Chapter 393: Sakura Farewell and the New Crew

As the sled raced down the mountainside thunderous booms echoed behind them like the sky itself was shattering, shaking everyone to their core.

“What was that sound? Was it a cannon?” Usopp, who was very familiar with cannons, instantly recognized the noise. He twisted around to look, confusion clear in his eyes.

The island should be safe by now, right? So why was there suddenly cannon fire behind them?

Everyone else turned to follow the sound but up ahead Chopper kept running, a single tear sliding from the corner of his eye.

His heart overflowed with hope and excitement—he knew exactly who made that happen.

In the same instant they turned back, white lights glowed on the castle. The snowy ground, the endless forest and the starlit sky above were bathed in a soft pink radiance, mysterious and beautiful, like the glow of another world.

Turned out the entire sky overhead was covered by a layer of pink that shimmered above them.

From a distance, it looked like a giant sakura tree—its bloom cast a rosy glow across the little island, creating a miracle only people could make.

Ye Fan, who knew the story behind all of this, glanced at the teary-eyed Chopper and said quietly, “This is Chopper’s farewell.”

Luffy didn’t know what such a farewell really meant, but he still showed his respect. He took off his hat and shouted up at the sakura, “Hey Sakuras, don’t worry! Chopper will be just fine—he’s my crewmate, after all!”

…..

Once the sakura faded away, Chopper finally headed to the shore, heading for their ship, the Going Merry.

Since entering the Grand Line, they had only visited three islands, but each adventure was thrilling in a way East Blue could never compare.

And today, a new crewmate had joined them. As soon as Sanji returned to the ship, he ran straight to the kitchen, ready to prepare a grand feast to celebrate Chopper coming aboard.

“Vivi, you don’t have to worry anymore! My illness has finally been taken care of, so next stop is Alabasta.” Nami squeezed Vivi’s uneasy hands, knowing what she wanted to say.

As a princess with her people suffering back home, Vivi must have been feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders.

“Yeah… Nami, thank you all so much.”

“Barbecue’s ready!”

Sanji, always lightning-quick in the kitchen, brought out platter after platter of delicious food not even fifteen minutes after the crew had boarded.

Whoosh! Smack!

Rubbing his now-reddened right hand, Luffy wore a defeated look. “Why? We can eat now, right?”

No sooner had Sanji set the platter down than Luffy tried to shovel it into his mouth. There was no way Sanji would ever let that happen.

“You idiot, everyone isn’t even here yet!”

Sanji’s temper flared, a little puff of anger showing—Luffy always ate faster than the rest of them put together.

More than once they had gone hungry because Luffy devoured everything before anyone else could fill up.

Johnny and Yosaku, ever perceptive, dashed to the kitchen and brought out even more dishes while Sanji kept his eyes on Luffy.

Once everyone had found their seats, Zoro lifted a mug of ale and was the first to stand. “To Chopper joining the crew! Cheers!”

Everyone clinked their glasses—even Chopper wasn’t left out.

After a round of glances, Sanji finally stopped watching Luffy and Luffy wasted no time digging in, grabbing food in both hands, inhaling it like a whirlwind.

Sanji always cooked extra just for Luffy, knowing his appetite. If he made too much, Luffy would make sure nothing went to waste.

“Chopper, from now on all the injuries and illnesses are up to you!”

Usopp, the most accident-prone on the ship, raised his glass first, hoping to get on Chopper’s good side—after all, Chopper was the doctor now.

“Wh-what? No way! Idiot!”

Chopper fidgeted sheepishly atop a bench, his face flushed pink—half from the compliments, half from the alcohol.

As expected, Chopper was the first to get tipsy.

“Hey, Gin, come over here! You don’t need to watch the ship tonight.”

Ye Fan noticed Gin only eating and not drinking, and quickly gestured him over.

Every time there was a party, Gin never touched alcohol—he always stood guard and took care of the Going Merry.

But that wasn’t needed anymore. Ye Fan could sense the ship spirit, Merry, had awakened and could steer the ship just fine on its own.

It still couldn’t appear in physical form yet, but Ye Fan planned to help Merry become a true living being when the time was right.

…..

“Wow, what a massive sea!”

Early the next morning, with a clear head, Chopper threw open the door—the endless ocean stretched out before him.

His biggest dream was to become a pirate and sail. What had once been a distant fantasy was finally a reality.

“Ahahaha!”

“Of course! It’s called the Grand Sea for a reason!” Sitting in the best seat, Luffy tipped his hat back and grinned at the vast waters stretching away.

The sea wasn’t just Chopper’s dream—it was Luffy’s as well. He was on his way to becoming King of the Pirates.

The ship had been expanded by Ye Fan without the crew even noticing. Their sailing ship now had room for at least twenty people—plenty for everyone to have their own cabin.

“Alright, everyone! Enough playing around. We’re almost at Alabasta and need to come up with a proper plan.”

Nami and Vivi stepped out of the captain’s quarters, carrying a hand-drawn map of Alabasta.

Ye Fan, Usopp, Johnny and the others quickly put down their cards and walked over.

“Alabasta—is that the next island we’re heading to?” Chopper still didn’t know their next destination.

He may have been eager to be a pirate, but he’d never really lived the life yet.

“I heard Alabasta’s a desert kingdom,” Usopp piped up—he’d done his research, since he was the lookout after all.

And during Nami’s illness, it was Usopp who helped steer the ship!

Usopp dabbled in everything: medicine, navigation, tinkering with ship repairs—but his true talent was as a sniper.

“That’s right, it’s a desert kingdom. According to Vivi, Crocodile wants to take over the kingdom—and he’s one of the Seven Warlords.”

“The Seven Warlords, huh?” Zoro’s eyes lit up. After all, Hawk Eyes was one too, and he was so strong that Zoro couldn’t even imagine beating him before.

So now their next adversary would be another of the Warlords?

He couldn’t help but wonder—after all the training, could he finally stand his ground against Hawk Eyes…