Sunny waved to Maud, beckoning him over.
But Hancock had also left a seat open, thinking the same thing as Sunny.
With their looks and figures evenly matched, both of them wanted Maud to sit beside them.
And in that instant—
Before Maud could respond, the two women, seated across a table from each other, exchanged a rather tacit glance.
There was no hostility.
Only a will to battle.
Clatter—
Hancock pushed her chair back and stood, her eyes fixed on Maud with undisguised affection.
"Lord Maud, I have already reserved a seat for you."
Like Perona, Hancock had not changed the way she addressed Maud even after he put the ring bearing her name on his finger. She still called him "Lord."
"Maud, sit here."
Sunny frowned slightly and stood as well.
She looked at Maud, then pointed to the empty seat beside her. Her words and actions were concise to the point of bluntness.
The several tables around them were occupied by the crew's main members, with Lafitte and Aokiji among them.
They watched with great interest as Sunny and Hancock fought their open-and-hidden battle, practically ready to pull out sunflower seeds and start snacking.
Saul, Rayleigh, and Gaban, meanwhile, wore deeply moved expressions.
This was youth...
At the entrance.
Maud's gaze drifted between Hancock and Sunny, and he looked rather troubled.
Perona floated beside him, completely unconcerned about the "battle" between Hancock and Sunny.
To her, it did not matter where Maud sat.
She could simply use Negativity Ghost to forcibly clear out a seat beside Maud.
Because of Sunny and Hancock's actions, the banquet hall had fallen unusually quiet.
Countless gazes landed on the scene before them, then shifted toward Maud.
With the mentality of watching a good show, everyone seemed to be waiting for Maud's