The Return Of Joyboy!

The salty breeze curled around the edge of the lighthouse, fluttering the ends of Kokoro's coat as she puffed calmly from her long, oddly bent pipe. Her eyes, a little faded with age but still sharp, crinkled at the corners as she watched the Strawhat pirates chatter excitedly on the dock with her granddaughter. They were loud, clumsy, full of spark and life–exactly the kind of pirates the sea lovingly welcomed in her embrace. Particularly, the kid in strawhat–Monkey D. Luffy, a pirate worth 200 million belli–who was smiling with the kind of joy that lit up the sky itself. 

Bright, unapologetic and unadulterated. 

The kind that made something stir gently in her chest. A warmth that she hadn't felt in years. After all, it was rare, these days, to see anyone look at the world like that. 

"Ohh, so you lot are headin' to Water Seven, are ye?" Kokoro rasped with a toothy grin, remembering that she had asked them this prior, as she stepped down onto the creaky dock. Her footsteps were steady despite the drinks always in her system. "Heh.. that place lives up to its name, true as day–City of Water. Whole damn island floats on canals. Rivers instead of roads, ain't another city like it anywhere else." 

Luffy, the little captain, grinned widely as if someone had gifted him the moon and stars itself. "Shishishi! That sounds fun~!" 

"Hnkakakaka! More than fun! That city's got the finest ship factories in the world," she said proudly, pulling her coat a little tighter against the playful winds. "Every hull they build, every keel they carve.. It's so good that even the World Government gets its ships from there." 

At the mention of the World Government, Luffy's grin twitched ever so slightly, but didn't fade. He heard it, but his focus was already on the part that mattered to him. 

"We're gonna pick a suupper good shipwright there!" he beamed, nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet at the unrestrained energy coursing through his system. "Mama told me about it. There's this blue haired guy in a speedo, kinda crazy, but builds ships like nobody else!"

"Hnkakakaka!" Kokoro laughed, wheezing fondly, having never thought that she would get to hear the mention of her boy from a kid. "You're talkin' about Franky, I bet. That boy's somethin' else. But brilliant with his hands. Ain't no ship he can't tame. If it's him you're lookin' for, you'll find him in that city. Or.. maybe he'll find you," she said with a wink, her gaze softening just a little. 

Kokoro, then, reached into the depths of her enormous coat and fished out a creased envelope with a symbol etched in red wax. "Take this," she said, holding it out to them. "Give it to Iceburg himself. He's the mayor now. Tell him Kokoro sent ya. He'll know what to do."

Nami accepted the letter with both hands, brows raising in mild surprise at the pleasant welcome even though they are pirates. "Are you sure?"

"Aye, think nothin' of it," Kokoro replied, puffing her pipe again. "Just don't go causin' too much trouble.. Though lookin' at you lot, that might be like tellin' the sea not to wave." 

That earned a chorus of hearty chuckles from the crew. All except a long nosed teen, Usopp, who stood a little apart, with his hands in his pockets and his eyes going between the Going Merry and the distant outline of the Water Seven. His mouth had twitched at the mention of 'shipwright' and 'ships'. He wasn't speaking, but the weight in his chest and the longing and sadness in his eyes returned with quiet familiarity. 

But unknown to Kokoro, Usopp could still feel the ghost of Merry's spirit in his arms. The sting and relief of Luffy's words. The ache of knowing what might come next. He wanted to believe. He wanted to hope that maybe–just maybe–someone in that city could teach him what he didn't know. Show him how to make it right. Fix Merry and make her capable of sailing any ocean. But the thought of replacing Merry still stuck in his throat like splinters, even though they weren't going to discard her entirely. It still hurt. 

Kokoro's eyes drifted towards Usopp for a moment. She didn't say anything. She didn't have to. Her kind had seen grief in all its forms. And in Usopp, she saw the quiet mourning of a boy not quite ready to say goodbye. 

Luffy, noticing the not-quite-silence, turned and clapped a hand on Usopp's shoulder, just enough to say that they were in this together. 

Usopp gave a small nod, not quite a smile but not a refusal either. 

As the crew began heading down the pier, Kokoro raised her voice one last time. "One more thing, my child." 

Luffy turned, his grin still painted across his face like it had never known sorrow. 

Kokoro's eyes glinted, not with mirth this time, but caution. "Be careful. Watch for the Marines tykes there. But more than that.. be wary of the P.P.P.. They have got their eyes everywhere."

Usopp almost had a reason for why they shouldn't go to the city, along with Chopper, but the others' who didn't even flinch at the warning and stood taller, accepted it, sealing their fate. 

"We'll be careful," Luffy promised. "But we won't back down either if they hurt any of us."

Kokoro gave a short nod, her heart strangely full as she watched them go. For a brief moment, she could almost remember another crew, another time, another era, when the sea sang songs like this. 

"Well then," she muttered under her breath, watching the ship sail ahead with echoes of laughter and cherry voices, "Let the waves carry you.. And carve your name where the world cannot forget." 

. 

The lighthouse faded into the horizon behind them, while the sea remained unusually gentle to the Going Merry's keel, as if still intent on escorting them without protest. The mood on the ship was lighter, despite the heavy weight of everything that had transpired and would happen soon.

Usopp was sitting quietly, leaning on the mast of the Merry. Chopper was peering over the starboard rail with his hooves shielding his eyes from the sun. Nami was rechecking her Log Pose, which was still pointing to the direction where they were headed. Robin was reading an interesting book. While Sanji and Zoro were bickering like usual. And Luffy–

"TA-DAAA!" Luffy's excited voice announced himself as he slapped a sheet of paper in front of him like it was his wanted poster with the highest bounty imaginable to one. 

"This!" Luffy declared proudly, "This is what our new nakama's gonna look like!" 

The crew froze as their heads turned slowly to take the monstrosity of the drawing of a man–was it even a man?–before them. 

Usopp squinted, cautiously lowering his eyes to scan the drawing. "Is that.. a refrigerator with limbs?"

"It's a man!" Luffy insisted, puffing his chest. 

"It has three noses," Sanji pointed out flatly. 

"And no neck," Robin added, her voice thoughtful rather than judgemental. "Is that.. a cannon in his stomach?" 

Luffy nodded furiously. "Yeah! And he wears only a speedo and he yells 'Super!' a lot! Mama told me!"

"I'm ready to drown myself," Sanji muttered, already pulling out a cigarette with a grimace.

"I'm ready to run," Usopp said at the same time, already backing toward the rigging.

"What?!" Luffy yelped, whipping around to look at them. "You guys haven't even met him yet!"

"Exactly," Usopp replied, eyes wide. "Which is why I'm gonna trust your drawing and not meet him."

"You drew him like a… haunted fridge running on cheap whiskey," Sanji added, exhaling smoke. 

"He's not a fridge, but he might have one!" Luffy protested, holding the drawing to his chest protectively like it had feelings. "He's gonna be our awesome shipwright! The best one ever!"

"Luffy," Zoro interrupted calmly. "Your drawings always look like they belong in horror stories."

Robin smiled faintly. "He once drew a seagull with eight legs and claimed it was a dragon."

"That dragon almost bit me!" Luffy shot back defensively.

"That dragon was a jellyfish with a hat," Sanji deadpanned.

Luffy pouted, holding his drawing tighter and slumping down dramatically beside the barrel near the figurehead. "Hmph. You guys are gonna be real sorry when he turns out to be super cool."

Usopp leaned against the railing, eyes still wary. "Only if he has an actual neck."

"Oi! Oi! Look!" Chopper pointed with a hoof, and his eyes wide.

The ocean before them had begun to give them a grand view of the island before them, unveiling the faint outline of towers, platforms, and ribbons of moving water that shimmered like mirrored sky. Water 7 rose from the sea like a dream caught mid-motio. It's canals carved between buildings that stood upon other drowned ones, glowing in hues of warm copper and glinting stone. Massive water elevators rose and fell like breathing giants, and from the distance, spouts of water arced high into the air and cascaded down in controlled, glittering falls. 

Luffy was instantly up, his grin stretching ear to ear. "WOAH! Those water slides look awesome!" he shouted, pointing toward the long streams gushing between the buildings. "I am sliding down that one! And that one! And that one!" 

"You still haven't learned how to swim," Zoro said blandly, barely glancing up from the rope he was coiling. 

"I don't need to swim to slide!" Luffy huffed. 

Sanji raised an eyebrow, blowing a puff of smoke sideways. "Still baffled, the god of the sun and sky can't manage a paddle stroke." 

Luffy turned on him indignantly, hands on tiny hips. "That's 'cause I wasn't always on the earth, okay?! I didn't need to swim before! Not when my m–" 

"HO!! YOU LOT!!" A sharp voice cut through the light banter, and the crew snapped toward the side of the ship. 

A lone fisherman in a tiny boat bobbed nearby, rowing casually but eyeing them with an experienced quint. His hat was lopsided, and a long pipe dangled from his lip and his gears were obviously P.P.P. made. 

"You lot're pirates, ain't ya?" 

Usopp bristled slightly. "What gave it away?" he would have almost smacked himself for asking that stupid question, because of course!

"The flag," the old man deadpanned, almost as if he knew that he was dealing with a bunch of morons. Especially after hearing the youngest shout about sliding down the water 'slides'. "But listen, you don't wanna go through the front gates. Too many eyes. Navy's been sniffin' around lately. And the P.P.P.'s got fingers where you don't want fingers." 

Zoro's brow twitched. "Great." 

The fisherman jerked his thumb toward a narrow alley of stacked wooden structures and quiet backwater. "There's a canal behind. It's the backstreet entrance."

"Backstreet entrance it is," Luffy grinned. "The way of pirates!" 

The fisherman tipped his hat. "Try not to cause a tsunami in there," he snorted at his own joke. 

Luffy laughed. "No promises!" 

The fisherman only snorted, dipping his oar again as his boat spun lazily away. While the Going Merry turned sharply into the narrow back canal, leading them to the backway entrance. It was slightly far from the entrance and yet the city's architecture was clearly unfolding before them, more clearly than ever. 

"It's like the city's built on water and memory," Robin murmured, her eyes studying every scene before her. She couldn't wait to explore the land of waters. 

The Going Merry was soon coasted into a modest dock hidden away from plain view and between slight rocky hills. 

"Alright," Nami clapped once, garnering attention. "Time to divide the tasks. We're not just here to sightsee." 

"Awww.." Luffy pouted instantly. 

"Save the puppy face," Nami looked away, still not confident to be swayed from those dangerous eyes–but did someone mention that those now red puppy eyes looked trillion times more dangerous than before? "Luffy, Usopp–we are going to convert our gold and pick up a city map. Then we'll hand Kokoro's letter to Iceburg." 

"Ooh! Adventure time!" Luffy cheered. 

"I'm good with carrying gold!" Usopp boasted, though the fear of getting beaten to crap and robbed still screamed at the back of his mind. 

"Sanji," Nami continued, "restock fresh vegetables and spices. And whatever you do, no flirting with women here." She truly didn't want to be chased away by marines or worse, the 3Ps from this island until their purpose here is done. 

"No promises," Sanji echoed in Luffy's exact tone, smirking. 

"And the rest, do whatever you want. But don't let anyone nose around the Merry." 

"Easy," Zoro said, already reclining near the mast like he intended to watch with his eyes closed. Try to sense his surroundings through haki since he's been training.

"Yosh!" Chopper saluted. 

"Up for some shopping, Chopper?" Robin asked with a soft smile on her face to Chopper, who was instantly filled with excitement to explore the city as her. 

With that, the strawhat pirates departed to their own ways. 

And the trio–Luffy, Nami and Usopp–disembarked, with Luffy practically skipping down the cobbled walkway beside Nami and Usopp, his hat bouncing in rhythm with his steps. 

The morning sun glinted off the canals as gulls wheeled overhead, and the city sounds began to fill the air. They were halfway down a winding road lined with hanging potted plants and sloping tiled roofs when–

"WELCOME TO THE CITY OF WATER, NOBLE TRAVELLERS!"

Three figures appeared as if from thin air, stepping around the corner of a supply shop with the choreography of performers. Or salesmen.

"GAH! Don't do that!" Usopp and Nami yelped and jumped back in fear, while Luffy cackled.

"We are representatives of the P.P.P.!" announced the man on the left, sweeping into a deep bow so enthusiastic it nearly launched his hat into the canal. He wore a white long-sleeved ruffle top with an aristocratic ice blue satin brocade vest, his black ponytail bobbing wildly as he grinned wide enough to split his face. "You can call me Merch!" the man said proudly, clapping his hands together. "I am your expert in structural diagnostics, repair estimates, and upgrade philosophies!"

"Chant," grumbled the other merchant beside him, arms crossed and eyes lidded in the eternal suffering of someone who regretted being born into the customer service industry. He wore the same aristocratic uniform as his partner but it was crumpled and not buttoned up properly, almost as if he didn't even wanna go through the mundane task of dressing up. "I'm only here because I lost a bet."

Behind them stood a taller, older man, stoic and clad in a simple robe dyed the color of sea smoke. His eyes were calm, and his hands were folded neatly behind his back. 

"And this," Merch declared, gesturing with a flourish, "is Bayasita-sama! Our respected Vassel and senior overseer. He'[s here to supervise, advise, and keep us from falling into fountains again!" 

Bayasita nodded politely. "Greetings." 

Usopp leaned toward Nami, whispering, "Why do I feel like this is about to become a very expensive conversation?"

"So!" Merch chirped, already circling them. "We noticed your ship docking back there–lovely figurehead by the way, excellent taste–and we simply had to inquire; are you looking for repairs? Upgrades? A little weatherproofing? Hull rebalance? Do you suffer from creaking wood syndrome?"

"We have world-class quality!" Chant muttered mechanically, like a man who had memorized the phrase under threat of termination.

Luffy blinked. "Wait… how did you know we needed repairs?"

"Oh please," Merch said with a grin. "It's in the pitch of your sails, the slight hitch in your left rudder arc, the faint trauma in your eyes."

Usopp backed up slightly. "Our eyes?!"

"Nothing escapes us at P.P.P.!" Merch beamed. "Unlike the folks at Galley-La, pfft. Those guys wouldn't know a stress fracture from a decorative dent."

"Frankly," Chant muttered, "they probably won't even fix a pirate ship. Government dogs, the lot of 'em."

"Such a shame you were going to waste your precious time there!" Merch added, sighing dramatically. "Why seek false hope, when real solutions are standing before you?"

Nami narrowed her eyes. "You guys always loiter outside the docks like this?"

"Only when opportunity comes in," Merch said, eyes gleaming.

Bayasita cleared his throat quietly. "Merch. Chant. Let's not overwhelm them."

"Ah! Apologies!" Merch bowed again. "But please, if your ship has suffered trauma of any kind, or if you're simply ready to evolve, to transcend, then let the P.P.P. assist you! We'll equip your ship with the latest gadgets. And let me tell you," he leaned in, almost whispering to the trio, "Some of them are not even available in the market," he stood straight, stretching his arms in a grand flourish with a wide smile on his face. "We're discreet. We're precise. We're everywhere."

Usopp scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah, uh.. That's, um.. really something."

Luffy blinked at Merch, his expression somewhere between confused and unimpressed. "You talk more than Sanji when he's near a girl." 

Merch's smile twitched. But before Chant could mumble another scripted phrase or Merch could jump into a ten step sales proposal, the sound of pained groans drifted from the alley just behind them. 

From the far end of the narrow street, one can see a limp figure slumping against a barrel with a bloody nose and a dazed look, his shirt torn and one sandal missing. Behind him, a few more pirates staggered into view, looking like they had just taken a beating from a heavy hitter. 

"Oww… My spleen…" one of them croaked, sliding sideways and collapsing in a heap.

A moment later, another group arrived, striding into the open space between the buildings, with the unmistakable rhythm of trained bodies and controlled power in every step. Their clothes bore the sigil of the Galley-La company, stitched in blue. Their eyes were sharp, hands were calloused and they walked like men who built things and broke things when necessary. 

"Well, well," he said, cracking his knuckles casually. "Captain of the Big Helmet Pirates, Mikazuki," the man stated to the 'captain' who was now crawling away beneath his feet, "next time you think better to pay for the repairs the carpenters have done." 

Luffy's eyes lit up at the commotion. "Awesome..!" 

Usopp's jaw dropped. "Whoa, they just wrecked those guys!"

Nami raised a brow, completely agreeing with the group who beat the pirates. "Efficient work I say."

Merch's jaw ground so hard that Chant could practically hear the enamel straining. His smile had frozen somewhere between polite and homicidal, and Chant rolled his eyes like this happened every time. 

"Galley-La," Merch muttered under his breath. 

"Morning," he said coolly. "Didn't expect to see newcomers on the backstreets. You lot the ones who came in on the odd little caravel?"

Luffy nodded. "Yep! That's us!"

"Not bad for a ship that's seen some storms. But she's hurtin'." The man reached up and adjusted his goggles. "I'm Paulie. Galley-La, Dock One."

"Paulie," Merch repeated with a forced chuckle, stepping between the groups. "Ah, wonderful coincidence! We were just offering these fine adventurers a more modern solution to their ship problems."

Paulie didn't even blink at him. "Were you now?"

"They were very interested," Merch added, smiling so wide it seemed like it might crack.

Nami coughed behind her hand. "Actually, we were just–"

Luffy cut in, eyes fixed on Paulie like a kid at a candy store. "You guys know how to fight like that and build ships?! That's so cool! Do you have cannons? Do you make underwater ones? Can I punch with them?!"

"That won't be a big challenge," Paulie said, amused. "Though, can't see the practicality of it." 

Luffy's eyes sparkled. Usopp looked like he was having a spiritual awakening. Even Nami looked intrigued, though she tried to hide it.

Merch's left eye twitched.

"I believe," Bayasita said for the first time, quiet and firm, "we should give them space."

He had moved away during the exchange—just far enough to not draw attention—and now stood with his back to the canal wall, his long coat fluttering slightly in the breeze. He reached into an inner pocket, retrieved a compact snail-like device, and clicked it open.

"This is Bayasita," he said calmly into it. "The Strawhat pirates have arrived in Water 7." 

. 

"We're with the Galley-La company," Paulie said as he turned to face them properly. He tugged on the leather gloves at his wrists and offered a confident nod. "This company was founded by Mayor Iceburg, the best shipwright in the world and the best damn boss I've ever worked for."

"Paulie-san," said a new voice, sleek in movement, his nose long and sharp like a spear. His square jaw and precise gait him the appearance of someone who balanced between clockwork precision and effortless grace. 

"Kaku," he said simply, offering a respectful bow. "I specialize in keel diagnostics and high speed inspections. I can tell a ship's condition just by hearing it hum through the water." 

"A doppleganger Usopp!" Luffy gasped at the similarity between Usopp and Kaku's face. 

"And I," came a quiet voice, "am Rob Lucci," said the small white pigeon sitting on top of the man with the most stoic face ever. 

"He's not much of a talker," Paulie added with a chuckle. "But if you see him with a hammer, just know he's faster than he looks."

"And I am Kalifa," came the final voice from a woman with neatly pinned golden hair, stylish glasses and a clipboard held in manicured fingers. Her heels clicked gently on the marble floor. "I serve as Iceburg-sama's secretary. You'll find out records spotless and our contracts binding," she adjusted her glasses and gave a formal smile. "Welcome to the Galley-La Company." 

Luffy's eyes flicked to the careful and precise gait of Kaku, Rob Lucci and Kalifa. There was something about the way they were moving. The stillness, the weight distribution, the stance of the fighter. Of someone trained. 

'Cipher Pol.' Luffy's mind instinctively supplied. But he didn't frown. He didn't show his… disgust, or frown. He didn't even comment on it. Neither did his smile waver. 

"You guys are really cool," Luffy, instead of pointing them out, said with a grin. "Especially the pigeon." 

The bird gave a haughty-shy coo, almost as if it was caught between utter adoration and utter disgust for Luffy. 

"We've heard your ship might be damaged," Kaku said, already pulling out a slim journal and a length of measuring tape. "If you'd like, I can take a quick run and assess the full condition."

Luffy lit up. "Really?! That'd be awesome! We've been worried ever since we fell from the sky–"

"We'll be glad to have you check it," Nami cut in smoothly, stepping beside him. "But first, we need to exchange some... rather unusual currency."

She patted the satchel slung across her side, where several gold artifacts from Skypiea lay tucked in carefully wrapped cloth. Similar bundles of gold wrapped in cloth were slung around Luffy and Usopp neck too. 

"Understandable," Kalifa nodded. "Most exchange offices are open by now." 

"We'll be back before long," Usopp added. "Our ship's just docked behind the old lighthouse passway." 

Kaku smiled. "I'll find it." With that he turned with such easy agility that it barely looked like he was moving at all, leapt onto a nearby roof rail, and dashed across the tiles like a wind-propelled cat, vanishing before the next blink. 

Usopp's jaw dropped. "He ran on the rooftops… almost as if he was using–" 

"USOPP!" Luffy cut in, loudly and suddenly pointing at the canal with wild enthusiasm. "LOOK! A SEA DRAGON! A weird one!" he exclaimed, not wanting the Cipher Pols to even know that they have been learning Rokushiki–Soru, Tekkai, Rankyaku, Shigan, Geppo, Rokuogan, Kami-e. 

Nami blinked. "A what–" but she stopped herself as her eyes followed Luffy's finger, and sure enough, something long and sinuous was gliding just above the surface of the water, its scales glinting like green glass under sunlight, its short stubby fins padding through the canals with slow, powerful grace. 

"That's a bull," Paulie said, casually leaning on his ropes. "Yagara Bull, to be exact." 

Luffy's eyes shimmered with immediate fascination, leaning so far over the edge of the canal that Usopp had to grab the back of his vest to keep him from toppling in.

"There are three types you'll find here in Water 7," Paulie continued, counting off on gloved fingers. "Yagara Bulls, Rabuka Bulls, and King Bulls. All bred to work the water routes. They're like horses," Paulie added, "but better, stronger and smarter. Can haul cargo and people. The whole city relies on 'em."

"Whoa…" Luffy whispered in awe, his pupils now red stars of unfiltered joy. 

Usopp looked no different with his jaw slack and pupils dilated as if he'd just seen something no one has ever seen. Even Nami was blinking in surprise, clearly trying to calculate how much one of those might cost, and if she could use it to her advantage. 

Paulie snorted. "If you lot are thinkin' what I think you are thinkin', you'll wanna head a block west. There's a bull rental shop. Tell old Mazaka I sent you–" 

Before he could finish though, Luffy was already grabbing both Nami and Usopp by the wrist like an excited child with a sugar rush and charging towards the canal path with a battle cry of excitement. 

"WE'RE GETTING SEA COW DRAGONS!" 

"They're not cows! Luffy, slow down–!" Nami yelled as she was half dragged along. 

They were soon in front of the shop, with Luffy kicking open the door with all the grace of a ship's cannon. The only difference was that he just cracked the door up a little in his excitement. 

"We wanna rent your bulls!" 

Mazaka, the shopkeeper, looked up from behind the counter with a soft yet shocked grin. "Aye? Customers, huh?" 

Nami stepped in smoothly behind Luffy. "We need two bulls for a short haul, probably to the city center. What's the price?"

Mazaka stood, motioning to the far canal side paddock, where several bulls were lounging in the cool shade or slapping their tails in the water. "Two Yagara Bulls for the lot of you, eh? That'll be 2000 belly." 

As he led them toward the water, the bulls began reacting almost immediately to Luffy, as if drawn to him. One of them floated closer and snuggled against Luffy's side, almost like a cat rubbing its head. Another bumped its nose against his hat. Third tried to lick his hand. And soon enough Luffy was almost surrounded by the bulls, all of them wanting some kind of contact, but only for Luffy to be nearly knocked into the canal. 

"WHOAAA!" Luffy yelped, flailing as he teetered over the water's edge, his arms windmilling. 

"Luffy!" Nami shouted. 

But before he could fall, a sleek green-scaled bull dove under him and surfaced, pressing gently against his back like a living platform, lifting him to safety. Its large amber eyes blinked slowly, like it was just glad he didn't fall in. 

Luffy gasped. "You saved me!" 

The bull gave a low, delighted rumble. 

"This one's mine," Luffy declared instantly, hugging its neck and bringing the shopkeeper out of his shock of watching a kid getting liked by all of his bulls for the first time. 

"Is it strong enough to carry all our stuff though?" Usopp asked, eyeing the heavy sack tied up in canvas. 

Mazaka nodded, snapping out of his trance. "Yagara Bulls're tougher than they look. That one's a smart one too. But what have you lot got there?" he asked, eyeing the heavy sacks.

"We got gold!" Luffy grinned. 

Mazaka blinked. "Eh?"

Luffy fished into his canvas and pulled out a chunk of polished Skypiean gold shaped liked a small bell. "See?" 

Nami had moved in a flash, smacking Luffy at the back of his head, while Mazaka was stunned. "Luffy! We're not supposed to show it!" 

Luffy rubbed his head while pouting, "But he asked what we had.."

"That's.. That's real..?" Mazaka was still staring. 

Usopp quickly hugged his and Luffy's sack back to his chest protectively. "Very, very real." 

The shopkeeper's expression turned shark-like in an instant. "Well then! Ahem. I may have… misquoted the rental price. With taxes and aquatic insurance… and, uh… special golden customer rates… the bulls cost 1 million belly," he announced. 

"..You sure you want to do this?" Nami asked calmly, stepping forward with the aura of a tax auditor about to beat their 'preys' to pulp. 

Mazaka hesitated. 

"I mean," she went on sweetly, "we could just go to the other bull shop, where I'm sure they don't try to scam pirates who haven't even exchanged their currency yet… after making sure that none of the bulls remain here.." 

Mazaka panicked, clearly seeing that the words of the woman could turn out to be true. "Wait, wait! I'll give the bulls for 1500! Final offer!" 

"750," Nami smiled. 

Mazaka gasped like she'd stabbed him. He would have tried to increase the price at least slightly, but the look the dangerous woman was giving and the way his bulls were seemingly already ready to abandon him, made him groan and collapse over his own counter. 

"Fine, but you drive carefully!" he cried in misery. 

Moments later, the trio was off. Luffy, riding up front on his green scaled bull, who proudly carried both Luffy and the sack of gold. While Usopp and Nami rode on the second bull, a lime green one. 

Mazaka waved them off, defeated but resigned. "Go straight down this canal and take a left at the bright near the melon stall. That's Zousenjima, the center of town! The only place that'll have enough cash to match that gold." 

"THANK YOU!" Luffy shouted, already holding his bulls's fins like reins, bouncing with excitement.

"Thanks for the map!" Nami too shouted back to the shopkeeper she so gleefully threatened. 

Usopp clutched the edge of their bull's saddle. "Why do I feel like we're in a boat pulled by a submarine lizard?"

"Because we are," Nami muttered, rolling her eyes as the lime-green bull swam a little too close to the edge of the canal, nearly knocking them into a fruit vendor's baskets.

The city had grown denser now, the quiet side streets giving way to lively arteries of trade and chatter. Colorful awnings stretched overhead between buildings like suspended flags, casting flickering shadows over the moving waters. The bulls glided through under-arches and beneath curved bridges, where shopkeepers called down prices and gossip from window ledges, while the smell of grilled seafood, steamed rice, and spiced citrus clung to the misty air like perfume.

It was only when Nami leaned sideways to avoid a low-hanging paper lantern that she noticed something else. 

There were people. Lots of them. But wearing masks. And it wasn't just the occasional decorative piece. No, these were everywhere. Some full-faced and lavishly painted, others small and subtle like animal charms clinging to cheeks. She even spotted a woman laughing behind a fox mask trimmed in silver thread. A pair of children wore beetle-faced visors, playing tag atop a floating platform. 

Nami frowned. "Hey," she called over to Luffy, who was now trying to balance backwards on his bull while it swam. "You see all the masks?"

Luffy blinked, falling back into a sitting position with a light thump. "Huh? Oh, yeah. They're everywhere. Hey, look at that guy's one! It's got snail eyes!"

Usopp turned around too. "That kid's wearing a pig snout. Is this some sort of... really stylish festival?"

But as they rounded another corner of the canal, the answer revealed itself. Strung between two tall buildings ahead, fluttering in the wind, was a massive banner painted in deep purple and gold. Its edges glittered with foil tassels and a giant stylized mask had been printed in the center. 

"WATER 7 MASQUERADE FESTIVAL! PRESENTED BY THE PRESTIGIOUS P.P.P COMPANY!"

"P.P.P. again?" Usopp groaned. "They're everywhere!"

Nami narrowed her eyes. "Masquerade Festival... no wonder the city's so lively. And the timing's suspicious."

"How come?" Luffy asked, scratching his head.

She didn't answer right away. Her gaze lingered on a passing merchant wearing a lion mask with jewels embedded in the eyes. Even the bull rental shop had a couple of decorative face pieces strung outside like souvenirs.

"It just feels too... clean. Too put-together," she murmured. "Festivals don't run this smoothly unless someone's got something to gain."

"Maybe it's just fun?" Luffy offered.

"Maybe," Nami said, unconvinced.

Usopp raised a brow. "So... you're saying the P.P.P. are holding a city-wide party just to distract everyone from... what?"

"Or covering something up," Nami replied. "Could be a good way to keep outsiders from noticing anything wrong with Water 7."

Luffy was still staring at the festival banner, eyes twinkling with a mix of childish glee and a far deeper, unreadable spark of thought. He said nothing but in the depths of his heart, he could feel it again. That tickle in his chest, that strange feeling to find what the 3P's were upto and destroy it, because whenever they were involved it was up to nothing good. At least not anymore. So, he was sure that the masks weren't the only things hiding something.