The captain's quarters were still lit late into the night.
Barn had never imagined that Yorki, such a rugged man, would cry alone under the cover of darkness. Suddenly, he remembered something Brook had once told him:
"The person closest to Sako on this ship… was Captain Yorki."
Descending from the crow's nest, Barn landed softly on the deck. Fitz stirred from his perch and flapped down after him.
Barn and Fitz made their way directly toward the captain's quarters. Once at the door, Barn hesitated briefly before finally raising his hand and knocking.
Yorki quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve when he heard the knock and opened the door.
"Oh, Barn. Come in."
Yorki sat on a barrel, his face still wrapped in the bandages Mundo had applied. He didn't speak, waiting for Barn to say something first.
Barn bowed his head deeply. Fitz pecked at the back of his head with his beak.
A long silence passed.
Then Yorki finally spoke. "Barn—"
Almost at the same time, Barn lifted his head. His tear-filled eyes were rimmed with exhaustion.
"Captain Yorki… I was wrong."
Yorki was momentarily stunned, but quickly regained his composure. He asked gently, "Do you know what you did wrong?"
"I'll carry on for Sako's share," Barn said through tears, "and live on as a free pirate."
Yorki's eyes, already red, grew misty once more. He stepped forward and embraced Barn tightly.
The two men held each other and wept, openly and without shame.
Their cries echoed through the quiet night. Lights flicked on in the crew's quarters beside the captain's room. Brook stepped out, glanced at the door, and nodded to himself.
"All right, all right. Back to bed, everyone," he said.
But from within the captain's quarters, the sound of sobbing continued…
The next morning, it wasn't Brook's creepy shrieking that woke everyone up—it was Barn and Fitz.
Despite the large dark circles under his eyes, Barn was full of energy as he loudly roused the crew.
Everyone gathered for breakfast. It used to be Sako's job to make it, and his absence weighed heavily on them.
But when they entered the dining hall, they were greeted with a massive, delicious breakfast spread.
Yorki stepped out of the kitchen, sporting dark circles just like Barn, but also looking energetic and determined.
The crew exchanged knowing smiles and began to sit down.
Brunn bellowed in his trademark booming voice, "Damn, this breakfast rocks! Captain, you've been hiding some serious skills!"
Yorki was sipping milk, but set his cup down and replied,
"Ha! Of course! Captain Yorki's got all kinds of tricks up his sleeve!"
"Well then, our breakfasts are in your hands from now on, multitalented Captain!" Brook chimed in with his unmistakable laughter.
"Yohohohohoho!"
Barn shook his head at the sound of that laugh—Brook was always teasing the captain.
"Haha! We're counting on you, Captain!" others joined in.
"No problem!" Yorki answered surprisingly cheerfully.
After breakfast, the familiar song of pirates once again rang out in the dining hall.
"Yohohoho!"
Barn hummed along with them, and Fitz gleefully danced atop his head. But then a shadow crossed Barn's thoughts—he remembered the disease that would one day bring this joyful crew to ruin.
"How long can days like this last?" he murmured.
Suddenly somber, Barn left the lively dining hall, fishing rod slung over his shoulder, and walked toward the stern.
Fitz stopped dancing and fluttered down to his master's shoulder, tilting his head. He didn't understand the change in mood, but seeing Barn go fishing still made him happy—after all, that meant his favorite bait was coming out again.
The sea breeze was gentle, and the weather was perfect—according to navigator Mab from the Rumbar Pirates, a day like this was ideal for sailing.
Barn remained seated at the stern with his rod in the water, using the bait Fitz loved most—meaning he hadn't caught a single fish.
Just then, Mab, who had spent 15 Berries on a newspaper from a News Coo, shouted excitedly, "Everyone, come look at this!"
Brunn was the first to run over, still mid-workout. His booming voice immediately became the center of attention again.
"Whoa! Captain, your bounty went up again! Hey Mab, what's it say?"
Brunn couldn't read, but he could recognize the numbers on a bounty poster. He was pointing at Yorki's name.
Mab leaned in and read aloud, "Spotted Panther Yorki—58 million Berries."
Barn never got involved in these gatherings—he couldn't see, but listening was enough for him.
"Heh, I like that nickname. Has a nice ring to it!" Yorki commented, having emerged from the captain's quarters unnoticed. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, he added, "Yeah… very imposing."
Everyone jumped in surprise.
"Captain, could you not sneak up on us like that?!"
Yorki chuckled. "Haha, don't sweat the details! Hey, Brook's here too!"
Mab followed his pointing finger and sure enough, there was Brook's unmistakable creepy grin. If he'd spoken just then, they knew what sound they'd hear—
"Yohohohohoho!"
Speak of the skeleton and he shall appear. Even Yorki flinched this time.
"Oi, Brook! Could you stop popping up like that?!"
Yorki clutched his chest dramatically. "You almost gave me a heart attack…"
A massive sweatdrop rolled down Mab's head as he cast a side glance at Yorki that seemed to say, 'And you're one to talk?'
"'Nose Song Swordsman' Brook—33 million Berries! Yohohoho!"
Even Barn wandered over now, Fitz standing tall and proud atop his head. Brunn's loud voice once again boomed.
"Mab! Check if I'm in there too! After that fight with Plank, I kicked some serious butt! My nickname's gotta be 'Butt-Crusher Brunn!' Haha!"
He struck a thinking pose, saying the silliest thing imaginable.
The crew burst out laughing. Even Barn chuckled at the ridiculous nickname, and Fitz joyfully took to the air.
"Haha! Let's see if our 'Butt-Crusher Brunn' made it in, shall we?" Mab grinned and flipped to the next page.
Laughter echoed again—until it stopped dead in an instant.
Their smiles froze.
Something on the next page had stolen their breath.
Barn heard the laughter cut off abruptly.
"What is it?" he asked.