One Piece: The Cryo Doctor on the Straw Hat Ship

"La...bu..."

Brooke's voice was as soft as a breeze, as if afraid of disturbing this long-awaited dream. In his empty eye sockets, the fire of his soul began to flicker and dance violently.

Fifty years of lonely drifting, fifty years of life-or-death struggle, fifty years of promises and waiting...

A multitude of complex emotions overwhelmed his remaining composure at that moment.

"It really is you... You're still alive... Thank goodness... Really... Thank goodness..."

Brooke's voice choked with emotion.

Although he had no tear ducts, the surging emotions made the fire of his soul tremble and burn as if it were immersed in scalding spring water.

He walked step by step toward the water's edge, toward the island whale that was eagerly peering toward him.

Labu let out a long, trembling whale cry.

The voice was no longer the lively and cheerful one of the past, but carried a deep and profound sadness and relief.

Its enormous eyes stared unblinkingly at the skeleton approaching it, at the familiar top hat, the tattered yet still elegant dress, and the two blue flames burning fiercely in the morning light.

It recognized it.

Even though its body had turned to bones, even though half a century had passed... it still recognized the musician who had parted ways with it at Twin Capes, smiling and promising to "come back after circling the world".

"Awooo~!!!!"

A sharp cry suddenly came from Lab's mouth.

Lab gently placed the enormous head on the shore, lowering its body as much as possible so that Brooke could touch it.

Its eyes quickly filled with tears, and glistening droplets slid down the grooves of its skin, hitting the ground and spreading a dark patch.

“I’m sorry… Rab…” Brooke lowered her head.

"I...we failed to keep our promise...everyone in the Rumbar Pirates...I'm all...left..."

"We were attacked in the Devil's Triangle... Everyone was infected with a deadly toxin... The captain's last order was for my body, which had eaten the Fruit of the Dead, to survive alone and carry on the voyage with the will of the others... But I... I got lost here for decades... I made you wait so long... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

He apologized again and again, as if he wanted to express all the apologies of the Rumbar Pirates at once.

Rab let out a long, mournful cry.

It gently nuzzled Brook's body, and tears welled up even more fiercely in its huge eyes.

There was no blame, no anger, only the ecstasy of reunion and the deep heartache upon learning the truth.

In this way, it tells Brooke: It's okay, you're back, that's enough.

Watching the whale and the skeleton reunite after half a century, and seeing them express their fifty years of longing and waiting with tears and touch, the Straw Hat crew on the shore already had tears in their eyes.

It showed no blame, no anger, only the ecstasy of reunion and the deep heartache of learning the truth. In this way, it told Brooke: It's okay, you're back, and that's enough.

"Waaaaah... This is so touching..."

"Fifty years... Raab waited for fifty years... Brook searched for fifty years... They were finally reunited..."

"That's great...that's really great..."

The three of them were shouting themselves hoarse.

Anyone who didn't know better would think the three of them were having a long-awaited reunion.

"Hey, you guys... do you have to get so worked up?"

Nami sighed speechlessly. The slight feeling of being touched that had just arisen was instantly ruined by the three of them's ridiculous behavior.

The sunlight bathed the harbor completely, casting a warm golden glow on the embracing whale and skull, the three straw hats weeping together, and every other deeply moved companion around them.

After fifty years of waiting and wandering, the most perfect ending has finally arrived.

……

……

"So... the first cooperation meeting between the Straw Hat Pirates and the Moonlight Pirates officially begins."

Inside the makeshift meeting room, V stood at the podium, with Luffy and the Straw Hat crew on his left and the remaining three members of the Moonlight Pirates on his right, their faces showing tension.

Directly opposite V is Ace, who has fully recovered.

His previous defeat made him appear unusually somber; he sat there like a statue, not uttering a single word.

After a day of rest, Moria and the other two had come to terms with reality.

This meeting, ostensibly to discuss the future direction of both sides, was actually a briefing on Moria and others' follow-up work.

All three have now undergone V's modification surgery.

Although V only replaced their hearts with prosthetics and, due to limited funds, casually added a demon badge to their outfits...

However, the fact that they possessed two Devil Fruit abilities at the same time still greatly shocked the three of them with the Straw Hat Pirates' methods.

"This is my reconstruction blueprint for the horror ship."

As soon as V began to speak, the entire conference room fell silent.

On the conference table, a slowly rotating 3D projection of an island floats in mid-air.

The island's outline still resembles a terrifying three-masted ship, but the scenery within has nothing to do with the word "terrifying."

The cold, impersonal buildings are arranged in a staggered, orderly fashion, with sharp lines and a layout as precise as a chessboard.

Towering factory buildings, streamlined warehousing facilities, and an orderly network of passageways...

The entire island's planning resembles a massive and efficient assembly line, operating silently with a chilling order in the miniature projection.

"This is……"

Robin stared at the projection, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

As the former vice president of the Baroque Workshop, she was familiar with the style of some of the buildings.

She looked up at V, who was standing in the main seat, and met his slightly upturned lips behind his glasses.

"It seems someone has already guessed it." V's voice carried a hint of approval.

He extended his finger and gently flicked the projector, causing the image to zoom in and focus on the core area of ​​the island:

There are several giant, fully enclosed workshops, surrounded by multiple layers of protection and detection arrays, with the outline of a drone take-off and landing platform faintly visible on the top.

“That’s right,” V said solemnly, his gaze sweeping across both sides of the conference table. “I’m going to turn this place into the second Straw Hat base.”

His eyes gleamed with a deep blue light: "Compared to the Alabasta base, which can be freely exposed to the sun, here..."

"It is even more suitable to become the production base for our core weapons!"

"I want to transform this place into an arsenal lurking in the mist."

Chapter 135 Negotiations Continue (Seeking monthly votes~)

Goodbye, Ace!

"Don't let yourself get beaten again next time!"

In the harbor of the terrifying three-masted ship, as the waves washed over it, the shore, which seemed to be shrouded in thick fog, gradually revealed the fresh fragrance of earth.

The Straw Hat crew gathered at the harbor to say goodbye to Ace, who was about to leave.

Luffy stood at the front, a bright smile on his face beneath his straw hat, "Don't let anyone defeat you again next time!"

Ace paused for a moment, then gave a wry smile.

He raised his hand and pressed down on the brim of his hat, his flame-tattooed arm gleaming in the sunlight.

Having experienced the battle with Blackbeard, his arrogance had diminished considerably, replaced by a calm and composed demeanor.

"Don't worry, Luffy," Ace's voice was calm and firm. "I won't make the same mistake twice."

His gaze swept over each member of the Straw Hat crew, finally settling on V.

"Thank you so much this time." Ace took a deep breath and said solemnly, "You not only saved me, but also helped the Whitebeard Pirates solve a big problem."

"As for those things you mentioned, V..."

“I will talk to my dad, and I believe he won’t reject your suggestion.”

"In that case, I'll be waiting for your good news." V smiled gently.

bake!

A raging inferno suddenly burst forth, and Ace channeled it into the speedboat's power system.

The small boat, which can only carry one person, moves slowly, then suddenly accelerates, leaving a long, thin white wave in its wake.

"See you in the New World, Luffy, V, and everyone!"

Luffy grinned and then shouted towards the shore:

"Don't worry! We'll be there soon!"

As Ace's figure completely disappeared at the horizon, the Straw Hat crew members had different expressions.

Ace's departure is not just a simple farewell, but also symbolizes the Straw Hat Pirates embarking on a new journey.

If all goes well, they will have already established themselves before even entering the new world.

After all, Whitebeard couldn't possibly refuse to repay the favor of saving Ace and defeating Blackbeard, even if the Straw Hat crew didn't want it.

With the support of one of the Four Emperors, the Straw Hat crew's future is destined to be both smooth sailing and full of challenges.

After a moment of silence, V spoke first, her voice breaking the slightly heavy atmosphere:

"Alright, it's almost time."

He turned around and looked at his companions behind him: "We should go back and meet the Going Merry, and then continue our adventure."

These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.

"That's right!" Luffy clapped his hands, his eyes lighting up. "The Going Merry is still waiting for us on Jaya Island!"

“Speaking of which…” Usopp rubbed his long nose, “It’s been a while since we left. I wonder how the Going Merry is doing now.”

Despite receiving messages from Bucky through their brains every day, they all felt somewhat guilty about leaving the Merry alone on Gaya Island.

"Let's not delay, let's get going!"