Luffy, how can you become the Pirate King if you don't work hard!

"In terms of vision, the crew members that Luffy has chosen all have some kind of ability or a firm dream."

Vivi blinked, wondering if Nami had misunderstood her. The reliance she mentioned wasn't just about work.

But seeing that Nami seemed to have opened up, Vivi chose to listen quietly, her body gently floating in the water.

With a splash, Nami raised her pale arm, stirring the hot water in the bathtub, creating ripples. She continued, "We've come together for various reasons, and Luffy, as our captain, is the core of our unity..."

At this point, Nami suddenly realized and stopped. How did the conversation end up back on that rubber idiot again?

She shook her head, her wet hair clinging to her cheeks, and then brought up another matter that also concerned her: "But Vivi, do you think we're becoming too reliant on Luffy?"

“I think so too,” Vivi echoed softly.

A powerful enemy like Enel should naturally be left to Luffy to deal with.

Enel's subordinates were then led by Zoro and Sanji.

They seemed used to Luffy being at the forefront, bearing the greatest pressure and risks.

However, in the more intense battles that may come in the future, it would be best if they also possessed the ability to protect themselves or even participate in the battle, so as not to distract or worry Luffy.

"So after you ate the Wind-Wind Fruit, you no longer looked so worried."

Nami turned to look at Vivi. With a splash, half of her body emerged from the water, leaning against the edge of the bathtub. Water droplets rolled down her smooth skin as she laughed and said, "Otherwise, after leaving Alabasta, you really did look like a princess we kidnapped."

Vivi: "Was I that obvious?"

“You forgot that Luffy is the most sensitive to emotions. He’s asked me several times if something happened to you,” Nami said.

Weiwei called out softly, leaned against the edge of the bathtub, hugged her slightly curled knees with both arms, and slowly sank down until the warm water covered her shoulders, revealing only her delicate little face flushed red.

That was indeed one of her ideas.

Gaining power means being able to better protect oneself and also be able to help others in critical moments.

She had been troubled by not having a suitable niche for herself.

Luffy, of course, had no idea what profound topics Nami and Vivi had discussed in the bathroom.

After changing his clothes, he placed the heavy golden stone tablet in a corner of the deck.

The golden stone tablet, though its size had been reduced to three meters, still looked quite out of place on the deck of the Going Merry.

The thing I called Nika over earlier was whether it was possible to use my abilities to turn the golden stone tablet into rubber, which is better preserved.

However, the power of awakening cannot permanently change the nature of an object. At least, that's true for the Gum-Gum Fruit.

"As expected, it's time to put changing ships on the agenda."

Looking at this huge golden stone monument, Luffy realized more clearly that as his crew grew and the adventures became more dangerous, the Going Merry, the small boat that originally carried their dreams, was beginning to show its limitations in many ways.

He had seen the navy's giant warships.

Compared to such a steel behemoth, the Merry was like a fragile little boat, completely outclassed in terms of firepower, defense, and carrying capacity.

Sailing at sea is full of unknowns and dangers, and as the captain, he must consider the safety of his crew members even more.

So, after Nami and Vivi came out of the bathroom looking refreshed and changed into dry clothes, Luffy asked them to gather everyone together.

He has something important to announce.

morning.

On the Going Merry.

Usopp and Sanji were the first to return.

"Are we leaving so soon?"

Usopp and Sanji were both carrying huge packages. Sanji's package contained various local delicacies from Skypiea, while Usopp brought back several large baskets of shellfish he had purchased on Skypiea.

Usopp excitedly showed Luffy his spoils:

"Luffy, come quick! This is a Wind Shell, it can store wind energy; this is a Light Shell, we won't have to worry about lighting at night! And these too..."

There are all sorts of different kinds of shells. Unlike Zoro, Usopp isn't strong enough to withstand impact shells directly. Since he doesn't have a Devil Fruit, he naturally needs various gadgets.

Luffy curiously picked up a shell and played with it, feeling the amazing impact it contained.

"Not bad, Usopp. How much did these cost?"

Upon hearing this, Usopp's smug expression froze. He scratched his long nose somewhat embarrassedly and said cautiously, "It's quite expensive. I've spent all ten million Berries that Nami gave me."

After saying that, he darted behind Luffy's broad back, only peeking out half his head, nervously observing Nami's reaction, afraid that he would be sent flying into the sky by Nami's iron fist at any moment.

However, unexpectedly, Nami simply squatted down with Vivi, carefully examining and organizing the Sky Island Shells with their various functions. Instead of showing anger, she exuded a kind of composure born of wealth.

"Alright, stop hiding."

She looked up, glanced at Usopp hiding behind Luffy, waved her hand and said, "As long as these Berries are really as useful as you say, spending ten million Berries is worthwhile."

After all, they are now super-rich people with tens of thousands of tons of gold, so they really don't need to worry about money for the time being.

Short of money?

Just knock down some gold and sell it.

According to Nami.

We've never fought such a lucrative war before!

Usopp could hardly believe his ears. Nami hadn't gotten angry at all?

He tentatively stepped out from behind Luffy, and only after confirming that Nami was truly in a good mood did he breathe a long sigh of relief.

Not long after, the Shandians kept their promise and mobilized nearly a hundred strong warriors to carry the other huge stone tablet, which had been tempered and compressed with tens of thousands of tons of gold, steadily to the side of the Going Merry.

Then Luffy used the properties of the Gum-Gum Fruit to place it on the other side of the deck.

Logically speaking, with such a terrifying weight pressing down on the Merry, the small boat should have been overwhelmed and even broken apart long ago.

However, when the golden stone landed steadily on the deck, the Merry only sank slightly, making a few soft creaking sounds before regaining its stability. There was no noticeable change in the waterline, and the voyage seemed completely unaffected.

Chapter 171 The Straw Hat Pirates' First Formal Meeting

This was naturally thanks to the ship spirit Merry.

Her small body contains a mysterious power closely related to the ship, capable of influencing its very nature to some extent.

Zoro, eager to get started, began practicing his strikes in front of the newly arrived golden stone tablet, sweating profusely.

Fists, elbows, and knees took turns striking, producing dull thuds.

He even tried to chop the stone tablet with Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu, but the sharp blades could only leave shallow white marks on it and could not cut through it at all.

"Phew, this thing really is a natural training tool." Zoro sheathed his sword and exclaimed in admiration.

Sanji lit a cigarette, leaned against the ship's railing, and frowned as he looked at the two extremely ostentatious golden monuments on the deck.

"Hey Luffy, isn't it a bit too conspicuous to have two big guys like that on the deck?"

Aren't the vast majority of pirates sailing the seas for money?

These two enormous golden stone tablets standing here seem to be telling those pirates, "We're rich!"

It's practically a pirate trap.

Before they even reach Water 7, they'll probably be targeted by countless pirates drawn by the scent of gold.

Moreover, if those opportunistic guys in the navy see it, it will cause quite a bit of trouble.

Luffy nodded; this was precisely why he had gathered everyone together. He stood between the two golden stone tablets, clapped his hands, and attracted everyone's attention:

"Listen up, everyone! I've decided to build a new ship!"

Upon hearing this, Usopp was the first to jump up, his face filled with shock and disbelief.

"Hey, Luffy, you're not kidding, are you?"

"Of course not, the captain's word is law."

Luffy, are you going to abandon the Going Merry?

The words were left unsaid.

For Usopp, the Going Merry is not just a ship, but a precious gift from Kaya, a home that holds all their memories from their journey from the East Blue to the present.

However, when he saw Little Merry sitting quietly on Luffy's shoulder, her little hands tightly gripping Luffy's straw hat, her face not showing the sadness of being abandoned, but rather a look of tension and anticipation, Usopp's words stopped abruptly.

He realized that things might not be as he thought.

"Usopp, you've grown up."

Sanji and Zoro both looked like they were planning to restrain the unruly Usopp.

They can be carefree and cheerful most of the time.

However, there is only one person who truly gives orders on a ship, and that person is the captain.

According to Zoro, this is not a game of pirates; everything must be done under the captain's decision.

"So what exactly are you thinking, Luffy?"

“Build a bigger new ship, strong and spacious enough to house our Merry. Let the Merry stay on the new ship and continue our adventures with it!”

Luffy shared his thoughts.

Pirates changing ships is a very common occurrence.

On the contrary, not changing ships is irresponsible towards the lives of the crew and oneself.

Luffy looked around at his crew and earnestly shared his thoughts: "As you can see, we have more and more crew members, and our future adventures will definitely involve stronger enemies and harsher weather."

"The Going Merry is wonderful, it's our first home! But its size is definitely a disadvantage. If it's severely damaged in battle, or encounters huge waves, not only will the Going Merry be in danger, but it would be even more troublesome for us ability users to fall into the sea!"

As the ship's navigator, he consulted the logbook and Nami's nautical charts; the next island was Water Seven, known as the shipbuilding capital.

There are the world's best shipbuilders there!

With so much gold, they could easily build a top-tier ship. Moreover, they have always cherished the Merry, so the ship certainly has the foundation for its voyage. Perhaps they could even modify and upgrade it to make it even better.

Luffy had assumed that Usopp, who treasured the Going Merry, would be the most opposed, but Usopp shrugged and said in an unexpectedly calm tone, "I see. Well, it's the captain's decision."