Ryugu Palace.
After the rebellion at the Fish-Man District was settled, everyone returned to the palace to rest, including the Straw Hat Pirates.
Although the war ended earlier than expected because of the Dream Exploration Team's interference, the New Fish-Man Pirates, after taking the Energy Steroids, still left them pretty badly hurt.
"Hey!" Luffy suddenly spoke. "Jinbe, was that burst of energy just now from Ryuen?"
He finally couldn't hold it in anymore and asked the one thing that had been on his mind the most.
He had Conqueror's Haki too, but ever since the Summit War, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't use it again.
Jinbe nodded seriously. "Yes."
Luffy's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Then how did he do it? What do I need to do to use Conqueror's Haki like him?"
Jinbe shook his head with a helpless smile. "Luffy, that really was Ryuen's Conqueror's Haki. But if you're asking me how to control that kind of powerful spirit… I can't help you. I don't have Conqueror's Haki myself."
Luffy frowned and fell into thought.
From what he had learned from Crocus, Conqueror's Haki was a gift you were born with—not everyone could have it.
But he wasn't ready to give up. He believed that if he kept training, one day he'd be able to control that power.
"I see..." Luffy looked up at the sky, his eyes shining with determination. "I get it now. But I won't give up. I'm going to learn how to control it too!"
He truly believed he could do it.
His crewmates looked at him and smiled warmly.
They knew that once Luffy set his mind to something, he'd give it everything he had. And now, he had a new goal—to master Conqueror's Haki.
Elsewhere.
After leaving Gyoncorde Plaza, the Dream Team went their separate ways, each busy with their own tasks.
The shipwright Dan from Fish-Man Island was the younger brother of the legendary shipbuilder Tom. His shipbuilding skills were impressive, so Hog was very interested in learning from him.
So he went off early to seek him out.
His sister Leah went with Anya, Daisy, Nojiko, and Reinato explore and taste all the food across Fish-Man Island.
Robin was also interested in the island's history. She carried a backpack and went off alone to explore all kinds of historical sites.
Kuina returned to the Dream Ship. She was still working hard on improving her Armament Haki and also nurturing her sword, Wado Ichimonji, hoping to turn it into a black blade one day.
"Hehehe~~~"
"Nami, everyone's gone. How about we go on a nice little date?" Ryuen quickly came over to Nami once he saw the others had left.
Nami glanced at Ryuen's cheeky face and replied, annoyed, "Who wants to date you? I don't have time to mess around with you. I haven't even finished drawing the sea chart of Fish-Man Island yet."
With that, she turned and started walking away.
Ryuen quickly grabbed her hand and said with a grin, "Don't say no, Nami. This is a rare chance for just the two of us to spend some time together. We haven't gone on a real date in a long time."
Thinking of their past dates, Nami's cheeks turned slightly pink.
She quickly came back to her senses, rolled her eyes at him, and said with a pretend sigh, "Alright, alright. So where are we going? We can't just wander the streets all day."
Ryuen thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Got it! How about we go to Fishman Island's Undersea Park? It was made to welcome guests, and we've never been there before. I bet it's really beautiful."
Nami was a bit tempted.
But she tried to act calm. "Hmm… sounds okay. But you have to promise not to cause any trouble."
Ryuen nodded quickly, promising he'd behave.
Hand in hand, the two of them walked toward the Undersea Park.
Along the way, they admired the beautiful scenery and enjoyed the unique vibe of Fishman Island.
Before long, they arrived at the park.
It was full of colorful coral and seaweed, with many lovely mermaids happily swimming through the water.
Nami excitedly pulled Ryuen along to look around, gasping in wonder from time to time.
Ryuen looked at Nami's smile and felt completely content. This moment felt so perfect that he wished time could just stop here forever.
Two days later.
Everyone had spent the last two days enjoying themselves on Fishman Island, taking in the rare peace and beauty.
The amazing sights of the island made it hard to leave—everything felt new and full of surprises.
And finally, Nami finished drawing a complete map of Fishman Island, which was a huge achievement for her.
Even though Neptune kept asking them to stay longer,
The Dream Crew had already decided to leave this beautiful underwater world. Bigger challenges were still waiting for them, and the New World was their next stop.
Today, they would set sail into that mysterious sea—the New World, the gathering place of the world's toughest pirates!
The New World was known for its brutal competition, but to the Dream Crew, it was the perfect stage to show their strength and chase their dreams. It was a step they had to take to reach their goals.
They believed that as long as they stayed united, there was no obstacle they couldn't overcome.
The harbor at Fishman Island was buzzing with activity. Many pirate crews had gathered there, all watching closely as the Dream Crew prepared to set sail.
Their faces showed mixed feelings—deep respect and admiration, mixed with something like quiet surrender.
Many of them had hoped to join the Dream Crew, but before they even had the chance to ask, they were turned down.
Even so, their respect for the crew didn't fade. If anything, it made their admiration even stronger.
Even though they couldn't be part of the Dream Crew, they decided to treat them as role models. In this world full of danger and opportunity, they would chase their own goals with the same spirit.
No matter how hard the road ahead was, they would keep moving forward without hesitation, because they knew that only by facing hardships head-on could they reach their dreams.
And all of this came from the inspiration and courage the Dream Crew had given them.
"These guys… they're seriously crazy…" Leah said, patting her chest, still feeling a little scared.
"Ehehehehe~~~"
"Looking at it from another angle, I think they're kind of cute. I've been called the Demon Child for years, and now I've got fans. Who would've thought?" Robin said with a laugh.
Hearing that, everyone burst into laughter.
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