Chapter 12
From Bad To Worse
With their assault on the Franky Family over and done with, the Strawhats returned to the Going Merry. They were greeted by Nami, who was relieved at their safe return. She had been busy, pointing pistols each and every direction while they were gone. Nami was determined to let nothing seek up on her. She defended the ship like she was told, and had been defending their money too.
Apparently, they weren't completely robbed. When Nami, Luffy, and Usopp went to exchange all the treasure they had left with a total of 350 million beli. They knew the risks of carrying that much, but Nami had been a tough negotiator. After that they went to the Galley-La shipyards. Usopp's kidnapping had apparently been the second attempt by the Franky Family to steal their money. The only reason it didn't work the first time was because the Galley-La shipwrights were actually badasses. Beyond their regular jobs, the shipwrights were also the local celebrities, loved by everyone in the city. Not to mention, they can fight.
Still, Chopper and Maxwell continued their treatment on the Merry. They carried Usopp into the dinning hall. Maxwell dealt with the swelling while Chopper treated his open wounds. They were careful to check for any internal bleeding Usopp might have had. The Franky Family had literally beaten him everywhere. Stomach, kidneys, broken bones... It wasn't pretty.
The medical duo did their work until sunset, when they finally stepped out.
"Hey~! Usopp is awake!" Chopper called out to the crew.
"Really!? That's great!" Luffy cheered. The rest of the crew had been waiting outside. They knew better than to disturb then when they work.
That said, Robin still hadn't come back yet. The crew had no idea where she was, nor what she was doing. They couldn't organize a search party. It was getting dark and they would be ineffective with only seven people. The cobbled maze of streets and canals made any dedicated effort a nightmare. All they could hope for was the best.
Everyone came into the dining hall, and Usopp greeted them by hugging Zoro's leg, "I'M SORRY EVERYONE! I LOST OUR MONEY!" He was a crying mess. The sniper was covered in bandages, but he was allowed to keep his clothes on.
"Hey... Calm down... Hey!" "WE WORKED SO HARD TO GET THAT MONEY AND I JUST GAVE IT ALL AWAY LIKE THAT!"
"Usopp! You need to rest!" exclaimed Chopper. Usopp was still in a rather fragile state right now, both physically and mentally. Not many people can survive two beatings, back to back.
"...Usopp, come on. Sit back down..." Maxwell gently separated the sniper from the Zoro's leg. He rubbed Usopp's back to comfort the young man. The sniper was still crying even when he didn't have too. He still felt guilty being unable to defend their money.
"So... *Sniff...* What happened to the Frankies...?" Usopp rubbed the tears out of his eyes.
Maxwell decided to fill him in, "After we found you, we assaulted their hideout. We beat them down good, and tried to interrogate were their leader was."
"Franky!" Usopp remembered the name, "I saw him walk out with the money when I tried to get it back! He had this three-ponged masked helmet, and a jester's cloak!"
Maxwell looked between Sanji and Zoro before looking back at Usopp, "...That is good to know. We couldn't find him, unfortunately. He likely already left on the sea train by the time we found you. His underlings didn't know where he went either. But, that's important information you gave there, Usopp...!" Even Maxwell found his attempt to cheer him up kind of pathetic. It wasn't helping.
Usopp looked down, "...So in the end, we still don't have it..."
"We don't know yet, we're waiting for Franky to come back," said Luffy. He was sitting at the table on the bench, "Even he doesn't have the money, we still have 150 million. Don't worry about it!"
"You're lucky that you're still alive...!" said Sanji.
"Lucky!?" Nami looked back at the chef, "We lost 200 mill—"
"I'm so sorry..." Usopp apology cut Nami short. She knew this wasn't the time to be be counting pennies.
"So can we fix the Going Merry with 100 million?" Usopp looked up to Luffy, "We came a long way to get to this high class shipyard. We need to make the ship stronger for us to conquer the seas beyond."
Maxwell winced, slowly drawing back from Usopp. He didn't know.
"Well... ah... Usopp, about the ship. I've decided to get a new ship," explained Luffy. "The Going Merry helped us a lot, but it's sailing days will end here."
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...
...
...Usopp looked at Luffy confused, while everyone else looked uncomfortable. It was hard enough being told the first time. Know they were relaying it.
Luffy brought out the catalog he got from the Galley-La Company, "Let's talk about which ship to buy. Even some of the second-hand ships that we can buy with 100 million are bigger than ours."
"Hold up, hold up," Usopp waved his hands as he processes what he just heard, "Don't joke around...! That's not funny at all!" Usopp laughs figuring this was a kind of prank. But then he looks around realizing Luffy wasn't joking, "...Do we not have enough money to repair the ship anymore, because I lost the 200 million!? We just don't have enough money, right? Since a world-class shipyard probably charges world-class prices."
"No, that's not it!" Luffy tried to explain.
"Then what is it!?" yelled Usopp, "Tell me! Don't worry about hurting my feelings!"
"I'm not! It has nothing to do with the money!" Luffy was starting to yell back.
"Then why are you saying such nonsense like getting a new ship!?"
"Hey!" Zoro decided it was time to intervene, "Stop yelling you two. Sit down and let's talk calmly."
"Calm!?" Usopp didn't take his eyes off Luffy, "How can I be calm after hearing such stupid things!?"
Nami was starting to get nervous at how serious this was becoming, "We only decided on that because we have no other choice!"
"You should calm down and listen instead of yelling!" Luffy tried to reason, but he was anything but calm himself. Both Chopper and Maxwell approached the teens.
"Usopp, you shouldn't do any intense movement with your current condition!" "Luffy you have to sit back down! I know this is difficult but—"
"MERRY IS GOING TO DIE!" Luffy rounded on his first mate, "DON'T TELL ME ABOUT THIS BEING DIFFICULT!"
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...
...
Luffy looked away ashamed, "...Sorry, Max. I shouldn't have yelled like that..." His first-mate didn't deserve his anger. Not for this. Maxwell had dealt with enough already.
Usopp looked at them both in shock, "...Max... Is this true?"
Maxwell lowered his head. He knew what this ship meant to Usopp. And he knew how much this ship meant to Maxwell. If there was anyone against getting rid of the ship, it was Maxwell. Perhaps Max could was on his side? He was one of the few people Luffy actually listened too, and cared for the Merry. She did save his life after all.
"...The Going Merry cannot be fixed..." That admission struck through Usopp like a knife through to the heart.
"But... The Merry...! Her klabautermann!"
Maxwell shook his head, "To 'fix' the Going Merry, it would require replacing every single piece of wood this ship is made of... And Merry's spirit wouldn't be able survive that. If the damage had been less severe, and she had time to acclimate, it might have worked... But Usopp, the ship is broken, all the way to her foundation."
Usopp tried to speak up but Maxwell cut him off, "And before you argue me using magic, it won't work. Trust me, I thought about this. I may have steered this ship through magic, but I didn't create her. She formed naturally... and she is tied to this ship. If I tried to CHANGE the Going Merry, I risk corrupting her into something she's not, and I refuse to turn her into a demon!"
The crew remained in stunned silence as they all looked at Maxwell.
"...Merry can turn into a demon...?"
It was Chopper who had spoken up. The crew had latched onto that last word, knowing he dealt more with the supernatural.
Maxwell sighed, "...I never did explain how spirits worked. Did I? ...Even back on Little Garden..." That had been a while ago.
The crew had only ever faced off against one spirit before. Their stalker, that fake Arcane Horror, didn't count. Little Garden, the Islander spirit of that jurassic island, had almost attacked them. It had crossed realities, outraged at the interference between Dorry and Broggy's ongoing duel. They had time before it could fully manifest, but it had been a close call. They appeased it by showing the defeated forms of all the Baroque Works agents involved. Mr. 5, Mr. 3, Valentines, Goldenweek. Little Garden went back to sleep after that.
"...Functionally, a spirit is a collection of thoughts and memories formed over time. Like minded wisps, pieces of psychic energy, collide and grow until they become a full sentient spirit. Demons can also form this way, but that's not the point here," Maxwell waved his hand. "Spirits often fixate on one core concept of life. Joy, courage, hope, valour, and so on... They seek out other wisps, observe moments in time, reenact what they value, and grow stronger. However, if they are denied this, they risk seeking out other impressions, taking in more than what they are..." Maxwell wished he knew all of this back in Thedas, "There they go mad, trying to cope with the new experience, until they eventually change their purpose... You could argue that is natural. But one of the ways to change them, is to have them enter the physical world."
"Some spirits can be naive. Some want to enter the physical world and be apart of it themselves, not considering the consequences." This may have been applying Thedas's rules with the Veil, but Maxwell had no evidence of how a regular spirit would interact with this reality, "Again, demons usually want to do this, but I do know of one example... And it's the reason I don't want to try and change the Merry."
"The mage Anders, who began the Mage Rebellion, was an Abomination." Maxwell looked at Luffy who had raised an eyebrow, "Don't look at me like that, Luffy. I don't mean it as a general term. An Abomination is what we call a person, or a thing, under possession. Anyways... Anders, a supposed friend of the Champion, was an apostate mage possessed by a spirit of Justice."
"Like the marines?" It was common knowledge the World Navy flew with the banner of Justice.
"No Luffy, not like... Actually I have no idea. There weren't any marines like this back in Thedas... Let me finish!" Both Usopp and Maxwell shot Luffy a sour look as he continued, "Now Anders had been on the run for years, The only reason he evaded capture was because he was a healer, and a supposed Grey Warden. With their involvement in Kirkwall, Justice experienced every series of events that happened there, through Anders' eyes. The Circle was not a good place there. Abuse, corruption, oppression, rape, slavery—every injustice ever made on the mages and tranquil was evident in that shithole of a city. Unable to cope, Justice evolved into Vengeance and made the mage Anders blow up the Grand Cathedral. It was the perceived symbol of the Chantry, and everything that was wrong with the Circle. And Anders was either in no control or complicit with it's actions." Any person under an possession had no control of their body, unless the spirit allowed it.
Maxwell paused collecting himself before continuing.
"...Thousands of people died that day. For all I want to do for Merry, I can't fix her... I won't change her into something else. She is intrinsically tied to this ship, and the collection of every happy memory we've had on this journey. If I magically tried fixing her, transforming her, enchanting her, or rejuvenating her to the point perfection, I would be imposing my every thought, my every memory, onto her psyche... It wouldn't be fair. Not to her, and not to the rest of us."
Maxwell looked right at the sniper, "She is dying, Usopp. At least let her die her own person."
Usopp shook as he tried not to look Maxwell in the eye. He understood Maxwell couldn't conjure miracles. Maxwell was still just a man.
"...So you're just going to leave her here?"
Maxwell blinked, "What?"
"SO YOUR JUST GOING TO LEAVE HER HERE!?" Usopp screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Ussop! What are you—!?"
"This ship is just a tool to you guys! Is that it—!?" *HACK! COUGH. COUGH-COUGH!*
"Usopp, stop! You need to rest!" Chopper panicked. Usopp was coughing up a little blood
Maxwell knelt down, hurrying to his side, "Damn it! I knew I didn't all the internal—"
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Usopp slapped away Maxwell's hands as he tried to cast more healing magic.
"Usopp..."
"...What do you know?" Luffy was stareing at Usopp, hard.
"Luffy," Nami looked at he captain. Everyone had turned their eyes on him. His face was like stone, and he was speaking directly to Usopp.
"There is no carpenter on this ship. That was we we needed those guys to take a look for us!"
"Big deal! We don't need them!" Usopp tried to get up. He was struggling from all his injuries.
"I'll fix it like I always have—!" "Stop, Usopp!" "—It's decided then. Everyone give me a hand! First, we'll buy some timber from the shipyard. Time to get busy!"
"You are not a shipwright, Usopp!" Luffy yelled at the pigheaded sniper.
Nami turned at Luffy, "Hey Luffy—!"
"Yeah, but so what!?" Usopp interrupted her, "And so what if they are!? It's not their ship! They don't give a damn! They're just bullshitting us. I don't believe them! We'll fix our own ship! I'LL NEVER GIVE UP THIS SHIP!" Usopp began screaming again. His eyes squeezed shut, "ARE YOU ALL IDIOTS!? DO YOU LISTEN TO THOSE CARPENTERS LIKE DOGS!?"
When he opened them they were full of anger. Usopp grabbed Luffy by the collar, "The Strawhats I know wouldn't give in to a marketing scheme! They would believe the Going Merry's strength and fortitude! Stop bluffing, you damn idiot! Don't say, 'I've decided,' like you're a real captain! I've misjudged you Luffy!"
"Misjudged...!?" Maxwell looked at Usopp incensed. He was ready to strangle him, "These words came from the very—!"
"Stay out of this, Max!" Luffy put up an arm before the mage could intervene. He looked Usopp right in the eyes. He had the same rage as Maxwell, but this was his battle to fight, "I have made my decision! I won't change it no matter what you say! We are changing ship, and we are going to say goodbye to the Going Merry right here!"
"Bullshit! I won't allow that!" Usopp held the collar with both hands now.
"Calm down! Stop yelling at each other!" Sanji didn't like were this was going.
Usopp was staring at Luffy like a sworn enemy, "Listen, Luffy! Not everyone can ruthlessly move move forward in cold blood like you! I can't leave behind a wounded comrade and I won't!"
"Don't be ridiculous! Even if she's a friend, ships and humans are completely different!"
"They're the same! The Merry is alive! You know that! But you probably wanted a new ship since the start! You're just too careless about leaving the Merry!"
Luffy had reached his breaking point and pinned Usopp on the ground, "Don't talk like you know everything, punk! You're not the only one who cares about the Merry!"
"Luffy!"
"If you care, you won't change ship!" Usopp grunted.
"FINE! IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY DECISION, YOU CAN GET OFF THIS—!"
*WHACK! CRASH!*
"Sanji!" Chopper looked at him in shock. The chef had just kicked Luffy into the table, shattering it.
The chef panted as he stared at his captain with controlled rage, "...You idiot. Think about what you were going to say! You already had one outburst. Calm down! Think for a moment! You got that, Luffy!?"
Maxwell just looked at Sanji shocked. He was right. Luffy valued nakama above all else. Sure he could argue and get annoyed like every person, but he cared about his crew. Even before becoming the Pirate King. What he was about to say, what he could have said, went against everything he cared about. He would have regretted it for the rest of his life.
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...
The captain dug himself out of the wreckage, "...Sorry, I just—"
"No. That's fine, Luffy," Usopp looked up at the ceiling, "That's how you really feel, isn't it."
Luffy was got angry again, "What did you say!?"
Usopp sat up, "Leaving behind crewmates that are useless to you, one by one, so you can keeping moving forward. If you want to leave this ship behind, then leave me behind, too!"
Sanji looked at the sniper, "Usopp! You're not serious!"
"No... I am. I've thought about it..." Usopp looked down, "I knew... that I would never be able to catch up to any of you...!" Nami and Chopper looked at Usopp both shocked. How could he feel this way? "As of today, I am nothing more than a bad baggage boy who can't hold onto cash... In the future, I will probably get you into even more troubles... There's no doubt that you don't want a useless crew member like me..."
Usopp stood up, "Luffy, your goal is to become the Pirate King... But I don't necessarily want to go that far... If you think back to when I joined... I only went because you invited me... The fate that brought us together is only so strong... Since we don't have the same goals, we should go our separate ways!"
"Wait, Usopp—!" "Where are you going!?"
Usopp opened the door and stood in it with his back turned on them, "I go where I want to go... I. Quit."
The whole crew was stunned at him saying that. He disembarked the Going Merry.
"Wait, Usopp, Let's talk about this!" "No way..." "Hey! Come back!" "Don't leave us Usopp!"
Everyone followed him outside, but they didn't follow him onto the shore. Usopp instead stood there, planted like a tree, "I can't go with you anymore... I won't cause you anymore trouble... But the ship belongs to the captain... So fight me."
What!?
Usopp turned around, staring Luffy in the face, "If I win, I'm taking the Going Merry!"
"MONKEY D. LUFFY! I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DUEL!"
Maxwell stared Usopp in shock, with wide eyes and mouth open. Usopp couldn't be serious!
"Tonight at 10 o'clock! I'll come back here! We will duel for the right to have the Going Merry! And after that, everything will be over between us! Tonight! Luffy!"
Crap! He was serious! This is bad! This is really bad! What in Maker's name was he thinking!?
"...Usopp is going to duel Luffy...?"
Now Maxwell really felt the knife through his chest. That voice, it wasn't Nami, it wasn't Chopper, it wasn't even one of the guys... It was Merry.
And she was going to have to watch the duel right alongside them...