Soon, the Straw Hats and Gojo, aboard the Going Merry—which was moving on its own—left Enies Lobby behind. The ship creaked softly as it cut through the waves. As for the Franky Family and the Galley-La Company, they boarded Rocketman along with the sea beasts of the Franky Family, heading back toward Water 7 together.
Gojo found himself a place on the ship, settling casually on the stairs. He leaned back slightly, eyes closed beneath his blindfold, simply resting as the sea breeze brushed past him. For a brief moment, everything felt… quiet.
Footsteps approached.
Robin came to him, her presence calm yet heavy with unspoken emotion. She stopped a short distance away and said, "Thank you very much again for saving me—and also for what you have done for all of us by destroying the Buster Call."
Gojo didn't open his eyes immediately. A faint exhale left him before he spoke.
"You don't have to thank me," he said plainly. "I challenged the Buster Call just to test my limits. And I came to Enies Lobby in the first place because of a challenge." He shifted slightly against the wooden step. "So you don't have to thank me. I did not specifically come here to help you all."
A small pause followed, the sound of waves filling the silence between them.
Then he continued, his tone unchanged.
"As for your fear of the Buster Call… I can only say this much: the truly strong do not fear numbers." His voice remained steady, almost indifferent. "This Buster Call is just a mere number. With my strength, I just destroyed a Buster Call. So can you if you have sufficient strength."
He finally opened his eyes and looked directly at Robin through his blindfold.
"You just have to reach the strength that I have," he added. "And you won't have to fear the Buster Call."
A faint breeze passed between them, carrying the scent of salt and ash.
"That is all I can say about your fear of the Buster Call."
After hearing Gojo's words, Robin smiled softly and gave a small nod toward him. Of course she understood—how could she not? With enough strength, something like a Buster Call meant nothing to the truly strong. And yet… the trauma she had endured, the one carved into her very childhood, was not something that could simply disappear.
Still, his words lingered.
I can become stronger…
Yes—if she grew stronger, she could stand beside them, support her crew—her pirate crew, the Straw Hats—and never again fear something like a Buster Call.
…
The Going Merry sailed on, cutting steadily through the sea, reaching somewhere around midway to Water 7. The waves were calmer now, the sky open above them.
Gojo sat where he was, still resting, eyes closed beneath his blindfold.
Then—without warning—his eyes opened beneath the cloth.
"Be careful," he said calmly, his voice cutting through the quiet. "The ship is going to break."
The words had barely settled in the air—
CRACK.
A deep, splintering sound echoed through the ship.
In the next instant, the Going Merry split.
Its front and back ends lurched apart as a massive crack tore through the middle, wood groaning as if crying out. The deck tilted unevenly, fragments shifting as the ship gave in to the damage it had carried for far too long.
Yet, strangely—
None of the Straw Hats were truly surprised.
They had known.
The fact that the Going Merry had carried them this far… that alone was already a miracle. Its hull had long been broken, barely holding itself together. It wasn't sudden—it was inevitable. The ship had simply reached its limit.
A heavy silence followed.
And then… came something Gojo usually disliked.
Emotional scenes.
He remained where he was for a moment, watching as things unfolded—but even he couldn't remain untouched by what came next.
They evacuated on two dinghies, moving away from the broken remains of the Going Merry, the distance between them growing with each passing second. The sea swayed gently beneath them, carrying them just far enough.
And then—
They heard her.
The Going Merry spoke.
Her voice, soft yet clear, reached them across the water. She spoke to each of them—her words filled with warmth, with gratitude. She told them how much she had enjoyed the journey… how happy she had been to sail with them.
She thanked them—for their trust.
For their love.
The faint creaking of wood blended with her voice, like a final lullaby carried by the sea breeze.
Even Gojo watched in silence.
Finally, the Straw Hats decided—Luffy decided—that he could not let the Going Merry sink and disappear into the depths of the sea, lost somewhere in the dark, unreachable forever. He wouldn't allow her to be buried like that.
So, he made a decision.
They would give her a proper farewell.
A funeral.
A Viking funeral.
Out on the open sea, under the wide sky, the Going Merry was set aflame by Luffy. The fire slowly spread across her worn wood, crackling softly at first, then growing stronger, brighter. The flames reflected on the water's surface, dancing with the waves as smoke rose into the sky.
It was not destruction.
It was a send-off.
A farewell worthy of a companion who had carried them through everything.
They watched in silence as the fire consumed her, the warmth of it reaching even across the distance. The sound of burning wood mixed with the quiet sea, and for a moment, time itself felt still.
And then… it was over.
After the funeral, as if arriving right on time, the people of the Galley-La Company from Water 7 appeared aboard their ship, Iceberg with them. The Straw Hats and Gojo boarded it, exhaustion weighing heavily on all of them, and began their journey back to Water 7.
A few hours later, they arrived.
Dawn had already broken—the soft light of morning spreading across the city. The Aqua Laguna had fully receded, leaving behind calm waters that gently rocked the ship as it docked. The chaos of before was gone, replaced by an almost peaceful stillness.
Gojo stepped forward slightly and said, "I'm exhausted and need some rest, so I'm heading back to my hotel room."
No one objected.
All of them were exhausted beyond measure. There was no thought of celebration—only rest.
Without wasting another moment, Gojo left, heading back toward his hotel. The streets of Water 7 were quieter than usual, the aftermath of Aqua Laguna still lingered. When he arrived, the manager quickly arranged a new room for him.
He didn't waste time.
He entered, lay down—and sleep took him almost instantly.
…
Gojo slept until noon.
When he woke up, he felt refreshed… but not completely. There was still a lingering heaviness in his body.
Still not fully recovered…
Without overthinking it, he headed out for food.
He had a lavish lunch—plates filled one after another. Meat, in large portions, rich and satisfying. He ate until he was completely full, the kind of meal that grounded him back into his body.
Only then did he feel somewhat better.
Gojo decided to take things slow.
He would rest for a few days—recover completely.
"And by then… my ship should also be ready," he thought to himself.
For almost three days, Gojo did nothing but rest, eat, and recover, letting his body return to its peak condition.
Then, finally—
He went to the Galley-La Company's shipyard.
The scent of wood and seawater filled the air as workers moved about, the sound of tools echoing faintly in the background. Gojo walked in and asked if his ship was ready.
Iceburg met him.
"Yes," Iceburg said, his voice steady. "Your ship is ready. I have carefully followed your preferences and made proper changes accordingly."
Gojo stepped forward and looked at his ship.
It stood there, gently swaying with the water, its structure firm yet elegant. The body of the ship was mostly brown, polished wood catching the morning light, giving it a quiet, refined presence.
Then his gaze shifted upward.
To the figurehead.
It was… his own face.
For a brief moment, Gojo just stared at it, a faint crease forming on his expression.
Iceburg spoke immediately, as if expecting that reaction.
"I was expecting you to react like this after seeing your figurehead on the ship. After all, on most ships, people choose figureheads of mythical gods or powerful beasts—tigers, lions, dragons… something that represents strength."
He gestured toward the front.
"But in your case, I chose your own head."
A light breeze passed through the shipyard.
"This signifies that you trust yourself the most… and that you consider yourself the strongest. So, to represent that, I placed your own head as the figurehead."
He looked at Gojo directly.
"I hope you like it."
Gojo kept his eyes on the figurehead for a moment longer.
…Yeah, that does sound like me.
After obtaining Limitless—and being a fan of Gojo himself—there was no denying it. He had grown arrogant. Not blindly, but knowingly. He trusted his own strength above everything else, and even the way he spoke reflected that.
A small smile formed on his face.
"Well," Gojo said, relaxed, "you did very good."
He glanced once more at the figurehead, then back at Iceburg.
"I like it."
----
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