Banquet

"They really are a pair of incredible brats... I never expected to see the Flame-Flame Fruit and the Rumble-Rumble Fruit here..."

Watching the flames flying from afar and the incoming thunder, Rayleigh looked at Roger, who had appeared beside him, and spoke with a hint of awe.

"Indeed... the two of them remind me of those three little fellows in the Navy..."

Rayleigh understood instantly who Roger was talking about.

After all, they had frequent run-ins with the Navy, and those three monsters who had suddenly emerged—rising to fame at such a young age—had given them quite a headache for a while.

Just then, two figures descended from the sky, landing unceremoniously onto the Waver that Roger was standing on.

The entire Roger Pirates crew looked at the two brats who had suddenly appeared in their midst with faces full of astonishment.

"Captain... what is this..."

Gaban, standing next to Roger, asked with a puzzled expression.

Roger was just about to answer, but realizing he didn't actually know the names of these two little ones, he spoke up instead.

"These two boys will be staying with the Roger Pirates for the next few days. Why don't you two introduce yourselves?"

At that moment, Ye Mu truly felt like a lamb entering a tiger's den. Within his field of vision stood figures who were nothing more than legends in the stories of the One Piece—now alive and breathing right in front of him.

Rayleigh, Gaban, Bullet, Kozuki Oden, Crocus, Shanks, Buggy, Nekomamushi, Duke Inuarashi, and so many more.

There were over a hundred people in total!

Was this the Roger Pirates!

Though his heart was filled with surprise, he introduced himself calmly and unhurriedly.

"My name is Ye Mu... and this is my younger brother..."

"Enel..."

After his lackluster performance in front of Roger earlier, Enel was now determined to wash away his shame, and he took the initiative to state his name.

"Ye Mu, Enel, is it..."

Roger savored the names, then suddenly turned to everyone and said happily.

"Since we have new friends, then, according to our rules..."

As his voice fell, the slightly tense atmosphere instantly became lively, and everyone cheered in excitement.

"Banquet... banquet..."

"Oh... oh... long live the Captain..."

The boisterous atmosphere left both Ye Mu and Enel feeling a bit dazed.

After all, for the past five years, the two of them had lived in seclusion, never experiencing such a lively environment, let alone one prepared specifically to welcome them.

"So this is what it feels like to be a pirate..."

Enel muttered to himself.

Soon after, led by Gan Fall, the group rode their Wavers to a flat stretch of land. As night fell, the banquet began.

Under the cover of night, somewhere in Upper Yard, bright bonfires crackled, the air filled with the scent of malt liquor and mouth-watering roasted meat.

Accompanied by the rhythm of Binks' Sake, everyone sang and drank together.

Even though this was Gan Fall's territory, he currently felt like an outsider, while the Roger Pirates acted as if they were the hosts, singing and dancing to their hearts' content.

Enel had been a bit reserved at first, but under the care of these boisterous, friendly people, he soon became drunk and started to let loose, showing off his Rumble-Rumble Fruit abilities. His entire body crackled and popped with flashes of lightning.

The people around him were very supportive, their eyes filled with adoration.

Ye Mu, on the other hand, sat alone, drinking juice and eating delicious food while watching the performance.

Not far away, Roger and Rayleigh sat together, their eyes fixed on Ye Mu. After finishing a cup of wine, Roger asked Rayleigh.

"What do you think of these two children?"

Rayleigh thought for a moment before replying.

"The child named Enel is no different from Shanks and the others, but that boy Ye Mu—he is so mature and calm that he doesn't seem like a child at all..."

Roger nodded in understanding and said with a meaningful tone.

"Although I cannot hear his inner voice, I can feel that this child has great ambition. Do you know why he came to find us today?"

Rayleigh shook his head. Roger didn't keep him in suspense; he drained his cup and said, "He wants me to teach him Haki..."

It seemed ordinary enough, but for an eleven-year-old child, upon encountering the world-famous Roger Pirates, he could have made any number of requests, yet he specifically asked to learn Haki. This alone proved his deep desire for power.

"Haki? Such a young child, and he already wants to learn Haki? Especially when he has such a powerful Devil Fruit..."

"Exactly. That's why this child is truly extraordinary. What was I thinking about when I was that young? Hahahaha..."

But Rayleigh knew that the reason Roger was laughing so happily and was willing to agree to the children's request wasn't just for that reason alone.

Sure enough, he heard Roger add.

"Do you know what this kid called me when I first met him?"

"???"

Rayleigh was taken aback, and Roger's follow-up answer shocked him even further.

"The future Pirate King..."

"!!!"

Before Rayleigh's shock could subside, he heard Roger continue with a laugh.

"He called me the Pirate King, yet there wasn't a hint of surprise in his eyes, as if I were just an ordinary person. Furthermore, this child seems to know that my time is running out..."

"!!!"

"Hahaha, of course, that's just my guess. Perhaps I'm overthinking it; after all, who in this world could possibly know the future..."

Rayleigh, however, couldn't help but take it seriously. His expression turned grave, and after a moment of thought, he stood up abruptly and walked toward where Ye Mu was sitting.

Roger was startled.

"Hey, Rayleigh, what are you doing? Wait..."

"Yo, kid, hello there!"

Rayleigh sat down beside Ye Mu with his drink. Roger followed in a panic, though thankfully, Rayleigh's next words kept him from getting too nervous.

"Everyone else is drinking alcohol, so why are you having juice?"

Ye Mu looked at Rayleigh, who had sat down beside him, with a strange expression and replied casually.

"I'm still a minor. Besides, you guys probably won't be on Sky Island for much longer, and I don't want to waste the time I have to learn Haki by being drunk!"

Ye Mu's answer left Rayleigh deeply surprised. Such maturity and the calmness in his eyes made it impossible for Rayleigh to view him as a mere child. Recalling what Roger had just said, he finally couldn't hold back.

However, under Roger's pleading gaze, he remained somewhat tactful.

"I... I have a friend... he has a very serious illness. I wanted to ask if you know any way to cure him..."

After saying this, Rayleigh waited for Ye Mu's answer with a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

He swore that even when facing Rocks alongside Roger, he hadn't felt this nervous.

Then, he saw Ye Mu shake his head and say.

"No..."

In an instant, Rayleigh's heart was filled with disappointment, and even Roger's expression shifted slightly.

Even as the future Pirate King, no one wants to die if they can continue to live.

The twilight of a hero is truly a sorrowful thing.

But Ye Mu's next words caused their hearts to leap once more.

"I'm not a doctor, so I don't know anything about healing the sick, but I do know of three things in this world that might be useful... at least, they should be able to slow the progression of the illness..."