Strange Dreamscape, Division of Benefits

Dream:

"Ahem, I was careless."

As the air trembled, a man in a white suit suddenly appeared in front of a tall, antique-style building. The sound of his landing immediately caused a group of blurry figures to leap out of the building and surround him in alarm.

'Commander-in-Chief? What is this...?'

'Impossible! Who in this world could possibly hurt you?!'

Faced with the shocked and angry words of the blurry figures, the man in the white suit simply waved his hand casually.

"Don't panic, it's just a slight loss. After resting a bit, I'll go back and show her what I'm all about... cough cough cough,"

However, contrary to his nonchalant tone, the bright red blood he coughed up stained his pristine white sleeves, clearly indicating a serious injury. The man in the white suit raised his hand to stop the figures around him from saying anything, then with a flick of his wrist, a book appeared in his hand, which he then handed to one of the figures in front of him.

"Take it and my ship to the base in Wano Country. Depart immediately! Afterwards, without my orders, stay there and do not return."

'Commander-in-Chief?!'

Faced with this clearly entrusting tone of 'delegating his affairs,' the surrounding figures stirred again, but the man in the white suit remained unmoved.

"Guard them well, and remember the names I gave you, as well as the names of those techniques. Pass them all down. I will come back for them... but first, I must settle things with her!"

As the man in the white suit wiped his mouth, his figure slowly transformed into lines, clearly indicating that he was activating some kind of 'teleportation' ability.

'Commander-in-Chief! What...'

Faced with the anxious questions the figures hadn't finished asking, the man in the suit, who had been disappearing rapidly, hesitated for the first time in his firm tone.

'Perhaps soon,'

'Perhaps... eight hundred years from now.'

'We will wait for you! We will wait forever, generation after generation—'

Brush,

In a dizzying spin, everything became a blur! Lightning flashed and thunder roared across the crimson earth, mountains and rivers reversed, the sky collapsed and the earth cracked, leaving only a pair of cold, aloof eyes:

"Face reality, it's time to wake up from your naive dream. You and he have both lost, lost to the people you trusted."

A jeweled gown spread out on the ground, and beneath the tall crown came a voice as gentle as ever.

'Come on, let's rule the world together.'

No, we haven't lost yet.

Next time...

I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.

"You're awake?"

"Nami, your inexplicable lines are a little scary."

?

Ignoring Nami's bewildered expression, Roman sat up and glanced around the room. There were two other beds nearby, but they were now empty. So, it seemed...

"Luffy and Ace? They've recovered?"

"Yes, Luffy is eating and drinking as usual, while Ace is probably having a headache... well, soon it will be your headache."

"... The distribution of spoils?"

The Straw Hat crew are carefree in both their adventures and battles, seeking no reward. With Roman as their big spender, they're never short of money. But the Whitebeard Pirates aren't so easygoing. As the captain of a crew of tens of thousands, Ace must be racking his brains over how to divide the spoils of this operation's victory.

"It's a minor issue; it's not worth wasting time on."

Having survived such a perilous battle with Kaido, what else is there to worry about?

Roman got out of bed after lifting the covers, and had just done a few stretching exercises as usual when a loud rumbling noise came from afar.

"Hehehe~~ Roman!!"

Carrying several huge pieces of roasted meat, Luffy charged into the room first and shoved the millstone-sized piece of roasted meat directly into Roman's face.

"You woke up too slowly; you need to eat more meat."

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

Sanji's impatient voice came from behind, "Giving roasted meat to Roman, who just woke up... cough cough, do you think everyone has a rubber stomach like you?"

Nami handed the specially prepared recovery dish to Nami, Sanji without his cigarette.

"This is a 'restorative vitality dish' that I learned from the Kamabakka Kingdom. It can naturally and quickly restore the body."

"Huh? Why don't I have it?"

Seeing Luffy's surprise, Sanji didn't even bother to watch him act silly.

"Eat your own flesh!"

"Hmph, making a fuss over nothing. It's just a minor injury. I told you Roman would be fine."

Zoro leaned against the door with his arms crossed. Although he said that, the fact that he arrived here so quickly showed that he was not as relaxed as he claimed.

"Is my situation really that bad?"

In response to Roman's words, the carefree Luffy opened his mouth into a gaping maw and swallowed a large chunk of flesh.

"Chopper said that Roman, your body recovered even earlier than mine and Ace's. But whether it's from overuse of your abilities or a brain injury, you just won't wake up. It scared everyone to death!"

It's rare that Luffy could remember such a long passage, after all, Chopper's "Can't be cured, just wait to die, goodbye" three-part Bian Que speech scared everyone into tears.

?!

"How is that possible—"

After closing his eyes and carefully sensing the surroundings, even scanning him up and down with his Observation Haki, Roman looked at the little reindeer who had just arrived with a puzzled expression. If he hadn't had absolute confidence in Chopper's medical skills, Roman would have almost blurted out "quack." After all:

"Roman's body..."

After examining it for a while, Chopper had to admit it.

"Very healthy, even Guotou healthy! All the data are much stronger than before, but:"

Even the World's Greatest doctor has one area where there is nothing they can do.

"Could it be something to do with the 'soul'...? Damn it! I don't even have a clue! What kind of doctor am I?!"

When faced with Chopper, who was blaming himself and on the verge of tears, Roman calmly patted the other's hat.

"Don't panic, I feel perfectly fine. Perhaps my previous unconsciousness was just a rebound caused by long-term stress. After all, our opponent is Kaido, one of the Four Emperors."

"Roman can't do that,"

Usopp next to him pointed his thumb to himself.

"Unlike me, I'm negative all the time! So I'm not afraid of mental stress at all."

Ah, this... I can't learn it, I can't learn it.

Usopp's eccentricities have been personally verified by Negativity Ghost. Roman doesn't believe he has such a miraculous talent.

"It's good that you're alright."

"What a relief!"

Robin, Franky, Jinbe, Brook, and the other "older members" who arrived later all had smiles on their faces. If Roman suddenly collapsed, they couldn't imagine what the Straw Hat crew would be like in the future.

"Okay, okay~~"

Nami clapped her hands and stood up. "Since Roman is alright, then—"

"Let's have a banquet!!!"

"That's right, open... no! Shouldn't we be considering the Wano Country issue before that?" Roman rolled his eyes, almost getting swayed by Luffy! Wano Country isn't just any place; it's about whether the Whitebeard Pirates can return to the ranks of the 'Four Emperors'.

If Ace becomes one of the Four Emperors, he will undoubtedly be Luffy's greatest asset, paving the way for him to become the King of the Pirates...

Snap!

?

"Hahaha, a banquet~~~"

The Roman man, being dragged out by Luffy by the collar like a kite, sighed helplessly as he drifted along. "Fine, let's start the banquet first. The overall situation is already settled, and nothing unexpected is likely to happen." However:

It seems like I've forgotten something?

"Zheng~ Zheng~~ Zheng~~~"

"Thump thump thump~! Thump thump thump~~!"

Amidst the serene and pure sounds of the shamisen and the stirring yet steady drumbeats, the maids on either side help the Straw Hat crew push open the gates of the Castle Keep. Cherry blossoms drift gently down from the sky, while below, a Wano Country civilians gather.

As soon as the Straw Hat crew appeared, a deafening roar erupted all around. People either raised their arms and shouted until their faces turned red, or clapped their hands frantically, or shouted words of praise. Not a single person paid any attention.

The sounds of thousands upon thousands of people blended into a loud torrent that Air Quake endlessly over the Capital of Flowers, even reaching the towering mountains behind the town, creating a long-lasting, rolling echo.

"Captain Luffy!!"

"The Great Swordsman Zoro— "

"And there's also the Roman Myo-o!!"

??

"When did I acquire the nickname 'Wise King'? Besides..."

Isn't that Kaido's title?

"Of course, it was when you were fighting against Onigashima —if it weren't for Mr. Roman, the Capital of Flowers would probably have suffered heavy casualties."

Hiyori Kozuki, dressed in light clothing Yamato carrying a spiked club, walked over. Beside her stood Hiyori, clad in full armor. On the other side were the Whitebeard Pirates' captains, led by Ace.

"Haha, little Roman! Your physique isn't up to par~~"

Blenheim, his body wrapped in bandages and one arm in a sling, waved to greet everyone.

"As the last person to wake up, you'll have to drink three cups as punishment—"

!!

"Why·····?"

Stared at with death stares by the Straw Hat crew behind Roman, the burly man in overalls, the 6th division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates Devil Fruit user, touched the pocket around his neck, wondering if he had said something wrong. Meanwhile, Ace stepped forward.

"Now that Roman is awake, we should get down to business."

The "we" referred to is, of course, Ace himself, representing the Whitebeard Pirates; Hiyori Kozuki, representing Wano Country; Yamato, representing the remaining Beasts Pirates; and:

Roman, representing the Straw Hat crew.

Normally, Luffy, as the captain, should be dividing the spoils, but:

"This is such a hassle, let's leave it to Roman."

"Okay,"

Roman nodded. Today was the third day after the war, the day of the Wano Country Shogun's enthronement ceremony. Many things needed to be clarified now, otherwise it wouldn't be good if those who had fought side-by-side turned against each other.

After all, money is the most tempting thing to people!

Even if the leaders are all men of high moral character and incorruptible, the soldiers below still have to support their families and make a living.

"Come on, let's settle this in a few words, and then have the banquet!"

What was a difficult topic for the others to discuss regarding the division of interests was nonetheless a source of embarrassment for Roman. After all, the essence of politics is seeking common ground while reserving differences, and given Roman's vision, status, strength, and wealth, he was confident that no conflict was insurmountable. Moreover:

None of the parties present were the type to nitpick, so it wasn't difficult for them to come up with a plan that satisfied everyone.