Mist of Memories

by HeroR

Guilt, regret, if left alone these feelings will consumed even the strongest of souls. That is the reality the Strawhats face as they go into their captain's memories to save their precious crewmate. To free their captain's from his guilt, they must first understand the depths of his pain and loss.

25. Forge in Fire

The next chapter is here. Thank you all again for all the support you have been given this story. This story have already surpassed the 700 review mark. Wow, hard to believe that their all so many supporters of this story. It is all kind of overwhelming. Especially since we still have some ways to go before the big stuff happened. Also, thanks again to Cana-Puff for checking this chapter and putting up with my mistakes.

Anyway, enough talk, onward to the chapter

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Chapter 25: Forge in Fire

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Brook stood slack-jawed as he looked over the badly beaten and broken ship. He knew that Usopp said that a miracle saved them, but he wasn't expecting this. Wasn't the Merry fatally damaged? How did it even get here past all the battleships?

"What..." Brook muttered, finally finding his voice. "Was that a voice coming from the ship?"

Usopp wiped his eyes. "It was. Merry...she came to save us."

"But how?" Brook asked, in awe of what he was looking at. It was truly a miracle. "How did Lamb-chan get here?"

"It's Merry!" Usopp yelled.

"How did your ship make it all the way to Enies Lobby? What about the Aqua Laguna? Also, who piloted the ship?" Brook asked in confusion, ignoring Usopp. He never felt so out of the loop.

"Merry made it to Enies Lobby by herself after Iceberg repaired her," Usopp said in a tender voice, losing his previous irritation. "Merry was literally alive. She had the spirit of a Klabautermann."

"A Klabautermann," Brook whispered in understanding. It all made perfect sense. He began to look at Merry in a new light. "I understand. That's why you were so sad about Merry's fate. It wasn't just because it was a gift from your girlfriend."

"Yeah..." Usopp said before he paused for a moment. "Wait a minute, Kaya is not my girlfriend!"

Luffy landed head first into the water and, naturally, sank like a rock. Before he could black out, Kokoro grabbed him along with Chopper and Robin and pulled them to the surface.

"Get on there, Devil Fruit users!" Kokoro yelled as she unceremoniously tossed Luffy, Robin, and Chopper onto the Going Merry.

Luffy landed hard on his back and lay unmoving on the wooden deck. His eyes were rolled back and he was obviously dazed from the water's effect on him.

"It's Merry...it's Merry...Merry saved us! I love Merry so much!" Chopper in the memory screamed in happiness as he hopped weakly on his back like a dying fish.

Chopper sniffed as tears build in his eyes. "I still love Merry."

"Why can't you move here, Chopper? Did you overextend yourself like Luffy-san?" Brook asked.

Chopper quickly stopped crying. "Yeah...I had to use my Monster Point in ordered to defeat one of the CP9 agents," he said softly. His eyes became shadowed. "After I…transformed…I lost control of myself. I don't remember anything…"

Nami gently patted the young doctor's shoulder. What happened in that tower was still a sore subject for Chopper. He knew that he could have killed his crew, but chanced it anyway in order to protect everyone.

"Merry... My sweet Merry...is still alive..." Usopp in the memory sobbed as he touched Merry's mast. It looked like he was going to fall against it. "Why did you do this?"

"I can't believe it..." Franky in the memory said softly as he looked around the Merry. "This ship fell into the ocean!"

"Who brought it here?" Nami in the memory asked in confusion.

"Worry about that later!" Zoro in the memory yelled, reminding everyone that they were still in danger. "Just tell us what to do!"

"Oh, that's right!" Nami yelled as they both ran to prepare the Merry for their escape.

Luffy finally regained his bearings and started to gasp for air. "That was close! I thought those ships were going to kill me!" He turned weakly towards Robin who was kneeling near one of the railings. "Hey, Robin! You saved me, thank..."

Before he could finish, Robin used her ability to cover his mouth. She turned around and gave a rare gentle smile. At that moment, she was back to the Robin the Strawhats knew.

"Luffy, everyone...thank you," Robin said gratefully. By the tightness in her voice, she sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

Everyone on-board the Merry smiled.

Luffy gave one of his signatures huge grins. "Don't mention it." He started to chuckle, which Chopper mimicked.

"Save this sappy stuff until after we escape," Zoro in the memory said, breaking the tender mood.

"Zoro-san!" Brook scolded their Zoro.

"It was true," Zoro growled.

"As I said, moss head has a heart of ice," Sanji said as he lit a cigarette.

"Yes he does," Nami said as she side-eyed Zoro.

Chopper nodded in agreement.

Franky side-eyed Zoro. "I think ice is warming."

"That's Zoro, the killer of moods," Usopp said in disgust.

Zoro scowled at all of them. They were all too emotional.

The Strawhats within the memory also didn't appreciate Zoro's comment and Sanji and Chopper began to fight Zoro. After realizing that he could move again, Chopper went into his Heavy Point and put Zoro into a painful submission, causing the swordsman to howl in pain.

This made all the current Strawhats, save for Zoro, laugh. He more than deserved it.

"Now, everyone, let's get out of here!" Nami in the memory yelled.

"Yeah!" they all shouted in agreement.

The Going Merry began to move, but the marines were not about to let them escape. They appeared to abandon their mission of taking Robin alive and attempted to blow them all away with their cannons.

They could hear Spandam screaming orders to the marines from one of the battleships. He was ordering that all the Strawhats be killed, including Robin, because Aokiji himself ordered it.

"That bastard Spanda. He's still alive?" Franky in the memory asked in frustration. "That sucks."

Franky nodded in agreement with his past self. Between being smacked silly by Robin and being crushed by his own elephant sword, what did it take to kill that man?

"Did Aokiji really order you to be killed?" Brook asked as he listened to Spandam scream. "After all they went through to capture you…"

"It was most likely another one of his lies," Robin said as she crossed her arms.

Despite all the battleships shooting at the Going Merry at close range, the marines not only missed, but also hit their own ships.

"The marines can't aim," Brook noted.

Sanji smiled. "Well, they're having a little problem keeping their aim."

At that same moment, the marine ships started to ram into each other.

Now Brook was really confused. Although, from the shouting by the marines, he was able to figure out that their bad aim and them running into each other was caused by the Gate of Justice being closed. Apparently, the gate blocked a pair of large whirlpools. With the gates no longer covering them, the battleships were being sucked in.

Sanji in the memory laughed as he watched the chaos. "That was better than I imagined!"

"Sanji, is that what you did before!?" Usopp in the memory asked in shock.

"Yeah," Sanji said smugly before he pointed to his head. "We can't always use strength alone."

"You're amazing, Sanji!" Usopp in the memory yelled in awe.

"Are you a genius!?" Luffy shouted.

"Very clever, Sanji," Brook also praised.

Zoro snorted. "So, the cook is good for something."

"Don't be jealous, moss head," Sanji teased. "There's no shame in not having any brain."

Within seconds, the two were fighting again.

"Don't start kissing his ass yet. The whirlpools are dangerous to us too," Zoro in the memory said. This made Usopp in the memory panic.

"Be quiet, all of you!" Nami in the memory yelled, catching her crew's attention. "There's no ocean we can't pass on Merry!"

Everyone cheered in agreement.

"Just hold on while I figure out what to do!" Nami in the memory yelled.

"Leave it to us!" the crew shouted.

Once they had regained themselves somewhat, the marines fired upon the Going Merry while the memory Strawhats protected the ship from all sides. With their combined strength and powers, no cannonball could touch Merry.

During the fighting, Luffy wanted to join in the defense of the Merry. As the captain, it was his duty to protect the ship, even if he couldn't move and was on the verge of passing out.

Whether granting their captain's wish, or just them making fun of him, Zoro and Sanji both grabbed Luffy and lifted him sideways like a sheet. They used his rubber body to catch several cannonballs and flung them back at the marines, causing major damage to the battleships.

Luffy was left dazed on the deck from the experience. Because he was already heavily wounded, the cannonballs had hurt him on impact.

"You saved us, captain!" Zoro in the memory cheered teasingly as he knelt at Luffy's side.

"That's the captain for you!" Sanji in the memory cheered as well with a huge smile.

Luffy groaned in response.

"You guys are monsters!" Usopp in the memory yelled at his former crewmates as they gave the victory sign.

"That was a kind of jerk-ish thing to do," Franky said with a small chuckle. Although, it was kind of funny.

"Seriously, why did you do that?" Nami asked. It was nice, however, to see Sanji and Zoro working together for once. Even if it was at Luffy's expense.

"Luffy wanted to feel useful, so we made him useful," Zoro said nonchalantly.

Sanji shrugged. "Pretty much."

"As I said, monsters," Usopp muttered.

"Although, I think that is the most playful we have seen Zoro in a long time," Robin said in amusement. "When was the last time Zoro teased anyone like that?"

Zoro found that he couldn't answer.

After a few calculations in her notebook, Nami had the path to victory in her hands. With Chopper steering the ship, they used the whirlpool as a slingshot to boost their speed. With the extra aid, they zoomed past the marine ships.

The marines shot desperately at them, attempting to do everything within their power to keep the pirates from escaping, but it was all in vain. Nothing could stop them from leaving.

As the battleship began to get further away, Robin walked towards the back of the ship where Luffy laid.

Luffy remained silent as Robin got to the end of the railings and crossed her arms. Her eyes were deadly focused in a way the Strawhats had rarely seen.

Zoro knew by her eyes that she had murderous intentions.

Luffy had to tilt his head to see that Robin was using her ability to grab Spandam, who was on one of the closest battleships.

Robin paused as she slowly closed her eyes. Although Luffy knew little about Robin's past and all that she had suffered, he could tell that this was deeply personal.

Spandam was viciously bent back by Robin's hands and the current Strawhats could hear the man cry in pain despite Robin covering his mouth.

Robin gradually opened her eyes and glared hatefully at her tormentor as she bent him back further. She paused for a second, as if she wanting Spandam to fully appreciate the pain that he was about to be inflicted on him.

"Clutch!" Robin shouted.

Even from this distance, all the Strawhats heard the all too familiar sound of bone snapping. Even without seeing it, they knew that Robin had broken Spandam's back and probably snapped his spine.

Franky gave a vicious, satisfied grin. He hoped that bastard could never walk again.

The other Strawhats stared blank faced. Even among the more sympathetic Strawhats, they felt no pity for Spandam. That man's carelessness and disregard for others took the lives of hundreds of marines. Even if they were enemies, all those people didn't need to die this way. Not over one man's mistake and need for glory. For all of them, it was karma.

Luffy said nothing, silently supporting what Robin had done.

With Spandam dealt with, Franky in the memory jumped to the back of the ship.

"Everyone, brace yourselves," Franky in the memory said as he pulled down his sunglasses.

A marine battleship attempted to intercept them.

"This might hurt the ship a bit, sorry about that," Franky said as he prepared to do his Coup de Vent.

His arms expanded and with a giant burst of air the Merry flew across the sky, surprising the marines. It was very much how the Strawhats usually escape on the Sunny.

To ensure that the marines could not fire upon them while they were in the air, Usopp shot a smoke bomb at the fleet, hindering their sights.

The marines could do nothing as the Merry landed hard some distance away from the marine fleet and began to sail away. They still tried, however. They fired repeatedly, but nothing could stop the Going Merry.

Soon, the cannonballs could no longer reach the small ship. It was then that the Strawhats knew that they had escaped.

Against all the odds, this small band of pirates had defeated the power of Enies Lobby, the World Government, the mighty Buster Call, and had taken back their friends from the powers of the world. For the World Government, this was a complete and utter defeat.

In the distance, the Strawhats could see Enies Lobby burn, a victim of the governments' own ruthlessness.

Brook shivered as he looked at what the Buster Call had done. He truly understood why Robin feared it. It was indeed an attack that completely disregarded life and burned everything in its wake. He hoped he never had to witness such cruelty again.

Knowing that his crew was finally safe, Luffy asked Kokoro to take him to Merry's head. It was only fitting that he sit on his Special Seat after such a great triumph. Given that he still couldn't move, he more lay on Merry's head like a boneless jellyfish than sat.

"Thank you, Merry..." Luffy said gratefully to the sheep head. "We got away because of you. I never thought you would come to save us. But now that I think about it, you have always protected us. I'm so glad that you're our comrade. Thanks, Merry."

Brook started to feel tears build in his non-existent eyes. "That's so beautiful."

"Merry was a beautiful ship," Usopp said with a soft smile with tears building in his eyes. This was by far Merry's greatest moment. That little ship with its dying breath beat the Aqua Laguna, something that no ship before it could do. She was truly one of a kind.

Chopper began to cry. "Merry will always be the best!"

"I hate to spoil the mood, but damn, you guys did some unbelievable things," Franky in the memory said with his arms folded. "You burnt down the World Government's flag..."

Luffy rolled himself to his back and stared into the sky. He had a peaceful expression on his face. "What? It's nothing special. We were just getting back a friend who was taken from us." As he said that, the Strawhats saw several images of Sabo. The last image being his lost brother smiling down at him, as if saying that he was proud. "You saved Robin too. We couldn't have do it without your help, so thanks."

Franky in the memory blushed and scratch the back of his head. "Well, it really wasn't special to someone as great as me."

Brook chuckled at Franky's cockiness, while Franky blushed at his past behavior.

Luffy gave Franky a soft smile. There was none of the hostility or anger from before. Whatever ill feelings Luffy had towards the cyborg had passed. He truly saw him as a friend.

"Anyway, this fight is our victory!" Luffy proclaimed to everyone as he lifted his arms.

All the Strawhats cheered in agreement, ending the memory.

"Indeed, it was a major victory for all of you," Brook said to his crew. What his crew did at Enies Lobby was the stuff of legends.

"Hard to believe that was just two years ago. It almost feels like a lifetime," Usopp said in thought. So much had happened since that time.

"Yeah, our victory at Enies Lobby was one of our biggest achievements. We really gave the government a bloody nose that they never forgot," Sanji said in a strangly somber voice.

All the Strawhats became silent as they reflected on Sanji's words.

It was strange that a moment that should had brought great happiness was also filled with a note of bitterness. In many ways, the government would have their revenge on all of them, especially on Luffy.

The mist engulfed the Strawhats and they were back on the Going Merry.

The atmosphere was peaceful and the day was clear. It was like the giant storm never happened. Everyone was just now calming down from their great battle and escape. After going through so much, the small crew deserved a moment of peace.

"Hey, Usopp!" Luffy called.

The Strawhats turned to see Luffy being carried around on Chopper's shoulders. He was still too weak to walk on his own very far, but at least he could move his upper body now.

"Huh, he's not here?" Luffy asked in confusion. "Usopp, Usopp, USOPP!" he continued to yell as Chopper walked right passed Sogeking, who had his head down.

Brook stared blank-faced at the entire scene while the other Strawhats, except for Chopper, sweat-dropped at the memory. They still couldn't believe that Luffy couldn't tell who Sogeking was. Where did Luffy think Usopp disappeared to?

Usopp almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity. Looking back at it, this was actually quite funny.

"Come out already!" Luffy shouted angrily. He was quickly getting frustrated. "If you don't come out, I'll kick your ass!"

"Kick your ass!" Chopper yelled in agreement.

Luffy frowned when he got no answer. Chopper turned towards Sogeking, who was sitting next to Sanji. The cook looked really pissed at the super hero.

"Hey Sogeking, do you know where Usopp is?" Luffy asked desperately. "He disappeared!"

Sogeking quickly stood up and faced Luffy. "Please relax, he already went ahead on a smaller ship."

Both Luffy and Chopper were to surprise to hear this.

Sanji, however, was annoyed and kicked Sogeking in the head.

"Why!?" Chopper exclaimed.

"That doesn't make sense! The Merry is his ship..." Luffy said in confusion. He had obviously assumed that Usopp brought the Going Merry to them.

"Ummm…" Brook mumbled. Not quite sure what to say. He wasn't even sure if he should say something given that Chopper still didn't know the truth.

"I still wonder why Usopp wasn't on the Merry," Chopper said as he put a hoof on his chin. "How did he leave so fast on a small boat? He was just on the Merry when we escape."

Zoro side-eyed the young doctor. Why can't Chopper see it was Usopp even now?

There was a brief discussion among the other Strawhats in the memory about how the Merry got to Enies Lobby and who steered it since no one was on-board. The Strawhats were more than a little confused about how a ship managed to sail itself into a warzone.

They also talked about someone calling to them just before they jumped into the sea. Luffy insisted it was Merry's voice, but most of the more even-minded Strawhats didn't buy it. Ships, after all, didn't talk.

After sailing for a few more minutes, a ship appeared in the horizon. To the Strawhats' delight, it was Galley-La led by Iceberg. They had gotten one of their biggest galleons and were sailing towards Enies Lobby to meet up with the Strawhats.

All the shipwrights were happy to see that the Strawhats and Franky had escaped in one piece and cheered at their safe return. It wasn't every day that someone survived going through an Aqua Laguna, the biggest one in history, and raiding a government compound.

The celebration was cut short when the Going Merry began to creak. There was a loud snapping noise of wood breaking as the entire front of the ship broke in half, falling halfway into the sea. Thankfully, no one was hurt in the breakage.

"Oh..." Brook mumbled softly as he looked over the damage.

The current Strawhats fell silent as they looked over their doomed ship. They knew this moment would come, but it was still heart-breaking to see. Usopp and Chopper were openingly in tears.

Luffy ran towards the front of the ship and begged Iceberg to save Merry. The Strawhats could tell by Luffy's voice that he knew it was impossible. Still, he had to try. The Merry saved their lives and was their precious crewmember. What captain wouldn't do everything within their power to save a dying friend?

Iceberg stared somberly at Luffy. "She fought hard for you, but it is time to let her go. I have already done everything I can," he said gently as he explained how he found Merry during the Aqua Laguna, nearly destroyed on the shore bank after they had left on the seatrain.

The Merry herself pleaded with Iceberg to help her so she could sail one last time to help her crew. Being unable to turn away from her pleads, Iceberg worked the entire night in the rain repairing Merry to the best of his abilities and sending her off into the storm, thinking she was doom to fail.

Brook was in tears during the entire story. He had heard many stories and legends about the Klabautermann, but none of them were like this. That ship gave everything to save the crew she so dearly loved. She really was a true friend.

Usopp also cried. That was their Merry. Always looking out for them, even during her dying moments.

"Right now, I am witnessing a miracle. A miracle of a ship that has gone beyond its limits to see you one last time," Iceberg said as he stared at the Going Merry with admiration. "I have been a shipwright for many years, but I have never seen such an amazing ship. It is a magnificent thing. It lived a wonderful life."

Brook nodded in agreement as tears streamed out of his eye sockets. Iceberg took the words right out of his mouth.

"Yes it is," Franky said in tears, not bothering to hide or deny them. Merry may have been a simple ship, but it showed more heart and soul than most people. He could only hope that Sunny developed such a wonderful spirit.

Luffy was taken in by Iceberg's words. He slumped back a little and looked at Merry's head with blank eyes. He slowly sat straight as he realized what must be done now. It was time for Merry to be put to rest.

The memory skipped a little and Luffy was now standing in a small rowboat next to the Merry. The other Strawhats, along with Franky, Kokoro, Chimney and her pet 'cat', were behind him in another boat next to the Galley-La's ship. They all wore somber expressions as they prepared themselves to say goodbye to their precious friend and comrade. The shipwrights were also lined up on the galleon, ready to pay their final respects.

Luffy gave one last long look at the Going Merry. "So, everyone's ready?"

"Yeah," they all answered in muted voices.

Luffy lit a torch and stared at Going Merry again. "Merry, the seafloor is a dark and lonely place. So, we'll see you off." He took the torch and lit the broke side of the Merry on fire. "It's...probably best that Usopp isn't here. He wouldn't be able to handle this."

Usopp teared up hearing Luffy's words. In some ways, Luffy was right. He didn't see Merry's death as Usopp. He did it with the mask of Sogeking, disconnecting himself from his other crewmates. In some ways, he was happy that he got to see Merry's funeral again. Now, he can share the experience as a proper Strawhat.

After holding the torch to Merry's broken side for a couple of seconds, the entire ship lit on fire.

The Strawhats of both the present and the past watched Merry burn with teary eyes. To many, it may seem strange to cry over a ship. A ship, after all, was just a thing, made out of wood and nails. A ship could easily be replaced.

For the Strawhats, however, the Merry was far more than a mere ship. It had a soul and that soul had carried them through East Blue and almost half of the Grand Line. That soul also saved them from the hand of the World Government and for that, the Going Merry would never be just a ship to any of them. It was a Strawhat.

"For letting us ride on you for so long and so far, thank you…Merry," Luffy said softly.

The atmosphere became more sorrowful when it suddenly started to snow, an unusual occurrence given the area. It was like the sea itself was mourning along with the Strawhats.

The current Strawhats attempted to hold back their tears. Almost all of them failed miserably. Brook found himself playing his violin, unable to help himself. A funeral felt incomplete without music.

It was a few minutes after the snow started falling that Merry began to speak directly to the Strawhats.

"I'm sorry..." Merry said in a soft voice, startling Brook and the past Strawhats. "I wanted to carry everyone just a little farther..." The sheep head of the Merry appeared to be crying through the flames. "I'm sorry... I wanted to always go on adventures together."

Usopp cried into his arm. Dammit, why did Merry has to be so selfless?

"Merry!" Chopper in the memory screamed in tears.

Nami in the memory completely collapsed in grief and sobbed into her open hands.

Even the shipwrights on-board the galleon were crying loudly.

The Strawhats of the present also weren't immune to the scene. Some cried more openly than others, but there wasn't a dry eye among them.

Only Zoro remained stone-faced as he listened to Merry's dying words again. It wasn't that Merry didn't deserve his tears that he didn't cry, but he saw her death as a celebration of life. This wasn't a moment for tears.

Brook could only stare in shock. He had never heard of a Klabautermann talking directly to their crew.

"But I..." Merry attempted to continue.

"If someone got to apologize, it's us, Merry!" Luffy yelled in tears, cutting Merry off. He nearly collapsed as grief overtook him. "I suck at steering, so I ran into icebergs and other stuff! I ruined your sails too!" As he yelled that, the Strawhats saw a flashback of Luffy stabbing Laboon with the sail mast. "Zoro and Sanji are idiots so they broke lots of things! And Usopp tried to fix you, but he wasn't good at it! If someone got to apologize..." He fell to his knees, unable to control his emotions anymore.

"I don't mind. I was happy," Merry said, holding no ill will towards her crew. "You always treated me with love... Thank you... Even if the time spent together was short, I'm glad...that I could have spent it with you," she whispered with her last breath as the flames overtook the sheep head.

"MERRY!" Luffy shouted to the heavens.

Brook cried openly. This was both a sad and beautiful sight. No one could ask for a better death.

The Strawhats stood there until the last of Merry disappeared into ashes and fluttered into the wind. Merry was now part of the sea.

Only once during the funeral did Luffy turn to glance at his crew. The person who caught his eye was Sogeking. Although he wore a mask that covered his eyes, Luffy could see the waterfall of tears streaming down his neck. Luffy continued to stare at Sogeking for a moment before his eyes suddenly widened.

"Usopp...?" Luffy whispered in confusion. He then quickly shook his head, obviously thinking he was being foolish.

There, the memory concluded.

Usopp gasped when he saw that. Luffy…he knew? No…Luffy sensed something was off, but he didn't believe what he felt.

"Why did Luffy think Sogeking was Usopp?" Chopper asked in bewilderment as he wiped the last of his tears.

"He was probably so moved by Merry's death that he wanted to see Usopp in Sogeking," Nami answered as she side-eyed Usopp. "You know, since Usopp missed the funeral."

Chopper began to tear up. "I wished Usopp was there. He deserved to be there more than anyone." He turned towards the sniper. "But, I guess you couldn't take it back then."

Usopp was silent for a second. "Yeah…."

Brook cried loudly as tears poured out of his empty sockets. "That...that's so moving! I never knew how much you guys loved that ship! So...so beautiful!"

Franky was also sobbing along with Brook. "That's so sad even now! It's even worse now since I've seen how much you guys have been through together! That Merry...what a wonderful ship! She's a shipwrights' dream!"

Robin stood silent in reflection of the memory for a moment. "I wonder...if the Sunny will develop a Klabautermann one day."

Brook wiped his nose as he got control of his emotions. "If Lion-chan is as loved by all of you as Merry, I'm certain that a Klabautermann will come to us one day."

Usopp smiled brightly. "Yeah, I'm certain it will happen. Sunny, after all, carries Merry's spirit. It's the throne of the Pirate King."

"And it's Sunny, not Lion-chan!" Franky yelled at Brook.

"Since a Klabautermann only appears when a ship is about to die, let's hope we never actually see Sunny's Klabautermann," Nami said.

All the Strawhats nodded in agreement.

"Sunny won't die. Not on my watch," Franky said proudly.

The mist cleared, but strangely there was no image. There was complete darkness.

Nami tilted her head in confusion. "Did something go wrong?"

"We should be looking at the next memory. Unless Luffy doesn't have his eyes open," Zoro said.

As soon as Zoro said that, munching sounds caught the Strawhats' ears. It was also followed by what sounded like Luffy humming.

"It seems you all finally woke up," someone said through the void.

"Hey, that's Kokoro!" Chopper exclaimed when he recognized the voice.

"To sleep for two days, you must have been worn out," Kokoro said. "I guess that's expected."

"You all slept for two days?" Brook asked in mild disbelief.

He didn't blame them for being exhausted, but he never witnessed the entire crew being knocked out. Even at Thriller Bark, the crew woke up after only one day of rest. Except for, of course, Zoro, who was practically in a coma for a week.

Nami brushed some hair out of her eyes. "I slept for only a day and a half."

"That's because you weren't badly injured," Zoro said as he side-eyed Nami.

"Are you trying to say Nami-swan didn't do anything, moss head!?" Sanji yelled at Zoro.

"I also only slept for a day," Robin said, stopping Zoro and Sanji from fighting again. "Since I...did not really fight."

"You kicked Spanda's ass. That's more than enough," Franky said.

The sounds of footsteps could be heard. "Oh, the Pirate King seems to be feeling good," Kokoro noted.

"Why is Miss Kokoro calling Luffy-san the Pirate King?" Brook asked.

"She started calling Luffy that since the incident at Enies Lobby. I guess you could say Luffy made a believer out of her," Franky said with a small laugh.

Brook nodded and smiled, if a skeleton could smile. "Luffy-san has that effect."

"Oh, you're mistaken," Sanji in the memory said.

"About what?" Kokoro asked.

"After the fight he collapsed, but he was still dying to eat," Sanji in the memory explained.

Kokoro gave a grunt in disbelief.

"He seems to have invented a technique to eat while sleeping," Sanji said. There was a note of humor in his voice.

"He's asleep!?" Kokoro yelled in disbelief.

"Amazing, pirate-bro!" Chimney yelled.

"Personally, I think that's Luffy's most amazing trick," Sanji said casually. "That and the disappearing fruit from Alabasta."

Chopper nodded. "I still wonder how he can eat like that without choking." What Luffy was doing should have been medically impossible.

"I'm more surprise that you're feeding him, Sanji-san," Brook said.

"Why be surprised? I feed people who are hungry, even if they're not conscious," Sanji said. "I actually prefer it this way so I can get food into Luffy so he can recover faster. I also don't have to feed that rubber brain all at once."

"After what Luffy did to his body, he more than needed the nutrients," Zoro said with an edge of bitterness.

"Although, how is Luffy hearing all this if he's knocked out?" Usopp asked.

"He is most likely semi-conscious. That could explain how he is able to eat while remaining asleep," Robin surmised.

"He's a pretty skilled guy," Kokoro laughed after getting over her initial shock. "Oh yeah, the Log Pose should set in two or three days." She paused for a second. "What happened here!?" It sounded like she just witnessed a murder.

Nami in the memory gave a depress sigh. "Even if the Log Pose sets, we can't move forward anymore... The one-hundred million we worked so hard for to buy a new ship...our clothes, our furniture...Bellmère's tangerine trees...all of it...Aqua Laguna carried it all away..."

Brook would have frowned, if he had skin. Nami sounded like she was going to cry when she mentioned the tangerine trees. The money itself was more of a side note.

"Gloomy..." Kokoro muttered.

"We left all of it at the inn in the backstreets," Sanji in the memory explained. He too sounded depress.

Brook sighed. "You all really had some lousy luck in this city."

"It does appear that way," Sanji said before he smiled. "But, don't worry. This actually has a happy outcome."

The Strawhats heard Kokoro guzzle down her bottle of booze. "Ah, so that's what the visitors out front are for."

"Visitors?" Sanji in the memory asked in bafflement.

There was a loud knock at the door. The door was opened and the Strawhats heard several footfalls.

"The truth is we..." someone said slowly.

The crew heard Nami in the memory gasp and a chair falling on the floor.

"My tangerine trees!" Nami in the memory shouted in pure, unrestrained joy. They could tell by all the rustling that Nami was hugging them. "I never thought they would come back! Thank goodness!"

Nami couldn't stop herself from tearing up. She thought for certain that she had lost her mother's precious trees to the Aqua Laguna.

"Actually, we thought you were responsible for Iceberg's assassination. Your stuff crossed our minds so we seized all of it," someone said. "Sorry about that."

"Something good came out of that tragedy after all," Brook said.

"Our luck really started to turn around after we got back to Water 7," Robin said.

"After all the bad luck we had, it was about time things started to turn around," Zoro said. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought CP9 had cursed them or something.

"It's alright, thank you!" Nami in the memory yelled gratefully.

Kokoro laughed. "Well, that's good."

The door opened again.

"Hey, we're coming in!" Chopper in the memory shouted.

"We are back," Robin said.

"Oh, Chopper. And Robin-chwan!" Sanji exclaimed. "That was heavy, wasn't it? Now please, right this way."

Robin chuckled. "Thank you."

Almost as soon as Robin spoke, the memory went dead.

"Huh, was that it?" Usopp asked. "That was a random place to stop."

"He most likely fell asleep the moment Chopper and Robin walked in," Zoro said with a small smile. Even asleep, Luffy was still trying to look after his crew.

The door being slammed open jolted all the Strawhats.

"Feeling super you guys! Everyone!" Franky in the memory shouted. He suddenly grunted. "Not everyone is around. Well, whatever..."

"Franky, what are you up to all of a sudden?" Sanji asked.

"Listen!" Franky exclaimed. "I have something important to tell you." He sat down hard on the floor.

From the void, the Strawhats listened to Franky tell a story about a miraculous wood known as Adam. The wood was so strong and sturdy that it could be hit by a cannonball without breaking or denting. The tree became so known for its strength that entire civilizations were built under it.

Although Franky's explanation about the Adam wood seemed rather pointless, he eventually got around to telling the Strawhats that he wanted the wood, but it was really expensive. It was an item that cost two-hundred million belli.

"That exact amount that he stole from you," Brook muttered.

Usopp nodded. "Funny how that worked out."

Franky chuckled. "Yeah. You could almost call it divine intervention."

"Why you! You used our money to buy something like that, didn't you!?" Sanji in the memory yelled.

"Just let me finish!" Franky shouted before a loud banging noise reached the Strawhats' ears, silencing the entire room. "A long time ago, I decided I would never build a ship again. But before long, to catch up to a man I admire, and to reach my own goal, I drew up the blueprints for a ship... My dream is to use that treasured wood and just one last time...make a ship able to sail any sea. I'm going to make a Dream Ship."

Brook felt himself become teary eyed. These memories were going to leave him without any moisture, although he was already dry from being just a skeleton. He laughed at the thought.

Usopp too wiped some tears away. He had missed so much while he was away from the crew.

Zoro kept a blank face, but he greatly admired how Franky chased after his dream despite not wanting to build ships anymore.

"I already have the wood and the blueprints. With this I can make it!" Franky shouted with complete conviction in his voice. "So, when it's done, would you all sail on the ship I created!?"

The room was completely quiet as the weight of the question hung in the room. Luffy's loud snoring, however, broke the silence. He seemed unaware, but he heard everything that Franky said.

"Then...?" Chopper in the memory stuttered.

"So, you mean you'll give us that ship!?" Sanji asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," Franky answered. "If people I would like are sailing it. That's what makes me happiest. It's something I was only able to make because of your investment after all."

"Investment, huh?" Usopp asked dryly, making Franky laugh nervously.

"The only ship on this sea that ever sailed around the world, Gold Roger's Oro Jackson, was made from this wood," Franky stated. "I'll definitely...show you all an amazing ship!"

Kokoro chuckled. "Can't be helped. You and Tom are the same after all. Just like a carpenter."

"That's true, now...I can understand how Tom felt when he died with his pride," Franky in the memory said softly. There was a rare tenderness in his voice.

"That's so beautiful!" Brook cried as tears flew out of his eyes.

There was much celebration as the memory Strawhats shouted and cheered. They may have lost their dear Going Merry, but soon, they would have a new comrade. One that would conquer the great Grand Line.

The celebration was suddenly cut short by what sounded like an explosion.

"What the...?" Franky in the memory exclaimed.

"Who is it?" Chopper in the memory shouted. He sounded closed to panicking.

"Are you the Strawhat Pirates!?" a loud voice demanded.

Brook knew that voice. "That's Garp-san."

Nami nodded. "This is when Garp 'visited' Luffy."

"There're some men here who want to meet Monkey D. Luffy," Garp said.

"Marines!" Franky in the memory yelled. There was lot of shuffling.

"Really, just as careless as always," Garp humored almost sadistically.

There was a zooming sound and lots of shouting in the background.

"WAKE UP!" Garp shouted before a loud cracking noise filled the memory.

Images suddenly appeared before the Strawhats and they could see that they were inside one of the Galley-La buildings.

The scene, however, was anything but clear. Things were hazy and slightly distorted. There was also a loud ringing noise. Whether it was from suddenly having Garp knock Luffy senseless, or Luffy just being exhausted, none of the crew knew.

"IT HURTS! IT HURTS!" Luffy screamed in anguish as he grabbed his swollen forehead. It looked like he was crying.

"It hurts!?" Sanji in the memory asked in disbelief. "What are you saying!? That was a punch. For it to hurt a rubberman..."

"Even with Haki, that is an impressive injury," Zoro noted in a dry voice.

"There's no defense against the Fist of Love," Garp said as he removed the dog mask he was wearing, fully revealing his face. He had his trademark grin on his face. "I heard you've been acting pretty reckless, Luffy."

Luffy lifted his head and stared at his attacker. At that moment, it looked like Luffy was going to wet himself in terror. Even at seventeen, his grandfather still had the ability to scare the young pirate like a small child.

The change in his captain's demeanor unnerved Zoro. He knew that Luffy was deathly afraid of his grandfather, but he didn't see the strong reaction when they met in Water 7. It literally looked like Luffy wanted to run through the wall to escape the older man's gaze.

Brook was also unnerved. Fighting Crocodile, Lucci, or Moriah didn't scare Luffy.

"G...G...Grandpa!?" Luffy shouted as the memory dissipated.

"Well...that's how you met Luffy-san's grandfather," Brook muttered as he sweat-dropped. It seemed that age has not mellowed Garp one bit.

"It was certainly a surprise," Nami said. "I would never have guessed that anyone in Luffy's family was a marine, especially a marine hero. To be blunt, I always felt anyone from Luffy's family would be too rebellious to be led."

"Although, did he really need to punch Luffy-san like that?" Brook asked. After nearly being killed by Lucci, Luffy didn't need more damage, especially from his own granddad.

Sanji sighed as he reached for his cigarette. "No. He's just being himself. If you haven't noticed, Garp is kind of an ass."

Usopp, Chopper, and Franky nodded in agreement.

The next memory came and the Strawhats stood outside of what looked to be a plaza. It was a little after twilight given the last rays of sunlight that was sinking in the distance.

What made the scene less than peaceful were the shouts and howls of people celebrating. Around the Strawhats, the people of Water 7 were celebrating the Strawhats victory over Enies Lobby, the safe return of Franky, and the recovery of their mayor. After all the tragedy, grief, and suffering that everyone has been though, the party was a welcome change. It truly told the Strawhats that the danger had passed.

Luffy was, of course, at a table munching away happily at the food. Despite the vigor with which he ate, there were still dark circles under his eyes and he had a slightly haggard appearance. He was obviously still weak from his fight with Lucci and would require a lot more sleep to fully heal.

As he ate, the Robin from the memory slowly walked behind him. She stopped short of reaching him. She did nothing to alert Luffy of her presence, choosing to wait until Luffy acknowledged her on his own.

She didn't have to wait long before Luffy turned his head a full one hundred and eighty degrees to greet his crewmate. "Hey, Robin! Are you enjoying yourself!? This party is in honor of you, after all!"

Robin smiled lightly. "I am...thank you."

Luffy laughed heartily. "I'm glad you're back, Robin. We all missed you."

"And...I missed you all too," Robin said before she paused for a few seconds. "Luffy, I just wanted to say that I am sorry."

Luffy gave Robin a baffled look as he turned the rest of his body around.

"You...you and the others went through so much because I had no faith in you. I made you all suffer needlessly because I thought you would see me as a burden and abandon me. If I trusted in your strength..."

"Robin," Luffy cut Robin off. He had an unusually serious expression on his face. "There's nothing to be sorry about. You did all that stuff to protect us."

"But..." Robin started.

"And...you were scared of being left alone," Luffy said as he put his hat over his eyes, covering them in shadow. "You were scared that we would see you as a monster and reject you."

"Get away from him, you monster!" the voice of one of the kids from Luffy's childhood screamed.

"You're still here!? Go away before you kill someone!" another child screamed.

"He's more than a monster! He's a demon!" someone else yelled through the mist.

"Stay away from us! You were already a monster, but now...you're just a freak! Not even human! Stay away from us! There's no place for a thing like you!" the final boy shouted.

Luffy's eyes softened at those memories. "It hurts...being rejected and alone."

The Strawhats felt themselves becoming teary-eyed hearing those kids' cruel words again. To think, even after all those years, Luffy still remembered those words.

Robin in the memory said nothing for a few seconds as she stared at her captain. "Yes...it does..."

Luffy stared at the ground, allowing the Strawhats to see his eyes. They were blank, but somewhat watery. "To save us, you were willing to go through pain and die. You were willing to end everything to keep from being alone again. That I can understand. Dying hurts. Death hurts. Being alone…hurts much more."

"As humans, we all have the need to fit in. To find our place in the world," Gasp's voice echoed across the mist.

Robin's eyes in the memory widened as she listened to her captain talk.

Robin knew what her past self was thinking. At the time, it stunned her how well Luffy understood her. Now, she knew why. Despite living very different lives, they both experienced the anguish of loneliness and were deathly afraid it.

"But Robin, I hope you know now that you can always come to us," Luffy said as he slowly stood up. "That you'll never be alone again."

"If you ever set out to sea, you will see for yourself just how small you are and also find those who will appreciate your power and accept you for what you are without fear or judgment. When you find those people, Luffy, you will also find your second family." the voice of Shanks said through the mist. "At its heart, that's what a pirate crew truly is. Those who sail with me are not just my underlings. They are my precious family."

Luffy walked up to Robin and embraced her in a tight hug. It was a little awkward, given that Robin was several inches taller than him. Nonetheless, the older woman leaned down into his embraced and began to sob on his shoulder.

Robin seemed almost like a lost child who had finally found her way home.

"You won't be alone anymore because your family is here," Luffy said softly. "You are one of us."

Robin's sobs became louder and she returned his hug in full force.

"I will always protect you, Robin," Luffy came close to whispering.

"Never see your power as a curse. Instead, think of it as a gift given to you to protect those you care about. Use that desire to protect to grow even stronger," Gasp said as the memory dissipated.

Franky cried loudly. "That was so touching. Dammit, why did Luffy have to remember so much heart-warming stuff?"

Chopper was also crying.

"I...I did not know I provoke so many memories from him," Robin said softly.

"It always seems that Luffy understands. He knew exactly what to say to cheer you up," Nami said as she wiped her eyes.

Robin frowned. "In many ways, I wished he did not understand."

Sanji gently put a hand on her shoulder, allowing Robin to draw strength from his warmth.

The mist formed into a new memory and the Strawhats stood within a big, but comfortable looking room. They were obviously still in Water 7 given that some of their past counterparts were wearing Galley-La shirts. It was late evening given the orange rays of sun coming through the window.

"Usopp's coming back!?" Luffy exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah," Sanji in the memory confirmed. He was sitting in a chair smoking a cigarette. "He was at the coast practicing."

"You saw that?" Usopp asked in embarrassment.

"It wasn't like you were doing a good job hiding it," Sanji said. "You were always such a ham."

This caused Usopp to blush deeply.

"Really!?" Luffy yelled happily. He appeared closed to jumping with joy. "So, that's how it is! Then, I'm going to get him back right away!"

Chopper cheered in agreement.

"You really seem unaffected," Nami joked.

"Usopp's coming back!" Luffy cheered as he ran towards the door with Chopper and Nami right behind him. At last, they could reunite with their friend.

"Wait up, guys!" Zoro suddenly yelled, stopping everyone in their tracks. "I won't forgive anyone who tries to bring him back here."

Luffy was surprised to hear this. "Why!?"

Zoro slowly crossed his arms and glared harshly at Luffy. "No matter what happens, it isn't you who should behave modestly, Luffy."

Luffy looked at Zoro with a blank expression. "Zoro..."

"I won't accept him unless he comes and begs," Zoro said coldly.

"Zoro!" Chopper exclaimed angrily.

"Hey, why are you being so..." Nami started to ask.

"Shut up!" Zoro shouted, silencing everyone. He never used that tone of voice with his crew.

Sanji in the memory, who would normally scold Zoro for yelling at Nami, stared at his rival with interest. It seemed Sanji had an idea of what Zoro was going to say.

Robin stood silently in the background, unable to speak up for or against Usopp since she did not see the fall-out.

"No matter how Luffy and Usopp felt when they started their quarrel, no matter who was right, after demanding a man-to-man duel, you got to devote yourself to the outcome of the battle! After losing, he left of his own accord," Zoro said.

He walked up to Luffy until he was right in his captain's face. Luffy met his gaze, refusing to turn away.

"Listen, everyone!" Zoro shouted as he grabbed Luffy's cheek and pulled. "Even though he's an idiot, he has the title of captain. The crew would be better without someone who doesn't show respect for this guy. A crew that loses the respect for their captain is sure to collapse."

Everyone took in Zoro's words. It was so silent that a mouse squeaking would have sounded like thunder.

Zoro ruthlessly turned Luffy so he was facing him. His eyes burned into Luffy with such fury that it almost appeared like Zoro was trying to burn a hole through his captain's head. "Listen, you can act easy-going as you usually do, but if you even for an instant, as the guy who is my leader, let others walk over him, next time it will be me who will leave this crew!"

Luffy's eyes widened as he took in Zoro's words. He looked like he wanted to punch Zoro as his body shook with rage. After losing so much, he couldn't believe that Zoro would threatened to leave.

There was a tense silence between the two men as they continued to glare each other down.

"You're our captain. It's a heavy burden, but it's one that you chose to carry the moment you decided to become a pirate. A pirate's life isn't all fun and games." Zoro's words from the other day echoed.

At that moment, the fit of anger disappeared and Luffy's demeanor calmed. His eyes hardened with an unspoken understanding. For better or for worse, Zoro was right. This was his burden as captain. He had to see it through to the end.

The memory faded.

The Strawhats were silent as they took in the memory.

"As hard as it was to say, Zoro-san was correct. The way that Usopp treated Luffy-san, his captain, over the Lamb-chan wasn't right. Even if the ship was alive, Usopp crossed the line," Brook said softly. "If it was on any other pirate ship, Usopp would have been killed or thrown off, never allowed to return."

"I know that now," Usopp whispered as he clenched his hands, his shame returning again. "In retrospect, I got off easy."

"It can be hard. It's easy to forget the chain-of-command if you consider all your crewmates, especially your captain, friends," Brook said sympathetically towards Usopp. "But even among pirates, there are still rules that must be followed. The chain-of-command is one of them. No crew can survive with a soft-hearted captain who is pushed around by their crew."

"Very harsh, but true words," Robin said with a nod.

"But we pushed Luffy around all the time," Nami pointed out.

"To an extent. However, when Luffy makes a definitive order, we accept and follow it," Robin said. "Usopp did not do that. He fought and demeaned Luffy. That is not something that should be easily forgiven."

Usopp slumped over, feeling even worse.

"Although, would you have really left if Luffy had taken Usopp back?" Franky asked Zoro.

It wasn't that he didn't believe the swordsman's words; it was just unthinkable to believe that Zoro would just abandon Luffy. Zoro's faith in his captain had always been unwavering and he spent the longest time with Luffy than any of them. Zoro wouldn't just throw that all away on a disagreement.

"I would," Zoro said with no hesitation. "Because I expect better from Luffy. If he wishes to become the Pirate King, he can't travel with a crew who would disrespect and betray him on a moment's notice. If he had lowered himself that far, even for the sake of a friend, than he wasn't the man I thought he was or capable of becoming. I cannot and never will call such a weak man captain."

The words were harsh and almost cruel, but unlike some on his crew, Zoro had only the highest expectations for his captain. Luffy selling himself short in any way would have been a disgrace to the man Luffy was destined to become. To Zoro, seeing Luffy become less than what he could would have hurt more than him leaving the crew.

Sanji read all of Zoro's inner thoughts despite the swordsman's best attempts to keep his expression blank. He would never admit it out loud, but he agreed with Zoro fully. As much as he wanted Usopp back, he honestly would had lost all respect for Luffy as a captain if he was the one who ran to get him.

"But it doesn't matter anymore," Chopper said, breaking the tense atmosphere. He looked at each of his crewmates. "It's all in the past, right?"

All the Strawhats nodded in agreement. What's done was done, and the crew was looking forward to moving on from these memories.

The next memory came and they were back in the Galley-La room. This time, it was early afternoon and everyone's spirits were brighter.

"Franky-bro told us to come and call everyone!" someone yelled excitedly.

"The dream ship is complete!" someone else shouted.

"It's great!" a much younger voice yelled.

The Strawhats turned to see that the two Square Sisters and Chimney were kneeling on the floor.

"It's complete already!" Luffy yelled excitedly. "That was fast."

"The five top-notch shipwrights stayed up all night building it," Mozu said.

"Building it!" Chimney repeated happily.

"Alright, let's go!" Sanji exclaimed, equally excited as everyone else to see their new ship.

"Yeah!" Chopper cheered.

"Strawhat!" someone suddenly screamed from outside.

The Strawhats ran out of the building to see the Franky Family running towards them at full speed. They all were extremely concern about something.

"What's wrong, guys?" Kiwi asked.

Zambai fell to his knees. "To be honest, we've just heard about it! Did you see the wanted posters!?"

"Wanted posters?" Luffy repeated.

"You've been given an unexpected bounty, Strawhat!" Zambai exclaimed. "Also, everyone else has one as well!"

"Me too!?" Sanji in the memory asked happily. "Finally!"

Sanji scowled as he looked at the scene. This should be one of his proudest moments and those shit heads from Marine Headquarters ruined it. Shitty marines and their shitty photographers.

"Me too!?" Nami in the memory asked in horror.

"Me too!?" Chopper in the memory squealed in excitement.

Chopper became upset seeing how excited his past self was. He still was worth only fifty belli.

"Instead of talking, see for yourself," Zambai said as he spread the wanted posters out for everyone to see.

Luffy, Zoro, and Robin were very happy about their new bounties. Although Robin only got a one-million belli raise, she was happy that they had finally updated her picture.

Nami was upset to even have a bounty despite having a great picture that would be envied by pin-up models.

Chopper and Sanji were both completely horrified by their bounties. Chopper was disheartened to have such a low bounty and such a cutie nickname, while Sanji nearly had a melt down over his bounty picture.

Even now, the Strawhats chuckled at Sanji's expression. Really, could no one within the marines draw?

Once everyone had time to get used to their new bounties, Zambai got to the real reason they were worried. From his jacket, he pulled out a wanted poster of Franky.

"Franky!" Luffy exclaimed in surprise.

"Cyborg Franky, bounty of forty-four million belli," Zambai said.

"That was a starting bounty, very impressive," Brook praised the cyborg, who struck a pose in happiness. He then turned towards Sanji. "You also have an impressive starting bounty. Almost one-hundred million from one incident. That's extremely rare."

Sanji growled at the musician. "Shut up."

"That is terrible, bro has a bounty on his head!" Kiwi exclaimed.

"It's terrible!" Mozu yelled.

"That's right," Zambai said as he stared at the wanted poster. "We somehow managed to avoid this, but bro couldn't. Bro's life will be in danger if he stays in Water 7. If he gets caught this time, we won't have the power to save him! Surely, bro must be worried about us and doesn't want to leave the island."

Luffy took in everything Zambai said.

"That's why we all came here to talk to you," Zambai said as he looked Luffy right in his eyes. "Strawhat, I beg of you, even if it's against his will, take bro out to sea! That man was the child of a pirate to begin with!"

Luffy remained silent and expression was blank.

"We all beg you!" everyone in the Franky Family yelled as they bowed their heads.

Franky felt himself become teary-eyed. That was the second time his family humbled themselves for him.

Luffy smiled at the Franky Family. "You don't have to say it. I've already decided to make him my shipwright."

With those words, the memory faded into the mist.

Franky was now crying. "That was so sweet of those guys!"

"Interesting, there didn't seem to be a single moment when Luffy-san decided to take Franky like the rest of you. It seemed to almost just happen," Brook noted. "Especially since there still were some hard feelings even back at Enies Lobby."

"No, there was a moment," Zoro said. "Franky won Luffy over the moment he saved Robin and fought by our side to escape Enies Lobby."

The next memory came in a flash and the Strawhats stood on what looked like a beach covered in ship parts.

"Aw, so many good memories of this place," Franky said fondly. This was his playground growing up.

"Oh, there's something huge over there!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly.

The Strawhats followed Luffy's line of sight and saw a white sheet covering something huge in the water.

"Is that it!?" Chopper in the memory asked in awe. He was barely containing his enthusiasm.

"Hey, we came, Franky!" Luffy yelled as he ran towards the covered ship. "Please give us the ship!" He then noticed Iceberg standing in front of the sheet. "Ice-pops!"

"You came," Iceberg said with a smile.

"Where's Franky?" Luffy asked.

"Unfortunately, Franky is not around. However, the ship is complete," Iceberg said as he walked towards the sheet. "I will show it to you in his place."

Luffy gasped excitedly.

"This ship is amazing," Iceberg said with a huge grin on his face. "My eyes were shocked when I saw the amazing blueprints. It is one that can sail over any sea. With this ship, sailing to the end of the world will not be a dream."

Franky was moved by Iceberg's words. He began to tear up again. Damn, he was crying a lot.

"Hurry up and show it to us!" Luffy shouted impatiently.

"Please!" Chopper in the memory begged. He was practically jumping in excitement.

"Seriously, Iceberg," Franky said as he wiped his eyes. "Don't keep the kids in suspense."

"That was a messaged from Franky, Strawhat. If you are going to become the Pirate King someday you have to ride on this King of Beasts!" Iceberg exclaimed as he pulled the sheet off and revealed the Thousand Sunny to the world.

To say that all the Strawhats were excited and in awe of the new ship would have been an understatement. All of them were left speechless for several seconds.

Franky watched the memory and smiled. He had missed seeing their reactions and was happy that Luffy's memory had given him a second chance to witnessed this event. The unveiling of any new ship was like seeing the birth of a child.

Usopp also started to cry. He had missed this moment too. It almost echoed Merry's unveiling.

"Oh, it's so huge and cool!" Luffy exclaimed as stars came out of his eyes. "It could break us out of so many places!"

The rest of the memory showed the Strawhats playing and exploring their new vessel and home. It was indeed love at first sight.

The memory shifted and the Strawhats now stood on the Sunny. Their past counterparts were lined up on the railing, except Zoro and Sanji, and staring at Franky who currently had no speedos on and was showing his manhood to everyone in Water 7. There was quite a crowd too near the shore.

"Why is Franky naked?" Brook asked in confusion.

Sanji's eyes caught on fire. "You perverted cyborg, put your damn pants on!"

Franky rolled his eyes. "Give me a break. It was your guys' plan to steal my speedos, remember?"

"You really did steal his speedos," Usopp said as he watched Luffy hold up the undergarment, threatening to never to return them if Franky didn't join.

"Give me back my pants, Strawhat," Franky in the memory demanded. He sounded more annoyed than angry. He also didn't seem to mind being naked.

"Then be our crewmate," Luffy said with a wide, cocky grin.

His cheeky demeanor reminded Zoro of how Luffy blackmailed him into joining.

"This is the weirdest hostage situation I've even seen," Usopp mumbled in disbelief. "Who came up with this idea?"

"It was Iceberg," Nami said casually, trying not to look at memory Franky. "He said that Franky would never join willingly and we had to use force. So, the Franky Family stole Franky's speedos."

"What you should be asking is why does Franky only have one pair of speedos," Sanji said once he had calmed down.

Nami blinked. "I've never of thought of that." Now she could forget.

Zoro didn't speak, but there were beads of sweat on his forehead. This was the oddest recruitment ever. Then again, it fitted the crew perfectly.

Brook stared at the scene for a moment. "Do you know where those things have been?"

"Are you suggesting that I'm dirty, pervert skeleton!?" Franky exclaimed angrily.

Franky in the memory was stubborn and even struck a pose in defiance, showing his glory to all, much to the city's distress.

"Dammit, Franky! Do you have any kind of respect for the women!" Sanji yelled in outraged as the cyborg flashed the entire city.

Franky just laughed in response.

"I took him too lightly!" Luffy exclaimed as he back away in awe. "How determined! He's a man inside a man!"

"You got that right!" Franky yelled as he gave a thumbs up.

Chopper looked up towards the cyborg. "You're always amazing, Franky!"

Nami rubbed her forehead. This was her crew, for better and worse.

Nami within the memory smacked Luffy upside the head. "He's just a pervert!"

"Completely right, Nami-san!" Sanji shouted.

This made most of the Strawhats laugh, especially Usopp. This was just too weird to have actually happened.

Robin turned towards her captain and gave a slight smile. "If I may get a little rough, I can give you a hand." Her voice was sweet, but her face spoke only of evil intentions.

Zoro, Sanji, Brook, and Usopp became scared.

"Oh, so this is when…." Brook said unable to finished his sentence.

Franky turned his head, knowing what was coming next.

After getting her captain's permission, Robin crossed her arms and two hands appeared on Franky's lower region.

Usopp's hand flew over his mouth in horror. "You...you wouldn't!"

All of the anger from Sanji's face drained away.

Zoro's one eye widened in realization.

Franky's face turned blue in horror as the hands reached for his nuts.

"Dos Fleur Grab!" Robin exclaimed as she closed her hands and crushed Franky's balls like they were grapefruits.

Franky's face went white before he screamed in agony and dance around.

Everyone, even the women, felt for Franky as some gasps of horror were heard from the crowd.

Usopp screamed in horror as his hands instinctually flew over his own manhood.

Sanji's cigarette fell out of his mouth as he watched Franky wither in pain.

Zoro slowly moved away from their Robin, who watched the memory in amusement.

Brook looked like he was going to faint. "Robin...that's so evil. I feel for Franky, even though I have none anymore." He began to laugh at his own joke.

Franky side-eyed Brook and gritted his teeth. "That isn't funny."

Robin just chuckled.

Nami said nothing, but her arms were tightly folded across her chest. By her facial expression, it was like she almost wanted to laugh and cringe in pain all at the same time.

"I never did check to see if Franky was still functional after all of this," Chopper said in tears, his mouth covered by his hooves.

"Robin, I still want him to be a man when he joins!" Luffy screamed in protest. He looked physically sick. "Don't take them off!"

"It hurts just looking!" Chopper in the memory screamed in anguish.

Robin in the memory smiled. She seemed to be enjoying this a little too much. "Just like when a treasure is in front of a pirate and he does not want to let go. If I do not receive a good reason, I am not letting them go."

Usopp gasped in horror. Robin was a pure sadist.

After Franky had been rendered completely immobile by the vicious assault, he explained why he couldn't leave the island. For Franky, he had stopped being a shipwright years ago and the Thousand Sunny was meant to be his final ship and a present to the Strawhats.

It took a talking to by Iceberg to make Franky understand that the Thousand Sunny hadn't become his dream ship yet since his dream also included him being the shipwright for that ship and that he had allowed himself to be trapped on Water 7 because of his guilt.

Iceberg explained to Franky that his mentor and father figure had already forgiven him since he have been protecting Water 7 by forming the Franky Family and keeping the city from being plundered by pirates. The mayor also added that he too had forgiven Franky. All that was left was for Franky to forgive himself.

Usopp teared up during the entire conversation. He was the only one among his crew who knew Franky's story and to see Franky finally move on from his guilt touched the sniper. Franky was being healed before his eyes, despite Robin crushing his nuts.

The memory immediately shifted and the crew was sailing away from Water 7.

"You know, that was the most painful recruitment I have ever seen," Brook muttered. At that moment, he was very glad that Robin had nothing to grab on him.

"It's strange even by our standards," Sanji said as he got another cigarette. Was Franky still productive after that?

"Hey, he didn't show everything!" Franky suddenly exclaimed. "He completely skipped over the part where I officially joined!"

"Not really. In Luffy's eyes, you were already a member the moment he decided that you would be part of his crew. The whole thing with the speedos just showed us the extent he was willing to go to get you," Zoro stated, refusing to acknowledge Robin's nut cracking. "Besides, the memories seem to show us how Luffy bonded with us more than when we actually joined."

"Pretty much. My official recruitment was completely skipped over too," Sanji said with a slight bitterness.

"Yours wasn't worth noting anyway," Zoro said dismissively.

"What!?" Sanji exclaimed angrily.

"Hey Luffy, can you hear me!?" a loud voice yelled over what sounded like a megaphone.

"Oh, that's Garp," Nami said, thankful that the vice-admiral had prevented another fight.

Some distance away from the Thousand Sunny, a marine battleship approached them. Unlike every marine ship the Strawhats had seen, this one had a figurehead of a dog with a bone at the front. It fitted Garp's quirky personality.

"Grandpa here, grandpa here!" Garp yelled thought the megaphone. "Answer me if you can hear me!"

"How could he not hear that?" Sanji asked as he rubbed his ear.

"Grandpa, what's wrong with you!?" Luffy shouted. "Didn't you say you weren't going to capture us here!?"

"Well, a lot of things have happened!" Garp yelled. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to die in this sea!"

Luffy gave one of his funniest 'oh crap' faces.

"That doesn't sound like a real apology," Brook said.

Nami sighed. "It really wasn't. He's way too calm about killing his own grandson."

"There're no apologies that I can give you," Garp went on like he was having a dinner conversation. "I'll take care of you by myself!"

"Yeah, that was so kind of him," Sanji mumbled as he lit a cigarette.

"I guess we should be thankful that he attacked us after Sunny was completed," Franky said as he folded his arms. "Thankfully, he didn't damage the ship.

"What's he trying to do?" Sanji in the memory asked worriedly as Garp took a cannonball into his hand.

Like he was throwing a baseball, Garp threw the cannonball at the Sunny, barely missing it. The explosion, however, was so powerful that it nearly capsized the ship.

"What power!" Brook exclaimed in shock. "Then again, this is Luffy-san's grandfather."

"He...he just shot a cannonball at us with his bare hands!" Sanji in the memory exclaimed in disbelief.

"That flew much faster than with a normal cannon!" Zoro yelled, even he sounded scared. "As if it was a baseball pitch!"

"We have no choice, we have to escape!" Nami yelled at her crew. "The new ship might get blown up!"

They saw that Garp had ordered more cannonballs as he took off his jacket.

"This is bad! This time many more are coming!" Franky in the memory yelled.

"Full speed ahead!" Luffy ordered as the Sunny sailed away from Water 7. "We'll smash those cannonballs!"

Garp's ship stood right behind them.

"He's here!" Chopper suddenly yelled as he ran to the railings. "Usopp came! Everyone, it's Usopp!"

All the Strawhats ignored Chopper.

They heard Usopp shouting on the cliff, but no one paid him any attention except Chopper.

Even as the Strawhats watched the memory, they couldn't really hear what's Usopp was saying.

"I can't hear him very well," Nami said as she attempted to listen to her crewmember's shouts.

"Strange, I remembered hearing every word he spoke back then," Chopper said in bafflement. "I'm certain Luffy could hear him too."

"This is Luffy's memory, so he most likely tuned Usopp out until he heard the apology," Robin surmised.

"Make sense," Sanji said.

"As it should be," Zoro stated with a small nod.

Luffy and most of the other Strawhats were defending the back of the ship from the cannon fire.

"Usopp came, Luffy!" Chopper yelled to his captain. "Usopp's here!"

"Protect the ship!" Luffy ordered.

Usopp's yells got closer, but they were still impossible to understand.

Usopp knew exactly what he was saying on that beach. It was him being an egotistical jerk. It wasn't until this moment that he realized how his behavior had not only hurt Luffy, but disrespected the title of captain. Eating that chuck of humble pie was still a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Luffy, Usopp is calling for us!" Chopper yelled again, sounding extremely impatient.

"I don't hear him," Luffy answered coldly as he concentrated on defending the ship.

Chopper turned towards the swordsman. "Zoro!"

"I can't hear anything!" Zoro answered bluntly.

"Liar, you can hear him!" Chopper screamed.

Water 7 was getting further away and it was getting harder to defend the Sunny against the merciless onslaught of cannonballs. One hit could badly damage the new ship, making escape impossible.

Still, the Strawhats waited. Even if it meant facing a vice-admiral, they waited for Usopp to admit that he was wrong. Despite their coldness and indifferent attitudes to their former crewmate, not one of them ever considered actually leaving him.

Then, without warning...

"I'M SORRY!" Usopp's voice echoed across the sky.

Luffy stopped defending the ship and looked towards his friend.

"I'm sorry for my stubbornness!" Usopp continued to scream in tears. "I was wrong! Even though I have been stubborn until now! Even though I said I was leaving the crew... I want to change all that, but I can't! I can't…so I beg of you please take me back with you guys! Just one more time...LET ME BE YOUR CREWMATE!"

That was all Luffy needed to hear and even Zoro smiled in relief behind him. Without a second thought, Luffy stretched his arm towards the shores of Water 7. When it reached Usopp, he offered him his hand.

"You idiot!" Luffy screamed through tears. "Hurry up and grab on!"

Usopp also cried as he took his captain's hand.

Luffy couldn't control himself as broke down into uncontrollable tears along with Sanji.

"You're the idiot," Zoro said with a big happy grin on his face.

Luffy pulled Usopp onto the Sunny. He was so eager to have his friend back that he actually pulled Usopp until they bumped heads. Neither one of them minded as they fell onto the deck of the Sunny and sobbed happily. It was like none of the hostility, bad words, or fighting had ever happened.

"We're finally complete!" Luffy yelled joyously. "Let's hurry up and get out of this bombardment to go for more adventures!"

The crew yelled in agreement, ending the memory.

Not even a moment later the next memory appeared and all the Strawhats were on the deck of the Sunny with beer mugs in their hands surrounding a small table with many different types of foods.

"Everyone!" Luffy yelled as he raised his mug. "Ready!?"

"Yeah!" everyone exclaimed.

"Then, for the return of Robin and Usopp, and our new crew members, Franky and the Pirate Ship Thousand Sunny! Kanpai!" Luffy shouted as they all slammed their mugs together.

The party went on and the reunited Strawhats enjoyed their time together, finally reunited after days of being separated. Truly, their bond had become even stronger. For this was a bond that has been forged in fire.

---

Going Merry, first ship of the Strawhat Pirates, (Chapter 11 - Chapter 25)

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

-Colossians 3:14

---

And that officially ends the Water 7/Enies Lobby story arc. I did not except this arc to take five chapters to complete. There was just so much to cover. Also, as much as I loved this arc, it was hard to write with all the emotions and the lack of Strawhats interaction and snark. I honestly thought that some of you would become bored. Instead, you made these some of my highest rated chapters. So, thank you all again and onto the next story arc!

Oh, before anyone asked, I purposely decided not to show Coby and Helmeppo. Reason being, I wanted the chapter to stay focus on the Strawhats and did not want to upset that balance with Luffy and Coby having their moment. I also did not show the entire scene with Garp because he pretty much tell information that the crew already knows. So, it would be respective.

speed and write thank you for your review. Yeah, Luffy and Chopper not recognizing Sogeking is a big hand banger even now. I also laughed at the Kokoro moment. But think of poor Franky. He had to lived with that knowledge for what, twenty years, before he saw a pretty mermaid. Glad you loved the fight. I know fight chapters are not that popular, but I did my best to give it justice.

laytonloverdg thanks for your review and glad I made Wednesday your new favorite day. Putting such a high visual fight into words was not easy. I had to look at those episodes several times. I forgotten how long Luffy and Lucci fight was. As for crying over a ship, look at it this way. You are not crying over a ship, but a departing soul.

Neko-VongolaPrimo, thanks for the feedback. Yeah, the Merry is officially buried in this chapter. She is part of the sea now.

OM3GA-TGV, thank you for your feedback. Glad you love the story so much. Hopefully, I can keep expectations high. I do not plan on stopping until the story is done.

Bluebird42, thank you for the review. As you can see, it would have been an extremely long chapter if I had put this up. The 20k chapter was fine for a movie, but I think it would have been too much for an average chapter. Especially with all the emotional up and downs.

LazyFoxLover, thanks for the review. Glad the Luffy and Lucci fight was good and hope I did justice to Merry in this chapter.

NeitherSaneNorInsane, thanks for the feedback. I love that scene too. That little ship really did saved them all.

Honeydee, thank you for the feedback. Honestly, I do not expect Oda to ever tell us how Luffy inventing his Gears. He tends not explain stuff like that. If anything, I would like to know how the heck Sanji came up with his Diable Jambe. I mean, did he spin around in his kitchen one day until his leg caught on fire? Anyway, of course I will do justice to Impel Down and Marineford. They may not be my personal favorites but I know those are the arcs people are looking forward to the most. I am too since the Strawhats never seen those events at all. I also agree that I like those arcs since they focus on Luffy, but I did missed him interacting with his crew. I also try to improvise enough to get certain themes across, but generally I do not want to do anything that contradicts Oda's story or world.

Glad you read my other stories, although I do agree that Another Crewmate was not my best work. If you want to read a good Mary Sue deconstruction story, I strongly recommend you read Phalanx's story Marie D Suesse And The Mystery New Pirate Age. It is a worthwhile story to read even if you are not a fan of deconstruction.

Pokabu, thank you for your review. I am glad I split the chapter too. I think most people would have been fatigue if this was all one chapter. As for Brook, he will be mostly caught up with everyone next chapter. I think any future crewmates will just have to read the cliff-notes.

Steph2500, thanks for the review and high compliment. I think the strength of these last chapter came mostly from the story storytelling Oda did in this arc. There is a reason so many of us became hardcore fans after watching Water 7/Enies Lobby.

vampy-chan321, thanks for the feedback. Yeah, this arc has so many emotional moments.

lovasalvaje, thank you for the review. I also liked to read stories that goes deeper into the characters. Luffy is a simple character, but he is still very three dimensional.

MysteriousEyez, thanks for the review. Yeah, we finally reached the end. I know you must be excited since your favorites parts are getting even closer. I honestly do think Oda have plans since I do not think he would mention the harmful effects of the Gears if it had no real weight in the story. The same with the injections Iva gave Luffy. I can only imagine how the crew is going to reaction to how Luffy has been treating his body while they were away. I would put Usopp and Nami in the same bracket too, weak, but skilled. But Oda himself said Usopp was the weakest, so I am not going to argue with god lol. With that said, I would love to see what would happen if Robin was hit by one of Perona's ghosts.

gerson, thanks for the feedback. I have a feeling that Sanji's reaction will be some of the funniest stuff I write.

Byungwha, thank you for your review. I agree with you about Luffy and Lucci fight. We really need more fights like that in the series, especially to see how much Luffy had grown in two years. Although, I think you are the first one I left speechless with a chapter. It's a nice feeling. lol

Pachimarisol, thanks for the review. Merry was indeed the hero of Enies Lobby and she got a warrior's funeral.

CHRISTINA bISHOP, thanks for the feedback. No problem about missing the last chapter, although I did missed you. Zoro can be protective of his captain, especially when his stupid captain hurts himself trying to protect them. Showing how much damaged the Rokuougan did was not easy. Since I couldn't go int Luffy's head, I had to used the memory itself to show its effects. I was not sure if I pulled it off.

LeoGear thank you for the feedback. I assume Luffy's Observation Haki works fine in Gear Second since that Gear is just a physical enhancement.

shimaxkutau, thanks for the review and long time no see. I thought you dropped this story. Also, thanks for the recommend. I hope your friends likes the story. Yeah, I am watching Enies Lobby too, specially the English dub. Been loving it so far. It is nice to watch my favorite arc without reading subtitles. There are some important stuff in Thriller Bark, but I doubt there will be an entire chapter on it.

Chocobaby, thank you for your review. Thanks for thinking I am a good writer, I do my best to keep the quality of my stories high. Also, I can understand you liking Ace more than Sabo. We knew Ace for awhile, and Sabo kind of appear out of nowhere. Not everyone is like me and thinks too much about how Sabo's death may have effected Luffy through the series without us knowing it.

Shiningheart of ThunderClan, thanks for the feedback. I also agree. Lucci, despite his arrogance, is one of the few villains to respect Luffy and take him seriously. You can tell he was enjoying himself during the fight and only became bored when Luffy got too weak to keep fighting. He also did not have a nervous breakdown because he never completely saw Luffy as just annoying pirate or kid. His only real mistake was not evading Luffy's Jet Gatling instead of blocking.

Lightningblade49, thank you for the feedback. Admittedly, that would be interesting.

KTDLover, thanks for the review. I love Gear Second, too bad it has such a nasty drawback.

Walt-Disney and Anime, thank you for your review and glad to see that you are using your account again. As for how Haki works in a memory, I see it as Sanji and Zoro being able to read Luffy's intentions since it is his memories, but no one else. They can sense what the memory people are thinking because Luffy himself observed something it is incorporated into his mind. Lucci is one of the villains I would like to return with a Haki enhance just to see how much more of a badass he would become. And yeah, the Strawhats are not going to be happy with Luffy once they see Impel Down and Marineford. Also, sorry that I could not post earlier, but I want to keep the quality of each chapter as high as possible. And, I hope you enjoyed seeing Franky getting his nuts crush.

Starfire67, thanks for the feedback. No problem about last week and hope you did good on your last test. Hopefully, my chapter made your week just a little better.

The Mad Reviewer, thank you for your feedback. The manga does a better job showing this, but if you look at when Luffy using his Second Gear, he pumps using his arm and only that arm has stream coming out of it. This shows that Luffy is able to active his Gear in just one area in his body. This is harder to see in the anime since Luffy's body still turns red when he uses his Second Gear. Also, when Luffy uses his 'full' Gear, he pumps his legs like normal. As for how does that works, you have to ask Oda because I have no clue.

Kasai Shingai, thanks for the review. Unfortunately, tragedy is part of life, something Luffy learned the hard way. Hopefully, his crew will get him through it.

SdS89, thank you for your review. I would not call once a week fast, but I do believe in keeping a schedule mostly because I hate not knowing when my favorite stories will be updated. Hope you keep reading and enjoy.

IceMaize, thanks for the feedback. The thing that makes Enies Lobby unique compare to other arcs is that the conflict did not end with the 'boss' being defeated. That is mostly because Lucci was not the guy in charge, just the strongest fighter. So, it made sense to continue after Lucci went down.

KawaiiLoi20, thank you for your review. I am looking forward to Marineford too. Slowly, but surely, we are making our way there.

SawadaTsukimi, thanks for your review. You made a slight mixed-up and you were not the only one who made that mistake. When it comes to his friends, Luffy is very careless with his health.

Fan of one piece, thanks for the feedback. There were time that I almost wanted to rush the fight with Luffy and Lucci because it was so long, but I wanted to capture the essence of that great battle. Glad that so many people think I did it justice. I am sure that he care merged his Second Gear and Armament Haki, he just have not done it yet. I think this is because they have been no real challenge to Luffy yet since the time-skip. Brook could possible learned Haki since he is a strong fighter, but remember that Haki usage is rare. As the manga states, people can go their whole lives never awakening it. I mean, CP9 were trained since children to be human weapons and none of them could use any kind of Haki. Even in the New World, not everyone can used Haki.

Rose Rain 7, thank you for the feedback. Spandam is probably one of the saddest villains. There is othing redeeming about him other than he got a cool sword. Yes, the first mermaid the Strawhats saw was Caimie. Don't believe the vicious rumor about there being a mermaid before then. I also can't see Sanji being too hard on Kokoro anymore. Whether they be ugly or pretty, Sanji does respect the other sex. Luffy and Zoro definition about being a hero is funny, but they are both lairs. They love being heroes because heroes get big feasts where they serve lots of meat and booze.

Natylol, thanks for the review and it has been awhile since I've heard from you. I keep my weekly update by having chapters written ahead of time.

kagome higurashi, thank you for your review. I do not plan to stop until this story is completed. Although, it is taken longer than I expected to post everything.

With all that done, until next chapter, have a good day. And happy summer break to some of you.