The room fell silent again. Even the faint whistle of the breeze through the paper walls seemed to fade away.
He leaned back slightly in his chair, resting one arm over its backrest as his eyes gleamed faintly in the lantern light.
"The first thing…" He began, his voice calm but carrying an unmistakable authority, "I want my flag to fly above this castle."
Denjiro's brows knit together as he slowly muttered. "Your… flag?"
Luffy nodded, his grin widening faintly.
"Yes. My flag. It will be the symbol of my protection. When it flies above Wano, the pirates or anyone stupid enough to come here will know that this land belongs to me and is under my protection. That way… not even the World Government will dare to touch it."
Whoosh!
A faint sound of wind brushed through the window, rustling the hanging paper as his words sank in.
Hiyori's lips parted slightly, her eyes widening in realization. 'He is clearly telling everyone by doing that... that Wano is his territory!'
Her heart pounded faster. She didn't know why, but hearing him say that in such a calm, almost casual tone. made her chest tighten.
There was no arrogance in his words. His words were full of assurance, the kind of strength that made even the earth beneath her feet feel steady.
"The second thing…" Luffy tilted his head slightly, his tone shifting as he continued. His gaze flickered toward Hiyori, meeting her eyes directly.
The seriousness in his eyes made her instinctively straighten her posture.
"I won't interfere in how you run Wano," He said. "It is pretty simple for me... Your people, your decisions. The country Wano will remain yours. You'll lead your people as you see fit. But…"
He raised his hand slightly, his fingers forming a subtle gesture of warning. "You must never betray me. You'll be the leader of Wano, and I'll acknowledge no other person than you, Kozuki Hiyori. If ever you decide to appoint someone else, it must be done with my permission."
Denjiro's jaw tightened slightly, but he didn't speak. He just thought grimly.
'That's… a ruler's decree. He speaks not as a pirate or marine… but as a king.'
Hiyori's throat went dry. She could feel the weight behind his words. It was not a demand, but a vow.
It was a silent promise that he would protect them, but only if loyalty was absolute.
"And the last thing…" Luffy's voice softened as he continued, though it still carried the same quiet dominance. He turned his gaze slightly toward the window, as if remembering something far away. His expression softened briefly, even tenderly.
"I have some friends here in Wano," He said. "They are the natives and good people. Especially one of them... I am very fond of that person. I won't tolerate anyone hurting or looking down on that person."
His tone lowered, and though he was smiling, there was a dangerous spark hidden in his words.
It was the kind of heat that could burn nations.
"If anyone tries… then it won't be Kaido they'll have to fear."
For a moment, the entire room seemed to fall still. Even Denjiro could feel the faint pressure in the air. The pressure was subtle, but heavy, like the air before a thunderstorm.
Then, as suddenly as it had come, the tension vanished.
Luffy smiled again with a lighthearted, casual smile, as if nothing had happened.
"That's all," He said simply, shrugging. "Those are my conditions. Fly my flag, keep your crown, stay loyal, and don't touch my people. I won't ask for anything else."
Hiyori sat frozen, staring at him in disbelief. His words were simple, but the way he said them carried so much weight, so much certainty, that it was impossible not to feel that strange, magnetic pull that surrounded him.
Inside, her thoughts were a whirlwind. 'He doesn't seek power… yet he wields it effortlessly. He speaks of ownership, yet gives freedom. Who… is this man, truly?'
Denjiro, too, was silent, trying to decipher the boy's intent. His instincts told him that this wasn't a normal alliance, but it was something far deeper.
Finally, Hiyori took a quiet breath, lowering her gaze. Her lips trembled faintly as she whispered, "I… I understand."
Luffy smiled softly.
"Good," He said, standing up slowly, his voice deepening ever so slightly. "Then from today onward, Wano stands under my protection. No one touches this land… unless they go through me first. And as for Kaido, from today, he was my problem, and I will deal with him so he will never pose a threat to you or this country."
The oil lamps flickered, the flame casting long shadows across the room. The moment felt monumental as though history itself was being written in silence.
And as Hiyori looked up at the boy who smiled so casually after uttering such earth-shaking words, her heart pounded again, harder than before.
'He's not just a warrior,' She thought, breath catching in her throat. 'He's a conqueror.'
------
The moment the door shut behind Luffy, the entire room fell into a strange, almost tangible silence.
Hiyori remained seated, her posture still perfect, but her body betrayed her. Her fingers trembled slightly against the edge of her sleeve, and her chest rose and fell rapidly. She hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath until now.
"Haa…"
A soft exhale escaped her lips, shaky and heavy as if the very air had been trapped in her lungs since the moment Luffy started speaking. She pressed a hand against her chest, feeling her heart thudding wildly beneath her palm.
"That man…" She whispered almost to herself.
Her gaze drifted to the door through which he had just exited, the faint echo of his confident steps still lingering in her ears. There was something about him, something magnetic, commanding, yet oddly gentle at the same time.
Denjiro stood beside the window, his arms crossed and brows furrowed in deep thought.
Hiyori finally turned to him, her voice softer, more curious than before.
"Denjiro… what do you think?" She asked, her tone almost pleading. "About him… about this deal."
Denjiro didn't answer immediately. His eyes were fixed outside at the streets below, where the people had begun celebrating.
The joyous laughter, the clinking of sake bottles, the children running with small handmade lanterns, all of it mixed with the faint sound of shamisen and drums echoing through the capital.
It was all so surreal.
Hours ago, this same city had been drenched in fear, but now it pulsed with life again.
After a long silence, Denjiro finally sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Honestly…" He began slowly, his tone heavy and thoughtful, "I have no idea."
Hiyori blinked, slightly taken aback.
He turned to face her fully now, his sharp eyes reflecting both admiration and wariness.
"That kid… he's not someone ordinary. He's too composed for his age. Every word he said carried weight. It is the kind of weight only a man who's seen blood, power, and loss could carry."
He paused, recalling the flicker in Luffy's eyes when he mentioned his flag. There had been something there, not ambition, but something deeper.
"I can tell he's serious when he says he doesn't want to rule," Denjiro continued, his tone low and thoughtful. "He's letting you govern Wano, and I believe him when he says he won't interfere. But…"
He trailed off, his brows furrowing again. "There's something more beneath that smile. Something he's not saying. I just can't put my finger on it."
Hiyori listened in silence, her eyes glimmering softly in the dim light. She could tell Denjiro was speaking from instinct. It was the same instinct that had helped him survive all those years in the shadows.
"You think… he's hiding something?" She asked softly.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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