Night slowly fell over the calm sea. The Grand Fortuna swayed gently with the waves, and on the deck, five people sat in a circle around a small bonfire that warmed the cool evening air.
Bastien was quietly cleaning his rifle, occasionally elbowing Arthur, who sat beside him with a swollen lip.
"Ravi cheated," Arthur grumbled, holding an ice pack to his mouth. "Punching someone mid-sneeze is a violation of human rights."
"You're the one who challenges him every morning," Bastien replied with a faint smile. "And if you keep losing, why do you keep going?"
"Because… pride," Arthur answered heroically, then suddenly clutched his side. "Also because I flipped too hard this morning."
Across the deck, Ravi leaned against the mast, carving a piece of wood into something unrecognizable—possibly a turtle or a very bent spoon. Juno sat calmly reading a book, occasionally glancing at Bastien and Arthur with a long, tolerant sigh.
Nara emerged energetically from below deck, carrying a bag full of groceries and a box of candies from a local shop.
"Dinner time! I made caramel squid, smoked ooikan with explosive spices, and a small experiment: 'Grandpa's Crying' level spicy soup. Also, I bought mackerel-flavored candy!"
"That 'small experiment'... shouldn't be on a menu for humans," Arthur muttered, but still grabbed a bowl.
Soon enough, they were all sitting around the fire, devouring the food enthusiastically. Laughter filled the air between bites and Arthur's dramatic "HOT! HOT!" after accidentally swallowing a whole chili.
"This mackerel candy is… kinda unique," Bastien said, chewing on one.
Curious, Arthur grabbed three and popped them into his mouth at once. Five seconds later, he went silent. His face turned red, eyes watery.
"Arthur?" Juno asked.
Arthur opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He flailed his arms and pointed to his throat. Ravi stood up and smacked his back hard. The candy shot out like a bullet, striking the mast with a visible scorch mark.
"These candies are officially banned on the ship," Bastien said, jotting down: Note: mackerel is explosive at body temperature.
Once everyone was full—and miraculously no one had died from the food—Bastien pulled out a small guitar he bought in the port town.
"Let's play a little music."
"I have an idea!" Arthur exclaimed.
"No," Juno replied reflexively.
But Arthur was already on his feet, singing with full spirit:
"We are the Freebone crew, chaos is our game,
Three meals a day, and we fight all the same.
With hammers, hot chili, and spoons of fire—
If our ship keeps running, that's all we require!"
Everyone went dead silent for three seconds... and then burst into loud laughter.
Nara coughed from laughing. Ravi, usually the least expressive, laughed so hard he had to lean back for support. Juno closed her book and said, "That was… disturbing, ridiculous, and I hate admitting it… but it fits us perfectly."
Bastien nodded. "Yeah, that's so us. The most undignified pirate song in the Grand Line."
"Let's all sing it together!" Arthur shouted.
And they did—laughing through the lyrics and adding absurd verses along the way:
"Our cook's got rage, our captain's a bomb,
Our navigator reads maps with vibes not calm.
Our fighters? Two, both out of their minds,
We're the Freebone crew—dangerous, but charming!"
It was a bad song, silly, and absolutely unfit for public ears. But for them, it was a song of home. A song of family.
As the laughter faded and only the sea's song remained, Bastien looked up at the night sky.
"This isn't a big day," he said, "but nights like this… they remind us why we sail."
Juno nodded, eyes fixed on the stars. Nara lay down, chewing sweet corn-flavored candy. Ravi continued carving, which now somehow looked like a mustached fish. Arthur snored into a pillow that no one could remember him owning.
And Grand Fortuna sailed on. Not fast, not slow. But steady. With a crazy crew that laughed, ate, sang... and carried a small flame that never stopped burning.