Chapter 338: Secret Talk at the Dining Table
The heavy mahogany doors slowly opened, the grinding sound of ancient hinges echoing in the empty, vast corridor.
Roy followed Nefertari Lili into the meeting hall.
This was the highest council chamber of the Twenty Kingdoms.
On the towering vaulted ceiling, stained glass inlaid with patterns of deities and royal power cast colorful lights and shadows onto the floor, making the entire hall look holy, yet surging with undercurrents.
The moment Roy's footsteps entered—
"SWISH!!!"
From both sides of the long table, 19 gazes as sharp as blades shot over simultaneously!
The air seemed to freeze. An invisible, oppressive pressure abruptly swept out, weighing down so heavily that the entire meeting hall felt as if it were suffocating.
The nineteen kings or leaders, dressed luxuriously and with varying auras, all possessed burning gazes.
Some narrowed their eyes and sneered coldly, some furrowed their brows tightly, and others had gloomy expressions, not hiding their scrutiny and wariness in the slightest.
"Nefertari Lili... you actually brought an outsider in?"
"Who is this guy?"
"His aura is unfathomable..."
Low voices of questioning rose and fell in succession.
After a brief silence, a figure draped in a white robe and wearing a golden crown slowly spoke.
"Lili, who exactly is this person?"
Roy's gaze shifted, looking toward the source of the voice, his heart trembling slightly.
That face, not yet thoroughly covered by coldness and ruthlessness, still carried a lofty, condescending arrogance.
—Nerona Imu.
At this time, he was still merely the king of one of the Twenty Kingdoms.
But that aura of a superior radiating from his very bones already faintly revealed the shadow of the future "Supreme."
Lili's gaze was clear, her expression composed. Her firm voice echoed through the hall:
"Everyone, this powerhouse has shown great interest in our 'Crusade against Joy Boy' plan."
"With his strength, he might be able to influence the direction of this war."
"Oh?"
Imu raised an eyebrow, a cold sneer hooking the corners of his lips.
"If there truly is such a powerhouse, why wait until now to appear?"
His gaze pierced straight at Roy like a blade. His voice was cold, carrying a contemptuous questioning:
"Could he be—a spy sent by Joy Boy?"
Before his voice even faded—
"SWISH!!!"
Roy's figure suddenly vanished!
The next instant, he appeared silently in front of Imu, the tips of their noses practically touching!
"Since when?!!"
Imu's pupils shrank drastically. He violently retreated in an instant, his body rapidly undergoing a bizarre mutation along with it—
"BANG!!"
Pitch-black devil wings spread from his back, a sharp tail whipped out like a steel whip, and eerie dark red patterns instantly crawled all over his skin!
Exclamations of shock instantly exploded within the meeting hall!
"Imu... actually couldn't react in time?!!"
"This person's speed..."
However, Roy did not pursue. He merely stood indifferently in place.
His gaze landed on the wings and tail behind Imu, a profoundly meaningful smile hooking the corner of his lips:
"Just as I thought..."
Lili abruptly took a step forward, blocking between the two. Her arms spread slightly, her voice cold yet steady: "Enough!"
"Everyone, please calm down!"
She swept her gaze across the room, her tone firm: "This powerhouse harbors no ill intent. His objective is very clear—he wants to participate in this 'Crusade against Joy Boy' campaign!"
"Joy Boy's forces are currently expanding rapidly, and we need all the help we can get."
"That display just now... you all have already witnessed his strength."
The meeting hall fell into a brief, deathly silence.
Imu stared dead at Roy, his gaze seeming wanting to peel him down to his very bones.
Yet, for the first time, an unprecedented sense of unease welled up in his heart:
—What exactly is this person's background?!
...
Alabasta · A Certain Restaurant
The aroma of roast meat permeated the air. Sizzling fat dripped onto the charcoal fire, sending up enticing smoke.
On both sides of the spacious dining table, the three brothers had long since entered "combat mode"—
Bones piled up like a mountain, and pieces of meat were swept clean one after another, as if their stomachs could never be filled.
"Sabo! Another piece!!!"
Luffy stretched his arm out, directly snatching the largest piece of meat from the grill and stuffing it into his mouth, shouting indistinctly.
Ace laughed heartily, asking while fighting for food: "Sabo, how have things been with the Revolutionary Army lately?"
Sabo's movements were much more refined compared to his two brothers. The way he used his knife and fork to cut the meat even exuded a bit of elegance, but his eating speed wasn't slow in the slightest.
He took a sip of juice, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly: "Not bad. Mr. Dragon has been planning some major moves recently."
Speaking of this, he looked at the two of them, his tone carrying a bit of teasing: "But compared to us, you two are causing a much bigger stir."
"The Marines' new generation 'Fire Fist' and 'Flame Dragon' brothers are now famous throughout the New World."
Ace raised his fist proudly, flames dancing on the back of his hand: "Of course! I am the man who's going to become a Marine Admiral!"
With his mouth stuffed full of meat, Luffy raised his hand and mumbled indistinctly: "Me too! Me too!!!"
At the other end of the dining table, the atmosphere appeared much quieter.
Nami, Nojiko, Robin, and Koala were elegantly enjoying desserts and black tea.
Nami held a glass of iced juice, looking at Robin curiously: "Sister Robin, I heard you used to be an archaeologist?"
Robin gently stirred her black tea, responding with a smile: "Yes, I still am."
She paused, a trace of nostalgia in her eyes: "But now, I enjoy the life in the Revolutionary Army much more."
Nojiko blinked, unable to help but ask: "Big Brother Roy was the one who brought you to the Revolutionary Army, right?"
Robin nodded, her eyes softening: "Yes. He saved me, and even took me to meet Dragon..."
"Later on, he even let me know that Saul is actually still alive."
"Dragon took the time to bring me to see him. In that moment, the knot in my heart was completely untied."
"Therefore, I decided to treat the Revolutionary Army as my true home."
Nami and Nojiko exchanged glances, so surprised their jaws nearly dropped.
"Eh?! Saul? That Vice Admiral of the Giant Tribe?!"
Robin chuckled softly and nodded: "You know him too?"
Nami answered excitedly: "Of course! Big Brother Roy told us about him. He's a kind-hearted Giant Vice Admiral!"
Koala rested her chin on her hands beside them, smiling with curved eyes: "Sister Robin is super popular in the Revolutionary Army! Everyone loves her!"
"Koala..." Robin blushed slightly and let out a light cough.
The cheerful atmosphere was halfway through when it was suddenly interrupted by a sentence from Sabo.
"Ace, Luffy—"
Sabo's voice was suddenly deep, carrying an unprecedented gravity.
"Big Brother Roy has been missing for over a year. Is this... true?"
As his voice fell, the originally noisy table abruptly fell quiet.
Ace's smile gradually vanished. His fists subconsciously clenched tight, flames dancing unconsciously in his palms.
"Yeah... it's true."
Luffy's movements also stopped. In a rare moment, he wasn't sporting his goofy grin, but rather kept his head down, his voice muffled: "Where exactly did Big Brother Roy... go..."
The air seemed to be weighed down heavily.
Robin put down her teacup, her brow furrowed slightly: "With Mr. Roy's strength, where in this world... could possibly trap him?"
Nami sighed softly, tapping her fingertips on the table:
"If it weren't for Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Garp, and Instructor Zephyr jointly guaranteeing that Big Brother Roy is fine... Marine Headquarters would have been turned completely upside down long ago."
Koala also frowned tightly: "But ever since Big Brother Roy disappeared, the various factions in the New World, especially the pirates, have started getting restless again."
Nojiko took out a newspaper from her small carry-on bag and pushed it to the center of the group, her tone solemn:
"Latest intelligence—the Red Hair Pirates snatched something away from Vegapunk."
"As for what it is, it hasn't been clearly investigated yet."
"What?!"
The expressions of Sabo, Robin, and Koala changed almost simultaneously.
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