In truth, Ace had been rather annoyed when Yamato suddenly claimed a son out of nowhere. But now that this "son" had suddenly died, he had no idea how to comfort her; it was a grief she had to overcome on her own.
As Yamato's closest friend, she naturally didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around Ace and weep hysterically. At first, Ace was completely flustered, but as time passed, he gradually calmed down.
"Ace! Get over here, let's have a toast!" Drake called out to him.
For some reason, after downing that single cup of alcohol, Drake felt a sudden, intense heat surging through his body. It was a highly peculiar sensation, even shifting the cadence of his speech slightly, though he himself was entirely oblivious to it.
"Right!" Ace replied, leading Yamato over. "Luffy, Drake, it's been far too long since the three of us sat down for a drink. Let's do this!"
Just as he brought the cup to his lips, Ace suddenly froze, as if remembering something. "Hey, Drake, did you just drink? Didn't you..."
Ace started to speak, but Drake had already drained his cup in a single gulp.
This exact scene happened to be caught by Kenshin, who was chatting with Bael and the others. He immediately threw his cup to the ground and sprinted toward Drake.
"Hey! Drake! Don't drink that!"
However, it was already too late.
Drake slowly lowered his cup, a look of thoroughly unsated satisfaction on his face.
Slam!
He crashed the cup onto the table and shouted, "Come on! Fill it back up!"
By then, Kenshin had rushed to his side. Looking at Kenshin's panicked expression, Drake blinked in surprise. "Huh? Kenshin, what's got you in such a hurry?"
"You... you're fine?" Kenshin asked in sheer astonishment as he stood before Drake.
"Hmm? What could possibly be wrong with me?" Drake muttered, finding it odd.
Suddenly, his vision blurred, and the entire world seemed to warp violently. The Kenshin standing before him split into two, then into four...
"Kenshin, what are you doing? Has your strength reached a new breakthrough?" Drake shook his head, chuckling. "What kind of technique is this? A clone jutsu?"
Kenshin, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, felt his mouth twitch violently. It's over! This guy was definitely wasted again.
But what baffled Kenshin was that Drake usually didn't have a dizzy phase—he normally just blacked out instantly. What was going on today? He was actually experiencing double vision?
"Who... who is that? Does anyone recognize her? Do we have a beauty like that in Wano?"
"Wow..."
"She's gorgeous..."
A sudden commotion rippled through the crowd.
Hearing the noise, Kenshin looked over and noticed a slender silhouette dressed in fiery red weaving through the crowd, appearing directly before their eyes. Even someone with Kenshin's exceptional composure couldn't help but marvel. The woman truly deserved to be called an unparalleled beauty.
Gradually, Kenshin realized she was walking straight toward them. What truly shocked him, however, was the Marine coat draped over her shoulders, with the word Justice boldly emblazoned on the back. That was the absolute symbol of the Marines.
"You're... a Marine?!" Kenshin slowly stood up, placing himself firmly in front of Drake. He had no idea why a Marine would appear here, but the aura radiating from this woman felt exceptionally dangerous.
"Which one of you is Drake?" the woman asked, ignoring his question as her eyes swept across the gathering.
Ultimately, her gaze locked onto Drake. Mitian narrowed her eyes. She had seen Drake's wanted poster and recognized him instantly, though she maintained a perfectly nonchalant facade.
"You're looking for Drake?" Kenshin's face darkened instantly. Drake's current state was far from ideal. Why would an adversary choose this exact moment to track him down? Something was wrong!
And she was a Marine? Aside from the Admirals, he truly couldn't fathom what kind of Marine could subject him to such immense pressure.
As they locked eyes for a few silent beats, cold sweat drenched Kenshin's palms. The danger this woman exuded was simply too overwhelming.
"Hmm? Kenshin, who is it?" Drake asked, swaying unsteadily as he stepped out from behind Kenshin. "Whoa! Where did this beauty come from?"
The moment his eyes fell upon Mitian, Drake's eyes lit up. His heavily buzzed brain scrambled to process her face, but he had absolutely no record of such a person in his memory.
"Who're you?" Drake couldn't even keep his footing, looking as though he might collapse at any moment. Seeing his state, Kenshin quickly reached out to steady him.
Catching the heavy scent of alcohol wafting through the air, Mitian's brow furrowed in distaste. This Drake is a common drunkard? He was completely hammered.
Subconsciously, Mitian tightened her grip inside her sleeves, her gaze turning increasingly frigid. Kenshin suddenly felt the ambient temperature spike violently as the crushing pressure on him intensified. Cracks began to spiderweb across the stone floor beneath their feet.
Whir...
A silhouette suddenly materialized right in front of Mitian. Ace stood poised in mid-air, holding his spear, the sharp tip leveled directly at the center of Mitian's forehead.
"Are you a Marine?"
"Indeed," Mitian replied, the corners of her lips curling into a faint smirk as she nodded nonchalantly.
"Why are you looking for Drake?" Ace demanded.
Mitian assumed a look of slight hesitation.
"Speak!" Ace barked, his aura exploding violently as his eyes turned completely cold and emotionless.
Drake was his younger brother; he would never tolerate anyone harboring hostile intent toward him. Mitian's exceptional beauty meant absolutely nothing to Ace. If she dared utter a single word indicating she was here to harm Drake, Ace would unleash his full power to execute her on the spot without a second thought.
By now, Luffy, Yamato, and the others had also rushed over, closing ranks to surround Mitian. The sudden tension quickly drew the attention of the entire clearing.
In a distant corner of the banquet grounds, a figure stared at Mitian standing in the center of the encirclement, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks. It was the former Tobi Roppo of the Beast Pirates, X Drake.
What is she doing here?!Hey, hey, hey! My dear lady, is this a place you should be stepping into?!
"What? Planning to make a move?" Encircled by so many elite powerhouses, Mitian showed no signs of panic or alarm; in fact, she remained remarkably composed. A faint, unreadable smile played lazily upon her lips.
"Drake is my brother!" Ace stated coldly.
"You came here for Drake?" Luffy raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Mitian nodded. "I'm well aware. One of you is the eldest brother, and the other is the youngest. The 'Legendary Four Brothers'—it would be a problem if someone didn't know who you were. Currently, the Legendary Four Brothers have been designated as the World Government's ultimate enemy. In their eyes, you four brothers are guilty of the most heinous crimes."
As she spoke, Mitian let out a soft, melodious tone, whether intentionally or otherwise. Her voice fell upon the ears of the crowd with an exceptionally sweet cadence.
Yet, the moment the faint sound reached X Drake's ears, it sent a violent shiver straight down his spine. His entire body turned completely ice-cold, seized by a primal, deep-seated terror.
"You're Vice Admiral Mitian!" X Drake gasped aloud.
Realizing too late that he had spoken out of turn, he frantically clamped both hands over his mouth. Mitian's elegant brow furrowed slightly as she cast a casual, passing glance in his direction. That x-ray look nearly frightened the absolute soul out of X Drake's body.
The legendary nightmare of the Marines, the renowned Vice Admiral Mitian, had actually infiltrated this island specifically to seek out the Legendary Four Brothers? But why?