The banquet wasn't affected in the slightest by Luffy getting punched.
Once the drinks arrived and the grilled fish started coming off the fire one batch after another, the villagers gathered around the bonfires to sing, dance, and laugh, enjoying themselves to the fullest.
Time slipped by.
Before anyone noticed, evening had already fallen.
The villagers had gone wild all day, and by now almost all of them were drunk.
During that time, Luffy had already woken up.
Now that he understood Da Hong was not someone he could provoke, he did his best to restrain himself. Every time he reached for a piece of grilled fish, he would instinctively glance at Da Hong first.
Da Hong hadn't joined the banquet.
He spent the entire day reading a newspaper.
By now, the villagers had figured out his temperament. They didn't try to chat with him much and simply fed him from time to time.
Droopy had also come down to the beach after repeated, enthusiastic invitations from the villagers.
But just like Da Hong, he remained extremely aloof, sitting alone and enjoying his own space.
Whether out of habit or a sense of ceremony, even at a village feast Droopy still tied on his napkin, every movement elegant and composed.
The happiest of the bunch, however, was Green Rabbit.
Surrounded by a large crowd of villagers, he was clearly enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention for the first time in his life.
More than a dozen villagers gathered around Kairo, their faces red from drink, calling out "Mr. Kairo" again and again. It was obvious they were all looking forward to another one of his travel stories.
"Mr. Kairo! Mr. Kairo!"
"On such a wonderful night, could you tell us another tale from your travels?"
Feeling the mood himself, Kairo used the alcohol as an excuse to stand up and put on a storyteller's pose.
"Then tonight, I'll tell you another story from my travels…"
Just as he began, a familiar voice suddenly rang out in his head.
"Father, you're really having so much fun you don't want to leave, huh?"
"What's so great about hanging around with these natives? Stop wasting time and let's set sail while these peasants are all drunk!"
"I'm begging you!"
Kairo's brow twitched slightly. He scolded it inwardly at once.
"Shut up. I'm having fun. If you keep yapping, I'll uninstall you."
"Father, you can't treat me like that! My loyalty to you shines like the sun and moon! If you think the crew is too small, I can go find you more companions another day!"
"Oh, I get it. You like Makino from Foosha Village!"
"Just say so! If it's a beauty you want, then no matter what plane she comes from, as long as you name her, your son will bring her to you at once!"
"Are you done yet?" Kairo snapped inwardly. "Stop interrupting me while I'm telling the villagers about my travels."
"What travels? You're making all of it up!"
"Whether it's true or not doesn't matter. What matters is that everyone's happy."
Too lazy to keep arguing with the system, Kairo swept his gaze across the villagers gathered around him and raised his voice.
"Tonight I'm going to tell you about my travels in the South Blue!"
"You see, although dozens of countries are spread across the South Blue, they all share one common faith!"
As he said this, Kairo lifted his cup and drained it in one gulp. Then he staggered forward across the beach, stopped in front of Luffy, and planted a hand firmly on the boy's head.
"Their common faith is—"
"Kairo, why are you pressing on my head?!"
Before Kairo could finish, Luffy puffed out his cheeks in annoyance.
"I want meat!"
"Luffy, shut up!"
One villager sprang over and yanked Luffy's mouth wide.
"Don't interrupt Mr. Kairo while he's telling a story!"
Then he looked up eagerly.
"Mr. Kairo, what is their common faith?"
Kairo gave a drunken hiccup.
"Their common faith is—Guanyin Bodhisattva."
System: …
Kairo went on in a slower voice,
"Because the Bodhisattva possesses great wisdom, she understands all principles and truths without obstruction, and so is called the One Who Perceives Freedom. Because she possesses great compassion, she hears the cries of suffering across all worlds and saves those in distress, and so is called Guanyin…"
He paused.
"Right. Most of you probably don't understand any of that. So let me explain it in a way you will understand."
"This Guanyin Bodhisattva represents mercy and salvation. She gives people hope and strength. At the same time, she is also a symbol of wisdom and peace, which is why the people of the South Blue's many nations deeply revere her…"
As Kairo's voice gradually slowed, the villagers also quieted down, stretching their necks and listening with full attention.
Even Droopy and Green Rabbit were drawn in by the vivid way he told the story.
The only one who showed no interest at all was Da Hong.
Now that the sky had gone dark and he could no longer read the newspaper properly, he stood up in boredom and returned alone to the ship.
He had planned to go into the cabin and change into another pair of canvas shoes.
But when he stepped inside, he found that Droopy was somehow already sitting inside the cabin, perfectly upright, reading a newspaper with great concentration.
…Huh?
Da Hong blinked hard, wondering whether he had seen wrong.
But no—there really was Droopy.
Too lazy to think much about it, Da Hong walked over to the shoe cabinet, carefully took down his red canvas sneakers, and began wiping them with great seriousness.
As he wiped them, he suddenly felt a little irritated for no clear reason.
So he put the shoes back in the cabinet and said to Droopy,
"Want to go out for a walk?"
Droopy shook his head.
Da Hong didn't care much. He turned and left.
Soon, he was walking through the streets of Foosha Village.
Because all the villagers had gone to the beach for the banquet, the streets were now silent and every shop was closed.
Da Hong kept walking.
Before long, he had left the village entirely and entered the mountains.
After passing through part of the range, a building suddenly appeared in front of him.
At once, Da Hong's eyes lit up and he quickened his pace.
But the moment he stepped inside, the first thing that caught his eye was not the sign reading "Gray Terminal"—
It was Droopy, sitting beneath it with a newspaper in his hands.
???
The moment he saw him, Da Hong's head filled with question marks.
What the hell?
Droopy had clearly been inside the cabin earlier. Da Hong had even looked back while leaving and hadn't seen him anywhere on the road.
More importantly, Da Hong himself had left Foosha Village first and hadn't wasted any time along the way.
So how had Droopy gotten here ahead of him?
Though surprised, Da Hong didn't dwell on it and asked flatly,
"Didn't you say you weren't coming?"
"I wanted to see what you were up to."
Droopy lowered the newspaper and, for once, showed the faintest trace of a smile.
"Your name is Kirenen—"
Da Hong frowned at once and cut him off.
"Droopy, you're talking too much today. We follow Kairo now. Kairo calls us what he wants, and that's what we're called. So from now on, call me Da Hong."
"Understood, Da Hong."
Droopy nodded crisply.
"Mr. Da Hong, you—"
Before he could finish, a voice suddenly rang out behind them.
Both turned at once.
A man stood there with his eyes wide in shock.
"Hey! Everyone, come look! There's a rabbit and a Droopy dog in here—"
"They're talking!"
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