Banquet

The revelry on deck came to an abrupt halt at the words "Kuja Pirates."

Every pirate's head locked up with a click, as if someone had smacked a pause button with a hammer.

But Roger was the first to react.

He shot to his feet, grabbed Rock by the shoulders, and shook him violently, his eyes bulging as though they were about to pop out of their sockets.

"W-W-Wait!!!"

"You got on the Kuja Pirates' ship... so that means—"

"You met Shakuyaku?!!"

Rock was shaken so hard he nearly flung away his wineglass. He could only nod. "Yeah. She said she was going to Hachinosu to open a bar, so I hitched a ride on her ship."

"Boom—!!!"

This time, it was not the aftermath of battle. The pirates aboard the entire ship exploded as though they had been struck by a collective mental shockwave.

"He actually rode on the same ship as Lady Shakuyaku?! What kind of luck is that!!?"

"No way! Lady Shakuyaku personally took him to Hachinosu?!"

"Even our captain has never gotten that treatment!!!"

The voices rose higher and higher, crackling like popcorn bursting in a pan.

The moment Roger heard, "Even our captain has never gotten that treatment," his mentality utterly collapsed.

The next second, he dropped to his knees on the deck as if he had been struck a heavy blow, pounding the planks with both fists.

"Waaaahhh—!!! I'm so jealous I could die!!!"

"Why?! Shakuyaku is obviously my favorite!!!"

"I've never even ridden on her ship!!!"

He wailed with heartbreaking anguish. Combined with his massive, burly build, the sight was both striking and absurdly funny.

Rock: "..."

Rayleigh: "..."

The crew had clearly grown accustomed to it. "The captain is having another episode..."

"He's like this every time Shakuyaku comes up."

"Give him a drumstick. He'll stop crying in a bit."

Rock truly could not hold it in anymore. He turned and gave Rayleigh a look that plainly asked, Is this guy actually normal?

The tips of Rayleigh's ears reddened. Like someone caught red-handed, he slightly turned his gaze away and raised his cup, pretending to drink. "You'll get used to it..."

The air on deck seemed to grow more than ten degrees hotter because of the words "Kuja Pirates" and "Shakuyaku."

Just as the entire ship was still drowning in shock, envy, and jealousy, a booming voice tinged with amusement cut in.

"Captain, looks like you've got another rival!"

Every gaze on the ship snapped in that direction.

Following the voice, Rock saw a man built like a mobile artillery battery striding over.

His black hair was tied into a wild ponytail. His yellow short-sleeved shirt was stretched so tight it looked ready to burst, and every carved muscle seemed to ripple beneath it.

Each step made the deck thud.

It was Gaban, the navigator of the Roger Pirates.

Though a counterweight may be small, it could shift a great force;

Though a needle may be fine, it could pierce ten thousand barriers.

For some reason, the moment he thought of what this man would accomplish in the future, those two lines suddenly surfaced in Rock's mind.

Gaban wore an extremely punchable grin as he plopped down beside Roger, then casually patted Roger, who was still kneeling and howling on the deck.

"But I have to tell you the truth—"

He deliberately raised his voice so everyone on the ship could hear him clearly. "Shakuyaku definitely won't like you!!"

"Give it up, Captain. You don't stand a chance!"

"I'm the one most likely to win her over!!!"

"?!!"

Roger instantly became like a firecracker with its fuse lit, springing a full meter into the air from the ground.

"What nonsense are you spouting?! Shakuyaku is mine!!!"

Gaban burst into laughter. "You say she is, and that makes it true? Being captain doesn't give you special privileges in this!"

"You bastard, your skin is itching for another beating, isn't it!!!"

"Come on, then! Let's fight!!!"

The two immediately tangled into a brawl. Fists, skewers of roast meat, and wine cups flew everywhere, and even half the nearby barrels were knocked over.

The surrounding pirates were so excited that it felt like a grand gambling convention. "Place your bets! I'm betting on the captain!!!"

"I'm betting on Gaban!! His muscles are even more jacked than usual today!!!"

"I'm betting on the roast meat!! It'll definitely hit someone in the face first!!!"

"Aaaahhh, don't throw the table at me—!!!"

The atmosphere on deck instantly switched from a "shock convention" to a "pirate brawl carnival," as lively as the world's most joyous absurdist play.

And while everyone else was going wild, Rayleigh quietly walked over to Rock's side.

Firelight reflected off his glasses, softening his gaze slightly. He lowered his voice and asked in a whisper.

"Rock... Shakuyaku, is she doing well?"

There was an almost imperceptible concern in his voice, utterly out of place amid the madness around them.

Rock glanced at him from the side. He appeared casual, yet seemed to see through everything.

A meaningful smile tugged at his lips. "If someone were willing to go see her..."

Rock paused for a moment, as though deliberately making someone's heart skip a beat, before softly adding.

"She would probably be quite well."

Rayleigh's gaze trembled faintly behind his glasses.

He did not answer, but in that instant, his silence ran deeper than any words.

The next day, the morning sun spilled across the sea, golden light dancing over the deck of the Oro Jackson.

Last night's revelry had long since ended.

Wine barrels lay toppled over, barbecue racks were scattered everywhere, and the crew slept sprawled in all directions. Some hugged barrels as pillows, while others drooled directly over the railings.

Amid this chaotic "aftermath of battle," only Rock walked around the deck in high spirits.

He had not drunk much the night before, making him the clearest-headed person on the entire ship now.

Along the way, he ran into several crewmen who had woken early. They were no longer as terrified as they had been on the first day, and instead waved greetings at him.

"Morning, Rock!"

"You can really hold your liquor!"

"Want some breakfast? We've got bread!"

Rock waved back as well, responding naturally.

When he reached the bow, he saw Rayleigh standing at the front of the deck, one hand resting on the railing as he studied a sea chart and directed the helmsman.

The morning sea breeze stirred his blond hair, and his whole demeanor was steady and calm.

Rock walked over and greeted him. "Yo, you're up early."

Rayleigh turned around and smiled when he saw him. "Rock, did you sleep well last night?"

Rock scratched his head. "Ah, sleeping on your ship isn't exactly peaceful. It was noisy all night."

Rayleigh chuckled. "Hahaha, was it? We're used to it."

"For us, a noisy night is a normal night."

The two stood side by side, looking out at the calm horizon in the distance.

The wind was gentle and the sunlight warm. It looked nothing like the previous night, when those people had nearly sunk the ship.

After a moment of silence, Rayleigh finally could not hold back and asked the question that had been on his mind.

"Rock... about what you said last night. You came aboard our ship with a 'purpose.'"

"Although I know you mean us no harm, I still want to know what exactly that means."

Rock froze for a moment after hearing that, then let out a soft laugh. "Ah, you mean that? Hahaha."

"You should know, right? I said I was going to join the Marines."

Rayleigh blinked. "Hm? What does that have to do with us...?"

Rock raised one finger and pointed toward the distant sea. "I have a strong feeling."

"As long as I sail with your Roger Pirates—"

A spark of lightning flashed in his eyes.

"There's a very good chance I'll run into that guy."

Rayleigh's pupils contracted. "That guy... don't tell me you mean—?!"

Just then—

"Boom—!!!"

A blinding blaze suddenly lit up on the distant horizon!

Accompanied by an ear-splitting roar through the air, a cannonball tore across the sky at extreme speed, shooting straight toward the Oro Jackson!

Rock merely waved a hand.

"Crackle—!!!"

Lightning exploded in midair, detonating the cannonball ahead of time!

But the shockwave from the explosion was strong enough to raise enormous waves. The massive ship lurched violently to one side, and the still-hungover pirates on deck rolled into a heap!

"Waaaahhh—!!!"

"What happened?!!"

"Who's attacking us?!!"

At that very moment, an enraged roar that pierced heaven and earth came from afar.

"RO—GER—!!!"

Rayleigh's expression changed instantly. "That voice—!!"

A smile curled across Rock's lips. "Speak of the devil."

The morning sea breeze trembled beneath that furious roar.

One of the monsters standing at the very top had arrived.