Farewell

As the Going-Merry carried Luffy and his friends to safety in a battered and bruised state, her time was up. Months and years of suffering from canon fire, blunt force and being rammed into had taken it’s toll at last. After being able to proceed a little further, she started to break, bit by bit. The hull started to crack away, the deck fell off and the mast crumbled where it stood. Luffy and his friends managed to get off, reluctantly. Unwilling to accept the demise of what had been responsible for their journey so far. Usopp got off and decided that he wanted everyone to pay their respects to Merry by setting her on fire. So that she was not going to be a source for theft for anyone anymore. So that she burned away along with her ability to provide any support or meaning to the world. So they did. As the fires ate away at the body of the ship, the gang just stood there in boats — watching her be reduced to ashes. To go from this world to the next. Before she completely went away, a faint voice could be heard. Or atleast that’s what Luffy and his friends thought. They would be lost for sometime after this. Pirates in an endless sea without a ship is like a bird without wings to fly in the sky. But eventually, they did build another ship. Stronger, better, but still carrying the emblem of the Going-Merry.

I write this today, because I felt what Luffy felt about 40 days ago. I felt like my vessel to guide myself in the world had gone away after a long time of suffering and hurt. I felt like I was lost, and I would never find my stand in the world again. I felt like I was hopeless, I felt like I had no ground to stand on anymore. I had watched my vessel to carry me forward burn away infront of my eyes. Just, in Luffy’s case, it was their beloved ship. In my case, it was my beloved Father. But at the end of it all, I am doing better now, and with his legacy at my side, I feel stronger. He was gone, and he was never going to be back to support me at any times of crisis again. Through all the storms and tides, I felt a sense of loneliness I never thought I would overcome. But I did. With the memories of his, with how much he had gone through for me, with how much suffering he endured for us, with his never dying will to go on forward, I got my peace. And with the presence of someone who is basically like a reborn version of him, I have never felt stronger than I feel now. Just like Luffy did, when he received their new ship, the Thousand-Sunny — I found my strength to carry me forward. And only forward.