The sun was beginning to dip toward the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple as the Straw Hat Pirates made their way back from the coast. It was a victory march, though a strange one.
Luffy was leading the way, wearing the championship belt he had "borrowed" from Foxy (which was really just a piece of golden foil he found). Behind him, Shelly the Long-Horse trotted happily, her long neck swaying like a metronome.
Riding on her back was Tonjit, weeping tears of joy, and Chopper, who was bandaging the horse's minor wound from the earlier gunshot.
"We did it!" Luffy cheered, punching the air. "We got the horse back! And we got a flag! And I drew a really good picture!"
"It wasn't a good picture, Luffy," Nami sighed, walking beside Ben. "It was a crime against art. But at least we didn't lose anyone."
"Gebababa!" Dory, currently human-sized, slapped his knee. "A fine battle! Though I wished to squash that 'Big Pan' a bit more!"
"He was soft," Brogy agreed. "Like a marsh."
Ben walked in the middle of the pack, holding Mini Merry's hand.
They crested a small hill, the grassy plains of Long Ring Long Land stretching out before them. In the distance, they could see Tonjit's house standing in the clearing—a beacon of home for the old man who had spent ten years on stilts.
"There it is, Shelly!" Tonjit patted his horse's neck, beaming. "Home sweet home! I can't wait to sleep in my own bed! And I have some cheese that has been aging for a decade! It must be delicious by now!"
"Ten-year-old cheese?" Sanji shuddered. "I might need to inspect that before anyone eats it. For safety."
They reached the clearing, stopping just a few meters from the front door. Tonjit slid off Shelly's back, tears of relief in his eyes.
"I'm back..." Tonjit stepped forward.
RUMBLE.
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to vibrate. The pebbles on the ground danced.
"Earthquake?!" Nami grabbed Ben's arm.
"No," Ben narrowed his eyes, his Observation Haki pinging a large lifeform directly beneath them. "Subterranean movement. Something big is coming up. Right under the house!"
"Look out!" Zoro yelled.
BOOOOOOM!
A geyser of dirt exploded from beneath Tonjit's house.
The wooden structure didn't stand a chance. It was obliterated in an instant, wood splinters and furniture flying everywhere. A massive, furry shape burst from the earth, soaring into the sky amidst a cloud of debris.
"MY HOUSE!" Tonjit screamed, clutching his head. "MY CHEESE!"
Emerging from the dust cloud was a creature that defied explanation—which was par for the course on this island. It was a mole. A giant mole. It was easily the size of a small truck, with massive claws and a pair of sunglasses perched on its nose.
And riding on top of the mole's head was a young man. He wore a green jumpsuit similar to Tonjit's, a construction helmet with a light on it, and goggles. He stood with his hands on his hips, posing dramatically in the cloud of dust.
"GWAHAHAHA!" The young man laughed, striking a pose on top of the mole as it landed. "Fear not, citizens of the surface! For I have arrived!"
He pointed a shovel at the sky.
"I am the man who will dig to the center of the world! The drill that pierces the earth! The Greatest Excavator in History!"
He looked down at the group, expecting applause.
Instead, he got a wall of fury.
"YOU JERK!" Luffy screamed, his veins popping. "YOU BROKE THE OLD MAN'S HOUSE!"
"EH?!" The young man blinked, looking down at the wreckage beneath his mole. "House? What house?"
"THAT HOUSE!" Usopp pointed at the splintered wood. "You emerged right through his living room!"
"My cheese..." Tonjit whispered, staring at a flattened wheel of cheese that was now embedded in the mole's fur.
The young man scrambled down from the mole. He looked at the wreckage. He looked at the crying old man.
"Oh no!" The young man panicked. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know anyone lived here! My sensors indicated this was just a mound of dirt!"
He ran over to Tonjit. "Sir! Sir, please forgive me! I was just practicing my digging record! I aim to dig the longest tunnel in the world!"
Tonjit looked up, tears in his eyes. He squinted at the young man. He saw the green jumpsuit. He saw the familiar nose.
"Wait..." Tonjit sniffled. "That helmet... that nose..."
The young man paused. He looked at Tonjit. He saw the long beard wrapped around his neck. He saw the familiar wrinkles.
"Grandpa...?" the young man whispered.
"Ritton?!" Tonjit gasped.
"GRANDPA TONJIT!"
"RITTON!"
The two of them lunged at each other, embracing in a tight, tearful hug.
"You're alive!" Ritton cried. "We thought you died on the stilts! We waited for months, but you never came down! The village moved on, but I stayed behind to dig tunnels hoping to find you!"
"I was stuck!" Tonjit sobbed. "I was too scared to jump! But these nice pirates helped me down! And they saved Shelly!"
"Shelly!" Ritton looked at the horse. Shelly nickered and nudged him.
The Straw Hats stood there, watching the emotional reunion.
"So..." Luffy tilted his head. "He's not a bad guy?"
"He's the grandson," Nami sighed, smiling. "It's a family reunion."
"A destructive one," Sanji noted, looking at the ruined house. "But touching."
"Grandpa!" Ritton wiped his eyes. "I'm so sorry about the house! And the cheese! I'll build you a new one! A better one! Underground! It's much cooler there!"
"As long as we are together," Tonjit smiled, "it doesn't matter where we live."
"This calls for a celebration!" Luffy declared. "We beat the Split-Head! We found the grandson! BANQUET!"
"YEAAAAH!"
As the sun finally set, casting long shadows across the Long Ring Long Land, the Straw Hats turned the destruction site into a party zone.
Sanji took charge, setting up a massive outdoor grill. "Roasted Long-Hog!" Sanji announced. "Grilled sky-vegetables! And for dessert, fruit tart!"
"Meat!" Luffy drooled.
The crew sat around a bonfire built from the wood of the destroyed house (Tonjit insisted it was fine). It was a warm, happy atmosphere.
Speaking of Chopper, he and Mini Merry were sitting together near the fire. This was Merry's first real banquet as a human.
"Try this, Merry!" Chopper held out a piece of grilled fish.
Merry took it carefully. She took a bite. Her eyes lit up. "Flavor profile: Salty. Savory. Delicious!"
"Right?" Luffy laughed, stuffing his face. "Eating is the best! Shishishi!"
"Don't eat too fast, Merry," Ben warned gently.
"Okay, Papa!" Merry chirped.
It was moments like this—between the chaos, the battles, and the world-ending threats—that made the journey worth it.
---
The next morning, the Going Merry set sail, leaving Tonjit and Ritton waving on the shore. They sailed for several hours until the island was just a speck on the horizon. The open sea surrounded them.
Ben stood at the helm. He checked the distance. Safe.
"Everyone," Ben called out, his voice serious. "Meeting on the deck. Now."
The crew gathered, sensing the shift in Ben's tone. Luffy sat on the figurehead, Zoro leaned against the mast, and the rest gathered around the table.
"What's up, Ben?" Usoop asked. "Is it about the Marines?"
"No," Ben said. He looked at the ship. He looked at Mini Merry, who was sitting on Nami's lap.
"We need a new ship," Ben stated.
Silence slammed into the deck like a cannonball.
"WHAT?!" Luffy, Usopp, and Nami screamed.
"A new ship?!" Usopp stood up, knocking his chair over. "What are you talking about, Ben?! Merry is fine! She's flying! She's strong!"
"You want to replace her?" Nami looked horrified.
Mini Merry froze. Her eyes filled with tears. Her lower lip trembled. "Papa... am I... not good enough?"
"See?!" Chopper yelled. "You made Merry cry!"
"Stop," Ben held up a hand, his voice firm but gentle. He walked over to Mini Merry and wiped a tear from her cheek. "I am not abandoning Merry. She is our Nakama. She stays with us, always."
He turned to the crew. "But look around you."
He gestured to the deck.
"We have two Giants," Ben pointed to Dory and Brogy, who were currently shrunk but still took up a lot of space. "If I return them to their true size for a fight, they would sink this ship instantly."
"We have Iron Man suits," Ben continued. "We have a giant duck. We have a growing crew. Even though I used spatial expansion magic on the interior rooms, I cannot expand the upper deck without warping the ship's structure."
Ben walked to the railing. "The deck is too small. If we get into a naval battle, half of us are tripping over each other. And if I use magic to enlarge the Going Merry entirely... do you know what happens?"
He looked at Luffy. "Everything gets bigger. The door handles become the size of dinner plates. The stairs become cliffs. The railing becomes a wall you can't see over. It would be a ship for giants, not for us."
The crew went silent. They looked at the cramped deck. They looked at Caroo squeezing past Zoro. They realized Ben was right.
"So..." Usopp whispered. "We need a bigger ship?"
"We need a battleship," Ben corrected. "A ship designed for the Pirate King. One with a massive deck, proper docks for the Iron Man suits and the Shark Submerge, an aquarium for fresh food, and quarters for the giants."
Ben knelt down in front of Mini Merry.
"But that doesn't mean we leave you behind," Ben said softly. "I'm an inventor, remember? I'm going to modify you. "
"I... I can still come?" Merry sniffled.
"You are the heart of this crew," Ben smiled. "The new ship will just be a bigger body. A stronger armor for you to wear. You aren't being replaced. You're being upgraded. You'll be the soul of a fleet."
Merry looked at Ben. She processed the logic. A bigger deck meant more room for her friends to play.
"Okay," Merry nodded, hugging Ben. "I want a big deck! For parties!"
Luffy grinned. "If Merry is okay with it... then I'm okay with it!"
"A new ship...", Usopp—rubbed his chin. "With a dedicated sniper nest?"
"And a massive kitchen?" Sanji asked.
"And a booze cellar?" Zoro added.
"Yes to all of it," Ben stood up. "That's why we're going to Water 7. To get the best wood and the best shipwrights in the world. We're building a dream ship."
"ALRIGHT!" The crew cheered. "TO WATER 7!"
The Going Merry sailed on, carrying a crew that was ready to grow, and a spirit that was ready for a new, bigger home.
---
(The Straw Hats are not meeting Aokiji, As the marine don't know that Robin has joined Strawhat.)