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Chapter 30: The Going Merry
At noon, the scorching sun hung high in the sky, baking the earth.
At the entrance to Syrup Village, under the dazzling sunlight, a figure in a straw hat stood against the light, holding a punching pose.
In front of him, the man in the suit slowly collapsed, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Time seemed to stand still at this moment. Only the endless waves continued to beat against the sand.
After some time.
"We won!"
An excited cheer came from not far away, finally breaking the silence.
Usopp and Nami rushed out, followed by the three children belonging to the "Usopp Pirates."
Hearing his companions' cheers, Luffy slowly retracted his fist.
He crouched down, picked up a pair of broken glasses from the sand, and gently placed them on the chest of the prone Kuro.
"Why... did I lose?"
Just as he stood up, he heard a weak voice, one that had completely lost its vitality.
Luffy hesitated slightly, glanced at him, and then broke into a bright smile.
"I'm going to be the King of the Pirates. How could I lose to someone who ran away from the sea and hid his own name?"
...
A few hours later.
Inside the lavishly decorated hall of the mansion.
The four members of the Straw Hat Pirates and Usopp were seated in order. In front of them was a huge dining table covered with a wide variety of delicious dishes.
A gentle, blonde beauty watched the four of them eat, a faint smile on her lips.
"Kaya, why don't you eat something with us?"
Usopp, who was fighting with Luffy over food, noticed the girl's silence and asked with concern, "Are you not feeling well? Did that bastard Kuro hurt you?"
"No, it's not that."
Kaya blinked gently, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled. "It's just been a long time since I've eaten with so many people. Just watching you eat makes me happy."
"Oh." Usopp was relieved by this answer.
He was about to lower his head to continue enjoying the food, only to find his plate missing.
"What?!"
He exclaimed, turning to see Luffy dumping all the food from his plate into his mouth.
"You bastard, what am I going to eat if you finish it all?!"
Usopp, furious, pounced on Luffy, and the two immediately started fighting.
"Pfft!" Kaya couldn't help but cover her mouth and let out a light laugh.
"Sorry," Nami said, rubbing her forehead helplessly. "This guy is always like this when he eats, he just can't control himself."
Kaya shook her head gently. "It's fine. Seeing Usopp so happy makes me happy too." As she spoke, her gaze remained fixed on Usopp.
"You two have a really good relationship," Ganyu said, a hint of jealousy welling up in her heart.
Usopp was eating too well.
"No way..." Kaya blushed, understanding the implication.
She glanced at Ganyu a few more times, noticing her beautiful face, her strange attire, and the pair of small, dark-red horns suspended on either side of her head.
A trace of curiosity flashed in Kaya's eyes, and she leaned closer to ask, "Miss Ganyu, are your horns real?"
"Mm..." Ganyu felt something soft pressing against her arm, and her body trembled slightly.
This... is just as amazing as Nami!
Thinking this, Ganyu subconsciously lowered her head to look at her own chest.
Well... she wasn't so bad herself.
Kaya, oblivious to Ganyu's unusual reaction, stared at the top of Ganyu's head with bright eyes. "What beautiful horns! Can I touch them?"
"You can, but please be gentle, or it will be very itchy."
Having been in this body for so many days, Ganyu had already observed her own horns more than once.
The conclusion was that their sensitivity was similar to her toes; a light touch was fine, but if held tightly for a long time, it would produce a strange, electric-shock-like sensation that made her whole body tremble...
Kaya reached out, but stopped just before touching the horn. "Hm?"
Ganyu, who had already steeled herself, was a little surprised and looked up in confusion.
"What's wrong?"
Kaya retracted her hand and said softly, "Well... I was just a little curious, but I feel like touching it would make Miss Ganyu uncomfortable. So, just looking at it this close is fine."
Hearing this, Ganyu was silent for a moment, then looked at the long-nosed man who was joking and fighting with his captain, her eyes filled with both envy and resentment.
She had only one thought in her mind: she had to make Luffy take him on the ship; she couldn't let this kid stay on the island and enjoy such happiness.
He's too young, he can't handle it.
"Miss Ganyu, could you do me a favor?"
Just then, Kaya's voice reached her ears again.
She seemed to not want others to hear, deliberately lowering her voice.
Ganyu lowered her voice and asked, "What kind of favor?"
"If it's possible, could you let Usopp join your pirate crew?"
Kaya hesitated for a long time, her expression complicated, but she finally spoke slowly.
Ganyu paused after hearing this and asked, "Why do you want him to go with us? You must be very reluctant to let him go, right?"
"Yes, I'm really reluctant to see Usopp leave. He's the only friend I've had since I was little."
Kaya looked at Usopp, her eyes shining. "But I can feel that he has always wanted to leave this island. The world outside is what's truly right for him."
...
Afternoon.
"I apologize for the wait. Although the design is a bit outdated, this ship was designed by me."
On the beach, Merry, Kaya's other butler, stood in front of a large ship, introducing it to the four members of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Under the sunlight, the ship's hull shone with a warm, wooden luster. To the eyes of the Straw Hat crew, it was both lovely and charming.
"This is a caravel, with a lateen sail at the stern and a central rudder. The bow is shaped like a sheep's head, the entire ship is built from high-quality wood, and it's also equipped with a cannon..."
"Because I designed it myself, I named it. The Going Merry!"
The four members of the Straw Hat Pirates stared intently at the large ship, over ten meters long, moored at the shore, their eyes shining with excitement.
They finally had their first pirate ship!
"The Going Merry, what a great name. Will it really be ours from now on?" Luffy stared at the Going Merry, nearly drooling.
Merry smiled and said, "Of course. This is a special gift of gratitude from the young mistress to you. Please, use it as you wish."
"Yeah!"
After getting confirmation, Luffy excitedly stretched out his arms, grabbed the sheep's head at the bow, and vaulted up.
"From now on, this seat will be the captain's special seat!"
He sat cross-legged on the ram's head, raised his arms high, and joyfully declared his future "throne."
The others ignored him, letting him do as he pleased.
Nami was listening to Merry explain the ship's specific structure and sailing methods.
She was the ship's navigator. She could ignore the others, but she had to know this ship well enough.
"This ship seems to suit you well." Zoro looked at the Going Merry, then glanced at the blue-haired girl beside him and suddenly smiled.
"Me?"
Ganyu looked blank, not understanding what he was talking about.
Zoro stretched out his hand, pointing to the bow of the Going Merry, then to Ganyu's head.
"Look, they're both sheep's heads."
"..." Ganyu rolled her eyes speechlessly, lifted her foot, and stomped hard on his toes, grinding them against each other.
"I am not a sheep!"
After saying this, she left angrily, leaving Zoro with a pained expression.