[Year 1513]
The second day of their laid-back life at sea began with physical training and a philosophical reflection on freedom—or rather, a very Freebone-style version of it.
At the crack of dawn, Bastien sat cross-legged at the stern of the ship. His face was serene, almost like a wise master, though his hair was a complete mess from the sea breeze. Beside him, Arthur tried to mimic the meditation pose but ended up toppling backward with a loud 'thud'.
"Arthur..." Bastien sighed, barely holding back a laugh. "That's not the 'Open the Gates of Hell' technique. It's meditation."
"Captain, the deck's way too hard for wisdom," Arthur grumbled, rubbing his bruised backside.
They continued their Haki training. Eyes closed, Bastien tried to sense Arthur sneaking toward him. On the third attempt, Bastien said confidently, "Three steps to the left, one step forward."
Arthur froze, amazed. "Whoa! It's like you've got a battleship radar or something!"
"Not a radar," Bastien replied with a slight smirk. "Just the lazy man's instinct not to get ambushed from behind."
From the ship's galley, Nara watched them while stirring a pot of soup, jotting down the recipe she titled Silent Meditation Soup.
"Impressive... but can you still sense me while trying this broth?" she teased, holding out a spoon.
Bastien took a sip. "Hmm... I sense... it's way too salty."
"Brutally honest, Captain," Nara muttered, raising the spoon like she was about to stab him.
---
That night, they gathered under a sky sprinkled with stars. Bastien sat strumming an old guitar that only had three strings left. He began playing the Ballad of the Freebone—their crew's anthem, written after Bastien once fell asleep under the sun and burned half his face.
"Hey ho, we sail the wide seas,
Bones unchained, fearless and free.
We dance with the storm's wild roar,
With open hearts, we die no more!"
Arthur clapped along, then raised an eyebrow. "Captain... about the fourth verse... why's there a line about 'stealing an admiral's sandals'?"
Bastien burst out laughing. "Inspiration comes from anywhere, Arthur. Even nightmares. Last night, I dreamed Garp was chasing me with size 47 flip-flops."
They erupted in laughter. Bastien then switched to the Sailor's Gap Song, a silly tune he once heard from a drunk fisherman with missing teeth.
"One tooth gone, laughter stays strong,
The waves may rage, but we sail along.
The sails may tear, but hearts won't fall,
We are Freebone, standing tall!"
Arthur and Nara joined in the singing—well, Nara was more focused on beatboxing using a pan and a ladle. "Pong-tak! Pong-tak!"
Suddenly, a strange noise came from the water. "GROOOWP!"
A giant pufferfish leapt out and spat Bastien's fishing line right back at him.
Arthur gawked. "Captain… even the fish are rejecting our catch!"
"Maybe... they don't like gap-toothed songs," Bastien quipped, sending everyone into another fit of laughter until they were coughing.
As the night wore on, the laughter faded into a peaceful hum. Bastien gazed out at the sea, whispering to himself, "Freedom... we're only just beginning to taste it."
Arthur leaned against the mast. "But every second feels like a rare candy. Sweet, wild, and just a little bit poisonous."
Nara sat nearby, sipping hot tea. "And if you two get hungry in battle, don't worry... Freebone's got a cook who can whip up a meal even when the ship's upside down."
The night breeze gently billowed the sails. Their laughter floated through the air like sailor's incense.
La Fortuna sailed onward, cutting through the calm ocean—an ocean full of promises... and, of course, the promise of even crazier adventures ahead.