With Shanks making an effort to be friendly, Yuto soon began chatting with him.
Shanks was naturally good at making friends, while Yuto was relaxed and easygoing, so the two of them became familiar with each other very quickly.
The banquet remained lively from beginning to end.
Some pirates on the middle deck drank until they threw up, then went straight back to drinking and ended up throwing up again.
Even then, none of them left the party.
That was simply part of a pirate's life.
Pirates lived with the risk of death hanging over them every day. They might be dead tomorrow, so most of them focused on enjoying the present.
If there was alcohol today, then they would drink today.
Dying tomorrow without having enjoyed themselves would be far too much of a waste.
Yuto held a cup of alcohol and watched the noisy scene below with a relaxed smile.
A cheerful atmosphere had a way of affecting everyone nearby, especially during a celebration this large.
Very few people could remain calm forever.
Even Yakumo Yukari and the others were enjoying themselves.
In truth, people who had lived through the most often understood how important happiness was.
Worries would always return later, but happiness only existed in the moment.
Letting it pass without enjoying it would be a shame.
Reimu and Marisa raced across the deck like a mischievous gust of wind.
Marisa would not be satisfied until she had caused trouble in every corner of the ship.
The word "shy" had probably never existed in her mind.
As a witch with an endless playful streak, she loved loud and chaotic celebrations like this. She looked completely at home.
On the rear deck, Suika was having a drinking contest with Whitebeard and Shanks.
The alcohol-loving oni had already decided that she would drink until she dropped.
Whitebeard and Shanks were both heavy drinkers too, so naturally, neither of them would back down from Suika's challenge.
A pirate could never admit defeat when it came to drinking.
Losing a drinking contest would be far too embarrassing.
Elsewhere, Hatsune and the other girls chatted happily among themselves.
Their bright smiles made them look like a field of flowers.
Of course, one person among them did not quite fit that image.
Tianyi's appetite was as impressive as ever.
She wore a silver-white dress, and when Yuto first met her in the restaurant, he had thought she looked pure and elegant.
That feeling was completely gone now~
No matter how hard he tried, Yuto could not connect the word "elegant" with the girl currently stuffing herself with food.
What kind of refined young lady held a huge piece of meat in each hand, bit into both without any care, and smiled in complete satisfaction?
Tianyi was definitely adorable, but the sight still looked strange no matter how he viewed it.
As the banquet continued, Ace left the middle deck and walked up to the rear deck.
Under everyone's curious gaze, he went straight toward Yuto and bowed deeply.
Yuto blinked.
"What are you doing?"
"Kamisaka-san, Pops told me about you. We owe you a huge debt for giving him that potion. Without your help, we might have lost him in that battle."
"Someone like me isn't worth mourning, but if my stupidity had caused Pops to die, I wouldn't have had the right to keep living."
"Thank you so much, Kamisaka-san!"
Ace's sincere gratitude left Yuto feeling both amused and helpless.
'Bro, you're thanking the wrong person...'
Before he could explain, Whitebeard, who had been drinking with Suika, spoke first.
The moment Ace stepped onto the rear deck, Whitebeard had stopped drinking and watched him.
At first, he had been smiling.
But by the time Ace finished speaking, his expression had become stern.
"Ace! What nonsense are you saying?! You really are a fool... my foolish son!"
Whitebeard slammed one fist against the table.
Heavy pressure spread from his body, making everyone feel as though a mountain had suddenly risen before them.
Ace stared at him in surprise and became nervous.
"Pops..."
"If I'm your father, then saving my idiot son is my responsibility! Even if something went wrong, the father should die before the son! What kind of son tries to die in his father's place?!"
Whitebeard's voice was still rough, but every word carried complete certainty.
He spoke as if he were stating the most obvious truth in the world.
Only his eyes showed how angry he was.
Ace could not answer.
His expression became painfully complicated.
"Pops..."
He called out softly again.
Whitebeard lifted his bowl and drank all the alcohol inside in several loud gulps.
After wiping his mouth with his arm, he let out a long breath.
Then his brows suddenly drew together.
"We've got visitors."
Whitebeard turned toward the rear of the ship.
The stern was some distance away from the deck where everyone was sitting.
There were very few lights there, so only the dark shape of the ship could be seen.
The sky had long since changed from evening to night.
The ocean at night was far darker than any city.
Two shadowy figures stood near the stern.
Both were tall and strongly built, and even from a distance, they gave off heavy pressure.
Whitebeard did not really need to warn anyone.
The people around the tables had already noticed them.
Yuuka, Yukari, and the others simply did not care.
Shanks quietly took a sip of alcohol and watched the stern with growing amusement.
"Garp... and Sengoku. Those are some rare guests."
The moment Shanks spoke, Ace's expression changed.
His whole body became tense, like a leopard preparing to fight.
Yuto also looked toward the two figures.
Garp and Sengoku...
Since meeting Whitebeard and coming to the banquet, he had heard those names several times.
He knew they were important figures among the Marines.
And now, in the middle of a pirate banquet, the arrival of two Marines naturally gave everyone plenty to think about.
"RED-HAIR! I'VE FINALLY CAUGHT YOU! I'M GOING TO TEACH YOU A LESSON TODAY! LUFFY ONLY BECAME A PIRATE BECAUSE OF YOU!"
One of the shadowy figures pointed toward them and shouted furiously.
His voice boomed across the deck as he walked forward with heavy steps.
When he entered the light, his appearance became clear.
He was a muscular old man with white hair and a white beard.
His back was perfectly straight, and the energy coming from him was shockingly strong.
He did not feel like an old man at all.
Even most young people could not compare with him.
He was like an active volcano that could explode at any moment.
"Ahahaha! Garp-san, someone with Luffy's personality was born to be a pirate. Forcing him to become a Marine would be the crueler choice."
Shanks laughed loudly.
Even while facing the furious Hero of the Marines, he did not look nervous at all.
The confidence of an Emperor of the Sea showed naturally in everything he did.
"Damn you!"
Garp clenched his fist, and a vein appeared on his forehead.
Just as he prepared to charge toward Shanks, a large hand settled on his shoulder.
The hand did not seem to use any force.
It simply rested there.
Even so, Garp immediately calmed down.
He stopped, lowered his fist, and crossed his arms. Although the anger remained on his face, it was much less intense than before.
Sengoku slowly stepped forward beside him.
His gaze moved across the gathered crowd.
Although he gave Yuto a little extra attention, his main focus remained on Whitebeard.
It was almost as if the two men were enemies chosen by fate.
One stood at the top of the Marines.
The other stood at the top of the pirate world.
Sooner or later, there had to be a final winner between them.
And Sengoku believed that winner would be him.
Because justice would always win.
Just as the era of Garp and Roger had ended more than ten years ago, the end of an age would always arrive together with the victory of justice.
"Gurararara! Sengoku, what is this? Have you come to join my banquet too?"
Whitebeard was far larger than an ordinary person.
Even while sitting, he still towered over Sengoku.
He looked down at him with a grin, but there was little warmth behind it.
Only Garp and Sengoku had come aboard.
Even so, Whitebeard did not underestimate either of them.
There was an old saying that the person who understood you best was often your greatest enemy.
Among all the Emperors, Sengoku was the one Whitebeard had fought most often.
He knew exactly how capable this calm man was.
The title "Sengoku the Buddha" had not been earned for nothing.
The Summit War had already proven that.
Without the restaurant's help, Whitebeard might already have died at Marineford.
As for Garp, he was the man who had once helped defeat Whitebeard's former captain.
Many years had passed, and very few people knew how strong Garp still was.
That did not mean anyone could afford to look down on him.
Whitebeard did not fear the two men, but he would not become careless either.
They were standing on his ship.
If a fight started here, Whitebeard would be at a disadvantage because too many of his sons were nearby.
"Hmph. As a Marine, I would never attend a pirate's banquet. If that day ever comes, it'll be the day I arrest you!"
Sengoku narrowed his eyes, his voice cold and openly hostile.
Whitebeard did not become angry.
He simply continued grinning.
"Then why did you climb onto my ship? Was your last defeat not enough?"
Whitebeard's mocking words clearly struck a nerve.
A vein twitched against Sengoku's temple as he glared at Whitebeard with clenched teeth.
The Summit War should have been the Marines' best chance to defeat him.
Instead, it had ended in an unexpected failure.
After losing that chance, no one knew how many years might pass before another one appeared.
"Pops!"
"It's Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Garp! Everyone, stay alert!"
"All division commanders, get up there and protect Pops!"
"Watch the surrounding waters! Be ready for a Marine attack at any moment!"
"Captain! Are you all right?"
"Hey, Shanks, what's going on?"
"Are we about to fight?"
The pirates had finally noticed Garp and Sengoku's arrival.
After Marco shouted, everyone aboard Whitebeard's ship immediately became alert.
More than a dozen division commanders jumped onto the rear deck and gathered protectively in front of Whitebeard.
The members of the Red-Haired Pirates also moved to protect Shanks.
In an instant, the whole atmosphere became tense enough for a fight to begin at any moment.
Hatsune and the other girls felt nervous and moved closer to Yuto.
His side was the only area that remained peaceful.
Yakumo Yukari still wore a calm smile and watched the scene as if it were an interesting show.
Yuuka did not even bother looking at the confrontation. She simply took another slow sip of alcohol.
Naturally, Yuto remained calm as well.
He watched with interest, curious to see what would happen next.
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