Chapter Text
Merry sighed in relief after the Davy Back Fight. It wasn't pleasant, losing little Chopper, even if it was only temporary. She felt proud of her captain who resolutely fought to ensure their nakama wouldn't be taken away. (She was proud of all of them . Her entire crew used their best skills, and she was so so proud of them. She wanted them to be safe and happy.)
Robin.
Robin was frozen from her head to her hips and Merry felt as though she couldn't breathe. (She didn’t need to breathe to begin with but every fiber in her body was tense and Merry… Merry didn’t like this . She wondered if this was how it felt when humans couldn't breathe.)
Zoro. Sanji.
The tightness Merry felt relaxed slightly. Ber swordsman and chef were here. Still, she was worried as she saw each man with a limb frozen in the same way Robin was from her waist up.
Seeing this, Merry knew there was only one place Luffy would be, and she wanted to scream. That was her captain, protecting his crew by remaining alone to face someone as he let their nakama protect themselves.
"Man to man." Merry heard her boys speak as precious Usopp screamed at her color-haired boys for leaving their captain in danger.
Luffy. Captain.
He was back, but he was frozen. Merry wished she was strong enough (old enough) to pull her captain into her embrace. Bring her captain on board and melt the ice that was killing him. She hated this with every fiber of her wooden planks and sails. She wanted her crew to be safe. Why? Why couldn't she do anything? Why was she so small. So weak. So useless.
Merry watched her crew playfully run around her decks despite the near-death experiences from the day before. Despite the panic she had felt yesterday, Merry couldn't help but smile at their happiness. She agreed with her navigator who was rightfully frightened and worried, but in the end, Merry only wanted her crew to be happy.
With that thought in mind, Merry began to frown to herself. She knew their smiles would turn into frowns soon. After all, her time would end soon. She wished she could take her crew to the very end, but in the end, she was not built for the violent seas she currently sailed upon.
She needed to tell them soon. Before their next adventure. She needed her crew to prepare their hearts (while she prepared her own).
Merry knew she could only tell Captain. She didn't need to be strong enough to tell Captain. She just needed his attention. After all, Captain had that power. (She didn't know what the power was, but it allowed him to hear things he shouldn't hear.)
"Captain. Captain." Merry called out. She'd been trying and trying and trying to get her captain's attention. She knew she needed to try harder to tell her captain that she could only safely take them to one last island.
Captain needed to know to prepare everyone else on the crew. (Usopp needed to know the most.)
“Captain!”
Finally, her captain stopped his quest to find his midnight snack. "Merry?"
Merry hummed, "Yes! I'm Merry!!"
Luffy grinned, "Where?"
"Everywhere!" Merry responded excitedly. Captain was speaking to her! (Well, he often spoke to her when he sat in his special seat, but he was speaking with her right now!!)
Luffy tilted his head, clearly trying to use his special power to sense where she was, but he only appeared to be more confused. Still he smiled brightly, “Cool!”
Merry laughed. She loved her Captain – always so willing to accept things as they are with no questions asked. She was nakama and that was all that mattered to Captain. “I need to tell you something, Captain.”
“Luffy.”
“Huh?”
“Luffy! Call me Luffy,” her captain smiled while his hand dragged against her walls. “You’re nakama.”
Merry felt as though her heart had stuttered and a smile bloomed onto her apparition – visible to no one but she knew her captain could feel her joy with his power.
“Shishishishi.”
But then she paused with a heavy heart as she recalled the reason she called out to him in the first place. “Captain.” He didn’t respond. “Captain Luffy.”
“Hmm?”
“We– I–” She sighed sadly, “My last journey is soon.”
Luffy stopped. “Why?”
“You need to tell them, Captain.”
“What’s going on, Merry?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Merry?”
“I wish I could do more.”
“Merry?”
“I’ll try speaking to you again soon, Captain.”
“What–”
“I’m not strong enough anymore. You need to tell everyone. Prepare them and yourself. I’ll take you on one last journey.”
“Merry!”