Victory Banquet, Loyal People

"That guy Kuma..."

Roman rubbed his temples as he looked at Zoro, who was wrapped in his papers and glowing with emerald green light on the bed.

"That was way too heavy-handed!"

If it were any of the other members of the Straw Hat crew, they'd probably be dead by now! Even Roman himself wouldn't have the confidence to withstand such terrifying injuries that felt like his entire body was being shattered.

"It's good enough that we're alive,"

Despite Roman's complaints, the heavily injured Zoro remained calm.

"The other side is from the World Government; we should be thankful they didn't wipe us out. —In fact, I had prepared for the worst..."

Dreams shattered!

After Chopper treated his injuries, a massive amount of life force from Roman's paper flowed into Zoro's body, nourishing every cell in him. This is why he now has the strength to speak.

"By the way," Zoro glanced at Roman beside him, "Roman, you seem to know that man named Bear? He swatted you away before you could say anything—"

"Yes,"

Roman nodded, then hesitated for a moment.

"I know him, but he doesn't know me. Kuma's identity is complicated, so I can't say for sure..."

Perhaps it was Roman's 'composure' and 'familiarity' in the face of an unknown enemy that led the Kuma to choose to send him flying, or perhaps it was for some other reason—but none of that matters anymore:

Roman patted Zoro on the hospital bed. "Anyway, just focus on recovering. After all, we defeated another Shichibukai, didn't we?"

Although they were the weakest, this time there were no external factors involved; they truly defeated their opponent in a real fight! — Even with the entire crew working together, it's still the Straw Hat crew's record.

However, this is the Straw Hat crew's limit right now.

"Hey—the food's here!"

A spirited Luffy arrived carrying a huge bundle. As is customary for the Straw Hat crew: after defeating a powerful enemy, it's time for the traditional feast!

Besides the Straw Hat crew, there's also Lola's 'Forest Pirates' and the Victim Alliance, led by the 'Seriously Injured Old Man'. —To celebrate their resurrection, everyone spontaneously organized themselves and moved food and wine from Moria's Castle.

What exactly happened after we lost consciousness?

As Roman began to ponder the 'gains and losses,' Sanji walked over, glanced at Zoro on the hospital bed, and handed him a bowl of porridge with a strong medicinal aroma.

"This was prepared for you. You... never mind,"

Sanji had wanted to say something, tossed his head and left with a mumbled, indistinct mutter.

"I won't hold it against you for hitting me..."

"Zoro, you need to get better soon!"

Seeing Luffy grinning, Usopp and the others couldn't help but tease him, "Why do you look like nothing's wrong?"

How would I know?

"Get out of here," Roman began to shoo them away. "What are you all doing here? Don't you know the patient needs to rest?"

"Hey, doesn't Zoro recover just by drinking alcohol?"

"What kind of treatment is that???"

"Actually, I saw it all at the time,"

When Sanji went to the makeshift 'kitchen' to prepare food, Brook quietly followed him in.

"Perhaps because I was just a skeleton, that man named Xiong didn't notice I was conscious, so this is how it happened..."

"Did Zoro take all of Luffy's 'damage'?"

After listening to Brook's explanation, Sanji silently lit a cigarette. "I see. That's why Luffy recovered his health, while Zoro ended up like that."

They actually said 'nothing happened'?!

That bastard—

Should we tell Captain Luffy about these things?

Sanji shook his head at Brook's question.

"No,"

"Zoro didn't do that for anyone's reward. Besides..."

"What would Luffy think if he knew that all his pain had been transferred to Zoro?"

"I see,"

Brook, the skeleton with the afro, nodded.

"It's so good to have companions; you're all such good partners who would risk your lives for each other~~"

"I'm glad everyone is safe and sound. I'm going to cook now."

As Sanji finished speaking, an 'ear' suddenly transformed into flower petals and fell from behind the wall next to him.

"So that's how it is."

Robin smiled sweetly. Although the Straw Hat crew was full of such fools who were eager to 'carry the sword,' it was the most reassuring place in the world.

"The banquet is starting!!"

Amid Luffy's shouts, everyone began to eat and drink heartily, singing and reveling! They expressed their praise for being alive in this way! Brook walked over to a piano nearby.

"Let me play a piece for everyone to add to the merriment."

Ding-dong~~

As the white finger bones danced across the piano keys, melodious piano music began to echo in the hall.

"Sake of Binks? That song sounds familiar~~"

"Hey, Brook."

Luffy the instrument.

"You'll join us, right?"

········

"Roman, you still look unhappy."

Faced with Nami's question, Roman flicked his wrist, and a piece of paper, half white and half black, fell into his hand and was handed to Nami.

"This... could it be?"

"Yes," Roman nodded, "Moria's 'Shadow-Shadow Fruit' ability. You don't need to develop those other weird abilities, but you must learn the 'Shadow Illusion' skill to save your life."

Why,

Nami helplessly covered her forehead; for a moment, even the wine in her hand lost its flavor.

"We just defeated a Shichibukai, is it really necessary to fight this hard—"

Although she said that, Nami had already put down her wine glass, picked up the half-black, half-white pages of the book, and started reading "The Art of the Thief": Roman was practically turning her, the navigator, into a walking "Devil Fruit Encyclopedia"...

"However, this is not actually our true strength," Roman pointed out calmly, taking a sip of orange juice.

"Moria was the weakest of the Shichibukai, and we eliminated his subordinates first. Then we prepared various items to counter his abilities—we only managed to defeat him by taking advantage of his unpreparedness."

There will never be another "fake" boss like Moria again, so how can Roman be happy about that?

And what about Ace...?

Given his stubbornness, he would never do something so disgraceful as to "bow down" to the Navy, which would tarnish the reputation of "Whitebeard." In the end, he would most likely still have to go to the Marineford War. —Luffy will definitely go to rescue them, so:

How should I control the Sabaody storyline...?

Roman lifted his glass, took a sip of orange juice, and hid his thoughtful face.

Splash!

In the deserted ruins of the mansion, a huge broken wall flipped open, revealing a fat, purple-haired middle-aged man dressed in a fishnet outfit.

"Hey, get up!"

A beastly voice murmured in the air, yet the obese middle-aged man beneath the ruins remained motionless, like a true corpse. This threat irritated the cloaked Absalom.

"Hogback, your body has already been modified by yourself! You can't die so easily—if you don't get up, I'll bite your throat off!"

Faced with threats from his colleagues, the eccentric doctor who had been feigning death was forced to get up.

"Hiss... cough cough, it's Absalom. Have those damned Straw Hat Pirates left?"

"No,"

A figure 'emerged' from thin air. Absalom, the 'Invisible Person' with blond hair, wearing a gorgeous trench coat, a hat with the Moria's emblem, appeared beside him, causing the eccentric doctor Hogback to look at him in surprise.

"Absalom, your hands?"

Licking the blood from beside the lion's mouth, the 'Invisible Person' named Absalom had both hands severed at the wrists, the jagged wounds looking as if they had been torn apart by a ferocious beast!

"I was careless and got caught by the Straw Hat crew with Seastone handcuffs."

He wiggled his arm, which was haphazardly wrapped with strips of cloth to stop the bleeding, and said, "In order to escape, I had to bite off my own hands!"

"... Hiss, hiss, hiss, I'm really impressed by you."

After standing up and stretching his obese body, the eccentric doctor prepared to make a run for it.

Brush,

A blood-soaked arm wrapped around his neck, and behind him was Absalom's cold voice.

"Where are you going, Hogback!"

"Hiss, hiss, of course we're running away! Do you really want to go looking for trouble with the Straw Hat crew who defeated Master?"

·······

"I'm not so presumptuous as to overestimate myself, but—"

"Rescue the master before we leave!"

·······

"Alright, Lord Moria shouldn't be caught in this mess. I'll go with you to rescue him!"

After the two... or rather, the cyborgs finished their discussion, they vanished instantly under Absalom's power, leaving only a trail of footprints. Under the watchful gaze of a raven perched on a tree trunk with empty eyes, they stealthily disappeared around the hall where the banquet was being held.