One Piece: The Rise of Bellamy

"Now the main thing is to make sure they don't catch up to us," I said, still looking back at the receding port, where under the beam of night spotlights, marines were scurrying about.

"I think they've got more pressing matters right now," Sabo replied, standing beside me and raising his spyglass. "The base is in a panic—half the guards are chasing the 'commander's attackers,' the other half are putting out the fire. We've distracted them enough."

"Next stop is Loguetown," I said, turning into the wind and watching as the sail filled. Our ship was smoothly gaining speed, carrying us away from the island where it all began.

"Yeah, a day and a half if the wind holds," Sabo nodded. "And we'll be there. The key is not to drift off course."

I finally allowed myself to exhale and looked over the crew. Karina was checking the rigging up the mast. Sabo was sketching something at the helm. And leaning against the railing beside a barrel sat Gin.

"Finally got your arms and legs bandaged up," I said as I approached him. His limbs were tightly wrapped in thick bandages, with some blood still seeping through in places.

"Yeah," he muttered through clenched teeth, "one of those blades nearly hit the bone."

"Need new tonfas… These ones are done," Gin said wearily, nodding toward his weapons.

His tonfas lay nearby—battered, cracked, and deeply notched. The main shaft looked like it had been sliced in half with a potato peeler—Erik's blades had certainly done their job.

"A miracle they even survived the fight," I added, examining one of them. "We'll need to look for a weaponsmith in Loguetown."

Gin just nodded and leaned back, closing his eyes.

Meanwhile, I finished checking the deck. The ship was in good shape—sails taut, hull intact, the rocking of the sea gentle. The wind was steady, and we sailed confidently toward the horizon.

"Alright, time to at least check out what's inside," I said to everyone. "I haven't even been below deck yet. And we should claim rooms before Sabo grabs them all."

"Hey!" came a voice from the stern. "I heard that!"

"All the more reason!" I chuckled.

Sabo just waved a hand as if to say, "Go ahead, take them—I don't care."

We started heading below. The heavy wooden door to the hold creaked open as we entered.

We stepped into a dining area with a basic kitchen—long table, stove, a few cupboards. As everyone began looking around:

"This'll be our gathering spot," I said, slapping the table. "For meals and meetings."

Karina walked over to the stove, inspected it with interest, opened the door, and checked for coals.

We walked a few steps down a slightly creaky corridor. At the end, a staircase led further down—to the living quarters.

"Alright, let's settle now who's taking which room," I said, turning to the others.

We descended. The corridor split left and right, lined with modest doors leading to empty rooms. Karina immediately opened one, peeked inside, and snorted.

"Gin, Bellamy, and I will take this one," Sabo said, stepping in and tossing his bag into the farthest corner. "There's a window, and it's close to the exit in case anything happens."

"Perfect," Gin said, glancing around and already mentally placing his belongings.

"This room's way too big for me alone. You guys keep it," Karina said as she passed us, heading further down the hall. "I'll pick something cozier."

I looked around. The room was pretty bare—a worn chest in the corner, a couple of hammocks stretched along the walls, and some empty wooden shelves. But it would do for now. I climbed into the upper hammock and sank back with relief.

At that moment, Karina's voice came from the next room:

"This one's mine!"

We went to look. The room was smaller than ours, but otherwise the same—hammocks, bare walls.

"Alright then," I said, "let's see what else is onboard."

We explored the rest of the living area. Found a small bathroom with a toilet, a storage room, and three more empty rooms.

"I'm taking one as a hospital," Gin immediately said, inspecting one of them.

"And I'll take one for a workshop and armory," Sabo added with a nod.

"Let's keep the third one spare—for now. Who knows, someone else might join us," I said.

"The ship's pretty empty right now," Karina noted, crossing her arms. "We'll need to stock up—furniture, dishes, supplies, tools..."

"It's alright," I replied, smiling at the crew. "We'll build it up little by little. This is our home now."