordsman," Dorry's deep voice rumbled, surprisingly gentle. "You are trying too hard to see."
"Aye," Brogy agreed, taking a swig from a barrel of booze. "The eyes can be tricked by the snow. The ears can be tricked by the wind. But the spirit? The spirit feels the intent."
Zoro frowned, his eyes closed, a vein throbbing on his forehead. "I can feel... the cold. That's about it."
"GABABABA! That is because you are still thinking!" Brogy laughed. "In Elbaf, we call it the 'Breath of the World.' Before the axe falls, the air moves. Before the killing intent strikes, the spirit ripples. You are close, swordsman. You are standing on the threshold. You just need a little push to break through the wall."
"A push, huh?" Zoro grunted.
Ben stepped forward, his boots crunching on the snow.
"Maybe a full stomach will help with that push."
The group turned.
"Wizard!" Brogy roared. "You return!"
Zoro opened one eye. "About time. Did you bring food, or just more magic tricks?"
"Both, usually," Ben smiled. "But mostly food."
He walked over to the group. "First, the update. Nami is safe. We found a doctor—a very eccentric, very violent, 139-year-old doctor. She's treating the fever now. Nami will make a full recovery."
A collective sigh of relief went through the group. Even Karoo quacked happily.
"Good," Zoro said, relaxing his posture.
"Now, eat." Ben opened his pouch. He pulled out the standard bento boxes for Zoro.
He pulled out two large barrels filled with meat and stew.
The smell of roasted meat and rich gravy wafted out, overpowering the smell of the sea.
"OHHHH!" Dorry and Brogy cheered. "The little cook knows his way around a grill!"
They dug in with gusto. Zoro took his bento and began to eat with his usual predatory efficiency.
Ben looked around. "Where's the archaeologist?"
"The mystery woman?" Zoro gestured with his chopsticks toward the upper deck cabin. "In her room. Haven't seen her for hours. She's quiet. Unlike the rest of this circus."
"Right. I'll go check on her."
Ben walked up the stairs to the guest cabin. He knocked gently on the wooden door.
"Robin? It's Ben. Room service."
"Come in," her voice replied, calm and smooth.
Ben opened the door.
The room was warm—Merry's heating charms were working perfectly here. Robin was sitting at the small desk, surrounded by open books and loose papers. She was writing in a journal by the light of a magical lantern. She looked up, pushing a strand of dark hair behind her ear.
"Welcome back, Mr. Wizard," she smiled politely. "How is the Navigator?"
"Recovering," Ben said. "She's in good hands." He walked over to the desk. "What are you working on? Plotting world domination? Deciphering the secrets of the universe?"
Robin chuckled softly. "Nothing so grand. Just... notes. Observations. I find the history of the Grand Line fascinating."
"A true scholar," Ben noted. He reached into his pouch and pulled out the Pink Silk Box.
He placed it on the desk with a flourish.
"Compliments of the Chef. He explicitly told me that this is a 'Beautiful Meal for a Beautiful Lady' and that if I shook it, he would murder me."
Robin looked at the ornate, rose-adorned box. Her eyes widened slightly, and a genuine amusement danced in them.
"He is... very dedicated to his chivalry, isn't he?"
"He's a hopeless romantic," Ben corrected. "But the food is good. Enjoy it, Robin."
"Thank you, Mr Wizard," she said, her voice warm. "For the food. And for... checking in."
"Don't mention it."
Ben left her to her meal and her books. He had one more stop. The most important one.
---
Ben walked down to the lower deck, past the galley, past the brig. He approached a door that hadn't existed a week ago. It was reinforced with steel bands and glowed faintly with blue runes.
He placed his hand on the lock.
"Identify: Ben."
Click-hiss. The door slid open.
He stepped into the Server Room.
It was a space that shouldn't exist on a wooden ship. It looked like the bridge of a starship crossed with a wizard's tower. The walls were lined with banks of humming servers (built by Ben using Stark's tech and Momo's creation). Cooling pipes, frosted with magical ice, ran along the ceiling.
In the center of the room was a massive, cylindrical holographic table. Floating above it was the avatar.
Merry.
The little girl with the sheep horns and the white dress was floating in the air, looking at a stream of data scrolling past her. When Ben entered, her head snapped up. Her holographic face lit up with a brilliant smile.
"Ben!"
Her voice came from speakers all around the room—surround sound, crystal clear.
"Hello, Merry," Ben smiled, walking up to the console. "How are systems holding up?"
"Systems are green!" Merry chirped. "
"Good girl," Ben praised. "And the heating charms?"
"Running at 40% capacity. It's cold outside, but everyone inside is toasty!"
Merry's avatar floated closer to Ben's face. Her expression turned slightly wistful.
"Ben..."
"Yes?"
"It's quiet. Down here. I can hear everyone upstairs. I can hear the Giants laughing. I can hear Zoro breathing. I can hear Robin turning pages. But... I can't talk to them."
She hugged her own arms.
"I feel... lonely."
The admission hit Ben hard. He had given a ship a soul, an intelligence, and the capacity for emotion. Isolation was a cruel side effect.
"I know, Merry," Ben said softly, reaching out to "touch" the hologram (his hand passed through, but the sensors registered the gesture, and the avatar leaned into his hand). "I'm sorry. It's hard to be a secret."
He looked her in the eyes.
"But not for long. Tomorrow. We leave tomorrow. And once we're out at sea, with the Doctor on board... I'm going to introduce you. To everyone. Luffy, Nami, Usopp... they're going to love you. You won't be a voice in the wall anymore. You'll be their friend."
Merry's eyes sparkled. "Promise?"
"I promise," Ben said solemnly. "Tomorrow is your invitation party."
Merry did a little mid-air flip of joy. "Yay! A party!"
"Now," Ben said, getting back to business. "To get ready for tomorrow, I have a gift for you. An upgrade."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the suitcase containing the magical copies of the entire Drum Kingdom Royal Library.
"Knowledge," Ben said. "Medical knowledge. Thousands of books."
He raised his wand.
"Creation."
From the floor, metal flowed upwards. It twisted and formed into sleek, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves along the back wall of the server room.
Hundreds of books flew out of the suitcase and slotted themselves neatly onto the shelves. The Encyclopedia of Pathogens. Grand Line Herbalism. Surgical Procedures Vol 1-50.
"Whoa..." Merry whispered, looking at the library. "That's a lot of data."
"It is," Ben agreed. "And I need you to process it. But not just read it. I need you to index it. Cross-reference it. Make it so that when our new doctor asks a question, you have the answer before he finishes the sentence."
Then Ben created a machine for Merry to control.
On the desk, a small machine materialised. It looked like a high-tech document scanner, but with robotic arms.
"Automated Scanner Bot," Ben introduced. "It connects directly to your core. You control it. Use it to scan every page of every book physically, then upload the text to your digital memory."
"I can do that!" Merry said. The small robot beeped, its camera eye glowing red, and immediately grabbed the first book (Advanced Antidotes) and began flipping pages at blinding speed. Flip-flip-flip-flip.
"Excellent," Ben said. "You have your homework."
"I'll be the smartest ship in the world!"
"You already are."
Ben turned to the corner of the room. There, humming quietly, was the Neural Dive Pod. The white capsule he had built earlier.
"Now," Ben said, cracking his neck. "While you study medicine... I have some designing to do."
He walked over to the pod.
Ben climbed into the pod. The gel lining was cool against his back. The lid hissed shut, sealing him in darkness.
"System Start," he whispered.
Back in the server room, the lights dimmed to a restful blue. The only sounds were the soft hum of the supercomputer, the frantic flip-flip-flip of the scanner bot digesting medical history, and the gentle, happy humming of a holographic girl who couldn't wait for tomorrow.