"Though if you really do want to run away with me, I wouldn't mind."
Cain froze.
He had not expected Uta to say that at all.
Before he could even process the sudden joke, Uta reached up and ruffled his hair, her voice softening.
"But if you actually did that, you wouldn't be the Cain I know."
"Yeah."
Cain finally came back to himself and lowered his head with a smile.
"We've already gone this far. Can't exactly run away at the last second."
"Then hurry up and come change."
Uta crooked a finger at him and turned toward the dressing room.
Then she paused and glanced back.
"Oh, right. When I tried the dress on yesterday, I realized I can't reach the zipper on the back."
"I still haven't changed into it yet."
"Can you help me?"
"Oh—yeah! Of course."
Cain answered immediately and followed her into the warmly lit dressing room without the slightest hesitation.
The curtain quietly fell shut behind them.
From beyond it, the growing noise around the stage was already beginning to drift over.
…
Onstage, Shanks and Makino stood surrounded by everyone.
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
Applause filled the venue, followed by one blessing after another until the entire hall seemed wrapped in a warm wave of congratulations.
"Congratulations!"
"Congratulations."
"Congrats!"
"Omedetō!"
Shanks looked at the familiar faces gathering around him, and his throat tightened.
"Rayleigh-san… Shakky… Crocus-san!"
Then his voice stopped.
His gaze landed on the familiar figure standing at the center of the group.
His eyes immediately grew wet.
"Captain Roger…"
Shanks knew perfectly well that the Roger before him was only a projection.
But the instant he remembered that day when he had buried his face against his captain and cried his heart out, the longing carved deep into his bones came surging back.
He took a step forward and looked at Roger, then at the old crewmates appearing behind him.
All of them were connected through projected Den Den Mushi, sending their blessings from wherever they now lived.
"Everyone…"
A smile trembled across his face.
"You all came."
"HEY, SHANKS!"
Buggy finally lost patience from the edge of the crowd.
He was clutching Roger's portrait in his arms, veins bulging across his forehead as he shouted,
"You bastard! Are you deliberately pretending you don't see me?!"
Only then did Shanks turn toward him.
In truth, he had noticed Buggy from the very beginning.
He had simply let his old friend stew for a few extra seconds on purpose.
Looking at Buggy's furious expression, Shanks couldn't help laughing.
"Ah, Buggy."
"I didn't expect you to come too."
"Good to see you again."
Buggy, who simultaneously desperately wanted to be noticed and absolutely did not want Shanks paying attention to him, immediately became even more conflicted.
"What the hell is with that greeting?!"
"Who said I wanted to see you?!"
"I came here to visit everyone else!"
"This has nothing to do with you!"
"I'm glad you came anyway, Buggy."
Shanks smiled, his tone becoming more sincere.
"I heard you became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"Congratulations."
"Who wants your congratulations?!"
Buggy snapped.
"Being acknowledged by someone like you only makes me feel—"
"Ahem."
A quiet cough interrupted him.
Shakky tilted her head slightly.
"Little Buggy."
Her voice was very soft.
"You probably shouldn't finish that sentence."
Buggy choked.
His face turned bright red.
His lips moved several times before he finally reached behind himself with obvious reluctance and pulled out a bottle of alcohol.
He awkwardly held it toward Shanks.
"A-Anyway!"
"I didn't come here specifically for you!"
"But…"
"You should take this."
He stumbled over the words.
"C-Congratulations."
Everything coming out of his mouth screamed resistance.
But the bottle in his hand carried a very real blessing.
Shanks looked down at it.
He knew Buggy well enough to understand that, for him, this gesture alone meant more than any grand speech ever could.
His nose stung.
Then Shanks threw himself forward and hugged him.
"Thanks so much, Buggy!"
"HEY!"
"DON'T GET ALL SAPPY ON ME, YOU BASTARD!"
"AND STOP HUGGING ME!"
Buggy panicked so badly that his body instantly split into several pieces, scattering away from Shanks while only his head remained floating in the air, yelling furiously.
"Ah, sorry, sorry."
Shanks laughed and released him.
Shakky stepped forward next and handed him something.
"This is a small gift from us."
"I hope you'll accept it."
Shanks looked down.
Two special VIP cards for Shakky's Rip-Off Bar.
Printed across them were the words:
Whenever Shanks and Makino visit, they will never be ripped off and will always pay wholesale price.
Shanks' mouth twitched.
That was…
an incredibly practical gift.
Crocus hadn't had enough time to prepare anything elaborate, but he had still personally caught several top-quality elephant tuna for the wedding.
Rayleigh, meanwhile, looked slightly awkward.
He had originally intended to hide behind Shakky's gift and pretend it came from both of them.
Shakky had immediately refused to let him get away with that.
So Rayleigh could only laugh sheepishly.
"Hahaha…"
"Well, didn't I train you a son-in-law who's incredibly strong and always thinking about what's best for you?"
The moment he said it, every eye in the venue turned toward backstage.
Toward Cain and Uta.
Silence fell for a second.
"…Does that even count as a wedding gift?"
Faced with everyone's strange expressions, Rayleigh scratched his head awkwardly.
"Well, anyway…"
"You really should thank that kid Cain."
"He went through a hell of a lot for this wedding."
"To gather all of us old folks here one by one, he spent several days traveling almost nonstop."
"He barely slept at all."
The smile in Shanks' eyes softened.
"Yeah."
"Cain really did work hard."
Makino had already explained everything to him.
Where Cain had gone during those missing days.
Why Cain and Uta had put on that ridiculous performance yesterday.
Why they had gone so far just to lure him away.
It had never been because the crew simply wanted an excuse to drink.
It was all for this surprise.
And to make that surprise happen, Cain had been willing to make Shanks genuinely furious.
Even knowing Shanks would misunderstand him.
Even knowing he would be cursed at.
Even knowing there was a very real chance Shanks might actually kill him—
Cain had still done everything he could to make this wedding happen.
Shanks lowered his head and smiled to himself.
Then quiet footsteps came from backstage.
He looked up.
Cain and Uta were walking toward them hand in hand.
Cain's pink hair had been neatly slicked back.
He wore a perfectly fitted white suit over a pale pink shirt, giving him a sharp, elegant appearance.
Uta had one arm linked through his.
She wore a flowing white floor-length dress that shimmered faintly with every step, with a simple silk scarf tied around her neck.
Tiny flecks of silver light rippled across the hem as she walked.
Each of them carried an identical flower.
Walking side by side, the two looked like something out of a painting.
They stopped before everyone.
Then exchanged a glance and spoke almost together.
"We're not late, are we?"
"Well, Shanks?"
Uta smiled.
"Are you satisfied with the gift we prepared for you?"
Shanks stared at the two children standing before him.
His eyes grew hot.
Then he suddenly threw his head back and laughed.
He laughed so hard that tears nearly slipped from the corners of his eyes.
"Of course I am!"
"Thank you, Cain."
"Thank you, Uta!"
Cain and Uta looked at each other.
Then they moved forward at the same time.
Uta personally placed her flower into Makino's hair.
Cain walked up to Shanks and carefully pinned his own flower to the man's chest.
Once it was secured, Cain spoke quietly.
"From now on…"
"You'd better treat Big Sis Makino properly, Shanks."
"Of course."
Shanks looked down at him.
After a moment of silence, he added,
"About yesterday…"
"I'm sorry."
Cain's hand paused.
He looked up and met Shanks' eyes.
For a second, he seemed surprised.
Then he smiled.
"Yeah."
"I went a little overboard too."
"Coming up with a plan like that and making you furious for no reason was my fault."
He stepped back.
"Today's too important to waste talking about unpleasant things."
Shanks nodded.
"Fair enough."
Then his expression became more serious.
"And just like you told me to treat Makino properly…"
"You'd better treat Uta properly too."
"Obviously."
Cain answered without hesitation.
Unfortunately, as he said it, his gaze instinctively drifted sideways.
Shanks noticed.
Confused, he followed Cain's eyes.
And saw the silk scarf tied very neatly around Uta's neck.
There was a reason she had chosen a scarf instead of a necklace today.
Last night, when Cain had come back desperately seeking comfort…
he had accidentally left a few small marks there.
A necklace wouldn't have hidden them.
The scarf did.
Shanks stared at it.
Understanding dawned almost instantly.
His gaze slowly returned to Cain.
He stared.
And stared.
Cain began avoiding eye contact.
A long silence passed.
Finally, Shanks let out a deep sigh.
Then he spoke slowly.
"All right."
"I'm leaving Uta in your hands."
Cain's eyes instantly lit up.
"Mm!"
He nodded hard.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something important, Cain hurriedly reached into his pocket and pulled out a recording Den Den Mushi.
"Oh, right!"
"Shanks, Luffy left you a message."
"Luffy?"
Shanks looked over in surprise.
He had actually noticed Luffy standing off to the side earlier.
He simply believed it still wasn't time for the two of them to meet, so he hadn't mentioned it.
But now that he looked more closely…
Ace was standing beside Luffy too.
Neither of them was displaying their usual restless energy.
And when Shanks glanced toward the similarly motionless statue of Captain Roger, he immediately understood.
The Luffy before him wasn't real.
Cain explained,
"Ace and Luffy couldn't make it here in person."
"And because of that promise between you and Luffy, he decided it still wasn't time for the two of you to meet."
Cain guided Shanks back toward Makino.
"But they both left messages."
Makino reached out and took Shanks' hand.
Sabo stepped forward as well, arranging the life-sized statues of Ace and Luffy side by side.
Once everything was ready, Cain pressed the button on the recording Den Den Mushi.
A burst of static crackled from the shell.
Then a familiar, booming voice exploded through the venue…
---------
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