Drake blinked, his expression completely blank.
Ever since he had suddenly lost his strength that day, a hollow, unsettling feeling had lingered in his chest, leaving him completely baffled as to what had caused it. Just moments ago, he had finally lost his patience and questioned the system.
But the system's answer had nearly made him cough up blood.
It was actually an issue with alcohol?
How had he never known about this before?
[Go ask someone else, don't ask me.]
Drake: "..."
Having long since grown accustomed to the system's typical attitude, Drake was hardly surprised by the dismissive response. He suddenly realized that he truly possessed zero memories of what happened after he drank.
What on earth had transpired during those missing hours?
Drake quickly tracked down Kenshin.
"Kenshin, let me ask you something. Did anything strange happen when I used to drink in the past?" Drake inquired in a hushed whisper.
"You already found out?" Kenshin replied, looking rather surprised.
"Found out what? Quick, tell me what's going on," Drake urged, waving his hand dismissively.
"Well, if you insist. Your tolerance for alcohol is completely non-existent—you pass out after just two cups. And it's happened more than once," Kenshin explained, throwing up his hands.
"I pass out after two cups?" Drake pointed a finger at his own chest, his face a mask of absolute disbelief.
"Exactly."
Receiving this revelation, Drake was initially filled with profound, unadulterated skepticism. That alcohol had tasted no different from regular water. He hadn't felt the slightest buzz while drinking it, yet now he was being told that his absolute limit was a mere two cups...
This...
"Wait, that's not right. Why am I perfectly fine this time, then?" Drake countered, picking up on a logical inconsistency.
"That's exactly what baffled us," Kenshin admitted, looking equally perplexed. "You were clearly on the verge of collapsing drunk, but then you suddenly walked right back over with Mitian. We honestly thought you'd be sleeping for a long time."
Sleeping for a long time?
Drake's face twitched. If he had actually fallen asleep back then, he likely would never have woken up. That demoness had continuously claimed to be his wife, and he hadn't been in a position to openly expose her lie. But had he truly lost consciousness, god only knew if she would have outright murdered him.
Looking at the data points, the sudden disappearance of his strength had almost certainly been triggered by the alcohol.
No way!
From this day forward, he was strictly banned from touching a drop of booze. Alcohol truly ruined everything.
Just then, a sudden clamor drifted from the outside. Drake and Kenshin exchanged a quick glance before walking out together to investigate.
Down at Onigashima's coast, a magnificent galleon emblazoned with the standard crest of the Kozuki family sat riding the waves.
Clad in a masterfully tailored, elegant kimono, Hiyori stood flanked by the Akazaya samurai, engaged in a quiet conversation with Ace, Luffy, and the rest of the alliance. Hyogoro was also present.
"Are you truly departing so soon?" Hiyori asked, before executing a deep, solemn bow to Ace and Luffy. "For this crusade against Kaido, you have my ultimate gratitude!"
Kin'emon and the rest of the Akazaya Nine synchronized their movements, bowing deeply in unison alongside her.
"Luffy-san, and Luffy's older brother—thank you! It is entirely because of your intervention that our Land of Wano can finally experience a true rebirth," Kin'emon stated with absolute, ringing sincerity.
Luffy opened his mouth to reply, but his expression instantly darkened. "But Momo, he..."
"That damn pigeon guy!"
"Please, Luffy-san, do not carry a psychological burden on your shoulders. Lord Momonosuke..." Kin'emon shook his head gently, forcing a faint, strained smile onto his face as he looked at the young captain.
The entire gathering fell into a heavy silence. No one had wanted Lord Momonosuke to fall, but...
"Regarding the tragedy of my elder brother, I beg you all not to dwell on it. You will forever remain the ultimate friends of Wano," Hiyori stated, offering another deep bow to the crowd. "The primary reason I traveled here today is to bid you all farewell, and the second is to finally fulfill my father's dying wish."
Mid-sentence, Hiyori's expression hardened into a mask of supreme, unyielding gravity as she declared solemnly, "I... shall open the borders of Wano!"
A vibrant streak of morning crimson slowly painted the eastern horizon, golden sunlight gradually spilling across the earth as if heralding the definitive rebirth of the nation.
The Akazaya Nine stood with their heads held high, anchoring themselves firmly behind Hiyori, their weathered faces etched with absolute, unbreakable resolve. For many among them, this represented the culmination of a twenty-year struggle—the ultimate preservation of Lord Oden's dream.
The opening of Wano!
Ace's gaze gradually softened. He had long since been aware of the strategic intent to open Wano's borders. Back when he was aboard Moby Dick, Marco and the others had frequently spoken of Kozuki Oden's legacy as the former Second Division Commander.
Ever since Ace had first set foot in Wano and witnessed the agonizing poverty Otama and the common folk endured, the desire to liberate this nation had taken root in his heart. And if Wano truly wished to cultivate prosperity and shield itself from the predatory whims of outsiders, opening its borders was the absolute, singular path. An isolated, tightly closed country possessed zero capacity to understand the mechanics of the outside world, leaving the populace entirely oblivious to the hidden dangers looming in the shadows.
He had already remained in Wano for a substantial period; he couldn't afford to desert the Whitebeard Pirates for a timeline this extended. If he delayed his return any further, structural complications might arise.
"Hiyori, opening the borders of Wano will expose your nation to an unprecedented, massive economic and political shock from all sides. Are you... truly prepared to anchor this choice?" Ace asked, looking at her with absolute gravity.
"Hiyori is prepared! And the Land of Wano is prepared!" Hiyori turned her back to the crowd, her gaze tracing the rhythmic waves crashing against the rocky shoreline.
The morning breeze swept over them, yet it failed to move a single fraction of their resolve to open the borders.
"Good! Then I give you my sacred word—as a captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, our armada will fully support the opening of your nation," Ace smiled broadly.
"And us too!" Luffy chimed in.
A profound emotion rippled through Hiyori's frame, a sudden wave of moisture welling at the corners of her eyes. Within the current parameters of the world, she was the solitary survivor of the Kozuki bloodline. Had it not been for the nine loyal Akazaya retainers her father had left behind... she truly lacked the confidence to shoulder the crushing weight of the Shogunate on her own.
But her father and brother had not left her empty-handed. These legendary allies and devoted friends were the absolute greatest treasure they could ever bequeath to her and the Land of Wano. With this caliber of backing, opening their borders was no longer a distant, unreachable dream.
The Land of Wano would successfully integrate into the vast, limitless world outside!
"Thank you!" Hiyori bowed once more.
The Akazaya made no move to intercept her gesture, for these pirates had thoroughly earned the honor. Had it not been for Ace, Luffy, and their factions, let alone conquering Kaido, every single retainers would have perished on Onigashima. Furthermore, the hostile interlopers who had materialized at the climax of the war were all exceptionally powerful; without their allies, the samurai would have possessed zero hope of survival.
"Momo's sister, Kin'emon!" Luffy groaned, entirely unable to endure the formal politeness as he waved his hands frantically. "What are you guys doing? This is way too formal!"
"He's right!" Chopper and Nami added, smiling warmly.
"Yes!" Hiyori looked at the warriors assembled before her, her vision blurring slightly. These were the true friends of Wano. "I wish you all fair winds and following seas."
Before long, the vessels of the pirate alliance began to group along the shoreline: the Thousand Sunny, the Guma, the small craft Ace's group utilized, and the respective flagships of Law and Kid.
A pirate could never remain moored in a single coordinate for long.
Standing right before the gangplank of the Guma, Drake cast a thoroughly hostile glare at a radiant, smiling Mitian.
"Hey! The joke has gone far enough. We're setting sail now. You're a Marine, and we are pirates."
This woman was actually preparing to board his ship?!