I think I've fallen into a major creative block. I haven't been able to draw or write or find enjoyment in anything, but I'm sure it's just another blank phase. Like the one's that leave you empty, faceless. I'll try not to let it affect my work, so be warned if it gets angsty too quickly. Not that it wasn't angsty lol.
L is for the lion that serves in place of the lamb.
Merry is family. Merry is nakama. Merry is irreplaceable. Like everything in the mind of their childish captain, merry won't leave. Merry will be alongside them forever.
The peaceful lamb from the seas of East blue, unexposed to the horrors and harshness of the grand line. A delicate lamb, innocent and sweet.
It shouldn't have been too unexpected that she didn't survive the seas.
It shouldn't have, but humans don't like to grasp the concept of impermanence. Who wants to think about something close to you not existing anymore?
Even if they know not everything will be steadfast, immortal, undying. Even them.
But they are selfish. And merry knows, and merry is proud. Merry knows that even the seas will bow down to her crew, even if she is unable to stand by them.
The pirate king's crew deserves a ship that is able to survive the merciless sea, and she is simply not durable enough. But how will they react? How will they deal when one of their nakama simply cannot go on?
She will not think about it. Not worry about it as of now. Even if her mast and hull creaks and cracks sickeningly, she will serve her captain till her demise.
She tries to pour it all into the shipwright, sitting next to usopp, hoping, wishing that the miserable clunks of the klabautermann's hammer carried on her message. Even if she holds a slight grudge towards him for the whole fiasco, she has a slight inkling that maybe this man is another lost soul that would be moved by her crew.
She cannot, will not reveal this to her crew, since she needs to be strong. You cannot let your crew down.
Please, please understand.
The smell of burning wood wafts in the air, the melancholy heavy. She has no time. She will die. But she is happy. Happy that she could help her crew one last time, be alongside them. She is a strawhat as well, even if she is just a ship.
They scream and cry, apologise, but merry doesn't need that. She loves them, and they don't need to apologise. As long as they are nakama, she doesn't need apologies.
"I was always happy. Because I was with you."
A shipwright should know exactly what to do to accommodate the interests of his clients. And Franky is not just any shipwright, he is the one who is going to build a ship for the pirate king.
A ship steady and steadfast, helping them in their future journeys like the previous ship hoped to do.
A lamb. Sweet and innocent, protected by the crew.
But the grand line is unforgiving, a lamb, no matter how loved, simply cannot thrive.
Franky needs to build a ship that will protect them, sail alongside them to the end of the world, because that is what the ship asked him to do.
And who knows, he may even include the remaining pieces of the cremated boat. A super ship such as her deserves to be respected after all.
He will not replace her.
Instead, the thousand sunny will be a ferocious lion, ripping through their enemies and sail them to the top, for that is the only path for their crew. The conquerors of the sea.
He hopes that the lamb is proud.
Another angsty chapter done. I hope you all enjoy this, because my brain is turning to stone. As always, reviews criticisms and favourites are appreciated and keep me going!