The members of the Roy Pirates exchanged smiles and relaxed.
Bullet plopped down by the campfire without any hesitation and started gnawing on a large piece of roasted meat.
Hawk Eyes found a relatively quiet spot to sit down and began wiping his Black Blade Yoru.
Tesoro curiously observed the Roger Pirates members, noting the various Sky Island seashells they used, Stella and Savi helped arrange the food.
Enel sat somewhat reservedly next to Roy, watching the group of pirates with a mixture of curiosity and awe.
Soon, members of the two pirate crews were sitting together, and the sounds of clinking glasses, laughter, and conversation once again echoed under the Golden Bell.
Roger, carrying a large barrel of liquor, walked up to Roy, handed him a wooden cup, and generously filled it to the brim.
"Kid, come have a drink. You managed to get close to the threshold of Conqueror's Haki Coating in the middle of a fight."
I've been sailing for so many years, and I've hardly seen any!
"Many Captain Roger for his guidance."
Roy tilted his head back and downed the drink in one gulp, feeling the burning sensation in his throat, and let out a satisfied sigh.
Rayleigh also came over with a wine glass, sat down next to Roy, and looked at him with admiration in his eyes.
"Not only is your Conqueror's Haki Coating, but the combination of your swordsmanship, Devil Fruit ability, and Haki is also quite ingenious. It seems you haven't wasted these past few years."
"Mr. Rayleigh, on the high seas, you'll die if you don't strive to become stronger, and besides, I've found a group of reliable companions."
Roy smiled, his gaze sweeping over his companions, his tone filled with pride.
Gaban, Sambel, and others also joined in drinking contests with Bullet and his group, creating a lively and harmonious atmosphere.
Killer Shanks along, sneaks closer to Pea, filled with curiosity about this Pea who resembles Roy and possesses amazing abilities.
"Hey Shanks, did you see that? This guy's hiding a lot of weird things in his pocket."
Pea didn't mind, and took out a handful of seeds from her storage bag, which helped her ripen a large batch of delicious food.
Replenish supplies to keep the banquet running out quickly.
This scene once again drew cheers from the Roger Pirates.
The two sides exchanged their experiences in battle and discussed their observations at sea.
The members of the Roy Pirates also benefited greatly from the valuable experience and legendary stories they heard from these seniors.
Enel carefully ate the fruits unique to Sky Island, listening to the conversations of the powerful figures around him, feeling as if he were in a dream.
He glanced at Roy beside him, his heart filled with gratitude and admiration. This was the man who had given him strength and shown him a wider world.
The atmosphere of the banquet grew increasingly lively, and the moonlight shone on the ancient ruins, illuminating the laughing faces around the campfire.
Pirates from two different eras forged a unique friendship on this Sky Island through a thrilling sparring match.
Roger, his face flushed from drinking, stood up, raised his enormous glass, and shouted to everyone:
"To our meeting! To our battle! To this vast and boundless sea—cheers!"
"Cheers!!!" Everyone raised their glasses, and the cheers resounded through the sky.
After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became increasingly lively.
Roger, with his arm around Roy's shoulder, looked at him with unusually bright eyes, a hint of drunkenness in his gaze.
" Roy, what are your plans next? How about joining us on a voyage? There are so many interesting places on this ocean!"
Rayleigh smiled and looked over, seemingly pleased with the suggestion.
Roy was almost swayed by Roger's sincerity.
She truly lives up to her reputation as a succubus of the sea, the object of pursuit for both Golden Lion and Garp; the infectious power emanating from her is astonishing.
Traveling with the Roger Pirates would undoubtedly be an excellent opportunity to quickly improve one's strength and see the vast world.
But looking at his companions--
Bullet, with his wild eyes and thirst for more challenges,
Hawk Eyes seeks the ultimate in swordsmanship and needs to clash with more powerful opponents,
Tesoro and Enel have just gained their abilities and are eager to familiarize themselves with and develop them, while Stella, Savi, and Pea need more experience.
"Thank you for your kindness, Captain Roger. However, we still have our own path to walk. My companions need more trials to find their own adventure."
"One day, we will meet you all again at the top of this ocean!"
Then, let's have a real, all-out battle!
These words, spoken with conviction, brought a brief silence to the noisy banquet.
The members of Roger Pirates looked at the blond boy before them, whose eyes burned with intensity and whose aura was astonishing.
It was as if I were seeing Roger from many years ago, equally spirited and determined to conquer this sea.
"Hahaha!! Well said!!"
"You've got ambition! I've been waiting for that day! Let's see what kind of mess you bunch of kids can make of this ocean!"
Roger was not upset by the rejection; instead, he burst into an even more unrestrained laugh.
Rayleigh patted Roy's back hard, adjusted his glasses, and smiled with immense relief and anticipation.
"Looks like we old guys can really start looking forward to the future. Roy, take your friends and go explore!"
Upon hearing Roy's words, Bullet's fighting spirit intensified, and he took a large bite of his flesh.
Hawk Eyes paused slightly as he wiped the Black Blade, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.
Tesoro and the others were also deeply moved, thrilled by the captain's courage and the trust he placed in his crew.
Enel clenched his fists tightly, his little face full of determination, and he secretly vowed to become stronger as soon as possible so as not to hold everyone back!
"For the new era!!" Roger raised his glass once more.
"To the new era!!!" Everyone raised their glasses in response once more, this time with an even louder voice, filled with anticipation and passion for the future!
The banquet lasted all night, until the sky began to lighten.
After Roy regained consciousness, he shook his dizzy head, having been repeatedly forced to drink alcohol all night.
Even with Roy's current physical condition, he's finding it hard to withstand.
Looking around, he took the glass of water Stella handed him, tilted his head back and drank it down. He noticed that the Roger Pirates were still there, but a few people were missing.
"Where are Stella, Roger, and Rayleigh?"
"They went deeper into the ruins half an hour ago, seemingly looking for something."
Roy looked in the direction Stella was pointing and understood.
Roger and his crew must have gone to find the Poneglyph that contains Poseidon's information.
My mind raced, and fragments of memories about Roger's terminal illness and impending death surfaced.
According to the original timeline, after the Roger Pirates completed their voyage and disbanded, Roger would surrender to the Navy and usher in the Great Pirate Era in Loguetown.
Roy stroked his chin, a complex emotion in his eyes. Should he tell Roger? His time was running out.
Even if he did explain, he couldn't account for the source of his information, as it was far too shocking.
Roy's mind was a complete mess. "Forget it, let's just take it one step at a time."
He put down his water glass and got up to walk deeper into the ruins.