"Join the Straw Hats?!"
The crew was immediately taken by surprise. They hadn't expected anyone to suddenly volunteer to sail under their flag. In truth, the group didn't realize just how attractive the Straw Hat "Five Emperors" brand had become to other pirates in the New World. For those who didn't aim to become the Pirate King themselves, finding a powerful backer among the six major pirate forces was the only way to survive.
The Straw Hats were the youngest of these groups and had very few members. Joining now meant being considered a veteran of the fleet, which made them a prime target for recruitment. Currently, the crew consisted of only 16 people and animals, with the Heart Pirates serving as their only allied medical team. They had no other affiliated crews, no division commanders, and not even ordinary sailors or handymen on the Thousand Sunny.
Because the Straw Hats were so small, many pirates believed they would be treated with more respect there than in the massive regiments of the other five emperors, where they might just be nameless soldiers. This was exactly why Ideo and Blue Gilly were so eager to join.
The Straw Hats all turned their eyes toward Carl, waiting for his input. Carl simply shrugged and leaned back. "Why are you looking at me? Leave this to the captain. I'm just a teacher; I don't run the crew."
Everyone then shifted their gaze to Luffy. At that moment, the captain was busy stuffing his face with meat and joking with Rebecca, completely oblivious to the serious discussion happening nearby.
Ideo and Blue Gilly had to shout to get Luffy's attention before repeating their request. Luffy froze, swallowed a massive bite of meat, and looked confused. "Join me? Why?"
The two were momentarily speechless before they found their words. "Because the Straw Hats are strong! We want to follow the Straw Hat Boss! You defeated a Warlord to avenge your friends and save this country. We admire that and want to follow you. Please, accept us!"
As soon as they finished, others stood up. Leo, the captain of the Tontatta warriors, raised his voice. "Boss Straw Hat, I also lead the Tontatta warriors, and we request to join you! We will dedicate our strength to repay the kindness you've shown our people!"
Sai followed suit, adding, "Boss Straw Hat, I'm the future leader of the Happo Navy. My brother Baby 5 and I admire your strength. Please accept us into your command!"
Three different factions were now begging to join the fleet. Carl sighed as he watched the scene. He noted that this version of the Grand Fleet was a bit smaller than the one he remembered from the original stories. There was no Cavendish, no Bartolomeo, and no Hajrudin or Orlumbus. Since those individuals hadn't come to Dressrosa this time, the timeline had shifted.
Ideo, Leo, and Sai each respectfully poured a bowl of wine for Luffy and one for themselves. "Boss Straw Hat, please drink this sworn wine of friendship!"
If Luffy drank it, he would officially be their leader. But Luffy simply shook his head. "I'm not drinking that."
The crowd gasped. Ideo, Leo, Sai, and even King Riku were stunned. It seemed illogical for an Emperor to pass up the chance to grow his influence. These fighters were not weak; accepting them would only make the Straw Hats more powerful.
"Why? Does Boss Luffy not like us?" Ideo asked, sounding dejected.
"No, I just don't want to drink that wine," Luffy said with a grin, pressing his straw hat onto his head. "We fought together and we're eating together, so we're already friends, right? You don't need to join me. If you ever need help, just call out, and we'll be there."
The pirates were still confused, but Luffy didn't feel like explaining further and went back to his food. Desperate, the trio turned to Law. Law just spread his hands. "Don't look at me. I was basically forced into this alliance myself. Our captain does whatever he wants. If he says he won't drink it, he won't."
The three fighters looked at each other and began to laugh. "I see," Ideo said. "Then we'll just do what we want, too. We'll drink this wine ourselves. It doesn't matter if the Straw Hat Boss recognizes us; we consider ourselves under his banner!"
"That's right!" Leo cheered. "We're becoming his subordinates without permission!"
Sai grinned. "The boss likes freedom, so he can't stop us! It's our freedom to follow him!"
They quickly drained their bowls. Luffy rolled his eyes, but in the eyes of everyone else, the Straw Hat Grand Fleet had just been born. Just like when the Heart Pirates joined the alliance, it was now an established fact.
"Let the banquet continue!" Sai shouted, trying to hand the wine back to Luffy.
"I said no!" Luffy pushed it away.
Sai then tried to offer it to Carl, who was leaning on Robin's shoulder. Carl just yawned and pretended to be too drunk to answer. Finally, Ideo handed the bowl to Zoro. Zoro didn't care about the formalities; he just liked wine. He drained the bowl instantly.
To Zoro, he was just having a drink. But to the others, the "Number Three" of the Straw Hats had just officially recognized them as younger brothers. Everyone was on a different page, but they were all happy.
Down at the port, Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru listened to the laughter echoing from the palace. They felt a twinge of sadness. In this conflict, the Marines had done nothing, while the pirates had become the heroes. It was a hard day for the Navy's sense of justice.
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