The banquet was underway, and the gloom Doflamingo had brought was fading away.
Luffy became everyone's leader without finding it strange at all. Even pirates knew gratitude.
Just like in the original story, when Luffy defeated Doflamingo and became the Alliance Leader of the many pirates victimized by Doflamingo.
Here, these pirates' gratitude toward Luffy was probably even deeper.
Amid the feast, everyone naturally expressed their desire to join the Straw Hat Pirates.
But Luffy unexpectedly refused them.
He said righteously, "Pirates are free. Whether it's me or all of you, we're all free."
"So I can't accept your loyalty."
Luffy seemed to possess a certain kind of magic by nature.
He could clearly hear the voices in their hearts and their true feelings.
These people were not his real companions.
The simple-minded Luffy did not realize this, but his instincts told him so. Companions were not supposed to be like this.
So he refused.
But once people entered society, some things became beyond their control. Just like now—Luffy's grace in freeing them was a debt these people, who had experienced hell, could never let go of.
Their consciences would not allow them to forget it. So after Luffy refused them, the strongest among them, Gecko Moria, stepped forward. He raised a wine bowl the size of an ordinary person's and shouted in a voice like a great bell, "Everyone, please hear me out!"
Because of his strength, voice, and size, everyone stopped drinking, arguing, and eating—except Luffy, who was still stuffing himself voraciously.
They turned their eyes toward Gecko Moria, wanting to hear what grand proposal he had.
"Since Straw Hat Kid won't accept us into his crew, then let us help Straw Hat Kid become One Piece as pirate crews united in an alliance!!"
The moment the words