The wind was calm as the Going Merry sailed forward under a soft, cloud-speckled sky. The seas had quieted after their stormy misadventures on Little Garden, and now a warm breeze carried the scent of the ocean and the sense of progress.
Vivi stood near the bow, her eyes scanning the endless horizon. A hopeful smile lit her face.
"We'll reach Arabasta soon," she said softly, more to herself than to anyone else.
"Well that's only if we don't encounter any more trouble, hehe"said nami teasing her.
Sanji stepped up behind them, balancing a tray with perfectly arranged snacks—fruit skewers, fried dough, and some fresh tea.
"Would like some snacks ladies," he said, offering the tray with a twinkle in his eye. "Can't go liberating a kingdom on an empty stomach."
Vivi chuckled, accepting a skewer. "Thanks, Sanji. I just… can't believe we're getting closer. After everything."
"Oi! Sanji!" Luffy popped up from behind the mast, nose twitching. "You're holding out on us! We want snacks too!"
Usopp leapt up beside him, hands already reaching. "Yeah, share with the rest of the crew!"
Sanji snapped the tray away and glared. "You're shares are in the kitchen."
Meanwhile, on the deck, Zoro stood at the edge with his shirt tossed aside, sweat gleaming on his broad back. In one hand, he gripped a massive iron weight, swinging it in precise, controlled arcs as if the weight were an extension of his sword. Each swing sent deep echoes through the wooden boards, and the gentle rocking of the ship seemed to tremble with every impact.
Off to the side, Blizz was immersed in his own work.
"You're not holding back, are you?" Blizz commented, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow as he watched Zoro.
Zoro grunted without turning his head. "If only I could cut through that damn candle wax, there wouldn't have been any trouble," he muttered, his voice low and determined.
Blizz paused for a moment, launching a few more rapid strikes before speaking again. "You're practically lifting the ship with that effort. I'm pushing my limit too, but you—you're breaking yours."
"That's the idea," Zoro replied, his tone rough and unsmiling. "I have to get stronger… I need to be able to cut through even iron."
Blizz's eyes flashed with a hint of amusement as he considered Zoro's words. Iron, huh. He thought briefly, tempted to offer advice, but then decided against it. No one learns by being spoon-fed. "Sometimes," Blizz mused internally, "you have to figure it out on your own. Depend on your own strength and instincts—that's what will make you truly strong."
He watched the rhythm of Zoro's training, admiring not just his physical power but the silent determination behind every swing. Blizz knew that while his own mastery of elemental chakra was important, Zoro's raw, unbridled strength was something that had to be forged through hardship and self-discovery.
The crisp sound of metal striking wood mingled with the creaking of the ship as Zoro continued his relentless practice. Even as Blizz pushed forward with his own training regimen, he respected the unspoken rule among warriors: True strength is earned when you learn to rely on yourself, rather than waiting for someone to dictate your limits.
A light breeze stirred, carrying off some of the excess heat from their exertion. Zoro paused briefly, catching his breath, and adjusted his grip on the weight. In that quiet moment, Blizz offered a slight nod, an unspoken acknowledgment of the understanding that had passed between them.
"Keep at it," Blizz said softly, his voice low enough not to disturb the rhythmic sounds of physical training all around them. "One day, you'll reach that point where no obstacle is too hard to break."
Zoro only grunted in response—a sound that, in its brevity, carried the weight of his resolve.
"Damn," he muttered under his breath. "I messed up again."
He stared at the half-finished symbol before him—so simple, just two characters—but every time he tried, something slipped. The chakra lines wouldn't settle, the ink ran too thick or too light, and the pattern broke under pressure.
"I need to focus…" he whispered.
Time passed slowly. The sounds of training in the background faded as he narrowed his world down to brush, ink, and scroll. His breathing steadied. The brush hovered.
"Why is this so hard?" he said, jaw tight. "It's just two letters…"
He tried again. A careful stroke, then another. The tag shimmered faintly—almost right—but then sputtered out with a flicker of smoke.
"Damn."
Frustration clawed at him. He clenched the tag, ready to rip it in half, but stopped. He stared at it. He let the mistake sit there in his palm.
No shortcuts.
Blizz exhaled slowly, rolled his shoulders, and dipped the brush again. Try again. And again. Until it's perfect.
Just then, a sudden thump echoed across the deck.
Nami collapsed onto the deck without a word, her body going limp mid-step.
"NAMI!" Vivi's voice cracked as she dropped to her knees, hands cradling Nami's burning face. "She's burning up!"
Sanji skidded onto the deck, nearly dropping a tray. "What happened?!"
Luffy blinked, stunned. "She was fine a minute ago…"
Usopp hovered, his hands twitching nervously. "Th-That's not normal! She's got a fever, right?! A bad one?!"
While the crew panicked around her, Blizz stood still, his arms crossed, expression unreadable. His eyes locked on Nami, but there was no alarm in them. Just quiet understanding.
He crouched beside them, brushing some of Nami's hair aside. Her skin was hot, too hot. Sweat beaded across her forehead.
If only I knew the healing jutsu, he thought. Would've been nice to fix this right here and now. Just stabilize her system, slow the infection. Maybe even draw out the toxins.
He sighed.
Still, he wasn't worried. His thoughts were clear.
"She must've been pushing herself too hard," Vivi said, trembling.
"Her body's overheating," Sanji muttered, already unbuttoning his shirt to use as a cool compress. "She needs a doctor. Fast."
Usopp's face went pale. "We don't have a doctor on board."
"Exactly," Vivi said, glancing toward the horizon. "We'll have to find one fast. Or she won't make it."
Zoro stood silently, the wind brushing against his damp skin. "Then we find a doctor. Whatever it takes."
Sanji lifted Nami gently, holding her like she might shatter.
The Going Merry cut through the sea with a low groan, its sails adjusted to a new heading.
Below deck, Sanji tended to Nami with surprising gentleness. Her fever was still high, her face flushed, breath shallow. Blankets wrapped her like a cocoon as moisture clung to her brow.
Above, the mood had shifted. The panic had subsided, replaced with a quiet urgency.
"We're changing course," Vivi announced, voice firm but worried. "Forget Arabasta. We find a doctor—any doctor."
Usopp nodded quickly. "Yeah! We'll take care of Arabasta later. Nami comes first!"
From the crow's nest, usopp called down, "Not a single island in sight yet—but the temperature's dropping fast!"
The breeze had shifted. Colder now. Biting.
As the Going Merry pushed further into uncharted waters, clouds gathered above, swirling in heavy, gray spirals. Snowflakes began to drift from the sky, soft at first, then thick and constant. The sea turned slate gray, and the ship creaked as the temperature dropped.
Zoro grunted, pulling on a coat. "Snow, huh? That's not a good sign."
Blizz narrowed his eyes. "No. But it means we're getting close."
Suddenly—
"HEY, BLIZZ!" Usopp shouted from the mast. "There's another ninja out there!"
Blizz's gaze snapped up. "What?"
"Over the water!" Sub pointed frantically.
The crew turned. There—right in their path—stood a man. Not floating. Not swimming.
Standing.
On water.
The figure was dressed in black armor with fur around the collar. A smirk played on his lips, and his stance was arrogant, defiant. But beneath his feet, a sleek steel shape broke the surface—a submarine.
Zoro tensed. "What kind of entrance is that?"
Before anyone could react, the sea around the ship erupted in splashes and waves. Dozens of smaller crafts breached the surface—strange, armor-plated boats manned by armed soldiers in uniform, all bearing the same emblem.
A crest shaped like a crown and a gaping mouth.
"Ambush!" Usopp yelped. "We're surrounded!"
The Going Merry rocked violently as the waves slapped against its sides. The shaking rattled through the frame—down into the galley.
Sanji's eyes flared with fury as he looked back toward the stairs. "She's trying to rest!" he barked.
He stormed up top, cigarette dangling from his lip, eyes filled with fire.
"WHO'S ROCKIN' THE SHIP WHILE OUR LADY'S SICK?!"
A massive figure emerged from the shadows of one of the submarines. Plump and towering, dressed in a patched royal cape, a golden crown tilted on his bloated head, Wapol stood with a roasted leg of meat in one hand—and a sword in the other.
Then, before their eyes, he took a bite of the sword.
CHOMP.
He crunched through it like it was a cracker. Steel splinters scattered from his mouth as he chewed.
Luffy's jaw dropped. "…He just ate a sword?!"
"Wait, wait, wait—HE ATE THE SWORD?!" Usopp repeated, backing away.
"Well, well… looks like I found myself a tasty little ship." A squat, grinning man in a fur-lined cape stood on the deck of a strange submarine rising from beneath the waves.
Wapol.
Next to him stood a pair of loyal goons, sneering down at the Straw Hats.
"Do you know the way to Drum Island?" Wapol asked with a smirk. "Or maybe you've got an eternal log pose? Or even a normal one?"
Sanji raised an eyebrow, cigarette in his mouth. "Drum Island? Never heard of it."
Luffy stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "Who cares. Get outta here before I kick your ass."
Wapol chuckled darkly.
"Wrong answer."
Before anyone could stop him, Wapol lunged forward and chomped — biting a full chunk out of the Going Merry's railing.
The crew froze.
There was a long, heavy silence.
Then—
"HEY! That's our ship!!" Luffy shouted, his expression twisted in rage.
Usopp screamed, "He's eating Merry!
Wapol laughed again, chewing loudly. "Tastes like chicken!"
His minions moved to attack — but they never had a chance.
Zoro dashed forward and struck one down in a single flash of steel.
Sanji landed a brutal roundhouse on the second, sending him tumbling over the edge of the sub into the icy sea.
That left Wapol.
Luffy didn't even hesitate. He charged, fists clenched.
Wapol opened his mouth wide, trying to eat him.
"Say goodbye, Straw Hat!" he shouted, swallowing Luffy's upper body in one bite.
The rest of the crew gasped.
"LUFFY!!" Usopp shouted.
But inside Wapol's mouth — Luffy grinned.
"Gomu Gomu no…"
His arms stretched as he braced himself.
"BAZOOKA!"
With a tremendous BOOM, Luffy blasted Wapol, sending the gluttonous king flying into the sky with smoke trailing from his body like a firework.
"WAAAAAAGHHHHHH!!"
He vanished into the clouds with a twinkle.
Blizz nodded. "Bad meal choice."
The snow began falling harder, and the sea grew colder.
Blizz stepped forward, his arms folded, gaze locked on the horizon.
"He did mention something," Blizz said, breaking the quiet. "Drum Island."
Everyone turned toward him.
Blizz continued, eyes narrowed as flakes settled in his hair. "It must be close. Considering this weather… it's gotta be a snowy island. Makes sense, right?"
Usopp gasped. "That's right. He did say Drum Island…!"
Sanji glanced at Nami's closed cabin door, his jaw tight. "Then we head there. No delays."
Luffy grinned. "Yeah! We'll find a doctor and get Nami all patched up!"
Blizz nodded. "If the snow keeps falling like this, it's a good sign. We're getting close."
Usopp peeked over the rail with wide eyes. "Close is good. Freezing to death isn't."
The Going Merry sailed steadily through the thickening snow, its hull creaking softly as the icy waters lapped against it. The aftermath of the skirmish with Wapol's crew lingered in the air, but the crew had already resumed their duties.
Usopp was up near the bow, patching the bite marks left by Wapol with whatever he could find—wood, rope, even part of a barrel. "Dang it… these guys don't chew, they devour," he muttered.
Luffy lounged atop his usual spot on the goat's head at the front of the ship, legs dangling freely, scarf fluttering in the breeze. He stared out into the snowy horizon, eyes wide with curiosity.
Sanji stood at the railing near the galley door, a cigarette glowing in his fingers, his eyes scanning the white sea ahead. "Still nothing but snow," he said quietly. "Feels like we're sailing through a freezer."
Vivi stood nearby, her arms wrapped around herself for warmth, glancing every so often at the door leading to Nami's room.
Suddenly—
"I see land!" shouted Usopp, pointing forward, eyes wide. "It's an island!"
Everyone perked up. Luffy jumped to his feet, nearly losing his balance on the slippery deck. "For real?!"
Sanji squinted through the snow and smiled. "He's right. Land dead ahead."
Through the swirling mist and snowflakes, a shape began to emerge—white peaks, tall cliffs, and a few timber-lined buildings barely visible along a steep slope.
"Drum Island…" Blizz murmured, stepping forward. "We made it."
The crew gathered at the railing, eyes on the snowy land that slowly grew closer.
"Hang in there, Nami," Sanji whispered. "We're almost there."
As the Going Merry pushed forward toward the frozen island, the snowfall thickened, blanketing the sea in white silence.
The shadow of Drum Island loomed ever larger in the distance