Roy walked over from the center of the training field.
He stood in front of Luffy, looking down at the white-haired boy.
"Not bad. After half a year of Awakening Gear Fifth, to be able to fight Bullet to this extent, the battle in Wano Country wasn't in vain."
Luffy got up from the ground, dusted himself off, and looked up at Roy:
"I haven't even used my full strength yet!"
"Let's save it for next time."
Roy turned and walked outside.
There's a banquet tonight, everyone come.
Luffy jumped up on the spot. "A banquet--!!!"
Roy had already walked far away, leaving behind a string of light, fleeting words:
"Enough to fill you up."
·······
On the west terrace of Hachinosu, the night breeze blows in from the sea, carrying the aroma of grilled meat and wine into the air.
The entire terrace was bathed in a warm orange light, and the long stone table was laden with all kinds of dishes. Roasted meat was piled up like a small mountain, fruit was arranged in a colorful tower, wine barrels were lined up on ice, and there were even more than a dozen kinds of sauces.
This is a welcome banquet that Roy hosted for the Straw Hat Pirates.
Luffy entered battle mode the moment he stepped onto the terrace.
He was lying face down in front of the pile of meat, with a skewer of grilled Sea Kings meat in his left hand, a honey-glazed wild boar leg in his right hand, and half a fried sea urchin stuffed in his mouth.
The chef had just brought out a new dish and hadn't even put it on the table when Luffy's rubber arm snatched the whole plate away.
"Hey, Luffy! Keep it down." Usopp sat opposite him, holding a glass of juice, his expression somewhere between shock and habit.
"But it really tastes delicious!" Luffy mumbled incoherently.
On the other side of the terrace, Bullet and Zoro were already drinking.
Three empty wooden barrels sat before Bullet. He wiped his mouth, pointed at Zoro, and said:
"Kid, you drink twice as slowly as me. How can you be the World's Greatest Swordsman?"
"What does being a swordsman have to do with how fast you drink!" Zoro slammed his cup on the table, spilling wine and wetting the tablecloth.
"Hehe! Don't let Hawk Eyes's leisurely drinking fool you, he can really hold his liquor!"
"Really!" Zoro stood up abruptly, glancing at Hawk Eyes not far away.
Hawk Eyes sat on a stone bench not far away, slowly sipping a glass of red wine, completely ignoring Zoro's drinking contest.
Sanji then mingled with Tesoro.
"What's in this sauce? Why does it feel like it's melting on my tongue?" Sanji, holding a small piece of meat, his expression as serious as if he were analyzing enemy intelligence.
Tesoro proudly adjusted his glasses. "Powder made from dreamlike seaweed harvested from deep-sea currents, mixed with a century-old vintage. This bottle is probably worth the taxes of a medium-sized town."
"Hmph. I'll go get a bottle myself later." Sanji muttered, then picked up another piece of meat and put it in his mouth.
Tesoro smiled and said, "If you like it, I'll have someone pack a whole box and send it to you. Nothing else, but plenty of money and ingredients."
"No need. Just tell me where I can get the goods."
The two found themselves increasingly congenial as they discussed cooking techniques and ingredients, occasionally even clinking glasses.
Robin sat in the seat next to Crocodile.
The two stood half a table apart, neither of them speaking.
Crocodile, with a cigar dangling from his lips, barely touched the liquor in his hand, occasionally exhaling a puff of smoke, his gaze never drifting towards Robin.
Robin quietly ate his fruit, his expression as natural as if nothing had happened.
"Your captain is not bad," Crocodile suddenly said, his voice so low that only Robin could hear it.
Robin smiled slightly, " Luffy is a very reliable captain."
"That's true." Crocodile didn't say anything more, tilted his head back and took a swig of wine.
Kuina and Nami sat together.
The two women clinked glasses and their conversation drifted to knives and jewelry.
The atmosphere at the banquet gradually became lively, Brook picked up her violin and sang " Binks' Sake ".
Franky, Chopper, Usopp stood shoulder to shoulder, starting a silly dance to the music.
Normal banquets are turned into joyful ones because of the Straw Hat Pirates.
After a few rounds of drinks, Luffy suddenly jumped onto the table.
He was clutching a huge meat bone in his hand, his hair was a mess from the wind, and his face was greasy, but his eyes were serious, unlike anything he ever did.
"I'm going to be the Pirate King!!!"
He stared at Roy and shouted with great force.
There was a moment of silence on the terrace.
Then the executives on Hachinosu almost simultaneously burst into laughter.
Bullet laughed the loudest, leaning back so much he almost overturned the table:
Pirate King?!
Are you trying to declare war on Roy?
What's so great about Roger's position?
With the current strength of our Hachinosu, we could easily wipe out ten Roger Pirates!
Tesoro held up his glass, a mocking glint in his eyes:
" Luffy, setting your sights on the outside world is indeed a lofty ideal."
But compared to us, they can only be second. Our goal is the whole world.
Luffy tilted his head. "Huh? Isn't the Pirate King the strongest?"
The Red Count gently swirled the wine in his glass, leaving a dark ring of crimson liquid on the glass's rim.
He spoke in a very flat tone, as if he were telling an insignificant story:
" The Pirate King has never been the strongest."
He simply found Laugh Tale.
Laugh Tale is merely the end of the story of the world.
What we're looking for is what lies beyond the finish line.
Luffy only vaguely understood what he was hearing, so he scratched his head in frustration.
"I'm going to become the Pirate King!"
No matter what you say!
Roy leaned back in his seat, holding a half-empty glass of wine, smiling throughout, neither interrupting nor agreeing.
After Luffy was pulled off the table by Nami, the atmosphere at the banquet became lively again.
Roy suddenly spoke up amidst the noise.
"But then again, Luffy, you're still a long way from becoming the Pirate King."
Luffy immediately looked at him. "What's missing?"
"How many of the four pieces of Road Poneglyph do you have?"
Luffy counted on his fingers. "We know the clues to three pieces! We only need the last one!"
"Oh? Three pieces?"
"Hmm... uh... three dollars... it's just three dollars anyway! Robin! Right?"
Luo Fei turned to Robin to confirm.
Robin, holding a cup of tea, paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded.
"Yes. We can confirm the locations of three pieces so far."
Roy put down his glass, the smile on his lips unchanged, but his gaze inadvertently swept over Robin, carrying a meaning that only the two of them could understand.
Robin didn't avoid that gaze, but she lowered her head, took a sip of tea, and used the rim of the cup to cover half her face.
"Just one more piece?" Roy's voice sounded nonchalant.
"Yes!" Luffy nodded vigorously, "Only one last piece is needed!"
Roy remained silent for a moment.
He leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the table, his gaze shifting from Luffy to the distant sea.
The black seawater shimmered like scattered silver under the moonlight, like a road leading to the end of the world.
"I do know a little about the whereabouts of the last piece of Road Poneglyph."