One Piece: Dream of Immortality

Usopp gave an impressed whistle. "Luffy really sent that guy flying. Do you think he's going to drown?"

"Fujitora told me that he flew here, so I expect that he'll probably be fine," Cherry said, walking over to the group. "Admirals aren't so easy to kill."

"Fujitora? Isn't that the name of that other admiral we saw at Dressrosa?!" Usopp asked.

"Yeah, but he didn't come here to pick a fight with us, or Wano for that matter. He just wants to clean up the trash Kaido left lying around," Cherry answered.

"Can we really trust his word on that?" Zoro questioned.

"He seems like a decent guy. If he was here to kill us, he'd at least be honest about it, I think," Cherry shrugged.

"Oh, that's reassuring. He'll tell us before he kills us," Usopp said in the most sarcastic tone he could manage.

"Hey, don't worry about it! We're practically invincible with Luffy and Cherry on our side!" Nami gave her vote of confidence.

"Indeed. They'll be sure to avenge our painful deaths," Robin added.

"Oi!" Usopp shouted.

"Captain," Jinbe greeted Luffy as he approached, hanging off of Zoro's shoulder and looking exhausted. "I think we ought to be moving on soon. We're only causing trouble the longer we stay here."

"Yes, let's go back out to sea!" Luffy cheered weakly.

Cherry dug around in her pockets for a moment. "Here! Have this, Luffy."

Luffy snatched the cured meats she still had left over from when she raided the Thousand Sunny's pantry. Cherry turned to their resident chef, "Sanji, we should really get some sort of emergency rations sorted out if Luffy is going to starve himself every time he awakens."

"Gear fifth!" Luffy argued through a mouth full of food.

"Right, that," Cherry didn't argue back. Luffy could call his power whatever he wanted to. "Something high in calories and easily digestible."

"I can manage that," Sanji said. "We'll have to store them in your pockets, though, since nowhere else can be truly safe from that gremlin's midnight snacking."

"Snacks?!" Luffy perked up, as if he hadn't just been stuffing his face already.

…

"Are you sure you want to stay here?" Luffy asked, tilting his head.

"I've never been to Wano before, not even with Shanks. I haven't seen all of it yet since I've been hanging out with you since I got here," Uta said. "Shanks… Dad will come to pick me up eventually, but I doubt he'll show up while you're still here. He's shy like that."

Luffy nodded once, "Okay! I'll see you later, Uta!"

With that, he turned and walked off without another word.

"Luffy, you should be less curt with your childhood friend," Nami scolded him.

"We'll see each other again soon enough," Luffy replied simply, confident that it was true.

"As big as maps make the world seem, I have to agree. The sea has a strange way of bringing people together, especially the Grand Line," Jinbe said.

"How have you two found Wano?" Brook asked, looking at Pudding and Reiju.

"We're besties now!" Pudding declared with a megawatt smile

"The best besties who ever bested," Reiju agreed, a small but not less happy smile adorning her own face.

"You've certainly spent a lot of time together. We've hardly even seen you around since Wano was liberated, and not much before that either," Brook said.

"Can you blame us? Both of us have the most stifling families, so this was our first real chance at actual freedom," Reiju said.

"And we bonded over it! Like real sisters!" Pudding almost squealed. "I mean, I've got loads of siblings already, and I even like some of them, but this is the first time I've had a… what did you call it?" 

"Found family," Reiju answered.

"Right! Isn't that a marvelous concept? Choosing your own family?" Pudding beamed.

"Yohoho, I understand it well!" Brook's nostalgic smile could not be seen with any skin or flesh on his face.

The crew made more small talk about the various things they had been up to during their unusually long stay on solid land. When they arrived at the ship, seeing Franky waving at them from aboard.

"I've got her in tip top shape, Luffy! We're ready to set sail whenever!" Franky announced. "Did you already say your goodbyes? I thought it'd take longer."

"Nope!" Luffy guffawed. In fact, aside from Uta, he hadn't even told anyone they were leaving today, going so far as to tell the others not to as well.

Franky laughed as well and turned to start reeling in the anchor. The others set to work on the sails and Jinbe went to man the helm.

"Waiiiiiiiit—-!"

The voice was quite far away and nobody could see the source.

"WAIIIIIIIIT–!"

The ship started to move. Whoever it was, they were just a bit too late.

Carrot came bounding out of the foliage, moving at quite the clip. Jinbe thought that she'd stop once she realized they were already leaving, but to his surprise, she actually jumped for them!

She didn't quite make it, though. She scrabbled at the backside of the ship, struggling to find purchase that Franky's superior craftsmanship didn't offer much of.

Jinbe reached down and grabbed her arm, hoisting her up onto the deck.

"Was there something you needed?" Jinbe asked, sounding a bit colder than he meant to.

"I want to come with you!" Carrot cried out. "But then you went and left just as I got the courage to ask!"

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm…" Luffy frowned and tilted his head 90 degrees. "We're getting awfully crowded…"

"Eh?" Carrot was shocked. "But your ship is pretty big, right? Or- or I could sleep in the crows nest!"

"I sleep in the crows nest," Zoro said.

"You sleep literally anywhere but the crows nest. You just keep your gym rat junk up there," Sanji countered. "I, for one, welcome having another fair companion on our journey!"

Pudding gave him an unhappy look that he didn't notice.

"Why do you want to come?" Cabernet asked, hugging Merry to her chest.

"To see the world, of course!" Carrot offered a smile.

It looked genuine, but for some odd reason, almost none of them believed her for a second.

"Why do you really want to come?" Cabernet asked again.

Carrot fidgeted. "I- I do want to see the world! …However…"

"Duke Dogstorm wanted to make me Ruler of the Day! Me?! Is he crazy?!" Carrot snapped. "I'm 15! I'm not ready for that kind of responsibility! Why not make Wanda do it! Master Cat Viper made Pedro Ruler of the Night! How can I compare to him?! He'll beat my ass!"

"Er…" Usopp raised a finger. "I don't think your rulers are supposed to fight each other. That's just a thing that Dogstorm and Cat Viper did."

"Eh? Really?" Carrot looked surprised. "Wait! That doesn't matter, I'm not cut out to lead a whole country!"

"Well, shirking responsibility is a pretty good reason to become a pirate…" Luffy rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Exactly!" Carrot cheered and danced in place a little bit.

"And you're pretty strong…" Luffy added.

"Really, really strong!" Carrot agreed, rapidly nodding.

"And we don't currently have a rabbit…" Luffy hummed.

"I'm one of those!" Carrot bounced.

"Well, okay then. I guess you're in!" Luffy said, then he was tackled by Carrot.