One Piece: The Deadly

Morning on the Thousand Sunny was as lively as ever. The crew was bustling with activity, each member tackling their duties—or, in some cases, goofing off.

Franky, wiping his hands on a greasy rag, announced, "Alright, crew! I'm building a new room for Kikidori! Gotta make sure our little buddy has his own space!"

"That's so kind of you, Franky!" Chopper said, his eyes sparkling with admiration. "You're such a great shipwright!"

"Super great!" Franky declared, striking his signature pose.

Meanwhile, Kikidori, still full of youthful energy, was wandering the deck when something small and fluttery caught his eye. A butterfly, its wings shimmering in hues of blue and gold, danced lazily through the air.

"Ooooh!" Kikidori exclaimed, pointing at it.

"Whoa, a butterfly!" Chopper said, his tiny hooves clattering as he ran over to Kikidori.

"Let's catch it!" Kikidori said, already chasing after it.

Usopp, overhearing the commotion, leaned against the mast with a smirk. "A butterfly, huh? Easy. Watch the Great Usopp catch it in no time!"

As if on cue, Luffy appeared out of nowhere, his grin stretching as wide as his face. "You're chasing something? Count me in!"

The four of them—Kikidori, Chopper, Usopp, and Luffy—darted around the deck in pursuit of the butterfly. Kikidori leapt onto a barrel, his shinai in hand, swiping at the insect but missing by inches.

"Careful, Kikidori!" Chopper called out, giggling.

The butterfly fluttered higher, and Luffy stretched his arm upward, shouting, "Gomu Gomu no Grab!" But the butterfly veered off, dodging Luffy's outstretched hand effortlessly.

Usopp groaned. "It's just a butterfly! Why is this so hard?!"

"It's not just any butterfly," Kikidori said, his eyes locked on the creature. "It's *the* butterfly!"

"What does that even mean?!" Usopp yelled, flailing his arms.

The chase continued across the Sunny. Kikidori climbed onto the railings, Chopper tumbled into a pile of crates, and Luffy accidentally stretched too far, crashing headfirst into the mast.

Nami watched from the helm, sighing in exasperation. "They're going to destroy the ship."

Robin, sitting calmly with her book, smiled softly. "They're just having fun."

As the chaos unfolded, Franky worked diligently on Kikidori's new room. He measured beams, hammered nails, and occasionally struck a pose for no one in particular. "This room is gonna be SUPER awesome!" he declared to himself.

Finally, the butterfly landed on the tip of the Sunny's figurehead, its delicate wings fluttering gently. Kikidori, panting and slightly sweaty, approached it slowly.

"I've got it…" Kikidori whispered, inching closer.

But just as he reached out, the butterfly took off again, disappearing into the horizon.

"Aw, man!" Kikidori said, dropping to his knees.

"We almost had it!" Chopper pouted.

"Eh, it was just a dumb butterfly," Usopp said, trying to sound indifferent even though he was clearly disappointed.

Luffy, lying flat on his back with a goofy grin, laughed. "That was fun!"

The four of them collapsed onto the deck, laughing and catching their breath. Kikidori couldn't help but feel grateful. Sure, they didn't catch the butterfly, but he'd had more fun in one morning than he'd had in years.

Franky, wiping sweat from his brow, called out, "Hey, Kikidori! Your room's almost done. Just needs a few finishing touches!"

Kikidori's face lit up. "Really? Thanks, Franky!"

"Anything for the crew, kid!" Franky replied with a thumbs-up.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, the crew's laughter echoed across the open sea, another day of adventure and camaraderie aboard the Thousand Sunny.

End of Chapter 7