A Small Adventure (One Piece fanfic)

Finally Outta There

"Oh hi," I hummed, walking to the stairs she was on. She smiled widely and offered a hand to help me up the steps. I shook my head but thanked her anyway, walking up myself and looking at everyone to give a greeting. Or, I would have if Luffy didn't launch himself at me. "O-oi what the-"

"(Y/N)! YOU'RE AWAKE! I TRIED TO WAKE YOU UP FOR THE PAST FEW HOURS BUT YOU DIDN'T BUDGE!" he exclaimed in excitement, wrapping himself around me on the floor since he tackled me down.

"WHAT'RE YOU DOING?! GET OFF OF HER!" I heard a certain blond yell, kicking the rubber man off of me. His back hit the railing after he rolled a bit, and he looked up only for his eyes to go straight past Sanj to the sea behind him.

"There's a ship coming this way!" he pointed past the man, all of us looking to see a huge ship floating its way over to us. It had Galley-Law displayed across the sails, and we could hear their cheering from here. There was so much people on that ship, but I could distinctly see Iceberg, and Luffy could too. "Ahoy! Ice Pops!"

We all waved at the Galley-La ship, but that moment was stopped when the boat started creaking. I looked over at the main deck, seeing the wood breaking until Merry was split in half, the front of the ship leaning downwards. We were all thrown back from the surprise and force of the breakage.

"Oi what's going on?! What happened all of a sudden?!" Luffy shouted in shock, sitting up from is position.

"All of a sudden? Isn't this natural?" Sanji huffed as he sat up as well. "It was declared that Merry could no longer sail."

Our captain didn't want to accept this so easily, causing him to run to Merry's figurehead and call out to Iceberg to help the ship. He said Merry has been traveling with them for so long, and that we were literally just saved by the ship showing up before we died. It wasn't just luck. Iceberg told us to let the ship rest. He admitted to trying to repair the ship already, which is why she made it this far, and that the ship told him to with the same voice that we've been hearing this whole time. Merry sailed by herself from what he said. "A miracle of a ship that has long past its limits... I've been a shipwright for many years, but I've never seen a pirate ship this incredible. It's lived a splendid life," Iceberg finished as he gazed down at Luffy.

".. Okay..." Luffy breathed out. I sighed, looking at the wooden panels beneath my feet. So this is the last time huh? We all climbed onto a small boat, floating by Merry as Luffy stood on another boat that was much closer to the pirate ship. His hand held a torch. "Well then.. are you guys ready?" Chopper and Sanji replied with a 'yeah'. "Merry... the seabed is dark and lonesome, so we'll watch you to the end." He touched the torch to the wood of the Going Merry. "Maybe it's good that Usopp isn't here. There's no way.. he could bear this."

"Do you agree?" Zoro asked Usopp who was now wearing his Sogeking mask.

"No.. Everyone must someday say farewell. This is a man's parting. Not even a single tear should be shed," the long nosed man replied.

The fire spread throughout the ship, and Luffy started talking again, "Thank you for carrying us for such a long time, Merry." Snow suddenly started falling after that, and I looked at the sky as the fire of the ship became brighter. Nami started shaking beside me, and when I looked at her, I could see the tears coming from her eyes. I didn't cry, but my eyes were definitely at the verge of sweating. I tried to blink away the wateriness.

"I'm sorry.." the same disembodied voice rang through my ears, and judging from the shift in everyone around me, they could hear it too. "I wanted to carry you even further. I'm sorry... I wanted to continue going on adventures with you forever." Nami fell to her knees, and Chopper called out the ship's name. Tears finally spilled out. That was the last straw. I bit my lip to keep myself from making any noises aside from my sniffling. "But I-"

"It's us who have to apologize, Merry!" Luffy screamed, clenching his fists. I'm not good at steering... so I ran you into icebergs at times...There was a time I tore the sails, too. Zoro and Sanji are stupid, so they broke all sorts of things! Usopp would fix them each time, but he isn't good at it! So it's us who have to.." he choked on his own sobs, stopping his speech.

"But I've been happy. Thank you very much.. for taking good care of me all this time. I really have been happy... because I had you all!"

I ran my fingers through my hair and clutched the strands while my eyebrows furrowed in sorrow as I watched the flames overtake the ship, Luffy calling out her name one last time. I never knew I'd cry over a ship like this, but here I am, dying inside for the Going Merry.

---

ok, I'll admit. This one was only 2.3k words. I know. I am shameful. But it made NO SENSE to skip two days ahead after all this heavy stuff in the same chapter. I almost cried again watching this. Like in the middle of class and everything.