TO THE SEA

A vibrant full-color version of the same celebratory group pose repeats the chapter title imagery. Luffy leaps joyfully in the middle with his anchor shirt and straw hat. Zoro grips his swords behind him. Usopp crouches low with a wide smile. Sanji stands coolly with cigarette in mouth. Nami and the rest of the gathered crew strike confident stances beneath the black pirate flag marked with a skull, all framed against a bright sky as they prepare to head out to sea.

Luffy sits at a table inside a building, dramatically choking with mouth stretched wide and sweat flying as large onomatopoeia "ドーン" and "ドーン" burst around him. The SFX reads "DO-N". Nami, seated across, holds up a fish skeleton and says, "IF YOU EAT A FISH, THIS IS WHAT USUALLY REMAINS". Sanji, with curly eyebrows and earrings, comments from the side, "IDIOT... IT'S BECAUSE YOUR THROAT ISN'T TRAINED ENOUGH TO HANDLE FISH BONES". Luffy recovers slightly, replying "PHEW... I GOT IT!". In the next panel the group stands to leave as a door opens with SFX "ガチャ... わい ガチャ ガチャ" (GACHYA...) and voices say "YOU'RE RIGHT" and "WE SHOULD GET GOING" "WELL, WE HAD OUR MEAL".

Inside the room, Usopp waves from his seat and calls out "HEY OJOLI-SAMA!". Kaya stands nearby and says "OH, SO THIS IS WHERE YOU GUYS ARE...". In close-up, Kaya smiles gently and explains, "USOPP-SAN ENCOURAGED ME" "I'VE BEEN SICK LIKE THIS FOR A YEAR" "EVER SINCE I LOST MY PARENTS THAT DAY...". She turns and firmly tells someone "NO" "DON'T YOU NEED TO STAY IN BEDI". Luffy suddenly pops up with a huge excited grin and shouts "A SHIP! YOU'RE GONNA GIVE US ONE". Kaya continues, "ANYWAY, I HEARD THAT YOU GUYS NEEDED A SHIP!" and smiles warmly, adding "THAT'S WHY I CAN'T BE SO WEAK NOW".

A quiet hillside path leads to a modest house. An axe rests in a stump beside neatly stacked logs. Inside the room, Usopp finishes stuffing a massive sack. "FINISHED!" he declares with relief, wiping sweat as "PHEW!" escapes him. His hands frantically tie the bulging bag shut amid strained grunts of "GAH GAH GAH...!" Finally he flops backward on the floor, arms spread, and announces with determination, "IT'S TIME TO SAY GOOD BYE TO THIS HOUSE...!"

Usopp, now crammed inside the overstuffed sack, desperately kicks and struggles at the doorway. "WHY CAN'T I GET OUTI!" he yells in panic. "DAMN!" he curses as the bag refuses to budge. His face twists in agony, sweat flying, while he forces the last items in amid frantic "ぎしぎしぎし!" sounds and "GAH!!!" gasps. Suddenly the sack rockets out the door, smashing through the wall. "WOAH!!" Usopp cries as the house shakes violently with a loud crash.

The sack tumbles through the air with a heavy "ドスン!!" impact and a distant scream of "GYAAAAAAA!!!" echoes from the forest. Usopp lies sprawled on the ground, the bag still strapped to him. "OUCH..." he groans weakly amid swirling "ぽん...!" and "ぽん..." sounds. Three children from the Usopp Pirates gather around. One says, "A GOOD ONE TO BOOT." Another remarks, "IT'S JUST A PRELUDE TO THE UPCOMING GREAT ADVENTURES." Usopp, still trapped, sweats and mutters, "THIS WON'T STOP ME..." while catching his breath with "FUH FUH FUH..."

A magnificent caravel rests on the shore, its figurehead a sheep-like creature with curled horns. A lone figure stands before the ship. In the foreground, Usopp and his friends stare in awe. "WOW" escapes one voice. A girl claps excitedly, exclaiming "A CARAVEL!" The earring-wearing man turns and says "HEY..." as seagulls wheel overhead and the sea sparkles under the sun.

Merry stands proudly before the group and gestures toward the newly built ship. "IT'S A CARAVEL AND IT USES A STAYSAIL... THE CONTROLS ARE IN THE BACK," he explains. "IT'S CALLED 'GOING-MERI'!" He adds, "I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU... IT'S SLIGHTLY OLD STYLE BUT I DESIGNED IT MYSELF." Usopp, Luffy, Kaya, and the others gather at the shore as the ship rests on the beach. Usopp reacts with surprise while Kaya smiles. Luffy's eyes sparkle as he shouts, "THIS IS A COOL SHIP!!" Merry continues explaining the vessel's features while the crew discusses its size and controls. A small dictionary note at the bottom defines a caravel as a light sailing ship used in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Luffy suddenly tumbles backward with a loud "WAAAAAHH!!" Usopp turns to Kaya and says, "THAT'S 'FOR GOING THROUGH ALL THIS TROUBLE'..." Kaya replies warmly, "THANKS FOR CAUSING ALL THIS TROUBLE! I HAD EVERYTHING YOU WOULD NEED FOR A VOYAGE LOADED ON TO THE SHIP." The scene shifts to a dramatic view of a massive cylindrical object hurtling down a wooden ramp toward the sea. Usopp, now inside the barrel-like contraption, yells desperately, "STOP ME PLEASE!!!" Kaya watches in shock from the side while the others stand frozen. She calls out, "USOPP-SAN!" as the object picks up speed with heavy sound effects.

Usopp's barrel vehicle crashes into the side of the Going Merry with a massive impact "ドスゥン!!" (DOSUUN!!). He mutters, "THANK... YOU..." and "NO PROB LEM" while being helped aboard. Kaya watches from the beach and asks softly, "USOPP-SAN...I SO YOU ARE GOING TO THE SEA..." Usopp, standing by the ship, replies, "IT REALLY MAKES ME SAD THOUGH. I WON'T... I'VE FIGURED THAT YOU MIGHT DO THIS. PLEASE DON'T STOP ME. I HAVE TO GO BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND. YEAH." The crew watches silently as the ship is prepared for launch.

Kaya smiles gently and says, "I LOOK FORWARD TO IT." Usopp grins widely and answers, "THANK YOU. I'LL TELL YOU ADVENTURE STORIES THAT ARE MORE UNBELIEVABLE THAN LIES. NEXT TIME I COME TO THIS VILLAGE." A man in a net hat appears and remarks, "SHEESH... YOU'RE SUCH A COLD HEARTED MAN... WE'RE BOTH GOING TO BE PIRATES NOW, SO WE MIGHT MEET AGAIN ON THE HIGH SEAS..." Usopp questions, "HUH, WHYI" From the deck of the Going Merry, someone calls out, "WELL, SAFE VOYAGE GUYS! HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN SOMEWHERE!" Zoro stands on the ship and shouts, "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT... HURRY UP AND GET ON BOARD!" as the crew prepares to depart.

Luffy leans forward with wide eyes and insists, "YOU'RE ALREADY OUR COMPANION, AREN'T YOU...I" A close-up shows a wide, shocked eye, followed by a tiny figure standing in the distance and another stunned face gasping "WHA...." On the beach beside the ship with the sheep figurehead, a curly-haired man shouts "NO WAY! I'M THE CAPTAIN!!" while a second figure runs forward yelling "I... I'M THE CAPTAIN RIGHT!I"

From a cliff overlooking the sea, the Usopp Pirates watch a distant ship. They discuss the captain's departure: "YEAH, I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE SO STRONG," "I FEEL SAFER," "BUT IF HE'S WITH THOSE PEOPLE... THERE GOES THE CAPTAIN..." The boys continue, "AND IT'S BECAUSE CAPTAIN... HE WAS PRETTY NOISY JUST BY HIMSELF," "IT'S SO SUDDEN...," "THE VILLAGERS WILL BE SAD WHEN WE TELL THEM THE NEWS," "WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT... HE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A PIRATE." One boy exclaims "WHATI" and Usopp suddenly brightens with "I HAVE AN IDEA!"

Merry stands with his back to Kaya, who sits beneath a tree and murmurs, "IT HURTS TO LIE DOESN'T IT..." A ship sails on the horizon as Merry whispers "MERI..." Kaya replies softly "NO..." Merry presses, "YOU MEAN ABOUT CLAHADORI" Kaya recalls, "I HEARD A STORY ABOUT HIM WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER, FROM THE VILLAGERS," while Merry asks "YOU ACTUALLY WANTED TO STOP USOPP-KUN...I" Kaya answers "OJOUSAMA..." and "IS IT THAT..."

Kaya continues the story: "I HEARD THAT THE DAY BEFORE HIS MOTHER DIED... HE ALSO LOST HIS MOTHER... RIGHT AFTER USOPP-KUN'S FATHER LEFT THIS VILLAGE... SHE WAS WEAK FROM AN ILLNESS, AND THE WORDS THAT CAME OUT OF HIM WERE..." Young Usopp bursts into his mother's room shouting "DAD'S PIRATE SHIP CAME!! HEY USOPP! YOU SHOULDN'T SCREAM!" as a pirate ship approaches the village. Villagers panic "THE PIRATES ARE HERE!" and "THE PIRATES ARE COMING!" Little Usopp beams at his bedridden mother, "HE SAID HE'LL TAKE US ALONG AS SOON AS YOU FEEL BETTER, MOM!!" while she lies pale. The final panel shows young Usopp crying with joy, "DAD CAME TO GET US!!"

In a dimly lit room, young Usopp sits beside his pale, bedridden mother Banchina. She speaks weakly, tears in her eyes: "I WISH I COULD SEE YOU WHEN YOU BECOME AS BRAVE AS HIM... BUT I'M PROUD THAT I MARRIED HIM. DAD ISN'T GOING TO COME HOME. DON'T SAY SOMETHING STUPID USOPP..." Usopp cries out desperately, "DON'T SPEAK LIKE YOU'RE GONNA DIE..." Banchina continues softly, "NOW, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME, I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO THE VILLAGERS AND... I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOU TALKING AS IF IT WERE YOUR LAST WORDS! THAT'S JUST A DREAM... OH SILLY CHILD..." Usopp's face lights up with excitement as he leans forward, eyes wide: "IT'S A LEGENDARY MEDICINE THAT CURES ANY KIND OF DISEASE, IT'S JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SEA...! DO... DO YOU KNOW THE STORY ABOUT THE MEDICINE!I" He bursts into a proud shout, tears streaming, "I'M THE SON OF A PIRATE!!! OF COURSE I HAVE DREAMS..."

Narration explains the villagers' view of Usopp's lies and his hope that his father's pirate ship would one day appear. A man with curly hair stands alone under trees, thinking of his lost love. The story continues with a close-up of the curly-haired man: "AS A GRATITUDE OF EVERYTHING HE HAS DONE FOR YOU... YOU WILL NEED TO BECOME STRONGER NOW... FOR HE TOO EXPERIENCED THAT LOSS IN THIS VILLAGE. HE PROBABLY COULDN'T LEAVE YOU ALONE AFTER YOU LOST YOUR PARENTS," he tells a long-haired woman. In the final panel, the woman smiles gently with closed eyes while the suited man in the background replies, "YES..."

On a ship deck, pirates raise mugs in celebration, shouting "CHEERS! TO A NEW SHIP AND A NEW CREW MEMBER!!" with large Japanese SFX "ガシャアアア" for the clinking impact. Below, the Usopp Pirates react in shock: "MERI... I... YES OJOUSAMAI" while the three kids yell "OF COURSE!! WE HAVE TO REALLY SUCCEED THE CAPTAIN! ARE WE REALLY GOING TO DO ITI LET'S GO!!" The scene shifts to Syrup Village where Usopp and his friends run through the street shouting "THE PIRATES ARE HERE!!" A sign reads "OH, THAT IS A GOOD GOAL!" as narration echoes "THE PIRATES ARE HERE!!" and a small box states "I'M GOING TO BECOME A DOCTOR..."

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