Luffy couldn't help but let out a low chuckle at the scene before him—the tension felt almost comical. It was like watching a drama where his "shy wives" were meeting their father-in-law for the first time.
"Let's land the ship first."
He waved his hand as if brushing aside a trivial matter.
"Go on… you can talk later."
It was better to let Nami and Vivi handle that awkward situation on their own afterward.
The two exchanged one last nervous glance before quickly retreating to the deck, clearly escaping the pressure.
Soon, only father and son remained on the Sunny's deck.
The wind blew gently.
Dragon stepped forward and broke the silence.
"Luffy… I only came to see you. I'll be leaving soon."
"So soon?" Luffy tilted his head, curious.
"There are three members of the God's Knights chasing me," Dragon replied calmly. "If I stay here too long, I'll only bring trouble to you."
He then looked at his son more closely.
It had been over ten years. The last time he saw him, Luffy was just a baby in Garp's arms.
Now, standing before him was a formidable young man—someone who had become one of the Emperors of the Sea.
And apparently… with two "daughters-in-law."
No, perhaps more?
Earlier, Sabo had mentioned something about Boa Hancock… and a so-called childhood friend named Uta.
What a complicated situation.
"By the way… who is my mother?" Luffy suddenly asked.
The question came out of nowhere.
It was something Luffy had always been curious about.
At those words, Dragon's smile slowly faded.
Silence fell over the deck.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then, finally—
"She's dead."
His voice was low.
After a pause, he continued:
"It was my fault. Luffy… the revolution has never been an easy path. I've faced countless hardships."
Luffy remained silent for a moment.
But then he simply nodded.
He wouldn't press further.
It was curiosity… not necessity.
Dragon walked to the side of the ship and looked toward the horizon, where white clouds stretched endlessly.
"Luffy… you set out from the East Blue and came this far. I've been watching you throughout this journey."
He took a deep breath.
"Now that you've become an Emperor of the Sea… have you found your own answer to this world?"
"Answer?"
Luffy tilted his head again.
Dragon continued, his voice deep:
"The inherited will of the D. clan… the flow of time… and the dreams of people… none of these can be stopped."
"As long as there are people seeking freedom… this movement will never cease."
Luffy simply smiled, as straightforward as ever.
"I don't understand any of that stuff you're talking about."
Dragon fell silent for a second, then smiled as well.
"When you find the great treasure… and become the Pirate King… tell me what your answer is."
He paused.
"Now…"
Before he could continue, a sudden commotion erupted below.
In the castle hall, Charlotte Smoothie received another urgent transmission.
"What?! A Marine fleet?!"
She immediately turned to Charlotte Linlin.
"Mother! A massive Marine fleet has invaded our territory from the southeast!"
"The Marines… already?" Linlin's expression darkened.
She had expected a reaction from the World Government…
But this soon?
Before the wedding had even begun?
That was a direct insult.
"How many?"
"We don't know yet! Many of our reconnaissance ships have been destroyed—we've lost contact!" Smoothie replied quickly. "But from the last reports… there are at least dozens of warships!"
"Hmph… how unpleasant!"
Linlin laughed coldly and raised her gaze to the sky.
"Straw Hat… you're not planning to keep chatting, are you?"
Deep down, she knew.
The true leader of this alliance wasn't her—it was Luffy.
He was the one controlling the pace of everything.
"Yes. The wedding will proceed as planned while I deal with this."
Luffy replied calmly, as if it were just a minor detail.
"Nami, protect Shirahoshi. I'll go take a look."
Without waiting for a response, he had already launched himself into the air, flying toward the southeast of Whole Cake Island.
"Be careful!" Nami shouted, worried.
Dragon simply smiled faintly.
"Don't worry… I'll make sure things don't get out of control."
In the next instant, he too disappeared, transforming into the wind.
———
Southeast of Whole Cake Island.
The fourth ring of Totto Land.
The massive Marine fleet advanced like a living wall, crushing everything in its path. Every reconnaissance vessel that appeared was destroyed immediately.
At the front line stood three Admirals.
Fujitora, with a calm expression.
Kizaru, with his usual laid-back demeanor.
Ryokugyu, radiating an oppressive presence.
On the central ship, Kizaru lazily raised his hand.
"Sink everything… don't let a single ship escape… hmm?"
Suddenly, the wind changed.
A hurricane appeared out of nowhere, sweeping across the sea and halting the fleet's advance.
And then, a figure descended from the sky.
The three Admirals focused their gazes at the same time.
"Straw Hat… Luffy!"
Ryokugyu narrowed his eyes, observing the newly crowned Emperor for the first time.
Fujitora, on the other hand, "looked" in a different way.
Using Observation Haki, he analyzed Luffy's "color."
Marine soldiers possessed various colors.
But Luffy…
"White…?"
Without hesitation, Fujitora drew his sword.
"Straw Hat… what kind of country do you intend to create in Dressrosa?"
Purple gravitational waves spread across the sky.
Then, a massive meteorite began to fall.
Luffy raised his eyes, calm, a smile on his face.
"I'll tell you something good… a country isn't created by me. It's created by its people."
The meteor roared as it burned through the atmosphere.
Luffy raised his hand.
Boom!!
The impact forced his body down dozens of meters in the air.
But he stopped—holding the meteor with a single hand.
The Marines were completely stunned.
"What a monster…"
In the sky, a small figure held something hundreds of times larger than himself.
Luffy laughed.
"If you're coming to a wedding… bring gifts, not meteorites!"
And then he hurled the meteor back.
Panic instantly spread through the fleet.
"It's going to fall—!!"
Before disaster could strike, Ryokugyu moved.
"Why the panic? It's just a meteor."
His arms transformed into massive tree trunks, rapidly expanding.
Giant roots intertwined in the sky, forming a colossal net.
The meteor was caught.
Stopped.
"To come here alone… should I praise your courage, Straw Hat?"
He spat out his cigarette.
"Alone?"
Luffy raised an eyebrow.
Then he casually waved his hand.
In the next instant, a colossal shadow covered the sky.
An entire island began to fall.
Ryokugyu's expression changed drastically.
Even with Observation Haki, it was too absurd.
That island carried the overwhelming presence of hundreds—perhaps thousands—of people.
(End of Chapter)