Usopp rubbed his nose awkwardly, looking sheepishly at Sanji, who had just been startled by the loud sneeze and stood there completely dumbfounded.
He hadn't expected that, of all times, he'd make such a fool of himself now.
That single sneeze had completely shattered the cool big brother image he'd just built up!
But Usopp, relying on his unshakable thick skin, straightened his back and pretended nothing had happened as he continued,
"Mm… yeah…"
"That's about all you need to know!"
"Come on! I'll take you inside and show you the world within the ship!"
With that, Usopp clasped his hands behind his back and started walking toward the cabin door.
Sanji didn't follow right away. He blinked blankly, raised a hand, and rubbed his shoulder.
Then he exhaled a long sigh of relief.
Thankfully, Usopp's long nose had acted as a buffer, so despite the impressive force, none of that disgusting spray had actually landed on him.
Even so, Sanji found himself thinking he might want to reconsider whether or not he should keep listening to this guy.
Why do I feel like I'm being conned…?
And that feeling was very strong.
"The crew of a Warlord of the Sea… with their kind of status, they must all be serious and dignified. That must've just been an accident!"
Sanji reassured himself silently, then hurried after Usopp.
========
Creak…
They arrived at the cabin door.
Usopp slowly pushed open the ordinary-looking wooden door.
Swish!!!
A dazzling beam faded, the scene inside gradually came into view.
The first thing Sanji saw was a long corridor filled with a warm, almost magical atmosphere.
He stood frozen, staring at the seemingly endless passage that extended far beyond the Going Merry's actual length.
Though it was his first time seeing such a sight, he somehow felt… home.
For a moment, he hesitated, almost afraid to cross into what felt like a completely different world.
"What are you standing there for?"
Usopp turned back with a teasing grin, clearly having expected this reaction.
He tugged Sanji's arm, pulling him forward as he said with mock mystery,
"The real magic's still ahead! Don't waste all your surprise here!"
========
As soon as they stepped inside the Going Merry's inner cabin, the door began closing on its own, almost as if it had a will of its own.
In that instant, all the noise from the outside world disappeared, leaving behind a serene and cozy stillness.
Sanji's polished black shoes pressed against a carpet so soft it might've been made from some unknown animal's fur.
His gaze swept over the intricate, carved walls stretching down both sides of the corridor.
Hanging along the walls were a series of exquisite landscape paintings, each depicting stunning natural vistas.
Every few steps, a new painting appeared, displaying yet another world of mountains, rivers, and vibrant life.of golden light burst out, making Sanji squint and cover his eyes.
For an instant,
Sanji felt as though he had stepped into heaven itself.
As the blinding light
The tranquil beauty drew Sanji in, he could almost feel the gentle wind, the scent of flowers, the songs of birds.
He found himself mesmerized after only a few steps.
Usopp noticed and immediately put on a smug, "been-there-done-that" face, conveniently forgetting that he, too, had once been equally awestruck.
"These," Usopp explained proudly, "according to Luffy, are breathtaking landscapes from another world, scenes you'd never see here in ours."
"If you look at them often, they even give you a few mysterious benefits."
After his short explanation, he pulled Sanji along again, away from the paintings, which, apparently, came with [Comfort +10%, Inspiration +5%] bonuses.
Time was limited, after all, no need to get stuck admiring the entrance.
They passed clusters of blooming flowers and lush ornamental trees, and soon, a wide hall opened before them, almost like a small plaza.
In the center stood six elegant sofas arranged in a circular arc, each with its own unique design.
Sanji could even guess which sofa belonged to which member of the Starry Sky Pirates just by their styles.
"This hall," Usopp said, pointing at the sofas, "is where everyone gathers and relaxes together."
"When Luffy's free, he'll even make you your own custom seat."
"Oh! Oh, r-right…"
Sanji could only nod along blankly, too overwhelmed to speak.
He'd lost all sense of initiative, letting Usopp lead him through this fantastical place.
Usopp nodded and pointed to the large screen across from the sofas.
"That's a home theater. You can play any drama, opera, or performance from the pirate world. Just use that black box there, the remote control."
He pointed at the rectangular device on the coffee table.
Of course, Usopp didn't actually understand why Luffy had said "pirate world," but he repeated it word for word anyway.
There were matching coffee tables in front of the sofas, and to the side of the hall stood a small stage with a piano and three microphones.
Two round windows on the walls connected directly to the Going Merry's hull, offering a clear view outside.
After giving the hall a brief tour, Usopp quickly moved on, leading Sanji toward several branching corridors.
Pointing to the first, he said,
"This one's a little more complicated…"
"You see those words above the hallways?"
Sanji nodded. Above the corridor, three large characters gleamed: [Control Area].
"This is the operation room," Usopp explained. "Nami's usually the one managing it. It's full of complex instruments that control the ship's navigation and speed."
Then he gestured toward other hallways.
"Over there are the Leisure Area, Rest Area, Recreation Area, Study Area, Training Area, and Creation Area."
"The leisure area has an indoor sunbathing room, a hot spring, an auto-massage room, and so on."
"The rest area is where our bedrooms are. I'll show you the rest first, then we'll come back to settle you in."
"The training area is where we spend most of our time, since none of us want to hold Luffy back. Unless there's something urgent, we spend half the day training."
"Luffy never orders us to, but…" Usopp's tone grew uncharacteristically serious. "As a new crewmate, I hope you'll keep up with our pace. Don't slack off."
For once, there was no joking in his voice, just sincerity.
"The rest, you'll learn with time. No rush."
Sanji followed in a daze, nodding absently.
There was simply too much information to process at once, so all he could do was listen quietly, like a student before a teacher.
As they entered another corridor, the design changed again.
Compared to the golden splendor outside, this area was surprisingly simple, white walls, clean doors, and pairs of jade-green bamboo stalks flanking each entrance.
Usopp smiled. "This area's for work. Each door's labeled for its purpose."
"As a chef, I bet you're dying to see your kitchen, huh?"
"The kitchen…?"
At those words, Sanji instantly perked up.
After all, the kitchen was a chef's battlefield, and if this ship was so magical, then surely its kitchen would be extraordinary!
But when Usopp opened the door, Sanji froze.
What appeared before him was… a perfectly ordinary kitchen.
Yet somehow, that very ordinariness filled him with satisfaction.
If there was one thing special about it, it was how complete it was,
From frying pans, steamers, and ladles for every kind of cooking, to grills, ovens, and juicers for desserts and drinks, everything a chef could possibly need was here.
It was practically a chef's paradise.
Usopp led the starry-eyed Sanji inside.
Since he'd occasionally been forced by Nami to help out in the kitchen, he knew a thing or two about how it worked.
He pointed to a glowing panel.
"This here is the main control platform," he said, then gestured to a large opening nearby.
"That's the supply hatch. Since the fridge can't hold everything, a lot of ingredients are stored in the warehouse or cold storage. Live ingredients are kept in the breeding area or aquarium."
"If you need something that's not in the kitchen, you can just use the control screen."
He tapped on the touchscreen interface, something like a tablet embedded in the counter.
"If the Going Merry has the ingredient, it'll show up here. Just enter the quantity, and the ship will send it through the delivery chute."
"Whoa!!!"
Sanji gaped, eyes wide like a child discovering a new toy.
After a few curious taps and a press of the Confirm button,
Clunk, whirr…
The supply chute opened, and a basket of eggs rolled out smoothly on a conveyor belt.
Sanji picked one up and examined it closely.
No mistake, this was a rare kind of egg found only in the West Blue, something nearly impossible to find in the East Blue.
It was also one of the ingredients Zeff had given to Luffy and the crew that very morning.
Usopp patted the awestruck Sanji on the shoulder and grinned.
"Next, let me show you the most precious thing in this kitchen!"
"The most precious…?"
Sanji straightened up, his curiosity renewed.
He had no idea what could possibly be more valuable than all these miraculous tools and devices…