Aboard the Oro Jackson.

The deck was littered with passed-out crew members. Empty barrels of rum rolled about, and Laboon staggered in circles, a bucket perched jauntily on his head, letting out delighted cries.

"Wooo~ (One more round~)!"

Crocus chased after him, exasperated. "Hey, Laboon! Take it easy! Can island whales even get drunk?!"

Bucky, face flushed and eyes unfocused, clung to the mast with half a bottle of rum in hand. "I—I can still drink... hic..."

Rayleigh adjusted his crooked glasses, surveying the chaos around him with a resigned shake of his head. "These idiots…"

Roger threw an arm around Crocus's shoulder as the doctor was chasing Laboon, laughing heartily. "Doc! Give us another song!"

Watching Laboon frolic so joyfully, Crocus sighed then suddenly flashed his signature shark-toothed grin.

"I'm... I'm the doctor here dammit, how am I the one getting roped into this—?

♪ Bring a bottle of Binks' Sake, yo ho ho ho~ ♪"

In a dark corner...

Ritter finally stirred from unconsciousness. With effort, he pulled the straw hat off his face only to be greeted by Laboon's enormous round face looming over him.

"Wooo! (You're awake!)" Laboon squealed, slapping Ritter on the back with his fin. The blow nearly knocked him out again.

"L-Laboon... easy… go easy…" Ritter waved weakly. "How long… was I out…?"

"Three days," Rayleigh said, approaching with a cup of water. "You pushed yourself way too far. It's a good thing you held on. But you're still not strong enough to control two large-scale bursts like that."

It was like working overtime and hitting the wall of total exhaustion that sacred 'sage time' when your soul needs rest. If you don't recover properly, you're bound to crash.

Ritter took the water gratefully, then noticed the strangely festive atmosphere on deck. "Wait... what are we celebrating?"

Rayleigh's glasses glinted sharply as he pushed them up. "We're celebrating everyone making it out alive. And also—" he snapped his fingers and pulled out a fresh stack of bounty posters like a magician, "a well-deserved raise from the Navy."

Ritter looked around, expression darkening as he flashed a shark-toothed grin. "So, the moment you all escaped… you started partying? Just left me lying here for three days?"

Rayleigh nonchalantly picked his nose. "Crocus said you were just out cold from exhaustion. You'd wake up fine. We left you here so you could soak in the atmosphere of the party, y'know?"

"I'm wounded, you bastards. I need rest."

Roger appeared and caught the straw hat Ritter tossed to him. He grabbed Ritter by the arm and hauled him up. "You're awake! Come on, the party's not over!"

Roger and Rayleigh both knew that Ritter's exhaustion wasn't anything life-threatening. If anything, he might even break through to new limits from it. That's why they were so relaxed.

Marineford, Fleet Admiral's Office.

Slam!

Steel-Bone Kong smashed his fist into his desk, splitting the hardwood surface with a thunderous crack.

"Again with the Roger Pirates!"

Slamming desks: the signature move of Marine Fleet Admirals. Desks, rest in peace.

Sengoku stood beside him, holding the freshly printed bounty posters. "They clashed with Golden Lion Shiki near the Edd War Sea.

Thanks to 'Scarlet Fog's' large-scale mist, our agents couldn't get close. But we've confirmed Golden Lion's defeat."

"The worst part," Vice Admiral Tsuru added, "is that this fight has once again shaken the New World's balance. Shiki's forces took major losses. And the Roger Pirates... just got even more dangerous."

Steel-Bone Kong flipped through the posters with a scowl.

"Roger 3.5 billion. Rayleigh 2.8 billion. Jaba 2.2 billion. Ritter 1.8 billion..."

When he got to the last one, his brow furrowed deeply.

"What the hell is this?"

On the final poster, Laboon's adorable photo showed him wearing a little blue top hat. Beside it, the text read:

[Bounty: 50 Berries (Alive)]

"Fifty berries?!" Kong roared. "Are they kidding?!"

Tsuru sighed and shrugged. "The Five Elders felt putting a high bounty on a whale would undermine the Navy's authority..."

Back aboard the Oro Jackson,

Laboon sat in a dark corner, doodling circles in the wood with his fin.

"BAHAHAHA! Fifty berries!" Bucky rolled on the deck clutching his belly. "Laboon! You've got a bounty now!"

He and Shanks had been sulking for not receiving their own bounty posters yet. But after seeing Laboon's...

...they suddenly didn't feel so bad anymore.

Laboon poked the poster with his fin, the little blue hat slipping off his head.

"Wooo... (I worked so hard...)"

Ritter stifled a laugh and patted him. "Don't be upset. This just proves the Navy's scared of you. They gave you a bounty, didn't they?"

Laboon looked up at him, eyes wide with hope. "Wooo? (Really?)"

Roger suddenly raised his cup high.

"To our little hero Laboon!"

"Cheers!!"

Amidst the roaring laughter, Laboon beamed once more. He spouted a jet of water straight into the air, splashing directly onto Bucky.

"Hey! Who said you could attack me, you overgrown sardine?!" Bucky shouted, chasing after Laboon as the whale darted across the deck.

Rayleigh watched the mayhem, the corners of his mouth curling upward. He turned toward the now-calm sea, murmuring, "Looks like... another new adventure's about to begin."

Ritter stood beside him, looking out as well. "Yeah... but before that," he gestured to the chaos on deck, "we should probably fix this beat-up ship first."

The Oro Jackson rocked gently beneath the sunset, its hull scarred but unbroken a testament to the fierce battle it had survived.

Tom's apprentices really were something else. If it had been any other ship, it would've sunk for sure. Ritter couldn't help but marvel Uncle Tom was a damn genius.

The crew bustled about, patching holes and repairing damage.

"Oi! Ritter! We're running low on mist again! Make more!"

Ritter hurled a plank at Roger. "You idiot! You need wood to fix a ship! Do you even know what you're doing?!"

"Hey! Bucky! Hand me that plank!" Shanks shouted from the mast.

"Why should I take orders from you?!" Bucky grumbled but still handed the plank over.

Laboon swam around the ship, pushing timber across the waves with his head. His little blue top hat had been safely tucked away no way was he letting it get dirty. He wanted to wear it every day, just like his captain.

Ritter, taking a break, bought a newspaper and leaned against a tree by the shore. As he read, his brow furrowed.

"The Navy's been real busy lately."

Rayleigh handed him a cup of coffee. "What's up?"

"They've established three new G-branches in the New World. They're trying to push deeper into it."

Ritter tapped the headline. "And they've sent more ships to patrol the seas. Looks like our fight with Golden Lion spooked the World Government. But trying to hold the New World? That's no small feat. Wonder how long those new branches will last."

"Looks like we'll need to pay Uncle Tom another visit," he said with a smile. "Get ready, boys next stop, Water 7!"

Somewhere in the New World...

Golden Lion Shiki, his head wrapped in bandages, stared at the latest bounty posters.

"Heh... heh heh heh... Roger... we'll be seeing each other again soon..."

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