The barbecue feast lasted from noon until deep into the night.
Partway through the celebration, Ash suddenly remembered the drinks. Without hesitation, he activated the Golden Crow Rainbow Transformation Technique and vanished on the spot. In the blink of an eye, he arrived on the island where Bonbona Royal City stood, purchased more than a dozen barrels of alcohol, bundled them together, and returned just as effortlessly.
The sudden appearance of liquor sent the village youths into a frenzy, and the feast immediately entered its second round. Seeing the momentum, the Village Elders brought out the remaining marinated game from the previous night.
In truth, their efforts were mostly unnecessary.
Two small Sea Kings alone were enough to feed the entire village for several days.
As for where Ash got the Berries to buy all that alcohol, the answer lay in what had happened the previous night.
While racing across the sea to test his newly awakened abilities, Ash had discovered a hidden pirate ship anchored near a small island not far from Diwen Island. Curious, he approached and swept the area with Observation Haki, instantly locating Kamberna and his crew, who were resting and recuperating there.
At the time, Ash had only just gained his powers and felt he had not fully mastered them yet. As a result, he allowed those pirates to live for one more night.
That afternoon, after parting ways with Pini, Ash returned to the island and ended the matter decisively.
He never even revealed himself.
Suspended in midair, he raised one hand. A thin band of flame shot forward, coiling around Kamberna's neck and severing it cleanly.
With a casual motion of his wrist, blazing fire surged outward, swallowing the pirate crew whole and reducing them to ash in seconds.
Another gesture followed, and the flames retracted completely, leaving no trace behind.
Efficient, thorough, and clean.
Ash descended calmly, retrieved Kamberna's head, which he had deliberately spared from the flames, and exchanged it for the bounty at Marine Base 175.
After that, he teleported to the edge of the Calm Belt, hunted two small Sea Kings, and returned to Diwen Village.
The waters near the Calm Belt truly were a treasure trove.
Because he had stumbled upon Kamberna's hiding place by chance, Ash felt no concern whatsoever about the energy needed for a second Devil Fruit in the future.
After all, it had only taken a single trip and a wave of his hand.
Once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, especially the Village Elders who were clearly exhausted and preparing to retire, Ash stepped forward.
He approached the elders and pulled several thick stacks of Berries from his clothes, placing them directly into the Village Chief's arms.
The old man froze.
"Ash, what is this?"
Ash smiled faintly. "It's the bounty for the pirate captain who attacked our village. I'm entrusting it to you, Village Chief Grandpa."
He continued, "Do you remember what I said before the feast began? I said I had a gift for everyone."
Sali and the others stepped closer immediately.
"Ash," Sali asked, "you found Kamberna's hideout?"
Ash nodded and explained what had happened. Only then did the tension leave their expressions.
They had been confident they could defeat Kamberna eventually, but the villagers could not endure repeated pirate harassment. No one could guard against thieves forever.
Living under constant threat was no way to live.
The Village Chief tried to refuse the Berries again, but Sali stepped in to persuade him. In the end, the elders patted Ash's arm repeatedly, calling him a good child, before finally leaving with the bounty.
Once everyone returned to their seats, the lively atmosphere noticeably cooled.
Both sides seemed to be waiting for the other to speak first.
From the moment Sali helped convince the Village Chief, Ash knew his intentions had likely been seen through.
That was fine.
He had nothing to hide.
He simply wanted to invite people he trusted to walk the seas with him.
If it worked, everyone benefited.
If it failed, Ash lost nothing.
Companions could always be found elsewhere.
Since that was the case, he saw no reason to beat around the bush.
Ash set down his fruit wine and spoke calmly.
"Big Brother Sali probably already guessed it. I want to invite all of you to set sail with me."
Sali's expression sharpened. "Set sail? You mean become pirates?"
Ash laughed. "Impossible. Two days ago, pirates nearly killed me. I despise pirates far too much to ever become one."
Sali nodded slowly. "Then the Marines?"
Ash shook his head. "Too restrictive. The sea isn't divided only between pirates and Marines. We can be bounty hunters."
"With that, we go wherever we want. If we encounter evil pirates, we take them down and collect the bounty."
Pini slammed his fist into his palm. "Exactly. Travel the seas and eliminate scum, two birds with one stone."
Sali shot him a glare.
Pini immediately shut his mouth.
Sali continued, "Bounty hunters… that's not a bad path. So who are you inviting? Pini?"
Ash smiled. "Everyone."
Sali blinked. "Everyone?"
Ash drained his drink and spoke clearly.
"Big Brother Sali, Big Brother Youki, Big Brother Pini, Big Brother Dicken, and the Daly brothers. I want all of us to set sail together."
The Daly brothers protested loudly. "We're older than you too, why do you call us Big Brother like that?"
"That's not the issue," Youki said flatly.
Sali nodded. "The real problem is this. If all of us leave, who will protect the village?"
The room fell silent.
The desire to see the world burned fiercely in their hearts, but not at the cost of their home.
Ash smiled.
"That problem is easy to solve."
"There's a place on the Grand Line called Skypiea. An island that floats in the sky."
"When we set sail, some of you can stay behind to guard the village. Once we find a route to Skypiea, we move everyone there."
"Few pirates can reach it. With proper defenses, the villagers' safety will be absolute."
"And once they move, they won't have to pay Heavenly Tribute anymore."
"Life will only get better."
The temptation was undeniable.
Even Sali felt his resolve waver.
With the village's safety assured, the final concern vanished.
That left only one question.
The ability Ash mentioned.
The one that had no cost, yet was extremely troublesome to bestow.
Just how troublesome was it?