Inside the Straw Hat Mansion, created through Paper Dance: Movement,
"Hehehe! Let's throw a party to celebrate Ace's return!!"
This time, as Luffy shouted excitedly to the sky, none of the Straw Hat crew interrupted him. Instead, they simply smiled and watched him cheer. They all remembered the despair Luffy went through two years ago when he lost his brother, so—
"The party is already being prepared, Luffy."
With a wave of Roman's hand, the hall—already packed with burly men—suddenly expanded several times over. Sofas and chairs emerged from the floor, providing seats for the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Now that Luffy had finally calmed down, his attention shifted to the biggest question—how exactly had Ace come back to life?
"I'll explain that," Roman said.
Roman clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention to him.
"Two years ago, on the battlefield at Marineford, facing the three Admirals and Sengoku, not to mention Garp… Even though we miraculously managed to rescue Ace, the truth is, escape was impossible."
If it weren't for Garp's influence, Kizaru and Aokiji had already been holding back when facing Luffy. Garp himself even let Luffy knock him down in plain sight. Plus, with the help of Boa Hancock, Roman, and the Whitebeard Pirates, Luffy was able to get through it all without too much danger.
But for Ace?
He was doomed.
If Ace really managed to escape, what would happen to the Marines' reputation? Every nation across the seas would immediately start questioning their strength—if they couldn't even execute a pirate in the heart of Marine headquarters, how could they keep the world in check?
If that happened, chaos would erupt! The number of deaths wouldn't be just in the tens or hundreds of thousands—it could spiral into a global disaster.
So, if there was even the slightest chance of Ace escaping, those two Admirals who had been holding back would have gone all out.
Aokiji could have frozen the entire sea. Kizaru, the fastest man alive, would have made sure no one got away. Against them, how was the Whitebeard Pirates' crew supposed to escape?
Unless there was someone with a space-type teleportation ability to move Ace far away…
Otherwise, there was no way Ace was leaving Marineford alive.
"So, I had Ace fake his death—or rather, he actually did die. Akainu really did punch a hole through his heart."
As he spoke, Roman rubbed his fingers together, and like a magic trick, several illustrated sheets of paper appeared in his hand. They displayed scenes of thunderstorms, frozen landscapes, perfect symmetry, and the banks of the River Styx…
"I used the 'Yellow Spring Page' I got from Brook to preserve Ace's soul. Then, after we got away from the battlefield, I used the 'Copy Page' to create a new heart and repair his body. And with both effects combined—"
"So basically, it's just some crazy Devil Fruit magic~~"
Luffy clapped his fists together with an "aha" look on his face, cutting Roman off mid-explanation.
"...Yeah, sure. Just think of it as me using my Devil Fruit ability to bring Ace back to life."
"Hehehehe! Thank you, thank you, Roman!"
Normally, Luffy wasn't the type to repeatedly say thank you. But—
"If it weren't for you…"
"Enough already. I've said it so many times before. We're crewmates—there's no need for thanks." Roman waved his hand dismissively. "If I were the one in trouble that day, I know you'd do everything you could to help me.
"Though I do have my doubts about whether your 'help'—which is just punching things—would actually be useful…"
"Roman, you bastard!"
"You always make big news without a word, but this time, well done!"
The others gave a thumbs-up. Managing to rescue someone doomed to die right under the noses of the three Admirals—no one else on this ocean could have pulled that off except for Roman!
"I was the one who decided not to tell Luffy right away."
Ace took over the conversation and explained,
"At that time, I had to stay hidden. Even within the Whitebeard Pirates, no one knew my true identity except for the captains who witnessed my 'resurrection.' If the Marines had caught wind of it, the Whitebeard Pirates would have been wiped out."
"Of course, I also believe Luffy will pull himself together. After all, he has the best crew by his side—"
"Ugh, flattery won't make me happy, you idiot~~"
"Hahaha! Well, you're the world's bravest sea warrior, after all!"
"You two, enough already…"
Watching Chopper and Usopp squirm around, Nami rubbed her forehead.
"Vice Commander, about the Grand Commander's ability…"
Elsewhere, a warrior clad in golden armor and holding a spear spoke in a low voice, seeking confirmation. The bandaged vice commander nodded.
"That's right. It's just like 'that'…"
No—saying it's similar isn't enough. It's exactly the same!
The ability of this so-called 'Grand Commander,' who appeared just as the prophecy foretold, was identical to Wano Country's greatest secret—the eight-hundred-year-old treasure of the Burai clan, the Forbidden Tome, which could grant powers to others!
And then there was that orange-haired beauty, Nami, with a book hanging from her waist…
If not for the fact that her book was obviously much weaker than the Forbidden Tome they had been guarding, the bandaged vice commander might have suspected that the clan's treasure had been stolen.
So, the prophecy was true after all… But should they really hand it over?
This was something their ancestors had protected for eight hundred years—it was the very foundation of the Burai clan.
In the end, no matter what happened in the outside world, what did it have to do with them?
Unwillingness, hesitation, frustration… All of it eventually turned into a deep sigh.
Forget it. One step at a time.
After all, no one was completely selfless.
The bandaged vice commander wasn't doing this for himself—he was already a Devil Fruit user.
But if they really handed over the book as the prophecy said, what would become of the Burai clan, which had lasted for eight hundred years?
For the first time, he started to understand why, forty years ago, the vice commander at the time, Wang Zhi, abandoned his Devil Fruit power and joined a pirate crew from the outside world.
Wang Zhi had planned to break the prophecy once and for all.
Too bad…
"Zou, did I make a mistake?"
"Vice Commander, I will always stand by you."
That's right. Everything he did was for his people—there was no reason to hesitate!
"Then it's decided. We'll judge this 'Grand Commander' with our own eyes to see if he's truly worthy of our trust. And don't tell anyone else about this."
"Understood."
No matter what, the Burai clan would fight with everything they had!
Even if it was only for the sake of an 'honor' that had lasted eight hundred years.
——————
"Time to party~~~!!"
Soon enough, the Straw Hat Crew's favorite moment arrived.
"Don't go overboard, we still have things to do lat—oh, whatever. You guys do what you want. I'll just go by myself if I have to."
Watching the group guzzle down alcohol like water, Roman rubbed his temples.
"Come to think of it, Nami, I don't think I've ever seen you drunk?"
"Huh?"
Nami, who had been sneaking a drink, quickly wiped the corner of her mouth. "D-Drunk? What are you talking about…? Alcohol is just… a soft drink…"
I never said you couldn't drink!
"Just drink if you want to,"
Everyone there—the Straw Hat Crew, Trafalgar, the Whitebeard Pirates, the Burai clan—were all top-tier fighters worth billions! A little alcohol wouldn't faze them.
Carrot was happily drinking carrot juice, Pudding was busy cooking with Sanji, and after Roman gave his approval—
"WAHAHA~~"
"Atmos is down!"
"You're this big, but you can't hold your liquor? Let me do it!"
The petite Haruta shoved the massive "Buffalo" Atmos aside and picked up a cup.
"I'll go first!"
"Fill it up!"
Nami's drinking skills... Even Roman started to wonder if she had secretly trained in some kind of "Life Return: Alcohol Edition." She single-handedly drank the burly men of the Whitebeard Pirates under the table.
"So good~~"
Luffy, Ace, Usopp, Chopper, and Melody, their cheeks stuffed full, kept shoving food into their mouths. Watching them, Roman, who had been reduced to a "waiter," could only roll his eyes to the ceiling.
Ace, have you completely given up on your image? You looked so mature and composed before...
Now you're just a gluttonous monkey.
A bunch of booze-loving gluttons.
"This is such a good time. It's been a while since we've had something like this."
Marco, Jinbe, Rakuyo, and the other "older guys" sat together, eating and sighing like they were actually old men.
As for the one who was truly old, Brook:
"Yohohoho~ Yohohoho~~"
"Bring Bink's sake~ Right to your side~~"
"Like the ocean breeze, free and wild~ Sailing through the waves~~"
"Let's sing a song~~ A song of setting sail!!"
The sound of Brook's violin, along with his soul-stirring voice, echoed through the hall. It was as if everyone could "see" the blue sky, white clouds, gentle waves, bandanas, pirate flags, dreams, and treasures...
"This kind of life doesn't seem too bad. It almost makes me want to set sail."
"Hehehe, if you ever want to, my ship is always open for you!"
Hearing Luffy's words, the archer girl Melody thought for a moment but still shook her head. "Nah, my urge to sail is just 'a little.' But I'd rather stay here and protect Flower Town."
"That's cool too! Come have a drink with me!"
Luffy loved freedom, but he also respected those who stayed behind to protect their homes. After a night of food, drinks, and laughter...
They all lay sprawled across the place, snoring loudly.
They had eaten their fill, rested up, and were ready for the big battle that night!
But before that—
"I'll leave this to you guys."
Roman nodded at Jinbe and Marco. "There's still some time. I'm going to take over Udon Prison and make contact with Wano's samurai..."
The Straw Hat Crew + Whitebeard Pirates + the Outlaws + Zou—there was no shortage of strong fighters and mid-level commanders. But compared to the Beasts Pirates, they still lacked a large number of skilled foot soldiers.
Of course, Roman wasn't going to ignore the samurai of Wano. Besides—
This was their war to reclaim their country. It wouldn't make sense if Wano's own people didn't fight.
"Need us to help?"
As Nami directed the "White Knights" to clean up the party mess, Roman waved her off.
"No need. It's just a prison."
It really wasn't a big deal.
If the Udon quarry prison still had "Plague" Queen guarding it, breaking in would've taken some effort. But thanks to the Big Mom Pirates showing up, all three Calamities had gathered at Onigashima.
So now, all Roman had to deal with were a bunch of artificial Devil Fruit users. And their strength… well, nothing special.
"Alright, then you guys get some food and medicine ready."
The prisoners in Udon were all people who refused to bow to Kaido. Of course, the Beasts Pirates wouldn't treat them well—beatings were routine, disobedience once meant losing a hand, twice meant losing a leg, and a third time? Execution.
Even someone as strong as "Flower" Hyogoro, who once had powerful Haki and a towering build, had been tortured down to a tiny old man barely over a meter tall.
Good thing it was the Straw Hats coming to save them. If it were anyone else, those prisoners would just be a bunch of broken, useless men.
"No problem, I'll prepare food that helps restore energy quickly…"
"Leave the healing to me."
The real "Phoenix" himself, Marco, nodded.
As for weapons and armor?
Roman waved his hand, and a huge pile appeared!
Of course, when there are too many, the quality might drop, but even at its worst, it's still better than ordinary steel. Besides—
Not enough weapons? Just grab them from the enemies as you fight!
"I'm off—"
With a snap, Roman, sitting in his chair, closed his eyes.
(End of Chapter)
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