Chapter 292: The Feast!!The residual power of the crimson-gold Haoshokustill flowed slowly across the ice plain, smoothing the chaotic energy storm into a cool breeze.Zephyr was being helped by his subordinates, preparing to retreat. Kuzan dissipated into the cold fog as ice crystals. Ain and Binz directed the NEO Marines to tighten their formation. The air was filled with the post-battle solemnity and a faint scent of gunpowder.Just as the scene grew solemn, a petite yet fiercely imposing figure suddenly rushed out from the flank of the Marine formation!It was "Tashigi."To be precise, it was Smoker—who had Tashigi's delicate appearance, blue hair, and round glasses, but was currently full of rage, gritting his teeth, and dragging a jitte that was far too heavy and large for her current physique!"straw hat... Luffy—!!!"A roar, mixing feminine clarity with masculine fury, exploded!"Tashigi" struggled to swing the jitte, which was taller than she was, and charged violently toward Luffy with an awkward but astonishingly determined stride!Her eyes were locked onto Luffy,It was the relentless obsession of the White Hunter toward his fated rival!She stumbled forward in front of Luffy, and then... leaped with all her might!"Woah!"Luffy didn't react at all.He was still wondering why Tashigi's eyes were as fierce as Smoker's, when the next second, a fragrant, soft "object" carrying faint scents of soap and steel landed squarely in his arms!The light weight of Tashigi's body, combined with Luffy's unprepared posture, caused him to fall backward.Thump!The two of them fell together onto the cold permafrost.Luffy was on the bottom, and "Tashigi" was on top."Got, got him!"Smoker sat astride Luffy, gripping the jitte tightly with both hands and fiercely poking the Sea Stonetip into Luffy's elastic rubber left cheek!Poke!The rubber cheek adorably dented inward.Luffy blinked, looking at the face inches away from his own.The pale skin was flushed, blue long hair swept ticklishly across his nose, and behind the round glasses, those originally gentle brown eyes were blazing with familiar fury.The body was soft and light, carrying a faint, pleasant scent of soap and ink, vastly different from Smoker's original rough, middle-aged man smell of strong smoke and sweat."Tashigi?"Luffy's voice was distorted as his face was poked,"Did... Smoker possess you? Why are your eyes as fierce as his?""Bastard! I am Smoker!"Smoker roared, poking even harder,"This is the work of your Trafalgar Law! Change me back immediately! And surrender!""Eh—?!"Luffy's eyes widened in shock,"Smoker?! You really turned into Tashigi?! And you attack people in such a cute way?!"He completely missed the point, focusing entirely on the ridiculous fact that "Smoker turned into a soft girl and tackled him.""Shut up! Who said I was cute!"Smoker trembled with rage and changed to trying to choke Luffy's neck with his hands.The onlookers fell into an eerie silence.The NEO Marine soldiers held their weapons, unsure who to aim at, their expressions blank.Ain and Binz twitched at the corners of their mouths, watching their strict Senior BrotherSmoker riding atop the Pirate Emperor in an extremely undignified posture, performing a completely harmless "attack."On the Straw Hat side.Law rubbed his forehead with one hand, resting the other on kikoku, his mouth twitching violently as he muttered curses:"That idiot Smoker..."He hadn't expected Smoker's obsession with the straw hat to remain completely undiminished even after switching bodies, resulting in this farce.Sanji lit a cigarette, watching Luffy being "pinned down" by "Tashigi," his expression as complex as a spilled palette.Zoro held his sword, looking disdainful: "Sure enough, the idiot Captain attracts idiots everywhere he goes."Usopp and Chopper huddled together, trembling:"S-so scary! Miss Tashigi is so fierce!"Robin covered her mouth and chuckled softly, a spark of amusement in her eyes: "The Captain is still so good at creating unexpected 'diplomatic' situations."Yamato, meanwhile, carried her Spiked Club, her face full of curiosity: "Eh? Are that Marine Miss and Luffy that close? All that tackling."Nami's forehead pulsed with visible veins as she clenched her fists: "Luffy! And that Marine! Stop it right now! It's utterly embarrassing!"The real Tashigi, meanwhile, was overwhelmed with shame and fury. His body trembled, his face flushed red, and he shouted at the two people wrestling together:"Vice Admiral Smoker! Please stop immediately! T-this is improper! A-and my body...!"Perhaps Tashigi's shouting had an effect, or perhaps Law decided that this situation truly couldn't be resolved this way.Law, his face dark, strode forward, ignoring Smokerwho was still "assaulting" Luffy and the bewildered Luffy himself."ROOM."A small force field instantly enveloped the two wrestling figures and Tashigi, who was standing nearby."Shambles."A faint blue light flashed."Whoa!" Luffy felt a sudden lightness on his body."Ah!" Smoker felt his soul being withdrawn.The next second.Bang! The real Tashigi, whose soul had returned, found herself sitting astride Straw Hat Luffy, her hands still in the posture of choking his neck.And Luffy was staring at her with wide, round eyes, full of curiosity.Tashigi: "!!!"Time froze for a second."Eeeekkkkk—!!!"Tashigi let out an unprecedentedly sharp scream, her entire face instantly turning explosively red, and she sprang off Luffy like a startled rabbit.Stumbling back several steps, she frantically adjusted her glasses, her head nearly buried in her chest, completely unable to look at anyone."I-I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to! It was Vice Admiral Smoker who... No, no, no! It was, it was..."She was incoherent, so embarrassed she nearly fainted.Meanwhile, not far away, Smoker also recovered his original body.He shook his head, adjusting to the feeling of his soul returning, and immediately saw Tashigi's mortified look and Luffy climbing up with a bewildered expression... "Straw Hat Luffy—!!!"A much more furious roar echoed across the ice plain, and Smoker raised his familiar fist, ready to charge!Just as the conflict was about to reignite."Shishishi~~~"Luffy easily slipped away, grinned at everyone, and patted his stomach,"Speaking of which... after fighting for so long, I'm hungry again!"His eyes sparkled as he issued the invitation that nearly caused everyone to fall over:"Hey! Spiky-haired old man! And all you Marines! Since the fight is over and you won't catch me anytime soon, wanna have a feast together?!""We have lots of great food on our ship! Sanji's cooking is the best in the world!"Dead silence.A silence more profound than before.The sea breeze swept past, carrying ice shards, and everyone looked as if they had been frozen solid.Zoro's mouth twitched uncontrollably: "This idiot... his brain really is just rubber..."Sanji rubbed his forehead: "Inviting the Marines... especially enemies we just fought... to a feast..."Usopp held his head: "It's over, it's over! The Captain is starting his terrible logic again: 'If they're an enemy, beat them into a friend, then have a feast'!"Nami roared: "Luffy! Do you even know what situation we're in right now?! We have so many messes to clean up! Why are we having a feast!!"Robin, however, laughed softly, looking at Luffy's purely expectant gaze, her eyes gentle and helpless:"Honestly... there's no helping you, Captain."She knew Luffy too well; in his world, fierce combat and joyful feasts were not contradictory, and might even be the best way to reconcile.Although the fact that the opponents were Marines made the suggestion especially outrageous.On the NEO Marines side, chaos erupted."H-have a feast? With pirates?!""And with the pirates who just injured Teacher Zephyr?!""T-this is an insult!"Ain's pretty face was frosty as she gripped her sword hilt: "Absurd!"Binz's face was livid: "Outrageous!"Even Zephyr was stunned by Luffy's eccentric proposal, his eye filled with astonishment.Smoker was so angry that his hair stood on end: "Are you kidding me! Straw Hat! Who wants to—"He didn't finish his sentence, as his stomach suddenly let out an embarrassing rumble.The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear on the silent ice plain."..." Smoker's face darkened.Tashigi stood nearby, head lowered, her face burning red, but similarly, her stomach also let out a faint growl. She hadn't eaten much today either.Luffy's ears twitched, catching the faint sounds, and he smiled even brighter:"See! Your stomachs say they want to eat! Come on, come on! Sanji! Hurry up and bring out the prepared food! Zoro, the sake! Franky, the music! Brook, play an inspiring tune! Uta, let's sing together!"Like the most enthusiastic host, he started giving orders without consulting anyone.The Straw Hat crew members exchanged glances, and finally, under the gaze of Luffy's expectant eyes, they all showed helpless yet amused expressions."Sigh... there's really no stopping you."Sanji finally sighed and turned toward the sunny,"Perfect timing, I can test out the new dish made from parts of that dragon... although having to feed it to the Marines is annoying."Zoro pouted, but still unhooked a sake gourd from his waist:"You guys are lucky."Franky had already started super-tuning the sound system.Brook took up his violin, and a melodious tune began to drift through the air.Uta's eyes lit up; although she found the idea of feasting with the Marines strange, she had no resistance to singing and excitement.Nami watched her crewmates rapidly entering "Feast Preparation Mode," then looked at the dumbfounded and bewildered Marines across the way, sighing deeply while rubbing her forehead:"These single-celled organisms..."Law leaned against a wall, holding his sword, completely unwilling to participate, but seeing Luffy's high spirits, he figured refusing might cause more trouble. In the end, he just snorted coldly, closed his eyes to rest, which counted as tacit approval.Soon, thanks to the Straw Hat crew's efficiency, a temporary feast site was established in the "Neutral Zone" where ice and fire met.Campfires were lit, huge barbecue spits were set up, and the aroma began to spread.Zephyr was helped by his subordinates to sit on a relatively flat rock, watching the absurd yet vibrant scene before him, a complex look in his single eye.Ain and Binz stood behind him as if facing a great enemy, but their gazes occasionally drifted toward the enticingly fragrant food.Smoker stood nearby, his face dark, arms crossed, his body rigid, but his nose involuntarily twitched.That aroma... was definitely captivating!!Tashigi stood beside him, head bowed, twisting her fingers together. She felt that sitting with pirates violated discipline, yet she couldn't resist the temptation of the food and the lively atmosphere.Especially when she saw Chopper and Usoppalready eating heartily without a care, and Uta's cheerful song rang out."Hey! Smoker! Tashigi! And that blue-haired older sister and the green-clothed uncle!"Luffy, gripping a huge dragon leg in one hand, waved the other,"Stop standing around! Hurry up and come over! The meat is getting cold!""Who, who wants to eat pirate food!"Smoker stiffly refused, but his feet involuntarily shuffled forward slightly."Exactly! We..."Ain also tried to refuse, but her stomach rumbled again, catching her words in her throat."Ain, Binz." Zephyr suddenly spoke, his voice calm,"Sit down.""Teacher?!""Consider this a 'truce.'"Zephyr watched Luffy, whose face was reddened by the campfire, who was currently wrestling Zorofor meat, toasting Uta, and laughing heartily without a care,"Furthermore... this old man wants to taste the skill of the chef aboard the ship that raised such a monster."With Zephyr's permission, the NEO Marines' will to resist quickly crumbled.The soldiers looked at each other, and finally, under the dual influence of delicious food and their superior's command, they cautiously gathered around, accepting the food and drinks offered by the Straw Hat crew.Smoker was ultimately dragged over directly by Luffy and handed a large piece of sizzling, greasy roast meat.He struggled briefly, and then... took a ferocious bite.Immediately, his eyes widened slightly.Tashigi was gently pulled over by Nami and Robin, who offered her a cup of hot soup and a small, delicate pastry.She thanked them softly, blushed, and took a bite, her eyes immediately sparkling... The feast began just like that, in an atmosphere that was bizarre yet strangely harmonious.Zoro and Sanji bickered as usual, except this time they were joined by Smoker, who tried to maintain order but kept getting dragged into it.Uta's singing harmonized with Brook's violin music, attracting many listeners, including Ain.Franky showed off his new inventions, drawing shouts of surprise and laughter.Chopper and Usopp moved through the crowd, sharing anecdotes and snacks.Law sat alone in a corner drinking sake, occasionally having a piece of meat forcibly shoved into his mouth by Luffy. He looked disgusted, but silently ate it anyway.Jinbe displayed a simple, honest smile, calmly handling everything.Robin smiled as she observed everyone, especially Luffy.Her Captain, with one arm around Smoker's neck and a wine glass raised in the other, loudly announced:"See! What's the point of fighting! Feasting is much happier!""Smoker, next time we meet, we'll fight again, and then we'll feast again!""Who wants a next time with you! Bastard!" Smoker cursed, but didn't put down the meat he was holding.Zephyr slowly chewed Sanji's special cuisine, watching the extraordinary scene before him.Pirates and Marines, enemies and rivals, were currently gathered around the same campfire, sharing food and music.Absurd, yet carrying a strange power that shook his established understanding."The New Era... huh?"He murmured to himself, his eye reflecting the leaping firelight and the shadowless smile of the Straw Hat boy.The ice and fire of Punk Hazard witnessed combat and the clash of Haki, and ultimately, it also witnessed an absurd yet warm feast initiated by the Pirate Emperor and jointly attended by both friend and foe.Perhaps this, too, is part of the romance of the sea!!At least for this night, the clouds of war were temporarily dispelled by the campfire and laughter.And what about the future? Who knows.Cheers!