Chapter 385 - 224

Chapter 224: New Wingspan · Homeward Voyage!Sabaody Archipelago.The invisible pressure in the air began to slowly dissipate.Sabo withdrew his Haki, and the steel pipe turned back into an ordinary metal tube, which he casually tucked back behind his waist."It seems..." Sabo revealed that aristocratic smile once more, "today's conflict ends here."He took off his top hat and bowed slightly toward Sentomaru, a flawless display of gentlemanly etiquette.Then, he turned around.The figure in the deep blue formal suit walked unhurriedly into the shadows of the mangroves. After a few steps, he completely blended into the dappled light and shadow, as if he had never appeared.Sentomaru stood in place, unmoving for a long time."Let's go back."He ordered the Pacifistas, his voice a bit raspy.The red light in the eyes of the three weapons of war turned into the blue light of standby mode as they clumsily turned around.Sentomaru took one last look at the empty sea.A slender figure was outlined in golden light.The yellow striped suit was spotless, and the tinted sunglasses reflected the last of the setting sun.The hem of the Justice cloak fluttered without wind, with tiny golden light particles scattering at the edges.Borsalino stood half a step beside Sentomaru, hands in his trouser pockets, his posture as languid as if he had just finished afternoon tea.He tilted his head slightly; under the sunglasses, no one could see his eyes.But the upward curve of his lips, that smile mixed with playfulness, understanding, and some deep insight."Sentomaru, some tides simply cannot be stopped."As the words fell.The golden light dissipated like a receding tide, and the figure turned into billions of light particles, merging into the twilight.Only Sentomaru remained, standing at the empty port, looking at the completely calm sea and the wake that had finally vanished entirely.On the distant horizon, the last ray of the setting sun sank into the deep sea.————————Meanwhile,The sunny lightly broke through the waves, throwing itself back into the wide embrace of the sea.The moment the modified hull came into contact with the seawater, it actually emitted a low, melodious resonance.The eyes of the lion figurehead glowed with a faint golden light... the first signal came from the kitchen."Ding—Dong—!"A crisp bell sound came from the loudspeaker; it was the "Banquet Prep Bell" specially set up by Sanji.Immediately after, the double French windows of the kitchen were pushed open abruptly, and a rich aroma of food surged out like a physical substance, instantly occupying the entire lawn area."Appetizer: Sky Island Cloud Salad, complete!"Sanji's voice came along with the crisp clatter of a spatula.With a cigarette in his mouth, his hands processed ingredients at a speed difficult for the naked eye to follow.His left hand tossed the pan while his right hand chopped vegetables, and his toe even nimbly hooked a tray, accurately tossing freshly baked bread onto the dining table.The white chef's uniform looked like a battle robe on him, every turn leaving a trail of fire and steam."Meat—!!!"Luffy's cheer was like a bugle call for an attack.He shot toward the dining table like a rubber slingshot, his arms already stretching several meters mid-flight, aiming straight for the sizzling roasted whole ox in the center.But another hand arrived almost simultaneously."Hey now, Captain, this is the banquet's first main course!"Yamato's smile was full of fighting spirit.She rushed over at a speed no less than Luffy's, her palm coated in Armament Haki "clapping" down onto Luffy's wrist.Their hands stalled over the roasted ox, Hakiclashing with fine sparks of black electricity."Then let's see who can eat more!" Luffy's eyes lit up."Just what I wanted!"Both released their grip at the same time, reaching a mutual understanding.They lunged toward opposite ends of the long table, beginning what could only be described as a terrifying eating competition.Luffy's rubber stomach was like a bottomless pit; he stuffed whole roasted chickens inside without even the sound of chewing.Yamato showed the boldness of an Onidescendant, picking up a half-meter-high pile of meat and gnawing on it directly, unbothered by the grease dripping down her chin.Usopp and Chopper crouched a short distance away, gnawing on relatively "civilized" meat skewers while counting in stunned silence:"The... twenty-seventh plate...""Are both of their stomachs four-dimensional pockets?!"...In the center of the lawn, Uta was already standing on the newly built small stage.She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, starlight seemed to flow within her purple pupils.The moment the first note leaped from her throat, the light across the entire deck softened by several degrees.The notes condensed into pale pink light particles in the air, flowing and circling with the melody.Brook put down his teacup, a touch of emotion shimmering in his skeletal eye sockets."What a beautiful singing voice... though I don't have eyes, Yo-ho-ho-ho~"He leaped lightly onto the stage, producing his violin from out of nowhere.The instant the bow touched the strings, the melodious notes flowed like spilled mercury, perfectly embedding themselves into the gaps of Uta's song.The strings and the song began to dance together.Brook's bow pulled out virtuosic arpeggios, the notes turning into blue light butterflies that intertwined with Uta's pink light particles.The two light butterflies spiraled upward, exploding into a small firework in the night sky.Uta smiled, her singing voice suddenly soaring.She spread her hands, and more light points gushed from her palms, weaving complex geometric patterns in the air—it was the "New Genesis" movement in her heart... Robin sat on the observation deck outside the library, holding a cup of Sanji's special tropical fruit tea.She watched the boisterous scene on the lawn, a gentle smile hanging on her lips.Occasionally raising a hand, several arms would sprout on the distant dining table to fetch snacks or help Nami catch a sea chart that was nearly blown away by the wind.Nami was leaning over the navigation table, with a chart of the East Blue spread out before her.She held a pencil in one hand to mark the course, while her other hand unerringly caught the cola tossed by Franky."Nami-san~ are you working even during the banquet?"Sanji swept past like a whirlwind, placing a delicate plate of mango pudding beside her hand."Someone has to make sure we don't get lost while celebrating."Nami blinked and took a spoonful of the pudding anyway.Franky went back and forth between the engine room and the deck, carrying different types of cola barrels each time he appeared."SUPER energy recharge!!!"A straw popped out of his mechanical arm, which he inserted directly into the barrel, emptying it in three seconds before letting out a satisfied burp.Zoro leaned against the railing outside the training room, his three swords by his side, holding a large bottle of sake.He didn't join the ruckus, just watched quietly, occasionally taking a swig of wine.When Uta's singing reached a certain high note, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly... As the banquet reached its climax, Luffy suddenly jumped onto the dining table.He almost stepped on a whole plate of roast meat and was kicked away by Sanji."Everyone!"He stood in the center of the table, his straw hatback on his head at some point.Sauce was still smeared on his face, but his smile was brighter than the full moon in the night sky.Everyone quieted down and looked at their Captain.Luffy took a deep breath, his rubber chest swelling exaggeratedly, and then—"Today! sunny has become SUPER—awesome!"He spread his arms wide, as if to embrace the whole ship."The food Sanji made is also SUPER—delicious!"Sanji rolled his eyes but quietly lit another cigarette."Uta and Brook's music is SUPER—beautiful!"The two on stage looked at each other and smiled."And!"Luffy's voice suddenly became serious as he looked toward the east, toward the end of the dark horizon."We're going to the East Blue!"No grand words, no stirring declarations.But just that simple sentence made everyone's eyes light up."To protect our home," Nami said softly."To beat up that Golden Lion," Zoro said, taking a drink."In our own way," Robin smiled.Franky suddenly jumped up, his mechanical arms "bang"-ing out fireworks:"SUPER—East Blue Defense Battle! Start!!!""Ooh—!!!"The cheers erupted again, more enthusiastic and determined than before.Uta started singing again, this time a stirring battle song.Brook's violin followed, the sound like a sword being unsheathed.Yamato raised a barrel and drank heartily, the liquid flowing from the corners of her mouth and shimmering under the Moonlight.Luffy laughed and jumped off the table, re-engaging in the eating contest with Yamato.And above them, at the top of the sunny's mainmast, the flag of the Straw Hat Piratesfluttered in the night wind.The black skull was laughing—laughing fearlessly, laughing with wild freedom.The ship continued sailing east.Through the night, toward the dawn, toward home, and toward the next adventure.