The night was deep, and the dark sky enveloped the going merry like a massive, cut stone. The boundless darkness all around swallowed every trace of light.
The sea was turbulent and unpredictable, the storm's fury seemed endless. Torrential rain, mixed with a biting sea wind, relentlessly lashed against the hull.
The mast of the going merry swayed, as if it had lost its way in the night.
The ram's head figurehead at the bow was battered by the wind and rain, flashing under the occasional lightning and thunder.
The hull trembled continuously as heavy waves, like giants, crashed from the ocean. Tumbling spray erupted, scattering into the air with crackling sounds.
Kai stood at the bow, his gaze sharp, like an unclosed blade.
His eyes were fixed on the distance, the power of Observation Haki seemingly transformed into an invisible force, extending into every inch of air around the going merry.
Even the vast ocean seemed to sense the oppressive aura emanating from him amidst the storm.
He tightly gripped his Fangtian Huaji, silent.
But each time a wave approached, the weapon danced in his hands, cutting through the swells, cleaving the darkness and peril ahead.
A monstrous wave surged towards the going merry, and a cold glint flashed in Kai's eyes.
Without hesitation, he swung his Fangtian Huaji, and with a deep roar, the giant wave was forcefully split apart by him.
The hull tilted slightly for a moment, then steadily met the next, even more ferocious, wave.
Even so, Kai's eyes remained unrelaxed, keeping him alert at all times.
The storm's power was not to be underestimated. Downpour, accompanied by thunder, crashed onto the deck, like thousands of stones smashing onto the ship's surface, making violent impact sounds.
Every time lightning streaked across the dark sky, the going merry seemed to tremble, and in this overwhelming storm, one couldn't help but feel a sense of powerlessness.
The storm grew increasingly fierce, the giant waves on the sea like mountains scorched by divine wrath, crests like islands lunging at the going merry.
The hull shook violently, as if it could be torn apart at any moment.
Zoro leaned against the ship's rail, silent, but his calm demeanor and unmoving expression already made the surrounding storm seem insignificant.
Just then, a dazzling bolt of lightning suddenly cleaved the night, and thunder roared.
A massive whirlpool instantly rose in the sea in front of the going merry, a colossal water column shooting skyward like a pillar reaching the heavens.
Kai's eyes narrowed, immediately sensing the abnormality ahead.
"Get out of the way!" he commanded in a low voice, and his Fangtian Huaji swung fiercely, cutting through the storm in the air, emitting a dull roar.
The hull violently shook once more, the bow seeming to fly through the air.
The roar of the storm, the flash of lightning—the going merry seemed to become a tiny speck in the vast ocean, floating helplessly amidst the surging winds and waves.
Inside the cabin, the air was hot and heavy. The gravely ill Nami lay silently on the bed, her forehead burning, her face covered in sweat.
Her breathing was rapid and shallow, her eyes hazy, as if she was losing the strength to even open them.
Her body occasionally trembled slightly, weakened by the torment of the high fever.
Luffy stood by her side, his brow furrowed, his fists clenched tightly.
He wasn't a thinking person; when he met an enemy, he'd punch them; when he faced difficulty, he'd charge head-on.
But now, Nami was sick, and he was helpless.
Luffy didn't understand what sickness was; he didn't know how to help Nami.
He could only rack his brains, trying to do something in his own way, even if it was just to make her smile.
"Nami, are you hungry?" Luffy suddenly spoke, his eyes sparkling with confident light.
"Eating some meat will make you feel better, right? How about a hundred portions of meat? You'll definitely regain your energy if you eat it!"
He thought of himself; whenever he was injured, weak, or exhausted, a big meal would instantly restore him to normal.
Meat, for him, was the best form of treatment.
Nami blinked weakly, her lips cracked, her throat burning, lacking even the strength to speak.
She wasn't a monster; she didn't have Luffy's Physique.
She was a normal person, and a normal person with a forty-degree fever would die.
But Luffy hadn't realized this problem at all.
"Ah, that's right! Nami, don't look so down. Watch me perform a funny trick!"
Luffy excitedly pulled at his rubbery face, stretching his nose and ears long.
Then he wrapped them together, making his entire face into an incredibly comical monster.
He grinned, looking at Nami, hoping she would laugh out loud as usual.
But Nami didn't laugh; she didn't even move.
Inside the cabin, there was silence.
Vivi and Sanji stood by, their expressions equally solemn.
Vivi's hands were tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, her eyes filled with worry.
Sanji's cigarette had gone out at some point; he quietly watched Nami on the bed, his brows tightly furrowed.
"Nami..." Vivi called softly, reaching out to wipe the sweat from Nami's forehead.
Luffy was utterly panicked. His face froze in mid-air, his hands dropped helplessly, his gaze somewhat lost.
His funny tricks always made his companions laugh until they doubled over, but today, Nami was unresponsive.
"Nami..." Luffy called out again, his voice carrying an unprecedented panic.
He didn't know what to do.
He really didn't know what to do.
His mind never thought too much; he never dwelled on the past, nor worried about the future.
But at this moment, he found himself completely helpless. He had faced countless powerful enemies and encountered countless dangers, yet he had never felt so powerless as now.
His hands were clenched into fists, his head bowed, his teeth biting his lip tightly, as if he was trying hard to think.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"That's it! Since she has a fever, let's cool her down!" Luffy suddenly stood up, looking excitedly at Vivi and Sanji.
"If we splash water on her, won't that cool her down?"
Vivi and Sanji's eyelids twitched violently.
The next second—
"You big idiot!!!"
Two fists almost simultaneously landed on Luffy's face, sending him flying.
He crashed directly into the cabin door, sinking into the wooden plank with a bang, almost becoming an embedded decoration.
"Are you an idiot?!" Sanji roared, veins bulging on his forehead. "Splash cold water on a sick person? Do you want her to die from her illness?!"
Vivi also stomped her foot, her face full of anger: "Can't you use your brain?!
Nami is so weak right now; if she's stimulated by cold water, her condition will only worsen!"
Luffy was dizzy from the impact, shaking his head, seeing stars.
"Uh... it really won't work?" he mumbled softly.
"Of course not!!!" Vivi and Sanji said in unison.
Silence fell over the room again.
Nami still lay on the bed, the flush on her face growing more intense, the sweat on her forehead seemingly impossible to wipe away.
Her breathing was rapid, her body extremely weak.
Luffy stood by, head bowed, his lips tightly pressed together.
He rarely showed such an expression. His world only consisted of battles, adventures, companions, and dreams. He was never afraid of any enemy, but now, he was afraid.
He was afraid Nami would die.
He had never been so anxious as he was now.
That night, the atmosphere in the cabin remained oppressive until dawn.
At the bow, Kai had been standing there quietly. The wind and rain had stopped, the sky was still dark, but the sea was gradually calming down.
His Observation Haki had been constantly perceiving the surrounding environment, his mind highly concentrated.
Suddenly—
In his mind, a flash of insight. The outline of an island, faintly discernible in his perception.
Kai suddenly opened his eyes and looked into the distance. Sure enough—in the endless darkness, a white island, as if descending from the sky, appeared in his line of sight.