Platters of gourmet food were brought out one after another, and barrels of fine wine were carried in.
Though a slight mishap had occurred, Baratie still did its utmost to bring out their signature dishes.
With the food and wine brought forth, accompanied by cheers, the year-end banquet unique to the Conomi Islands of the East Blue had begun.
Of course, given the sheer number of attendees, after some discussion, tonight's banquet would be held as a flowing feast.
Cooked dishes would be carried out by servers, passed from one end to the other, brought out as they were made. Every so often, temporary cooking stations with chefs were set up to prepare specialty dishes for the surrounding diners.
With the help of chefs from the Conomi Islands and the Marine 16th Branch, preparations had been underway since morning, so no accidents occurred. Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.
"Meat, meat, meat! So much meat!"
"Idiot! That's for another table. Why are you grabbing it? Go apologize right now! Zoro, we're over here! Where are you running off to?"
"I, I know, I just think that table looks tastier!"
"Isn't it all the same? I'm never coming out with you two again."
The moment the banquet began.
Even Mock, who had been laying in Romance Dawn, stepped outside. His spirit renewed, his earlier dejection swept away, he sat at a table with Garp, Zephyr, Kuzan, and Mihawk.
Luffy, Zoro, Helmeppo, Chopper, and Smoker were also seated there.
"Bwahaha, what a great place!" Garp held a drink in one hand, taking large gulps, while his other arm draped over Zephyr's shoulder as he laughed. "Next time, I've got to drag Sengoku and Tsuru over too!"
"Just drink your drink properly!" Zephyr spoke with a resigned tone, though a smile lingered at the corner of his mouth. "Don't go causing trouble for my students!"
"Ahahaha, too late!" Garp continued drinking heartily, a strange smile on his face. "Sengoku already made plans with Mock here to visit Romance Dawn when he's free."
"Ask Mock yourself!" Seeing Zephyr's stunned expression, Garp raised his glass and shouted at Mock. "Mock, didn't you say you'd treat my friend Sengoku to a visit at Romance Dawn when he comes?"
"That's right!" Mock, who had been drinking with Luffy, stood up proudly and slapped his chest. "I, Mock, never lie. If I say I'm treating, I'm treating. When is Boss Sengoku coming?"
At those words.
Zephyr, Kuzan, Mihawk, and Smoker fell silent.
Aside from Zephyr, even Kuzan and the rest fell silent, then looked with suspicious gaze at the grandiose East Blue Overlord.
A moment later.
Zephyr looked at Garp in disbelief. "You didn't tell him who Sengoku is?"
Before Garp could say anything.
"Doesn't matter who he is! Boss Garp's friend is my friend!" Mock puffed out his chest again, slapping it firmly. "If I said I'm treating, I'm treating!"
Before the bewildered Zephyr could respond, Mock raised his glass and shouted, "Enough about that! Let's toast!"
At Mock's words.
"Bwahaha, exactly! Why think about that now? Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone raised their glasses and shouted.
In this moment.
Some cheered, some ate meat, some shouted, some stirred up excitement, and some had headaches.
And some had been silently watching the scene from the start, confusion evident on their faces.
Smoker looked at Kuzan, who was raising his glass and cheering as if he had forgotten his own identity, appearing as if he wanted to say something but held back. After a moment of silence, he asked seriously, "For the Marines, what exactly is justice? Admiral Kuzan."
"I once felt lost just like you!" Though he heard Smoker's words, Kuzan set down his glass with that same laid-back expression, as if merely chatting, speaking leisurely. "Later, my justice became different from Marine HQ's justice."
"Is that so? So you all understood long ago? Is squandering public funds on vacations and foot spas your justice?"
"Ah, got caught... no wait, this is legitimate spending! After all, my mission is to find the Devil Child, and lodging and meal expenses are reimbursable." Kuzan's tone shifted, a smile still on his lips. After taking a sip of wine, he said slowly, "Compared to embezzling military funds and colluding with the Marine Hero, I'm already quite just."
Indeed, compared to Marine Hero, Kuzan just soaking his feet and slacking off on duty was already quite just.
As for Dante, even less needed to be said.
Besides, it's just abit of embezzling military funds... he did that too. What right did he have now to question someone else's justice?
Just as Smoker hesitated, he frowned.
"Some embezzle military funds, some fool around with female pirates, some deceive their superiors and collude with them, some secretly work with pirates, and now some are even fooling around with female Marines." Kuzan smiled at Smoker. "Remember Zephyr's teachings? Just follow the justice in your heart, Captain Smoker."
Follow the justice in his heart?
He sneered. Wasn't he doing exactly that right now? But.
Smoker fell silent for a moment, looking at Kuzan. "The 'some' you mentioned earlier... are they all the same person?"
"Hahaha, that's not the point. I just wanted to tell you that compared to a certain someone, you're already very just. Also..." Kuzan deflected vaguely, then raised his glass with a smile. "Enjoy it! Smoker, cheers!"
"..."
Smoker remained silent for a moment.
But this time he picked up his glass, a cigar in his left hand, the glass in his right. He gave a resigned smile. "Cheers."
Indeed, compared to these bastards, his past justice really was quite clean!
As everyone was enjoying the banquet.
"The Captain is here!"
"It's Marine Caption Dante!"
At someone's shout, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked toward the front.
Sure enough, a figure appeared ahead.
But some cheered, while others were puzzled.
"Who is that? Why is he so popular? Is he strong?"
"Idiot, that's our company's hidden boss!"
"Our company's boss?" Luffy paused, his cheeks stuffed full, frowning in confusion. "Isn't our boss the foreman?"
So you've been working all this time and don't even know who your boss is? "The foreman is just the manager of that area. The Shichibukai Bartholomew Kuma is our official boss." Helmeppo looked at Luffy as he whispered. "And this is our hidden boss!"
"Why are there so many bosses? Too complicated."
"Forget it, just eat your meat." Seeing Luffy seem to realize something and ignore these complicated matters, happily continuing to eat meat, Helmeppo turned his head, looking with complicated eyes at the figure above. "I had my suspicions, but I didn't expect it to really be him!"
Saying this, as if noticing something, he turned in surprise to look at Zoro, whose eyes were fixed intently on the hidden boss. "What's up? Zoro?"
"Nothing." Zoro shook his head, but his gaze remained on the two familiar figures, his eyes filled with complexity.
Back when he couldn't make it as a bounty hunter, he had thought about coming to this 16th Branch to take a look. He never expected that only now... would he finally come.
"Just how strong have you and Kuina become?"
'I've been training constantly, growing stronger!' Zoro stared ahead, muttering to himself, until something brought him back to his senses. He grimaced. "It's just..."
He covered his face. "Where are these rumors even coming from?"
Indeed.
As Dante appeared with a group of people, the surroundings immediately began buzzing with whispers.
"I told you those rumors were true! You just wouldn't believe me. He's followed entirely by women."
"So what if it's true? He's just playing with female pirates, not you."
"There's a rumor that this degenerate Marine Captain is now playing with female Marines too!"
"I won't let you talk about Marine Caption Dante like that. Wait, who are you?"
Dante looked at the people below whispering among themselves, a annoyed look on his face.
And someone was still spreading rumors!
Spreading them right on the spot! As for that... where was he followed entirely by women?
These were all rumors!
Wasn't Kuma a man? Wasn't Daz Bones a man?
And Kuro, Jango, Binz, and Shuzo... weren't they all men? He was just bringing out the 16th Branch officers for a walk, so why were rumors starting again?
Now...
Dante's gaze sharpened. He cleared his throat and spoke seriously. "Quiet. I have a few words to say!"
===============
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