Chapter 414: The Spirit of the Merry

“What on earth is going on?” Usopp noticed that Robin seemed to know who this boy was and couldn’t help but ask.

His gaze kept darting between Robin and Ye Fan, as if searching for some hidden clue.

Robin’s surprise lasted only a moment. In the next instant she was back to her gentle, big-sister self. She walked gracefully to the table in the middle of the deck and sat down, her voice calm and unhurried.

“This is a legend that’s spread far and wide across the sea.”

“They say only those who truly love and care for their ship can see this mythical being.”

“He dwells on this ship, always wearing a raincoat. When disaster looms he’ll appear on deck, racing in all four directions.”

“This mysterious legend is about none other than the spirit of the ship.”

The moment Robin finished, Luffy, Usopp and Chopper’s jaws dropped, their chins nearly touching the deck. “A spirit?”

“So you’re saying… this guy is the embodiment of the Going Merry?”

“Doesn’t that mean he’s one of us now, Luffy?” Zoro asked, getting straight to the point.

To him, everything boiled down to whether something was a fight or not.

When Ye Fan brought out the one rumored to be the ship’s spirit from the cabin, Zoro instantly felt a sense of kinship. It was so strong he couldn’t even imagine wanting to fight the Merry.

He never expected to actually encounter such a legendary creature right before his eyes.

He finally understood why, when he first saw Merry, he had no urge to fight.

“Sugoi!!!”

“Ahahaha!!!”

“A ship spirit, huh?”

“Sanji! Get a feast ready and welcome our new crew member.” Luffy pressed his right hand to his straw hat and flashed a wide grin. He was more mature than ever.

Now that everyone knew this little guy was the living incarnation of the Going Merry, no one was happier than Usopp.

After all, the Merry hailed from his hometown and carried with it a piece of his feelings for Kaya.

“Hey, you’re called the ship spirit, right? Do you have your own name?” Once Usopp snapped out of his daze, he hurried to Ye Fan’s side, took the ship spirit’s tiny hand and led him to the middle of the deck. Luffy and Chopper quickly moved in to surround them.

Nami dropped off her new clothes in the cabin, then came right back out, quizzing the ship spirit about everything under the sun.

For Nami, whose dream was to chart every inch of the sea on a single map, meeting a living legend like the ship spirit was something straight out of a storybook.

“Another crew member, seriously? I’m going to need some help, you know.” Sanji grumbled when he saw everyone flocking to the ship spirit.

“I can help out.” Gin’s voice rang from the kitchen doorway.

If not for Sanji’s kindness back then, Gin would have starved—he’d never have made it to the New World.

With more and more crew aboard, Sanji needed to keep huge stores of food. Doing it all himself was starting to get tough.

He’d been desperate for an assistant, but as head chef, he never felt comfortable asking for one.

He wasn’t expecting Gin to volunteer just because he muttered a quick complaint.

“Alright then, let’s put together a banquet fit for a king!”

Sanji nodded, leading the way into the kitchen with Gin right at his heels.

Since they still hadn’t figured out a way to reach Skypiea, the ship was anchored for now.

“I heard we need to ride a Knock Up Stream to get to Skypiea. But is this ship really tough enough to handle it?” As everyone played on deck, Robin drifted over to Ye Fan.

Since the ship had been expanded, the deck was dotted with several big sun umbrellas. Underneath were a round table and a bunch of benches—just right for everyone to relax.

“That’s right. The only way to Skypiea from this stretch of the Grand Line is by riding the Knock Up Stream.”

“Don’t worry about the ship’s strength. I’ve reinforced it myself. Even though the Merry’s made of wood, it’s just as tough as steel now.”

Ye Fan’s right index finger darkened to black for a moment and tapped the table, producing a crisp, metallic clang.

The change had happened so gradually, nobody realized the Merry was as strong as steel now.

Maybe only Zoro was sharp enough to notice first.

“Mr. Ye Fan, you really have some incredible abilities.”

Robin was caught off guard by Ye Fan’s little demonstration. She hadn’t even noticed the ship’s toughness despite being part of the Straw Hats for so long.

“Still, I get the feeling you’re itching to do something, Mr. Ye Fan.”

“Would you tell me what it is?”

Robin was filled with suspicion about Ye Fan’s arrival and everything he’d done.

From what she’d gathered, Ye Fan had been the earliest to join the Straw Hats. Some crew members secretly thought he was the de facto first mate. But everything he did was shrouded in mystery.

His strength was unpredictable, sometimes impressive, sometimes average. Right from the start, he’d draw with rookies, and even on the Grand Line, no matter who he faced, it was always a toss-up.

In her memory, even Gin, who was only a trainee, sometimes seemed stronger than Ye Fan.

Then there was that mysterious potion that could boost strength. At the time, she hadn’t thought much about it, but something clicked later.

There was a rumor swirling around the New World’s black markets about a mysterious pill—no one really knew where it originated.

Supposedly, anyone—no matter how weak—could reach rear admiral-level power just by taking one.

But a single pill went for over a billion Berries, if you could even find one. Sometimes, a Four Emperor would have one or two stashed away.

Because these pills were almost impossible to get, Robin hadn’t immediately connected Ye Fan’s potion with the infamous black market pill.

She only noticed after a few rounds that Ye Fan never drank the potion with the rest of the crew.

According to Ye Fan, he’d already taken his dose while mixing it. That excuse fooled Luffy and the others, but Robin wasn’t convinced.

With such a friendly vibe on the ship, you’d expect Ye Fan to share with everyone. Her discovery led to a startling guess—maybe Ye Fan was already so strong he didn’t need the potion.

Through careful hints, she found out Ye Fan hadn’t used the potion in front of anyone since leaving with Luffy. She couldn’t imagine why such a powerful man would willingly stick around with the crew.

“I’ve got no secret plans—just curious to see what a new era is like.” Ye Fan spread his hands.

There’s no way he’d tell anyone he was some old monster who’s lived decades and is planning his next big move.

Please, everyone’s an adult here.

Ye Fan wasn’t going to spill his plans just because Robin asked a few pointed questions.

Robin realized she was getting nowhere with Ye Fan and started to ask more.

But Ye Fan stood up from his bench, headed back to the cabin and didn’t give her the chance. “Even if you won’t talk now, I think the truth will come out soon enough.”