Chapter 46: Strengthening the Merry

"Ahaha!!"

"Leo, look! I can fly! Hahahahaha…"

Nami's face was lit up with a radiant smile—one that had never graced her features before. It was a smile filled with warmth and light, a reflection of pure joy and freedom.

She darted effortlessly through the clouds, her laughter echoing like silver bells across the sky. An overwhelming sense of liberation filled her heart, unlike anything she had ever known.

The sunshine above, the gentle breeze against her skin, the soft touch of the clouds beneath her—it all felt new. Different. Brighter.

Once, Nami's world had been cloaked in darkness, a place of shadows and despair. But ever since Leo and his crew entered her life, they were like a ray of golden light that pierced straight into the very depths of her soul.

They had pulled her from that sinking pit of pain and lifted her into a new world.

Now, for the first time, she truly felt alive. Free. Her true self blossomed, and everything around her pulsed with life and energy.

---

Onboard the Merry

Back on the deck of the Merry, Luffy and Usopp, stunned at first, quickly recovered and bolted toward Leo, their faces brimming with excitement.

"Leo! I wanna fly too! That looked amazing!!" Luffy shouted, eyes gleaming with exhilaration.

Usopp was nodding his head so hard in agreement, it looked like it might fall off.

Leo paused to consider it, then nodded. "Alright, I'll let you both experience it."

Although he couldn't engrave the same complex magic patterns onto them as he did for Nami, he could still enable basic flight using simplified versions.

Besides, this presented a good opportunity for something he'd been meaning to do for a while: upgrade the Merry.

"This," Leo explained, holding his magic wand, "is a wind elemental sigil. If fully comprehended, it grants its bearer the essence of the wind."

He raised his wand and sketched a series of elegant strokes in the air. A luminous and intricate symbol took form, suspended midair.

At first glance, it resembled a twisting tornado. But upon closer inspection, one could see a sky-blue bird formed at the center, surrounded by curling wisps of bluish-white wind.

"It looks like a bird... like it's waving at me," Luffy said, tilting his head in puzzlement. "Why does it feel alive?"

Leo blinked, surprised. "Interesting. You can sense its spirit. Not many can."

He smiled faintly, then returned to the task at hand. "Anyway, you both want to fly, right?"

"Yeah!" Luffy and Usopp chimed together, bursting with anticipation.

"Since you lack the magical affinity Nami has, you'll need external support to fly," Leo explained, tapping the symbol in the air gently with his wand.

"It?" Sanji, who had been quiet until now, raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Yes. The elemental spirit of wind," Leo replied. He turned slightly, casting a thoughtful glance at Sanji. "I've been considering something. Shouldn't we create a symbol—something unique to our crew—to represent us?"

He pointed to the floating pattern. "Wind symbolizes freedom. Those who sail the seas live for freedom. We could use this pattern as our mark, something hidden and secure that confirms our identities."

He looked around at the others. "In this world, disguises are everywhere. Having a magical identifier that activates only when needed could protect us. And these markings can stay invisible until summoned, making them difficult to forge."

Luffy's expression turned serious. He paused, then nodded. "Yeah. That makes sense. Not everyone is as tough as me."

"I agree," Usopp added immediately, thinking of Kaya. "I trust Leo."

Zoro gave a short nod. "No objections."

Even when Nami soared through the skies earlier, Zoro had only opened one eye to check she was safe before closing it again to resume resting.

Sanji, naturally, had no objections either. Nami could fly now—he couldn't fall behind!

With everyone's approval, Leo smiled. "Then it's settled. This will be our crew's symbol—our hidden sign of trust."

He channeled his magic. Power surged through his body, condensing into glowing specks of bluish-white light. The light flowed into the bird-shaped sigil, which shimmered brightly as it pulsed with energy.

The whirlwind surrounding the blue bird gradually faded. The symbol began morphing between the image of a bird and that of a spiral vortex.

When the pattern stabilized, Leo waved his wand. The glowing symbol expanded, slowly descending onto the deck of the Merry. As it touched the wood, it emitted a soft glow that rippled along the planks like waves.

The lines of the sigil merged seamlessly into the deck. The effect was immediate.

The Merry's speed noticeably increased. Its weight felt lighter. Wisps of light were seen spiraling gently toward the ship's keel.

More importantly, Luffy suddenly heard a faint, joyful laugh—an echo of a voice from the ship itself.

His eyes widened. "The Merry... is happy?"

Leo let out a breath, feigning exhaustion as he wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead. "Whew. It's done."

Usopp, however, was still confused. "Wait... aren't we supposed to fly? I didn't see anything fly!"

Leo gave him a look of mock irritation. "You think I forgot? Hold on tight."

Standing where the sigil had vanished, Leo tapped the deck lightly with his wand. The wood trembled beneath their feet.

The ship began to shake.

Before they could process what was happening, a powerful gust of wind burst from beneath the hull, and the entire Merry shot into the sky—straight into the clouds.

"WAAAAHHHH!!!"

Usopp's scream pierced the air. He had been clinging to the side railing and now found himself staring down at the rapidly shrinking land below. His limbs trembled, and he nearly lost control of himself from fear.

"WHOOO-HOOO!! HAHAHAHA!! THIS IS AWESOME!!"

Luffy, in stark contrast, was loving every second. He had one hand on his hat to keep it from flying away and had already taken his usual seat at the bow. Grinning widely, he enjoyed the rush and the view, showing no concern about how or why the ship could fly.

Zoro and Sanji, now gripping onto whatever they could to stabilize themselves, looked toward Leo in astonishment.

They had long accepted Leo's strength and mystery, but even they hadn't imagined he could make an entire ship fly.

---

Above the Clouds

Meanwhile, Nami had slowed down, her previous euphoria gradually calming. When she noticed the Merry rising up through the clouds, her eyes lit up again. She soared toward it without hesitation.

"Leo! Did you see that? I've fully mastered the magic patterns inside me!"

Leo studied her with pride. The flow of magic within her was smooth and complete. The markings had perfectly integrated into her body.

A smile of approval touched his lips.

"You've done well. From now on, focus on gradually building your strength."

Nami beamed. Hearing praise from Leo made her heart flutter with joy. Her smile was dazzling—filled with pride, warmth, and gratitude.

Øóffer going on for diamond tier

pàtreøn (Gk31)