Chopper and Asahi slept peacefully, their breaths rising and falling together. Usopp sat nearby at a small desk, carefully working on the storybook he had made for Asahi. He had been sketching it for days, and now it was almost finished. With a smile, he added the last details. A happy picture of Asahi standing proudly with his pirate family. Usopp felt a little sad as he closed the book, knowing it would be Asahi's goodbye gift.
Around the ship, the rest of the crew were also busy working on secret gifts for Asahi. In the kitchen, Sanji carefully wrapped a small bento box filled with Asahi's favorite foods. Cute animal-shaped rice balls, sweet tamagoyaki, and homemade cookies.
In the library, Nami and Robin quietly discussed their gifts. Nami had made a special map that showed all the places the crew had visited with Asahi, with fun little drawings and notes. "Now, wherever he goes, he'll always remember us," she whispered as she rolled up the map. Robin had picked a poem book from her collection for Asahi.
Down in the workshop, Franky was finishing a small robot toy for Asahi. It had blinking eyes and made cheerful beeps, designed to be both a fun toy and a helpful tool. "SUPER! You're gonna love this, little guy!" Franky said with pride as he polished the robot.
Zoro, usually the quiet one, sat on the floor, packing Asahi's belongings into a small bag. His movements were careful and precise, quite different from his usual rough manner. He frowned in concentration as he tried his best to fold Asahi's clothes neatly, smoothing out the wrinkles with his large hands.
He tucked in a small toy sword and a few other little things that meant something to Asahi. As he zipped up the bag, he glanced at it for a moment, a quiet sigh escaping him. Without saying a word, he placed it next to the door, ready for the morning.
Brook, being a musician, had written a soft lullaby for Asahi and recorded it on a shell, hoping the tune would stay with Asahi long after they said goodbye.
⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄
"Dada!"
"Dada!"
"Dah-ddy!"
"Wake up!! Daddy!" Asahi's excited voice pierced through the quiet as the tiny toddler bounced eagerly on Zoro's chest, full of energy something Zoro definitely wasn't.
"Ugh-what the...!" Zoro jolted awake, his eyes snapping open in surprise, immediately alert. His hand instinctively reached for his swords. But when his vision cleared, he was greeted by a giggling Asahi, still in his pajamas, bright-eyed and wide awake.
"Daddy! It's mowning! You said we're goin' on 'ventuwe today!"
Zoro rubbed his face as he tried to settle down. "Geez..." he grumbled.
Completely oblivious to Zoro's grogginess, Asahi laughed and tugged on the blanket. "C'mon, Dada! Up, up, up!" He jumped off Zoro's chest and stood at the edge of the bed, bouncing with excitement.
Zoro rubbed his temples, a small, tired smile creeping onto his face as he looked down at the enthusiastic toddler. "Alright, alright, I'm up..." he muttered.
Asahi grinned up at him, his eyes sparkling. "We goin' to Mizzy-ho, wight? You pwomised!"
Zoro sighed, stretching his arms as he stood. "Yeah, kid. We'll be headin' out soon." He replied.
"Yay!" Asahi cheered, darting out of the room before Zoro could react. The swordsman watched him run off. "So much energy this early..."
The creaked open, and Sanji leaned against the frame with a smirk. "Well, well, look who's finally up. Baby wake you?"
