The banquet reached its peak as the pirates continued singing.
They did not stop after one song.
One followed another, and nearly every one suited their rough personalities perfectly.
Their coarse voices carried a bold, carefree spirit that could only belong to people who lived upon the sea.
Saitama arrived on the ship in the middle of the celebration, accompanied by Genos.
By the time he reached Yuto, the usual empty expression on his face had changed into pure amazement.
After greeting everyone with unusual excitement, he sat beside Ainz and Rimuru, while Genos took the seat next to him.
Unlike his teacher, Genos remained perfectly calm.
While Ainz, Rimuru, and Saitama excitedly chatted with one another, Akyuu approached Yuto.
She wore a kimono with the same design as the one from their first meeting in Gensokyo, though the colors were different.
The previous one had mostly been purple, while tonight's was a mixture of yellow and green, making her look especially bright and lively.
Her short purple hair reflected a faint pink glow beneath the firelight. Together with the gentle smile on her lips, it gave her an elegant appearance.
Every girl from Gensokyo was remarkably beautiful.
Yuto looked at Akyuu and greeted her with a soft smile. He already knew what she wanted.
Strictly speaking, their missed appointment last time had been his fault.
He had promised to speak with her, only to drink too much during the banquet at the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
"Kamisaka-sama."
Akyuu bowed politely, a faint smile resting on her lips.
Her manners were perfect without feeling excessive, exactly what one would expect from a properly raised young lady of a respected family.
Yuto smiled and waved one hand.
"Just call me Kamisaka or Yuto. There's no need to be so formal."
"In that case, please call me Akyuu as well."
She answered gently.
Although she looked young, her behavior was remarkably mature.
The girls of Gensokyo could never be judged by their appearance or apparent age, so Yuto did not dare underestimate any of them.
Even Chen, who was currently being held by Ran, was already more than ten years old.
Her age was not far from Yuto's, yet she still looked like a little girl.
That was simply how slowly long-lived species matured. By the time they finished childhood, an ordinary human might already have lived an entire lifetime.
"Akyuu."
When Yuto used her name, she nodded lightly.
"Kamisaka, may we continue the conversation we agreed on last time?"
"Of course."
Yuto agreed without hesitation.
A faint, pleased blush appeared on Akyuu's face.
Yuuka, who was sitting beside Yuto, quietly glanced at her. Her brows almost seemed ready to draw together.
Akyuu reached into her wide sleeve and pulled out a thick notebook. With a small movement of her fingers, a pen appeared in her hand.
"Then, Kamisaka, let's begin."
Her expression became more serious as she opened the notebook and placed the tip of her pen against the paper.
Yuto nodded.
The moment Akyuu took out the notebook, Yuuka looked away again.
She had been overthinking things.
While Akyuu began recording Yuto's answers, a Marine ship dozens of nautical miles away suddenly received a call.
...
"What did you say?! Damn it! Those... Damn it!"
Everyone nearby stared at the furious Sengoku.
They had no idea what the Den Den Mushi had told him to make him this angry.
His face had become as dark as raw iron.
While listening to the call, Sengoku had desperately wanted to curse those idiots, but after remembering who they were, he forced the words back down.
There were too many people aboard the ship.
He could not openly say anything so forbidden.
Even if those people truly were complete fools.
'Useless! Completely useless! A pack of worthless idiots!'
Sengoku roared inwardly as the corners of his mouth twitched with rage.
"What happened, Sengoku?"
Garp's expression became serious as well.
He might spend most of his time annoying Sengoku, but he still knew when something was genuinely wrong.
This was not ordinary anger.
Sengoku remained silent for a moment before suddenly turning toward the Moby Dick.
He had already ordered the fleet to return, so they were now dozens of nautical miles farther away from Whitebeard's ship.
There had been little reason to continue watching the pirates from a distance.
The mystery troubling Sengoku had also been answered, so returning to Marine Headquarters had seemed like the better choice.
He had thought the rest of the night would pass peacefully.
Instead, those idiots had actively created trouble for him.
Sengoku's face twisted with fury before he finally shouted an order.
"Turn the ship around! Set course for the Moby Dick! Full speed ahead!"
His voice thundered across the warship.
Everyone aboard was shocked, but no one dared move slowly. The helmsmen, sailors handling the sails, and lookouts immediately began working.
Creeeak...
The massive warship slowly turned, its wooden boards groaning against one another like a wounded animal crying in pain.
The vice admirals gathered around Sengoku.
The two Admirals remained seated nearby, while Garp and Tsuru stood on either side of him.
The atmosphere became extremely heavy.
After a long silence, Sengoku finally explained what had happened.
By the time he finished, everyone was frowning.
"A Celestial Dragon's ship is currently heading toward the Moby Dick."
The Celestial Dragons were descendants of the twenty kings who had founded the World Government.
They held the highest privileges in the entire world.
They could also be described as some of the most disgusting scum alive.
And yet the Marines were still required to protect them!
The officers' expressions darkened.
Aokiji closed his eyes.
Garp gave an openly disgusted yawn.
The others showed different levels of irritation and dislike.
Sengoku remained silent, his teeth clenched so tightly that the muscles in his cheeks trembled.
It was the expression of a man whose anger had reached its limit.
...
The Moby Dick
The pirates' celebration looked certain to continue until dawn.
Amid all the noise, the area around Yuto remained unusually peaceful.
Akyuu sat before him and quietly wrote in her notebook. Her delicate handwriting was neat and pleasant to look at.
Everything she recorded came from the questions she had just asked him, such as how he viewed youkai and what the outside world was like.
After setting down her pen, Akyuu raised her head and looked at him again.
Curiosity filled her deep eyes, as though she were studying something remarkably unusual.
"What is it?"
Yuto could not help asking when he noticed her expression.
"No, it's nothing."
Akyuu smiled and shook her head.
Her gaze quietly moved toward Yuuka beside him.
Although Yuuka appeared calm, Akyuu only dared to look for a moment.
She truly was curious.
Why was Yuto able to sit so close to Yuuka?
One was a tyrant feared by countless youkai, while the other was only an ordinary human.
'How strange.'
Akyuu quietly laughed to herself but did not dare show anything openly.
If Yuuka noticed something unusual, the situation could become extremely troublesome~
For the same reason, Akyuu did not dare ask too many questions about her.
It would make her curiosity far too obvious.
"Mm... I've asked almost everything I needed. I'd like to ask a few more personal questions now. Would that be all right, Kamisaka-kun?"
"As long as they aren't too excessive."
Yuto answered warmly.
Akyuu nodded happily and turned to a fresh page in her notebook.
"Then here's the first question. What hobbies do you normally have, Kamisaka-kun?"
Yuto scratched his cheek.
His hobbies...
He did not seem to have anything particularly interesting.
"Does cooking count?"
"Mm, of course!"
Akyuu carefully wrote something down, then raised her head again.
"The second question..."
She continued asking, and Yuto answered each question in turn.
None of them were inappropriate.
Most were simple questions about his interests and everyday habits.
...
Meanwhile, around fifty or sixty nautical miles to the left of the Moby Dick, an extremely luxurious ship was sailing toward them.
There were no obstacles across the open sea, but the distance was still too great for either ship to see the other clearly, especially in the middle of the night.
The sea gave off almost no light.
Only faint moonlight reflected from the waves, no brighter than a dying candle or a distant firefly. It did almost nothing to improve visibility.
Under those conditions, it was difficult for the Moby Dick and the luxurious vessel to notice each other.
Both ships were holding banquets, but from such a great distance, their lights had become extremely faint.
Most of the people aboard were also thoroughly drunk.
Because of that, no one on the Moby Dick had noticed the approaching ship.
The Marines' departure earlier had also caused the pirates to lower their guard.
That was only natural.
If even the Marines were ignoring them, why should they remain alert?
Who on the sea would be foolish enough to provoke the Whitebeard Pirates?
...
Aboard the luxurious ship, an ugly man wearing a transparent bubble over his head sat on the back of a tall, muscular slave.
The larger man knelt on all fours with both hands pressed against the deck.
He struggled to keep his back perfectly steady, terrified that even the smallest movement might anger the person sitting on him.
A metal collar circled his neck.
That collar was what kept him obedient.
"Hey, how much longer until we reach the Sabaody Archipelago?"
The ugly man turned in boredom toward another person wearing sunglasses.
"Honorable Saint Charlos, if we continue sailing throughout the night, we should reach the Sabaody Archipelago in around two hours."
The man in sunglasses answered calmly.
A dangerous presence surrounded him, making him look like an assassin.
"How boring. Two more hours..." Saint Charlos complained before waving carelessly. "Bring another woman up here. I want to watch her dance. Bring me more alcohol too."
Two men in sunglasses immediately dragged a woman before him.
She had a delicate face, an attractive figure, and was clearly very beautiful.
Her entire body trembled as though she were standing before a wild beast. Tears gathered in her eyes.
Saint Charlos pulled a golden handgun from inside his clothes.
He pressed the barrel against the woman's chest, looking extremely pleased with himself.
"What are you covering yourself for? A filthy commoner like you should feel honored just to stand before me! How dare you look at me like that!"
Bang!
"AAAH!"
Saint Charlos fired without hesitation.
The bullet tore through the woman's ear.
Blood ran down the side of her head as she screamed and clutched the wound.
Despair and agony filled her eyes, and her body shook like a frightened kitten.
"Heeheehee! Hahahahaha! Hurry up and dance! If you refuse, I'll kill your grandmother in the rear cabin!"
Saint Charlos waved the handgun around like a child playing with a toy.
Overwhelmed by pain and despair, the woman slowly lowered the hand covering her ruined ear.
Blood continued flowing freely.
Her face was already covered with tears and blood.
She forced out a terribly strained smile, then began moving her body.
She had to dance.
She had to keep dancing!
It was the final thing she could still do for her grandmother.
"Good, very good. Bring her grandmother up here."
At Saint Charlos's order, an elderly woman was dragged onto the deck.
The moment she saw the young woman's condition, tears poured down her face.
She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could make a sound, Saint Charlos shot her through the head.
"You look disgusting when you cry."
The elderly woman collapsed before him, and his only reaction was to insult the expression she wore in death.
The young woman tried to throw herself at him, but both of her legs were immediately broken.
When she stubbornly tried to raise her head, Saint Charlos placed one foot on her face and pushed her back against the deck.
"Heeheehee! Hahahahaha! Do you want to kill me? You filthy commoners really are stupid. How dare you even think of something like that?"
He laughed again.
"Hang her from the mast. I want to watch her bleed to death."
Saint Charlos kicked the young woman aside without the slightest concern.
Her body flew several meters.
One of the men in sunglasses followed his order and tied her to the mast, while Saint Charlos returned to sitting on the slave's back.
"Bring me another woman to dance."
During his trip from the Sabaody Archipelago to the World Government, he had collected plenty of young women who suited his tastes.
There was no shortage of them.
So what if one died?
In his mind, she should have felt honored to die at the hands of Saint Charlos.
He was a Celestial Dragon!
At that moment, the urgent ringing of a Den Den Mushi interrupted him.
Saint Charlos frowned at one of the men in sunglasses, who was speaking into the receiver.
The noise had disturbed him.
He wanted to shoot the man, but he also knew these agents were responsible for protecting him.
For now, he reluctantly forgave the offense.
If it happened again, he would definitely shoot him.
With that thought, Saint Charlos lifted the freshly delivered alcohol and took a large drink.
His eyes became unfocused, and his face turned bright red.
He was completely drunk.
While drinking, he failed to notice the sudden change in the agent's expression.
The man's face, which had previously been as cold as ice, became tense and frightened after hearing the message.
He looked like a rat that had suddenly encountered a cat.
"Yes! Understood!"
The agent loudly ended the call.
Once again, the sudden shout startled Saint Charlos.
He immediately became furious.
"Honorable Saint Charlos, we must turn around and return to the Mariegeoise immediately!"
"What?! Who gave that order?! I don't care! I'm returning to the Sabaody Archipelago tonight!"
Saint Charlos stubbornly refused, his face full of anger.
The agent felt helpless, while obvious disgust appeared in the eyes hidden behind his sunglasses.
If not for this man's identity, anyone who spoke to him like that would already be dead.
"The order came from Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Whitebeard's fleet is ahead of us, so it would be best to turn around."
The moment he mentioned Whitebeard, unease spread across the ship.
A person's reputation cast a long shadow.
The name Whitebeard alone was enough to explain the danger.
Saint Charlos, however, remained unconcerned.
"Are you saying that I, a Celestial Dragon, should change course because of a mere pirate?"
Fueled by alcohol, his already ridiculous arrogance became even worse.
After recently being beaten senseless by a certain straw-hatted pirate, his hatred and contempt for pirates had only grown.
So what if it was Whitebeard?
He refused to believe Whitebeard would attack a Celestial Dragon without any reason!
That assumption was not completely wrong.
Even an Emperor of the Sea would not normally attack a Celestial Dragon without provocation.
It was not because the Emperors feared them.
The trouble that followed such an attack simply would not be worth it.
The Four Emperors had no reason to deliberately bring that much trouble upon themselves.
"I certainly—"
Bang!
Before the agent could finish, Saint Charlos suddenly shot him.
The man drew in a sharp breath but made no complaint.
The bullet did not seriously injure him.
However, the eyes behind his sunglasses became colder than ice.
"Hmph! I don't want to hear anything else. Tell Sengoku to send people to protect me. I will not change my route."
Saint Charlos raised his head with disdain.
A great Celestial Dragon would never change his decision.
There was no respect for Sengoku in his voice. He spoke of the Fleet Admiral as though he were an insignificant servant.
"Yes."
Enduring the pain, the agent contacted Sengoku again.
After he explained the situation, the other side remained silent for a while before Sengoku's cold, restrained voice finally answered.
The agent returned to Saint Charlos.
"Honorable Saint Charlos, Fleet Admiral Sengoku is currently not far from Whitebeard's fleet. He asks that you reduce your speed slightly so he can speak with Whitebeard first."
"Whatever. I'll reluctantly agree to Sengoku's request. Now hurry up and bring me another woman!"
Saint Charlos waved dismissively and began ordering everyone around again.
The agent went to the engine room to make the necessary arrangements.
With the arrival of another young woman, Saint Charlos's cruel entertainment began once more.
...
Marine Fleet
In his fury, Sengoku had already destroyed several tables.
He finally managed to calm himself slightly.
After taking a deep breath, he stood like a crouching tiger ready to attack.
His sharp gaze moved toward Kizaru, immediately making the Admiral look helpless.
"Borsalino, head to Whitebeard's ship first. Tell him what's happening and ask him to ignore the Celestial Dragon. Then remain there and wait for further orders. We'll follow behind you."
Kizaru was the fastest person present.
Sengoku needed to guarantee the Celestial Dragon's safety above everything else.
The most urgent task was sending Kizaru ahead to warn Whitebeard.
Kizaru spread his hands, his strange face wearing a comically helpless expression.
"How terrifying~ You want me to personally board an Emperor's ship? That's so frightening~"
Despite his words, he stood up.
Facing the sea, his body transformed into light and shot into the distance like a meteor.
Only then did Sengoku relax slightly.
Kizaru often acted unreliable, but when something this serious happened, Sengoku still trusted him.
He looked toward the horizon in the direction of the Moby Dick and released a long sigh.
'Please... don't let anything go wrong.'
---------
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