Vice Captain of One Piece

Chapter 209 The Departure of the Golden Merry

The Golden Merry drifted forward along the current, and all members of the Straw Hat Pirates, which had always been bustling, gathered at the bow. The ship could not hear a single human voice, and fell into an eerie silence.An Ke sat quietly on the railing on the left side of the bow, with her head slightly lowered, her eyes tightly closed, her face expressionless and her eyebrows slightly frowned, but it made people feel that her heart was full of painful struggles.The rest of the people stood about half a meter away from her, all looking at her, without any other scenery in sight, silently waiting for her to turn her head and explain to them the inexplicable and decisive questions just now.However, Anke never looked back, motionless as if he had forgotten what happened just now.The wind mischievously blew her long hair, strands of which floated up and touched the people around her lightly.

On the horizon facing the Golden Merry, a huge sailing ship and a sea train carrying two giants had appeared at some point, and they were rapidly approaching them.The roar and whistle of the sea train that became louder did not make the people on the little lamb boat turn their attention to them, and the cheers of the crowd hidden under the roar did not attract their attention.Staring stubbornly at the little figure sitting on the strings of the boat, Luffy and the others couldn't hear any other voices at all except that soft child's voice.The three of them and one cat looked at the direction of the huge sailing ship and the sea train, and they suddenly became excited, but they kept silent tacitly, because even if they spoke now, they would not Someone noticed them.

The sailboat and sea train started to slow down when they were 200 meters away from them. The sea train slid along the inertia for nearly 50 meters before stopping. The huge sailboat with 'GALLELA-COMPANY' engraved on its sail also stopped nearby. , two giants - Cassie and Oimo sat on the only two remaining carriages of the sea train, and the two emperor BULLs connected behind the sea train poked their heads out from behind the giants, and looked curiously at the ship that completely ignored them. The sheep boat floating quietly.The people on the boat were still cheering enthusiastically. Bingshan stood at the front, holding his hands, the bandage on his head was still not untied, smiling and watching the arrival of all the Straw Hat Pirates and Franky and Kokoro who were still alive. The mother-in-law and the others; Barry and the Franky family also leaned out from the carriage of the sea train, shouting "Hey!! Straw Hat Boy!!! Are you okay??", they were so excited that they ignored Chi Chi's waiting. It's unnatural not to respond.

Seeing the boats and sea trains waiting for them in the distance, the Golden Merry seemed to have completed its mission, and the smiling sheep's head showed relief and was full of tiredness and reluctance.In the unmanned situation, the Golden Merry automatically slowed down and stopped at sea. Although it knew the anxiety of the partners standing at the sheep's head, it could no longer move forward and buy them a little time to let go. They heard Encore's answer.The dilapidated hull trembled slightly, and then suddenly broke from 3/1 of the sheep's head.

The sound of "creaking" and the body sliding down by gravity brought everyone back to their senses, and they grabbed the nearby railing in panic to stabilize themselves from being thrown out.An Ke, who was sitting on the strings of the boat, was in a daze. The sloping hull made her slide down the railing, but when she was about to fall into the sea, she seemed to be gently picked up and sent back to the bow.

"Meli!" Anke nervously looked at the place where he slipped, but he didn't see any figure, only the void.The sheep's head stopped tilting and shaking when it was only one or two meters away from the sea surface. The sudden change caused the people on board to temporarily put aside the previous things and watched the changes of Mei Li in a panic.The ship on the surface of the sea was almost broken into two pieces, and seawater kept pouring in from the cracked gap, bit by bit intending to pull this extraordinary ship into the abyss of the ocean, but it seemed to be blocked by an unspeakable force. Pulled by force, the Golden Merry just stopped on the surface of the sea, supporting its broken body in two and floating motionless on the surface of the sea.

Sauron stood up grabbing the railing and asked nervously, "What happened all of a sudden?"

"It's nothing sudden, it's natural, right?" Sanji sat on the deck, unable to bear to look back at the broken part of the Merry, "Merry is already a ship that has been certified as unsavigable..."

"Meli...", the sniper king climbed to the top, looking at the jagged wooden boards and the seawater pouring into it in disbelief.

Luffy looked around in a panic, and saw the sailboats and sea trains parked there, ignoring when they appeared, ran to the sheep's head, knelt down and shouted at the iceberg above: "Uncle, it's not good! Merry It’s not good, think of a way!! You all happen to be ship repairers, right? Help us, Merry is our partner who has always been with us on adventures!! He even saved our life just now! Please, uncle !!"

Bingshan quietly looked at the pleading boy, then at the dilapidated sheep boat, and said with pity: "Then, let it sleep well..."

Hearing that sentence, Luffy's lips trembled, and he looked at the person above in disbelief.

Bingshan closed his eyes slowly, and said slowly: "I have done what I can..."

……… Time back to the capital of water last night………………

Bingshan was carrying a toolbox on his way back from the abandoned warehouse to the shipbuilding island. When he passed the abandoned shipyard, he heard the sound of "dong, dong, dong", as if someone was repairing the ship.I was worried that someone would follow the sound from the iceberg at the shipwreck to the beach, only to see a dilapidated boat lying sideways on the beach.The planks were broken in many places, and even the mast fell down, as if it had just been damaged by a storm.

"This is, the Straw Hat Boy's boat? Has it been destroyed by [Akula Lagna]?" When he recognized the owner of the boat, Bingshan took a few steps forward and stretched out his hand to press a few times on the wooden board of the boat. I stepped down, but found that the creaking planks were badly damaged, and the old scars seemed to cover the entire ship. "This is a problem from the past."

'I want to sail...'

The ethereal voice came directly into his mind, and Bingshan pressed his bandaged forehead in astonishment, wondering if it was his own auditory hallucination just now.Now there is only the noise of the waves and the sound of the sea wind blowing in my ears, and there is only a tattered boat lying there in front of my eyes, and there is no one in sight.

'I want to sail again. '

The sound that sounded again confirmed that it wasn't Bingshan's auditory hallucination just now. He covered his head and looked at the sheep's head of the Golden Merry in disbelief, as if he could see the light of humanity from those dark round eyes, showing that With firm belief.As soon as my heart moved, I didn't care that the waves of [Akula Laguna] would bury the shipwreck at any time, and the icebergs began to beat in the wind and rain, trying my best to repair the boat in front of me that was unnavigable at first glance.

I don't know how long it took, but Bingshan repaired the more serious parts of the Golden Merry just like that, and the completely broken mainmast was also repaired, barely allowing the ship to resume sailing. ability, but how long it can sail is unknown.

Standing five meters away from the Golden Merry, Bingshan panted and wiped the sweat off his forehead, looked at the ship in front of him that seemed to be in good condition, and then seemed to wake up suddenly, a bit unbelievable what he had done. Something like, "What the hell am I doing? It's clearly a hopeless ship..."

After quietly looking at the ship for a while, Bingshan picked up his toolbox and turned around to leave. After walking a few steps, he heard "thank you" from behind, the voice was exactly the same as what he said before.Bingshan stared wide-eyed and slowly turned around to look at the sheep boat. He didn't know whether it was an illusion or what, but felt that the smiling sheep's head seemed to be smiling deeper, with infinite gratitude.

A wave rushed over and covered the ship, and the seawater flooded up to pave the way for the ship to reach the sea.Under the dreamy eyes of the iceberg, the sheep's head turned directly to the sea. After a few squeaks, the whole ship was taken away by the waves. To the place of my fellows.

After standing blankly in the rain for an unknown amount of time, Bingshan finally accepted the facts in front of him, turned around and walked towards the city of water, and started to prepare to go to sea immediately.

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Bingshan opened his eyes and looked at the dilapidated ship. With regret and admiration, he paused for a while and then continued, "What I see now is a miracle, a miracle of a ship that has already surpassed the limit. After being so I have been a ship repairer for many years, and I have never seen such a powerful pirate ship. Its life is really wonderful..."

Hearing Bingshan's words, Luffy sat on the sheep's head and slowly straightened up, with a heavy and sad face. After a long silence, he slowly closed his eyes and said softly: "I see..."

Encore and the others knew what Luffy's words meant, but they also knew that it was the most reasonable way to deal with it at present, and they also knew that this would be the final farewell.Encore turned over and jumped into the sea, and directly crystallized the sea area with a radius of about 200 meters from the Melly. The thickness of the crystal almost reached the bottom of the sea, as if it was going to trap the uninvited guests hidden on the bottom of the sea firmly, so that they would not bother them. A simple funeral will be held.

The people from the GALLEY-LA company were about to release the dinghy from the sailboat and pick up the people on the Merry, when they saw that the sea quickly turned into a pink continent, and the hull stopped on it immobile after a shock.Looking down, I found that the front of the sea train and the bottom of the front of the galleon were firmly fixed by crystals.The people on the sea train knew that this was Encore's devil fruit ability, and after hesitating for a while, they got off the sea train one after another.The giant was still sitting on the top of the carriage and did not come down. The two emperor bulls swimming in the sea looked behind them, looking excitedly at the people in the distance.Except for the iceberg, the people on the sailing boat were startled by the sudden change in the sea surface, and they asked loudly what happened.

Bingshan just waved his hand back, and everyone fell silent.After quietly looking at the little girl standing on the surface of the crystal sea for a while, Bingshan closed his eyes and said calmly: "You just stay here and watch...".Although puzzled, the boatmen still followed Bingshan's words.

Enke stood up slowly, and the part of his body that had turned into crystal gradually returned to normal.Looking up at the sheep's head hanging down on the Meili, Anke pursed his lips lightly, and said lightly: "Come down, we need to prepare..."

"Hmm..." Luffy nodded slowly, but slowly lowered his body, stretched out his hands and hugged the sheep's head tightly, full of reluctance.Chopper was already crying, and he grabbed the railing of the Merry and didn't want to leave, but he was directly lifted off the boat by Sauron. Frankie also carried Granny Kokoro and the others, followed by Sanji, Nami and Robin, The Sniper King lowered his head and stretched out his hand to lightly touch the dilapidated railing of the Meili, whispered a few words and reluctantly jumped onto the surface of the crystal sea.

Luffy was still holding the sheep's head, and after dozens of seconds, he rubbed his face against the sheep's head and slowly slid off the sheep's head.After looking at the bottom of the ship sealed in the crystal and then at the broken hull, Anke took a few steps forward, and slowly pressed his hands with crystal patterns gradually on the surface of the pink crystal sea, then closed his eyes.Even if the situation doesn't allow it now, she still wants the Golden Merry to leave with the best attitude...

Cracks appeared on the surface of the crystal sea near where the Golden Merry was parked, and the crystals on the bottom of the ship and in the cabin also began to crack and shatter. In the sound of 'cracking', the Golden Merry was slowly lifted up, and the crystal pillars that emerged near the sheep's head also lifted the bow of the drooping ship, and the sound of 'squeaking' sounded from the wooden boards, and the two broken hulls were pieced together Since then, the Golden Merry was also lifted to a place ten centimeters above the ground and stopped.The crystal shards falling like raindrops one after another, but it is a sad picture.

The people present watched silently, raised their heads and stared at the Golden Merry wrapped in crystals without blinking, being supported by several crystal pillars, and restored to its complete appearance.With his hands released from the crystallization, Encore stood up and took a few steps back, lining up with Luffy and the others.

At this moment, Barry and the others, who got off the sea train, ran over quickly, their noisy voices were full of worry, "Straw Hat Boy/Brother Straw Hat!! Are you all right??".Noticing the pervert standing with them, the Franky family shouted with tears, "Brother!!!"

Hearing the sound behind him, Franky turned his head back in surprise, and ran towards them with tears streaming down his face, crying with his arms wide open in the next second, "Wow wow!! You really didn't die!!!"

"Brother!! You really are back!! Woohoo..."

Luffy just looked back at the moving scene of the happy gathering over there, then continued to look up at the ship that had been with him for more than half a year, every inch of it was familiar to him, and he still remembered every happy scene on it .Anke just lowered his head, letting the vague sadness flow freely at this moment, and said quietly in his heart: "I didn't expect that you would leave first, Meli...you didn't answer because you knew the answer a long time ago. ?"

"Straw hat boy..." Barry, who was covered in bandages, walked up to them, biting his cigar as usual, looked at their expressions and then at the pieced-up boat, hesitantly asked: "Would you like to put it... ..."

Difficult to look away from the Merry, Luffy said expressionlessly, his tone was full of sadness but held back no tears, "Please...".The dry voice stopped abruptly, but Barry knew what Luffy wanted to express. He nodded solemnly and turned to leave. After talking to the Franky family who were still reunited there, he led a group of people towards the A large sailing ship parked not far away.

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A few minutes later, the Golden Merry was completely repaired, the broken place was repaired, and Encore also removed the supporting crystal pillar.The Golden Merry, parked on the crystal, looked ahead and raised its sails, as if it would set sail in the next second to continue its adventure in the ocean of miracles.

Encore and the others stood in a row 15 meters away from the Golden Merry. A few steps in front of them was Luffy holding a torch. Except for Chopper who couldn't help crying, everyone looked solemn.In the latter place stood Barry, Frankie, Granny Ke Keluo and the Frankie family. Bingshan and the people he brought were still on the sailboat.

Slowly walking forward with a torch, Luffy stood a few steps away from the Merry, and said slowly, "Are you ready, everyone..."

"Um……"

"Merry, the bottom of the sea is dark and gloomy, we will watch you..." He suppressed his voice and said to the boat in front of him, Luffy slowly raised the burning torch in his hand, and slowly approached the boat full of The damaged hull, "It may be a good thing if Usopp is not around, but his words are definitely the most unbearable...".Holding the torch against the fueled hull, the flames spread rapidly.Throwing the torch in his hand aside, Luffy stepped back step by step to Encore and the others, never leaving his eyes from the boat that was gradually covered in flames.

Hearing what Luffy said just now, Zoro looked at the sniper king who barely maintained his composure from the corner of his eyes, "How is it?"

"There is no such thing..." The voice was full of suppressed hoarseness, the sniper king raised his head, his goggles and mask facing the sun could not see his expression clearly, "When you say goodbye, you can't shed a single tear when you say goodbye between men. It must have been mentally prepared..."

"Thank you for carrying us for so long, the Merry..." Looking tenderly at the ship in flames, Luffy said in a low voice, his hoarse voice full of precipitated sadness.

Looking silently at the ship that was quickly enveloped in flames, everyone looked solemn, without any sadness at all.Fierce flames engulfed the ship, and clouds of smoke swirled upward as if to blot out the sun.Before anyone noticed, the sunny sky was covered by a layer of pale black clouds.It seems that the sky was also moved by this resolute spirit of the ship, and couldn’t bear to see it still be ruthlessly clear when it left, and the dimmed sky was full of unspeakable sadness, filled with sympathetic reluctance.

In the light of the fire, dots of white snow fell from the sky and gradually became denser, as if the sky was also moved and shed tears.The pure white snow is engraved with warm colors by the orange fire, bit by bit, it wants to bring people back to the good memories of the past.

Stretching out his hands to catch a snowflake, Anke silently looked at the orange-red white shining in the palm of his hand, feeling the cold temperature.I don’t know what to think, but there is a touch of sadness in my heart. The memory that came back to my mind is the scene when I first owned that boat: it was just a cold wooden sailboat, but it was their warm home...

Tears welled up in Nami's eyes, and she choked up looking at the sheep boat in front of her in the firelight.Tears slowly slid down her cheeks, Nami bit her lower lip tightly to hold back the sound of crying.This ship has gone through ups and downs with them, and has gone through life and death with them, but now it is parting from life and death, why not make people feel heartbroken?
Thinking of the dreams they once made on the Golden Merry, and thinking of the small ship that carried them over the Upside Down Mountain and onto the great route, Sauron pursed his lips tightly and crossed his arms. His hands are clenched into fists.

Sanji bit the lit cigarette, let the ash fall from the burning cigarette, stared straight at the boat in the gorgeous firelight, and the little drops of white snow presented a contrasting bleakness.He remembered that they were swallowed by a huge whale together with the Golden Merry when they rushed down the Upside Down Mountain with the current. He remembered that they sailed through the primeval forest -- the small garden - on the Golden Merry.

The shoulders of the sniper king were trembling, and he lowered his head slightly to suppress the distraught grief. After all, he still couldn't hold back his tears.Indeed, how could he calm down when the Merry left?You must know that he is the one who loves this ship the most.He knew the reason for every scar on the Golden Merry, and every repair was done by him.This increasingly dilapidated ship and his fetters are getting deeper and deeper. Isn't it the most difficult fact for him to be separated after being together for less than a year?
Robin looked at the ship that had been consumed in the flames without moving. This was the first time that she was so sad that a ship left and she couldn't help crying.This is a ship that allows her to meet the indispensable people in her life. This is a ship that provides her with a belonging to the helpless. This ship is a miracle in her life. It allows her to meet someone more than Miracles of people whose lives matter.When she sat on the boat and smiled and said to the boy, "I am homeless and have nowhere to go", it was the tolerance of the straw hat boy and the tolerance of the boat that made her have a home again.

Chopper was already tearing up, and kept wiping his tears with his hoof, but he couldn't wipe away the tears that kept pouring out.This is the first time it took a boat in its life. This boat brought it countless beautiful and fresh memories. It was the first time it went to an empty island full of white clouds and saw an angel with wings. It was the first time it The first time it fell from a high altitude into a base full of naval forces, it was the first time it participated in an exciting crew competition with others, and it was always with this ship. The inseparable emotions and fetters in my heart directly turned into endless tears .

The snowflakes are still fluttering, and the orange color against the firelight replaces the original cold white, bringing a bit of human sadness.The ship that was burned by everyone could no longer maintain its overall posture. The mainmast that had been broken several times fell to the side, and the flying black pirate flag had been reduced to ashes, and it flew into the sky with the wind. Flying farther and farther under the background of the sky, just like the elf who has never met, never coming back.

The huge sea is extremely quiet, and the noise of the waves is isolated by the crystal land 200 meters away. The people immersed in the sad atmosphere did not say a word, only heard the low sobs of Nami and Chopper, and the fire. To the sound of ships.

'sorry……'

The already familiar ethereal voice sounded again, full of regret and reluctance.Luffy was slightly surprised, and the tears he had been holding back moistened his eyes; the sniper king could no longer hold back the tears in his eyes, and the dark marks on the soaked red robe gradually expanded, which were the marks dyed by tears .

'I wanted to take everyone to a farther place..., sorry...'

"Meli!!" Chopper cried out with tears all over his face, but he didn't know what to say other than calling its name.Nami was already covering her face and weeping bitterly, Robin's eyes began to moisten, and Sanji lowered his head, holding the cigarette in his trembling right hand.Anke and Sauron's expressions were still indifferent, but one was originally emotionally indifferent so his expression was just filled with reluctance, while the other thought it was a natural thing, and his heart was broad with a bit of forbearable sadness.

'I would love to have adventures with you forever, but, I...'

"It's us who want to say sorry, Merry!!!" Luffy, who finally couldn't help but feel sad, interrupted Merry's voice loudly, with tears streaming down his face, expressing his reluctance.Clenching his fists, Luffy cried out to the ship that was gradually turning into ashes in the flames in the distance, full of reluctance and self-blame that he didn't know how to cherish in the past, "I won't steer the rudder and let you hit an iceberg, I also broke your sails... Zoro and Sanji are also rough people, and they ruined many places on the boat. Although Usopp will fix it later, he is clumsy... I have to say sorry The words..." The voice was full of sobs and could not continue to speak, the tearful Luffy cried and squatted down slowly, occasionally coughing a few times as if out of breath, but still couldn't resist the grief in his heart.

"But I am very happy, because I can be with you..." The voice of the ship spirit continued, full of happiness and gratitude, and the gentle round eyes of the sheep's head seemed to be staring at the distant partner reluctantly in the firelight Ladies and gentlemen, the fierce flames obscured the figure of the ship, and the collapsed hull implied that the ship would become ashes in the near future.In the ashes scattered by the wind is the voice of the ship spirit gradually going away, the voice full of reluctance and happiness hitting everyone's heart, 'Thank you for cherishing me so far...I am really, very happy...because With you, together...'

In the blurry tearful eyes was the ship that had been wiped away by the flames. Luffy bit his lips tightly and listened to all of Meli's words. Finally, the grief in his heart turned into a sentence that could never be replaced by the ship spirit again.

"Merry!!!!!!!!!!"

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(End of this chapter)