Before long, all the dishes had arrived, and the owner had even made the portions extra large.
The owner was an excellent cook. The smell alone made Werther's mouth water.
So Werther dug into the food with a glass of wine. The other two needed no encouragement and joined him.
"Hawk-Eyes, you're heading to the Summit War too, aren't you? Why did you get here so early?"
Werther hadn't expected to see Hawk-Eyes on the Island so soon, and he couldn't help asking.
"Yes, I accepted the Marines' invitation. I came early because a friend asked me to visit. I'm only staying on the Island for a while."
Werther understood. He could make a pretty good guess who that friend was, too.
"I see. Since we happened to meet, let's have a drink."
Werther raised his glass and clinked it against Rayleigh's and Hawk-Eyes's before draining it. They did the same.
"Werther, did you come because the Marines invited you too? Is something big about to happen?"
Werther's eyes flickered at Rayleigh's question. An interesting thought had occurred to him.
What would Rayleigh do if I told him Ace was Roger's son and was about to be executed?
Would he remain in seclusion on the Sabaody Archipelago, or head straight for Marineford?
Werther was curious, but now wasn't the time.
He wasn't about to give Rayleigh such important information for no reason. They weren't that close yet.
"It isn't much of a secret. It'll be announced soon enough. Fire Fist Ace, Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, is about to be executed."
Rayleigh set down his glass.
"Portgas D. Ace is going to be executed? Then Whitebeard and the Marines are headed for war. And that surname, Portgas... I can't help wondering about it."
With that, Rayleigh fell into