Two Days After Fuwako's Birth — A sunny day
The sun lounged lazily above the sea, casting warm golden ribbons across the Going Merry. The ship rocked gently with the breeze, wood creaking in a familiar rhythm like a heartbeat guiding them forward. Seagulls circled above, and the salty air tasted clean—peaceful.
It had been two days since Fuwako hatched.
Two days since a strange basket washed up on their deck and changed everything.
Nami reclined on her beach chair — which she had boldly declared her "official navigation headquarters." Maps and notes were laid across her lap, neatly organized with a compass and pen keeping them from flying away. And stretched comfortably across her stomach —resting like royalty— was Fuwako.
The bird had grown shockingly fast —now the size of a large cat, its once thin feathers thick and plush, as soft as clouds and warm as sunlit sand. Its head was small and rounded with tiny ears just peeking through the fluff— easy to miss unless it turned just right. Every breath the creature exhaled made the papers lift subtly. As though the wind itself followed wherever it went.
It slept peacefully.
Nami glanced down at it and smirked.
"You're lucky you're cute," she whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
Elsewhere in the ship, a different kind of chaos was brewing.
Usopp crouched beside the cannon with the seriousness of a general, pointing at a boulder far out in the sea. Luffy leaned in as though listening closely —but his grin suggested he wasn't listening at all.
"It's easy," Usopp said importantly. "You just calculate the arc, account for barrel angle and wind—"
"OR," Luffy cut in, grinning like he'd just invented explosions, "we do this."
Before Usopp could react—
Fssh— BOOOOM!
The cannon ignited with a thunderous crack, sending shockwaves across the deck. Fuwako startled awake, wings flaring—
WHOOSH—
A pulse of wind burst from its feathers like a low explosion, stirring Nami's papers and nearly tipping Usopp over. The cannonball flew way off course, splashing harmlessly into the sea.
"Huh!?" Usopp yelled. "Luffy, I wasn't done yet!!"
Luffy fell backward laughing, kicking his legs.
"That was AWESOME! Do it again, Fuwako!"
"Pyu!" Fuwako chirped, puffing its chest with pride.
Usopp tried again—this time properly—
BOOM!
The boulder shattered in the distance.
Fuwako jumped with joy, flapping its wings.
"Pyu! Pyu!"
Luffy slammed his fist into his palm. "It's settled! Usopp! You're our sniper!"
Fuwako echoed him, "PYU! PYU! PYU!!!"
Usopp stood taller than he had all week.
"Yeah… yeah! I am… aren't I?"
Zoro, from the side of the ship, just closed his eyes.
That peace lasted about five minutes.
"COME OUT, YOU DAMN PIRATES!!"
A rough voice tore across the deck. A blue-jacket-wearing man stumbled forward, kicking barrels aside like they insulted him personally.
Fuwako's feathers shot up—crackle—a gust of wind surged from its body—
WHOOOOMP!
The stranger went flying into the mast with a painful thud before collapsing.
"Whoa!" Luffy ran over. "Is he dead?!"
Fuwako helpfully poked his cheek with its beak.
"Pyu."
—maybe
Luffy poked him too. "Poke poke poke."
They continued with equal seriousness.
From above, a voice called out, "Johnny?"
Footsteps approached. Zoro hopped down from the railing.
The "dead man," Johnny sprang up immediately— eyes wide.
"BIG BRO?! YOU'RE ALIVE?!"
Luffy blinked. "You know him?"
Ignoring Luffy completely, Johnny clung to Zoro, wailing dramatically. "Yosaku's sick, big bro! He needs medical help!"
Zoro didn't say it— but his eyes softened.
"…Bring him aboard," he finally said.
Johnny nodded, gripping Zoro's shoulder with trembling relief. And all around them, the mood shifted.
Fuwako watched them quietly… then turned around and waddled away.
Tap… tap… tap…
Straight to the figurehead.
And there, nestled in rope and wood, the dino-bird fell sound asleep.
When Fuwako woke again…
The ship was silent.
Too silent.
"Pyu?"
It hopped off its little perch. No Nami. No Usopp. No Zoro. No food-smelling Luffy. The ship itself seemed quieter without their voices.
Then it saw it.
A colorful fish-shaped ship looming in the distance.
It looked up — saw the hole in the roof. Big. Violent. Fresh.
Something had happened.
The wind suddenly turned warm behind Fuwako — like it was encouraging it forward.
"Pyu…" it whispered.
Suddenly, with a dramatic squawk Fuwako jumped.
—DON'T LEAVE ME!!
SPLASH!
The sea welcomed it warmly — perhaps even protectively.
The baby swam — shockingly fast — cutting through the water with powerful strokes.
It reached the hull.
Climbed.
Shook off the water, like a dog— feathers flaring wide.
Tap tap tap tap tap.
Small wet footprints on polished wood.
Soon, it found them.
Baratie— The Restaurant of the Sea
Inside the floating restaurant, chaos was unfolding.
A man with bright pink hair and metal fists was hung up into the air — held up effortlessly by the collar.
The one holding him?
A blond man in a black suit — cigarette dangling from his lips, eyes calm like the sea before a storm.
"If you don't like the food the don't eat it," he said coolly, "but don't you dare waste perfectly good food."
The pink-haired man spat, body trembling with humiliation.
"Who the hell do you think you are?!"
Sanji gripped his collar tighter.
"A cook."
Fuwako waddled next to Zoro who was sitting on a table with the rest of the crew, minus their captain, Fuwako tilts its head at the scene.
"Pyu?"
Zoro glanced down and huffed. "Oh, you're up. Yeah, it's certainly something."
Then—
BOOM!
Upstair —the ceiling rattled. Zeff's voice bellowed:
"YOU BROKE THE ROOF— YOU'RE WORKING UNTIL YOU'VE PAID IT OFF!!"
Luffy yelled somewhere above, "BUT I'M HUNGRYYYYYY!!"
Sanji didn't even flinch.
Fuwako quietly adored him. Then waddled on his direction.
It sniffed the air.
Pepper. Garlic. Salt. Warm butter. Smoked fish.
Sanji flicked ash from his cigarette — and paused. He looked down.
At Fuwako.
They stared at each other.
Sanji narrowed his eyes.
Fuwako puffed up proudly.
"…What the hell are you? An overgrown chicken?"
Fuwako answered simply.
"Pyu."
And with a low flutter —
the wind subtly shifted in the kitchen.
Only Sanji seemed to notice.
His curly eyebrow rose.
The day the Straw Hats met their cook…
Was also the day the chef met a weird bird.
TO BE CONTINUED…