Chapter 421: The Sabaody Banquet
Sabaody Archipelago · Concert Opening Ceremony
The midday sun poured down, and the Sabaody Archipelago was buzzing with voices.
On the giant stage, fountains and ribbons intertwined, and the beating of drums and singing echoed. The entire archipelago seemed to sink into a grand carnival.
"Diva" Uta had yet to take the stage, but the opening performance had already whipped the audience into a complete frenzy!
High in the sky, holographic projections unfolded. Marine flags and flocks of peace doves soared through the heavens, etching the glory of "Ending the Great Pirate Era" amidst the blue sky and white clouds.
Broadcasting Den Den Mushi transmitted this scene to every corner of the world. Through the screens, civilians raised their arms and cheered, their laughter and tears intertwining.
—Sabaody. With Marine Headquarters just a stone's throw away, there was no place safer than here.
This was a carnival shared by the entire world!
However, in the front row of the concert venue, the atmosphere was at a boiling point.
"Hey!!! We were in line first!!!"
"Bullshit! We got here at 3 AM to save our spots!!!"
Two fanatic fan clubs were at a stalemate, their shouting nearly drowning out the music from the stage.
On one side, a fluffy white bear was desperately spreading his arms, trying to protect his group's position.
His pink support shirt featuring a "heart pierced by an arrow" was especially eye-catching. On his back, he carried two giant glowing fans with three large letters written on them—[UTA].
Bepo was sweating profusely, his bear ears standing straight up: "Hey—this is the territory I led my fan club to defend with our lives!!!"
Seeing the situation about to spiral out of control, a calm voice abruptly cut in:
"ROOM—"
Spatial ripples instantly expanded. A gentle yet absolute force separated the crowd, bringing the clamor to an abrupt halt.
A man in a Marine uniform walked over slowly. His shadow, cast by the sunlight, covered the ground. His palm was raised slightly, and his eyes were perfectly calm.
—Trafalgar Law.
Law approached step by step, his hand slightly raised, and spoke indifferently:
"Calm down, everyone. There are plenty of seats for the concert. There's no need to fight here."
The crowd instantly quieted down, not daring to cause any more trouble.
Bepo froze for a moment before suddenly pouncing forward. Gripping Law's hand with both paws, tears welled up in his eyes:
"You're that Doctor Rear Admiral, right! Do you understand my love for Miss Uta?!!"
"Do you understand our sheer perseverance of lining up at 3 AM?!!"
Law's eyebrow twitched. He replied in a deep voice: "...I'm a surgeon, not a psychiatrist."
"UWAAAAH—!!!"
Bepo instantly cried so hard his fur puffed out. His wails were loud enough to be heard all the way backstage.
The scene was momentarily comical as the fan club members hurriedly pulled him back, scrambling to comfort him.
Watching this, a rare hint of a smile surfaced on Law's usually cold expression. He said softly:
"What a strange guy..."
He gently patted Bepo's shoulder, his tone uncharacteristically mild: "...Dedication isn't a bad thing, I suppose."
Bepo immediately broke into a smile through his tears, his eyes shining like stars: "Doctor!! You really do understand me!!!"
Law didn't respond. Pulling down the brim of his hat, he continued to maintain order.
Deep down, however, an unexpected thought surfaced: 'When the concert is over... maybe I should observe this bear a bit more.'
'For some reason, looking at him makes me feel quite at ease...'
The sunlight was bright, and the stage lights poured down as their silhouettes crossed paths.
A cold, rational surgeon, and a hot-blooded, straightforward fanboy bear.
In the broad daylight of this grand carnival, an unexpectedly "harmonious" tacit understanding was born.
...
Meanwhile · Sabaody Archipelago Port
The sea breeze churned as a Marine warship slowly docked at the port.
The anchor chain crashed down, and the deck hatch slowly opened. A squad of soldiers in Marine uniforms marched down in a perfectly synchronized formation.
Walking at the very front was a man wearing the cape of a Rear Admiral.
He was tall, his sturdy frame filling out the lines of the military uniform, yet he casually paired it with white trousers and a pink heart-patterned shirt underneath.
A cigarette dangled from the corner of his mouth. His half-squinted eyes carried a lazy vibe, exuding a free-spirited and roguishly handsome older man's charm.
—Rosinante, current Marine Rear Admiral.
"Maa~ The scale of this concert... is really a sea of people."
He lazily exhaled a puff of smoke, a faint smile on his lips, while his peripheral vision landed on the young figure hurrying to keep up beside him.
It was Baby-5.
She was wearing a crisp Marine uniform today, fully armed at the waist. Her ink-black long hair was tied up, accentuating her elegant and pretty face.
But right now, her footsteps were somewhat hurried, and a faint blush colored the corners of her eyes.
Seeing this, Rosinante raised an eyebrow and smirked, his tone teasing: "Maa—if you wanted to see Law, you could have just asked for time off."
"Did you really have to tag along using a security mission as an excuse? Is it really that serious~"
"Ah—! Uncle Rosinante!!!"
At those words, Baby-5's face instantly burned red. She stopped in her tracks, stomped her foot angrily, and quickly retorted:
"I-I'm not doing this for that idiot Law!!!"
"I'm here to execute a security mission!! I didn't come here specifically for him!!!"
Her hands were clenched tightly into fists, and she spoke rapidly, though her voice trembled slightly from a guilty conscience.
Rosinante blew out a smoke ring with a whoosh, letting the wind scatter it, and reached out to gently pat her shoulder.
"Alright, alright, executing a security mission."
"But, this time is just about providing backup to maintain order. Nami, Luffy, Law, and the others are all on-site. There won't be any issues with security."
He paused, switching to a more meaningful smile, and said leisurely: "So... go on ahead~ Just remember not to delay your 'real business'."
Baby-5 froze. A red flush instantly crawled across her cheeks, but her eyes shone like stars.
She forced herself to maintain a serious military posture and snapped a crisp, standard salute:
"Th-Thank you, sir!!!"
The next second, her figure turned into a blur, vanishing abruptly into the port's wind.
Rosinante stood stunned for a moment before shaking his head and laughing out loud. He flicked his cigarette butt into the sea, gazing at the roaring sea of people and the stage lights in the distance. He couldn't help but sigh softly:
"The youth these days... are much more honest than we were back then."
...
The stage lights were dazzling. Ribbons and music pushed all of Sabaody toward its climax.
Tens of thousands of live audience members raised their arms and cheered. Den Den Mushi broadcasts synchronized the footage globally, allowing the entire world to share in this carnival.
—Right at this moment, in the backstage waiting room.
Creak—
The door was slowly pushed open, and a tall figure cloaked in a mantle silently slipped inside.
With a sweep of his gaze, his pupils shrank violently—
He saw Gordon lying on the floor, his forehead covered in cold sweat, his face deathly pale.
The figure hurried forward, dropping to one knee to help him up, and asked urgently in a low voice: "Gordon! What happened?! Where is Uta!!!"
"Ngh... urgh—"
Roused by the gentle pats, Gordon slowly woke up. His gaze was blurry at first, but when he finally saw the person clearly, his entire body gave a violent jolt.
"You... you are—!!"
That familiar red hair slipped out from under the cloak, entering his line of sight.
Gordon's pupils shrank, instantly becoming wide awake. His voice was hoarse yet incredibly urgent:
"Shanks!!! Quickly... you must stop Uta!!!"
Outside the stage, the audience's cheers were reaching their absolute peak.
The "Diva" was about to take the stage!
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