The sun shone brightly over the harbor of Alabasta, the warm breeze carrying the faint scent of the sea.
The Going Merry bobbed gently against the wooden dock, its sails fluttering as the crew prepared to depart.
The city, still recovering from the chaos of battle, seemed quieter now.
Noah slowly adjusted his sword, standing next to Emma, who leaned slightly on the rail of the dock.
Vivi stood a few feet away, her hand pressed to her chest, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Thank you… all of you," she said softly. "You saved my kingdom."
Noah glanced at her.
"It was the right thing to do," he said simply.
Luffy, sprawled across the deck, waved energetically, his hat slipping slightly over his eyes. "We'll come back and see you!" he shouted.
Noah hesitated a little, then stepped forward. "Hey, Luffy… would it be okay if Emma and I sailed with you for a while? Until we get our own ship, I mean."
"Sure! Hop on"
Emma practically skipped forward, giving Noah a playful nudge. "Looks like we've got our ride," she said with a grin.
Vivi's smile was bittersweet. "I'll be waiting for you," she whispered, clutching her pendant tightly. Noah gave a small wave in response, the breeze catching his hair.
As they stepped aboard, the rest of the crew stirred. Nami gave them a quick nod, her eyes assessing the new arrivals with a hint of curiosity. Usopp raised his slingshot, pretending to aim at Noah. "Heh, hope you two don't slow us down!" he said, grinning.
Emma rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. We can handle ourselves," she said, drawing her blades in a showy flourish.
"Whoa, careful with the weapons!"
Luffy laughed. "Just make sure you don't hit anyone by accident!"
Sanji, who had been leaning against the mast with a cigarette dangling from his lips, immediately perked up. "Emma, you're with us? Oh, beautiful girl like you on my ship… this is fate!" he declared, striding over and bowing low.
Emma crossed her arms, scowling. "Back off, chef. Noah's with me, and I don't need your flirting," she said sharply.
Noah suppressed a chuckle, shaking his head. "Don't worry, Emma.
Nami rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath about how predictable Sanji was. Chopper waved shyly, smiling at Emma and Noah. Zoro simply leaned against the railing, arms crossed.
Luffy let out a loud yawn, stretching his arms. "Alright, let's go!" he said, and the crew began to push off from the dock.
Princess Vivi stood at the shoreline, her face lit by the late afternoon sun. She didn't climb aboard the ship; instead, she watched them go from the sand. Her hand pressed to her chest, eyes filled with tears of gratitude and farewell.
Luffy raised his hand, an X could be seen across his forearm — the mark of their promise. The rest of the crew followed. Vivi mirrored the gesture, her resolve steadfast though she remained rooted to the shore.
"Goodbye! Thank you for everything!" she shouted.
Noah gave a small wave. "We won't forget you."
Noah and Emma leaned against the railing, the wind whipping past them. "So this is the life of a pirate, huh?" Noah said, taking in the sea.
Emma smiled, her hair dancing in the breeze. "For now, at least. Until we get our own ship."
The Going Merry picked up speed, the crew laughing and shouting as they navigated the open water. Usopp shot harmless firecrackers off the side, making Noah flinch.
"Hey! Watch it!" he shouted.
Luffy grinned, leaning back on the deck. "This is perfect.
Sanji, however, couldn't stop glancing at Emma, his face red. "Ah… to have a beauty like her on my ship… it's a dream come true," he muttered, practically swooning.
Emma noticed and smirked, leaning closer to Noah.
Noah simply shook his head, hiding a smile. "Let's just focus on sailing. That's adventure enough for me."
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, casting orange and pink streaks across the water, a sense of calm settled over the crew.
The chaos of Alabasta felt like a distant memory now, replaced by the endless possibilities of the sea.
THE NEXT DAY.
while walking across the deck, Noah passed a woman sitting calmly, sipping tea.
"Good morning," he said.
She looked up. "Wait… who are you?" Noah asked.
"I'm Robin," she replied.
The crew froze.
"Intruder! Intruder!" Usopp shouted.
Everyone raised their weapons, surrounding her.
Robin's eyes flickered. She moved her hands, and suddenly dozens of arms sprouted from the deck and nearby railings. They twisted and grabbed the crew's weapons.
"Don't point those at me," she said softly.
"What do you want, lady?" Luffy asked.
"I… I want to join your crew," Robin said calmly, scanning each member. "You saved me back in Alabasta, from the tomb collapse. Because of that, you're responsible for me now. So, I'm coming with you."
Luffy grinned "Cool! You can join!"
The rest of the crew froze. Nami's jaw dropped. Usopp's eyes went wide. Sanji's face flushed, mumbling about how amazing she looked. Zoro crossed his arms, scowling.
He didn't trust her—not one bit.
Noah and Emma stood back, quietly observing the chaos.
By the end of the day, Robin had managed to win over everyone… except Zoro.
The crew sailed on, heading toward the next island.
A WEEK LATER.
We were nearing an island, the ship cutting through calm blue waters. Nami moved around the deck, giving orders and checking the sails. Emma watched her curiously.
"Are you the captain of the ship when Luffy isn't paying attention?" Emma asked.
Nami laughed softly. "Luffy is… not very smart," she said. "So yes, I end up doing most of the work. Someone has to keep this ship from sinking."
Emma tilted her head. "Can you teach me how to navigate better?"
Nami raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Sure. But first, tell me—how did you meet him?"
Emma smiled faintly. "I met Noah when I saved him from drowning. I was a merchant back then, just trying to get by. I didn't plan to travel with him, but… things happened, and now here we are."
Nami nodded, studying her. "Interesting. You two must really trust each other."
Emma glanced at Noah, who was leaning against the railing, watching the waves. "Yeah… I'd follow him anywhere."
The sun glinted on the water, and the island ahead grew larger.
The island grew bigger with every passing minute. Palm trees swayed in the breeze, and the smell of salt mixed with the earthy scent of the land. Noah and Emma stood near the railing, watching the shoreline approach.
Nami walked past them, clipboard in hand. "Alright, everyone, get ready to dock. I want the anchor down before the tide changes."
Emma turned to her. "I still don't get all of this. How do you know when the tide is changing?"
Nami smiled. "It's all about observation. The wind, the waves, even the color of the water. You'll learn with time. But first, let's see if you can even steer without tipping the ship over."
Emma chuckled. "I'll try not to."
Noah rested his arms on the railing, watching Emma and Nami. He could see how focused Nami was, and it made him realize how much work went into sailing.
As the ship got closer, Emma asked, "Nami… how did you end up with Luffy and the crew?"
Nami laughed softly. "Ah, that's a long story. Let's just say he saved me, and somehow I ended up here. And now I'm stuck managing him and the rest of the crew."
Noah gave her a small smile. "Seems like we both got dragged into crazy adventures."
The crew started preparing the ropes and sails. Usopp and Chopper were running around, checking for anything that might go wrong. Sanji was at the galley, humming a tune while flipping some food, occasionally glancing at Emma with his usual dreamy expression. Emma rolled her eyes at him and gave Noah a look. He just smirked.
Zoro sat on the deck, arms crossed, eyes half-closed. He watched silently, not trusting anyone new but keeping an eye on the crew's movements.
Finally, the anchor was dropped, and the ship gently bumped against the sandy shore. Noah and Emma jumped down first, landing smoothly on the beach. Nami followed, clipboard in hand, already planning the next steps.
Emma took a deep breath. "This place feels… different. Like something big is going to happen."
Noah looked at the island, the dense jungle beyond the beach, and nodded. "Yeah. Adventure's waiting."
Emma adjusted her grip on her blades and gave Noah a quick nod. "Let's see what this island has for us."
Noah smirked. "Lead the way."
With that, the group moved toward the jungle, leaving the ship behind, ready to face whatever awaited them on the island.