Warm light spilled across the polished marble floor as laughter, music, and the aroma of freshly prepared food drifted into the corridor.
Inside, the celebration was already underway.
Long tables overflowed with roasted meat, seafood, fruit, towering desserts, and barrels of wine. Soldiers, ministers, royal servants, and guests filled the hall with cheerful conversation.
At the center of it all, the Straw Hat Pirates were exactly as loud as everyone expected.
"Luffy! Slow down!" Nami shouted.
"I'm trying!" Luffy replied through a mouth already stuffed with meat.
"YOU'RE EATING FASTER!"
"I have confidence in my stomach!"
"...That's not how confidence works." Sanji buried his face in one hand.
"So much food..." Usopp burst into laughter while Chopper stared at the endless dishes with sparkling eyes.
Even Zoro, who normally looked half-asleep, quietly reached for another bottle.
King Cobra watched the scene with a gentle smile.
For the first time in years...
The palace no longer felt burdened by fear.
Then—
The heavy doors of the royal banquet hall swung inward, allowing the warmth of celebration to spill into the corridor.
Moments earlier, the palace had echoed with laughter.
Moments later... every sound would disappear.
Every conversation stopped.
Forks froze halfway to waiting mouths.
Musicians lowered their instruments.
The lively banquet hall fell into complete silence.
Twelve figures stepped inside.
Arthur walked at the front with the calm confidence of someone entering his own home rather than a foreign palace.
Robin and Baby-5 walked to his right.
Hanoco and Monet walked to his left.
Behind them came Baccarat, Kuina, Koala, Sugar, Law, Bepo, and Sabo.
No one spoke.
Yet their presence alone seemed to change the atmosphere.
An Emperor with his entire crew.
Standing inside the royal palace.
Chopper immediately hid behind Usopp.
"W-W-W-WHY IS AN EMPEROR HERE?!"
"I-I DON'T KNOW!!" Usopp whispered back while shaking just as badly.
"Nami-swan and Vivi-chan stay behind me." Sanji instinctively stepped in front of Nami and Vivi.
"You look more nervous than we do," Nami muttered.
"I am perfectly calm!" His trembling knees suggested otherwise.
Even Vivi unconsciously held her breath. She had only seen Arthur through bounty posters and newspaper photographs. Yet seeing the world's newest Emperor standing before the entire kingdom felt completely different. The title alone carried an overwhelming sense of authority.
Only one person in the room reacted differently.
"MEAT IS HERE—"
"Not meat!" Nami immediately punched Luffy before he could finish.
"Then why's everyone so quiet?" Luffy rubbed the growing bump on his head.
His eyes wandered across the newcomers.
He blinked once.
Twice.
Then suddenly widened.
"...SABO?!"
Before anyone could react—
"Luffy!" Sabo laughed.
The next instant, Luffy stretched both arms across the banquet hall.
"GOMU GOMU NO— ROCKET!"
Sabo didn't dodge. Instead, he opened his arms with a smile.
The elastic arms turned into a hug.
Luffy slammed into him with enough force to knock both of them several steps backward.
"SABOOOOOO!!"
"Hahaha... easy!"
"I missed you!!"
"You've gotten heavier."
"That's because I eat a lot!"
"I noticed."
The banquet hall remained completely silent.
"...Wait." Usopp blinked.
"...They know each other?" Chopper stared in disbelief.
Robin smiled quietly.
Arthur folded his arms, watching the reunion without interrupting.
"I told you I'd become a pirate!" Luffy finally released Sabo before grinning from ear to ear.
"You certainly did."
"And look!" Luffy spun around excitedly before pointing toward every member of his crew one after another.
"These are my friends!"
"This is Zoro!" He pointed first.
"Yo."
"The best swordsman I'll have someday!"
"You always add extra words." Zoro sighed.
"This is Nami!" Nami smiled politely despite still being slightly nervous.
"This is Usopp!"
"I-I'm Captain Usopp!"
"No you're not."
"This is Sanji!" Sanji lit a cigarette.
"Pleasure."
"This is Chopper!"
"I-I'm not hiding!" Only his hat remained visible behind Usopp's back.
"And Vivi!" Luffy continued proudly.
"It's nice to meet you." Vivi laughed softly.
"It's good to finally meet all of you." Sabo nodded warmly before looking back toward the Straw Hats.
"Oh!" Luffy suddenly threw an arm around Sabo's shoulders.
"I forgot!" Every eye turned toward him.
"This is my big brother!"
Silence.
"...Brother?" Usopp's jaw slowly dropped.
"Big... brother?" Chopper repeated.
"You never mentioned if you have two brothers." Sanji raised an eyebrow.
"I did!"
"No. You didn't."
"Hm... I forgot."
"That explains it."
"Sabo's amazing!" Luffy grinned proudly, completely unaware of everyone's disbelief.
"He taught me lots of cool stuff!"
"He always protected me!"
"And he gets really angry for weird reasons!"
Sabo smiled awkwardly.
"...That's one way to summarize it."
The Straw Hats stared at him with renewed curiosity.
The cheerful young man standing beside the Emperor...
Was Luffy's older brother.
And judging by Arthur's relaxed expression...
The ART Pirates had known that fact all along.
The atmosphere had already begun to change.
The tension that had filled the banquet hall moments earlier was slowly giving way to something else.
Curiosity.
Wonder.
And the unmistakable feeling...
That this unexpected gathering was about to become far more memorable than anyone had imagined.
...
The silence lingering throughout the banquet hall gradually softened. The fear that had greeted the arrival of an Emperor was slowly replaced by curiosity.
Luffy, however, remained completely oblivious to the dramatic shift in atmosphere. He grinned from ear to ear while keeping an arm around Sabo's shoulders.
"Oh!... I almost forgot the most important part!" Heads turned simultaneously toward him.
"Sabo's really strong!"
"He always beat me up when we were kids!"
"...That isn't something to brag about." Sabo sighed.
"It is!" Luffy nodded enthusiastically. "It means you're awesome!"
Arthur couldn't help smiling faintly. Some things never changed.
Sabo scratched the back of his head before looking toward the Straw Hats.
"I apologize. I never had the chance to introduce myself properly."
"My name is Sabo." He placed a hand over his chest.
"I'm Luffy's older brother."
"I know you've been looking after him."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet all of you."
Unlike Luffy's carefree introduction, Sabo bowed politely. His calm demeanor immediately contrasted with his younger brother's boundless energy.
"It's nice to meet you. I can already tell how difficult your little brother is." Nami smiled first.
"So you're Luffy's other brother whom he never mentioned."
"I forgot." Luffy answered before Sabo could.
"You forgot... your own brother?" Dozens of gazes shifted at him.
"I remembered now!"
"That's somehow worse." Usopp slapped a hand over his face.
"I still can't believe you forgot your own brother," Nami sighed, though the smile on her face betrayed her amusement.
"That's our captain," Usopp muttered with a helpless shrug.
Chopper looked back and forth between Luffy and Sabo before smiling brightly.
"I'm really glad you found each other again."
"So am I." Sabo's expression softened.
THUD.
A fist landed squarely on Luffy's head.
"OWWWWW!!" Luffy dropped to his knees while clutching the fresh bump forming atop his skull. "W-Why?!"
Sabo lowered his fist. His smile had disappeared.
"You set sail without a word."
"Know nothing about sea but lived as a pirate."
"Started fights everywhere."
"And somehow became famous before sending me even one letter."
"You deserve that." He folded his arms.
Luffy rubbed his head pitifully.
"But... I was busy."
"Busy causing trouble."
"That's different."
"It isn't." Another sigh escaped Sabo.
"I spent years worrying about whether you were safe."
"And the first thing I see after finding you..."
He glanced toward the mountains of empty plates surrounding Luffy.
"...is you eating enough food for fifty people."
"I was hungry."
"I can see that."
The Straw Hats exchanged amused glances.
"...He's exactly like an older brother," Chopper whispered.
"Without question." Sanji nodded.
"...Hold on." Luffy suddenly frowned.
He slowly looked back at Sabo.
Then at the bump on his head.
Then back at Sabo again.
"...Why did your punch hurt?" Everyone blinked.
"It always hurts." Sabo answered casually.
"No!" Luffy immediately shook his head.
"Usually punches don't leave bumps like yours and Grandpa's!"
Silence.
Sabo froze.
Arthur suddenly found the banquet hall's chandelier very interesting.
Robin covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
"So..." Luffy narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"...Why does your punch just like Grandpa Garp's?"
"...Good question." Sabo's expression stiffened for a fraction of a second.
"You trained with him, didn't you?"
"I knew it!" Luffy pointed accusingly. "You betrayed me!"
"I did no such thing."
"You learned Grandpa's scary punch!"
"I learned how to handle you."
"That's even worse!"
The banquet hall exploded with laughter.
Even Hancock smiled.
Arthur simply shook his head.
Luffy had somehow transformed a heartfelt family reunion into a comedy within minutes. As the laughter gradually subsided, another figure stepped forward.
Zoro.
From the moment the ART Pirates had entered the hall, his eyes had scarcely wandered anywhere else.
Now...
He stopped only a few steps away from Kuina. Neither of them spoke immediately. Years of memories passed silently between them.
The little dojo.
Countless sparring matches.
Endless promises.
The entrusted sword.
And the farewell neither of them had ever expected.
Zoro stared at her as though afraid she might disappear if he blinked.
"...Kuina."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
For years, he want to say that name again.
"...You're strong."
"I am." Kuina smiled gently.
"...You're really a Swordswoman." A faint laugh escaped Zoro.
There was no excitement in his voice.
Only relief.
The kind that had been buried for years.
"So..." Kuina stepped closer. "You've kept training."
"What kind of question is that?" Zoro snorted. "You already know the answer."
"I wanted to hear you say it."
"The promise." He rested a hand on the hilt of Wado Ichimonji. "I never forgot."
Kuina's eyes drifted toward the sword.
For a brief moment...
Neither of them spoke.
That single blade carried years of determination.
Years of regret.
Years of dreams.
"You took good care of her." Kuina's voice was barely above a whisper.
"I swore I would." Zoro answered without hesitation. "I never let anyone damage it."
"I know." A warm smile appeared on Kuina's face. "It suits you."
For the first time since entering the banquet hall...
Zoro smiled.
Not his usual confident grin.
Not a cocky smirk.
Just a quiet smile filled with genuine happiness.
Then—
It disappeared.
His fighting spirit surged back almost instantly.
"So..." He slowly drew Wado Ichimonji a few centimeters from its scabbard. "...Fight me."
The room fell silent again.
"Right now." Kuina raised an eyebrow. "Here?"
"Why wait?"
"You've been training this whole time."
"I've spent years chasing the promise we made."
"I want to know." He met her gaze directly.
"How far ahead you've gone."
Kuina looked toward Arthur.
"That's between the two of you." Arthur simply smiled.
"Still as impatient as ever." She laughed softly before looking back at Zoro.
"And you're still avoiding the question."
"I didn't say no." Her smile widened.
"I said..." She gently rested a hand on the hilt of Wado Ichimonji. "...not now."
"...Fine." Zoro clicked his tongue.
"But the next chance we get..." Kuina's blue eyes sparkled with unmistakable excitement. "I'm not holding back."
"I wouldn't respect you if you did."
Around them, everyone could already feel it. The duel was inevitable.
It wasn't driven by hatred.
Nor by rivalry alone.
It was the continuation of a promise made between two children...
A promise that had survived death itself.
And before long...
Another long-awaited clash was finally about to begin.
...
Before long, the lively atmosphere slowly returned.
Conversations resumed.
Music began playing again.
Servants finally relaxed enough to continue carrying trays of food throughout the enormous banquet hall.
King Cobra let out a quiet breath.
"It seems everyone has become comfortable with one another."
"I wouldn't go that far," Usopp muttered. "I'm still trying to remember that an Emperor is eating at the same table."
"You'll get used to it," Robin replied with a gentle smile.
"...That's exactly what worries me."
...
While everyone gradually returned to their conversations...
one person never truly joined them.
Arthur.
From the beginning of the banquet...
his attention had quietly remained on one person.
Monkey D. Luffy.
The boy who laughed without restraint.
Who trusted without hesitation.
Who carried an impossible dream without doubting it for even a second.
Arthur quietly stepped away from his seat and walked toward Luffy.
Every conversation slowly faded as people noticed his movement.
Even Luffy paused in the middle of devouring another piece of roasted meat.
Arthur stopped directly before him.
"Hm?" Luffy rose from his chair and looked straight at Arthur.
For a brief moment...
Neither of them spoke.
One was already recognized as one of the Five Emperors.
The other possessed no title beyond rookie pirate.
Yet everyone instinctively felt they were witnessing something important.
"So, Monkey D. Luffy." A gentle smile crossed Arthur's face. "I've heard a great deal about you."
"I've heard about you too." Luffy swallowed the last bite in his mouth.
"Oh?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Grandpa talks about you sometimes." Several expressions around the room instantly froze.
"I imagine none of those stories were flattering." Arthur laughed softly.
"Nope." Luffy answered with complete honesty. "He always says you're a troublesome brat."
Robin covered her face.
Even Cobra nearly choked on his drink.
Arthur, meanwhile, simply nodded.
"That sounds like him."
"So..." Luffy tilted his head. "You really know Grandpa?"
"We trained together years ago."
"You trained with Grandpa?" Luffy's eyes widened.
"He taught me many things." Arthur nodded.
"...That's bad." Luffy instinctively took one step backward.
"Why?" Everyone blinked.
"If you learned from Grandpa..." Luffy pointed accusingly. "...then you probably punch people really hard too!"
Sabo burst into laughter.
Arthur couldn't help smiling.
"I suppose I do."
"I knew it!" Luffy immediately folded his arms. "I don't like the old-man training."
"You survived it."
"Barely!"
Another wave of laughter spread throughout the hall.
Arthur studied Luffy quietly. Everything about him felt uncomplicated.
His emotions.
His convictions.
His smile.
They existed exactly as they appeared. There wasn't the slightest trace of deception.
Arthur suddenly asked,
"What do you want?"
"What?" Luffy blinked.
"What are you sailing toward?"
A heavy silence settled over the banquet hall.
This time...
Everyone understood the question. Arthur wasn't asking about their next destination. He was asking about Luffy's dream.
"I'm going to become King of the Pirates." Luffy answered without hesitation.
Not a single heartbeat of doubt.
Not the slightest uncertainty.
Just absolute conviction.
"I expected that answer." Arthur nodded slowly.
"I'm definitely gonna do it." Luffy grinned.
Arthur's smile remained.
Then...
It changed.
The warmth disappeared.
An overwhelming pressure flooded the banquet hall.
BOOOOOM!!
The air itself seemed to grow heavier.
Wine glasses trembled.
Candles flickered violently.
The wooden floor groaned beneath invisible force.
A terrifying killing intent erupted from Arthur like a tidal wave.
It wasn't directed at everyone.
It was directed solely at one person.
Monkey D. Luffy.
Yet everyone could still feel its terrifying presence.
"W-What is this...?" The cheerful grin vanished from Usopp's face.
His legs buckled instantly.
Chopper collapsed from his chair, unable to breathe.
Sanji instinctively stepped in front of Nami.
Even Cobra felt cold sweat running down his back.
The royal guards unconsciously reached for their weapons despite knowing they could never use them.
Only the members of the ART Pirates and Roronoa Zoro withstood the pressure without lowering their heads.
Even they understood something.
Arthur wasn't trying to intimidate the room.
He was testing one boy.
Luffy's smile slowly disappeared.
His breathing became heavier.
Every instinct screamed at him to run.
His body shook.
His knees trembled.
Yet...
He didn't move.
"If you wish to become King of the Pirates..." Arthur's crimson eyes met Luffy's.
"...then understand this." His voice echoed through the silent hall.
"The sea ahead is ruled by monsters."
"The title you seek..."
"...stands above every Emperor."
The pressure intensified. Cracks spread across several marble tiles beneath Arthur's feet. Dozens of glasses shattered simultaneously.
Yet Luffy remained where he stood. Sweat rolled down his face. His fists slowly tightened.
Arthur studied him in silence.
One more heartbeat.
One more breath.
Would the boy break...
...or endure?
Suddenly—
BOOM!!
A second invisible shockwave erupted from Luffy.
It wasn't deliberate.
It wasn't controlled.
It simply exploded from the depths of his spirit.
Black lightning crackled for a fleeting instant between him and Arthur before vanishing just as suddenly as it had appeared.
The pressure sweeping through the banquet hall doubled for the briefest moment.
Several royal guards collapsed unconscious without even understanding what had happened.
Servants dropped their trays as one after another they crumpled onto the marble floor.
Wine glasses shattered.
Candles flickered violently.
Then...
Everything stopped.
The burst lasted only a heartbeat before disappearing completely.
The room fell into stunned silence.
"...Conqueror's Haki." Robin's eyes widened.
"He awakened it... instinctively?" Law's pupils narrowed.
"So he truly possesses the disposition of a king." Hancock smiled knowingly.
"...I knew there was something different about him." Zoro slowly lowered the hand resting on Wado Ichimonji.
"That idiot did this...?" Sanji looked from the unconscious guards to Luffy in disbelief.
"L-Luffy?" Nami blinked repeatedly.
"Y-Y-YOU CAN DO THAT?!" Usopp pointed at him with a trembling finger.
"I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I DID!!" Luffy shouted back.
"That's amazing!" Chopper stared with sparkling eyes.
"So even this young pirate..." King Cobra remained frozen where he stood.
"...has the qualities of a king."
"...Just like I thought." Sabo simply smiled.
Arthur never took his eyes off Luffy.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"So you've awakened."
Without another word, the crimson pressure surrounding Arthur gradually receded.
The overwhelming weight pressing upon the banquet hall vanished like a retreating tide.
Fresh air rushed back into the room.
Everyone instinctively drew a deep breath.
"...What just happened?" Luffy blinked several times before scratching the back of his head.
Arthur gave no immediate answer.
Instead, he looked at the unconscious guards scattered throughout the hall before speaking calmly.
"You can't control it yet."
"But someday..."
"...you will."
For someone seeing Conqueror's Haki for the first time, Luffy's burst was clumsy.
The pressure wasn't impressive because of its strength.
It was impressive because of the unwavering will behind it.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Luffy panted heavily. "...but I'm not losing."
"Good." Arthur nodded once. "Never lose that spirit."
He turned around.
The crushing pressure vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. The banquet hall inhaled collectively. Everyone finally remembered how to breathe.
Arthur walked calmly toward the exit.
Without a word, the ART Pirates rose from their seats and followed behind him.
No one tried to stop them.
Just before reaching the doorway...
Arthur stopped without turning around.
"Luffy."
"Hm?" The young pirate looked up.
"When we meet again..." Arthur spoke only one sentence. "...show me a dream worthy of standing above the Four Emperors."
The great doors slowly closed behind the ART Pirates.
Boom.
Silence lingered throughout the royal banquet hall.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Luffy remained standing exactly where he was, staring at the closed doors.
Then...
"Heh..." A wide grin slowly returned to his face.
"You just wait..." He clenched his straw hat.
"I'm gonna become King of the Pirates." The smile grew even brighter.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Only absolute certainty.
...
Outside the royal palace...
Arthur walked out of the banquet hall without looking back.
One by one, the ART Pirates followed behind him.
No one dared to stop them.
The palace guards simply parted in silence, watching the Emperor disappear into the moonlit corridor.
The cool desert wind swept quietly through Alubarna beneath a sky filled with stars.
The ART Pirates descended the broad palace staircase without a word. Behind them, the sounds of laughter and music gradually faded into the distance, replaced by the quiet rhythm of the evening breeze.
He looked once toward the distant lights of Alubarna Palace.
"...Interesting."
Robin smiled.
"You found someone worth watching?"
Arthur folded his arms.
"Not yet."
A faint smile appeared.
"But someday..."
"...he will shake this entire sea."
The conversation ended there.
The crew quietly continued toward the harbor.
"They'll leave the kingdom soon." Robin finally broke the silence.
"We'll remain here until they do." Arthur nodded once.
No further explanation was needed.
Everyone aboard the Athena already understood.
The Marines would soon arrive.
Alabasta's celebration would not last forever.
Sooner or later...
The Straw Hat Pirates would be forced to flee the kingdom.
Arthur intended to witness the beginning of that journey with his own eyes.
As they continued toward the harbor...
Behind the departing Emperor...
One figure suddenly broke away from the group.
Kuina.
"You coming?" She glanced over one shoulder before smiling.
Everyone turned.
Zoro was already walking after her.
"I've waited too many years." He rested a hand on Wado Ichimonji. "I'm not waiting another day."
"I was hoping you'd say that." Kuina's smile widened.
Without another word...
The two swordsmen disappeared into the palace gardens beneath the moonlight.
Arthur glanced at both of them before looking toward the open training grounds stretching beyond the palace walls.
"Don't destroy the city."
A chorus of quiet laughter followed.
"We'll try," Kuina replied.
"No promises," Zoro answered at the exact same time.
Arthur simply shook his head.
Some promises...
Could only be fulfilled with crossed blades.
Far behind them, the lights of the royal palace continued shining beneath the desert sky.
And beneath that same sky...
one future Pirate King celebrated,
while two swordsmen walked toward the duel they had waited years to fight.
The night remained peaceful.
It would not remain that way for long.