As it turns out, pirates are creatures whose recovery ability is directly proportional to their destructive urges, while their reasons for celebrating are inversely proportional to their moral standards.
One second, it was a life-or-death battlefield; the next, it had transformed into a buddy-buddy drinking session.
On the beach, a massive bonfire crackled and popped. Roasting over the flames was some unknown beast that Roger had sliced in half with one stroke. Fat dripped into the fire with a sizzling sound as rich, meaty aromas filled the air.
Kyle leaned against a rock that had been flattened by shockwaves, holding a wooden bowl and feeling like a piece of driftwood swept along by the tides of history.
Every bone in his body felt like it was holding a heated debate, with each muscle protesting the inhuman treatment it had endured that day.
"I'm saying... couldn't we at least wait for the ship to be repaired, or for me to recover before throwing a party?" Kyle complained weakly. "Is this habit of partying anywhere and everywhere really okay?"
"Gu ha ha ha! Kids are such a pain!" Roger held a massive beast leg in his left hand while his right arm was slung around newcomer Gaban's shoulders. Both their faces were flushed from drinking. "Pirates should eat meat with gusto and drink with abandon! Right, Gaban!"
"Exactly!" Gaban had clearly already fully embraced this atmosphere. He raised his cup and clinked it hard against Roger's. "Here's to the fate that brought us together through battle - cheers!"
Rayleigh sat on the other side of the fire, simply smiling as he polished his sword, completely unfazed by this touching scene of "long-lost brothers finally reuniting."
Kyle rolled his eyes and silently tore off a small piece of roasted meat to put in his mouth.
Ah, so good. Thank you, Mother Nature.
Kyle looked at these three men before him. Gold, Silver, Bronze... Roger, Rayleigh, Gaban. The core of the future legend was now complete.
Hiss... so what about me?
A subtle feeling stirred in Kyle's heart. Was it anxiety? Excitement? Or... a strong desire to find his own place among these monsters?
He definitely didn't want to be just a mascot. Well... he'd work toward becoming the "Iron" of Roger's crew!
The Four under the King? Now that was interesting!
"Speaking of which, Roger," Gaban took a big swig of alcohol and wiped his mouth. "Why did you set out to sea? And what's this about... *hic*... turning the world upside down?"
The bonfire's light danced across Roger's face, giving his usually goofy grin an unexpectedly profound quality.
"Dreams," Roger said, taking a bite of meat and speaking with his mouth full. "I want to see what's at the end of this ocean, accomplish something nobody else can do!"
His voice wasn't loud, but like a stone dropped into a calm lake, it sent ripples through both Kyle's and Gaban's hearts.
These words contained no mention of the "Pirate King" title, no desire for wealth, fame, or power - just pure curiosity and ambition.
Gaban was stunned. Looking at the genuine light in Roger's eyes, he seemed to see the ultimate form of his own dream.
He wanted to travel the world, while this man wanted to reach the world's end.
"Gu ha ha ha!" Roger apparently felt the mood was getting too serious and returned to his carefree manner. He bumped Kyle with his greasy arm. "Hey, little Kyle! What about you? What's your dream?"
Instantly, three pairs of eyes focused on Kyle.
Rayleigh's gaze held curiosity, Gaban's was full of interest, and Roger's expression... looked like he was waiting for a good show.
My dream?
Kyle's brain raced.
World's greatest swordsman? Ah, too much trouble - people would be challenging him constantly.
World domination? Ah, too much trouble - imperialism and all that nonsense.
Wealth, women, fame? Ah, well... yeah!
Ahem... just kidding!
In this world full of monsters, shouting conventional slogans felt somehow inadequate, especially in front of these three future legends.
He remembered a joke that One Piece fans loved to discuss in his previous life.
That man - Red-Haired Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, who ruled the seas with a single phrase: "Please give me some face."
What incredible power that was!
Being a pirate wasn't just about fighting and killing - it was about connections and social skills, buddy!
The Face-Face Fruit! That was the strongest Devil Fruit in the pirate world!
Though he'd eaten the Wave-Wave Fruit, dreams didn't need to follow basic logic.
A bold and outrageous idea gradually took shape in his mind.
Kyle set down his wooden bowl, cleared his throat, and puffed out his chest like Roger, displaying a mysteriously profound smile.
"My dream, well..." He deliberately drew out his words, successfully arousing everyone's curiosity.
"Is to become the 'The Big Boss'!"
"...Huh?"
Roger, Gaban, and even the usually composed Rayleigh all froze with identical expressions.
"The Big... Boss?" Gaban repeated this unfamiliar term, brow furrowed as he clearly couldn't grasp its meaning.
"Gu ha ha ha! What kind of weird dream is that?" Roger was the first to react, bursting into ear-splitting laughter. "Do you want to be a king? Or do you want to meet everyone in the world?"
Kyle calmly raised one finger, putting on an expression that said, "You'll understand when you reach my level of sophistication."
"Tell me, what's the strongest power on this ocean?" he asked.
"Haki, of course!" Gaban answered without hesitation.
"Powerful Devil Fruits?" Roger added.
"Indomitable will?" Rayleigh offered his answer.
Kyle shook his head, a look of "you're all too young" spreading across his face. "Listen, young pirates, the real power on this ocean isn't just strength—it's connections, it's networking, it's what I call 'respect.'"
He stood up and began pacing in front of the bonfire, his tone growing passionate.
"Imagine this - when we encounter pirates, I make a call on my Den Den Mushi and the Fleet Admiral says, 'Brother Kyle, I'll send warships to help you right away!' When we need funding, I make another call and the world's richest person says, 'Big Brother Kyle, don't worry about money - spend whatever you want!' When we face powerful enemies, I walk up, pat their shoulder, and say 'give me some face,' and they have to back down obediently!"
Kyle grew more excited as he spoke, as if he could already see his glorious future - left hand holding the Fleet Admiral's, right arm around the Revolutionary Army leader's, standing on a Celestial Dragon!
"I wouldn't need to lift a finger myself - one word, one look, and I could make the entire world revolve around me! This is my dream! I want my name, my face, to become the hardest currency on this ocean! I want to become... The Big Boss!"
He finished and struck what he thought was an incredibly cool pose with his hands on his hips, waiting for everyone's worship and admiration.
However, the scene fell into an eerie silence.
Only the crackling of the bonfire remained.
Roger stood there with his mouth open, forgetting to eat his meat. Gaban's expression looked like he'd seen a Sea King flying through the sky.
Rayleigh adjusted his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses incredibly complex - like he was looking at either a genius or the world's greatest fool.
"Pfft—"
"Gu ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
Roger's laughter shattered the silence. He laughed so hard he fell backward, tears streaming down his face. "Interesting! So interesting! The Big Boss! Gu ha ha ha! Kyle, what the hell is going on in that head of yours!"
Gaban couldn't help laughing, too. Though this dream sounded absolutely ridiculous, when he thought about it carefully, it actually seemed... kind of amazing?
"While it sounds completely absurd," Rayleigh also showed a helpless smile, "if you could actually pull it off, it would indeed be invincible in a way."
Kyle looked at them. Though their reaction was explosive laughter, there was no mockery in that laughter - only pure, heartfelt amusement and recognition.
Warmth flooded his heart.
"Good! I recognize your dream!" Roger finished laughing and raised his massive wine barrel, shouting boldly, "Then it's decided! I'll reach the end of the world! Kyle will become The Big Boss and make the whole world give him face! Gaban will travel the world! And Rayleigh..."
He looked at Rayleigh.
Rayleigh just smiled and raised his cup. "As for me, I just want to see with my own eyes what kind of chaos you guys will turn this world into."
"Gu ha ha ha! Perfect!"
"Cheers!"
Four cups and barrels of different sizes crashed together heavily above the bonfire.