Whitebeard laughed as he caught the flying wine barrel with one hand and drained it in a single breath, looking as though he had forgotten every worry in the world.
Once he had finished, he walked over to a specially made oversized chair and lowered himself into it.
The seat creaked faintly beneath his tremendous weight and presence.
"Who would've thought…"
He slowly looked around at the three familiar yet strangely distant faces before him. Nostalgia, relief, and barely restrained emotion mingled in his gaze.
"After everything we've been through, the four of us actually lived long enough to sit together again."
A trace of emotion flickered through Kaido's dragon eyes, and his deep voice carried the weight of the years.
"Wororororo… The last time we drank this freely together was before the battle at God Valley, wasn't it?"
Memories from that distant time seemed to pass through his mind.
Big Mom, still as greedy as ever, had stuffed her mouth full of cake and mumbled indistinctly,
"Mamamama! Back then, you stubborn old fool, Newgate, insisted on fighting me for the last piece of meat!"
Her cheeks flushed with excitement at the memory.
Shiki burst into laughter.
"Jihahaha! If I hadn't used the Float-Float Fruit to hang that meat above your heads, you bastards would've started a full-blown war over it!"
The four of them suddenly fell silent.
The lively atmosphere froze, leaving only the clear clink of cups echoing through the night, quietly recounting the tangled friendship and grudges they had shared across the decades.
For the moment, every old resentment was swallowed along with the liquor in their cups. All that remained was nostalgia and a newfound appreciation for the fact that they were still alive.
Dark clouds rolled across the sky like spilled ink, while a few faint beams of moonlight struggled through and fell upon the deck of the enormous ancient warship.
The mood was both celebratory and strangely solemn, as though time itself had paused for this moment.
Whitebeard suddenly raised his enormous drinking bowl high.
It was nearly the size of an ordinary person's head, thick and heavy, with intricate patterns carved into its surface that glimmered faintly beneath the moonlight.
He looked around at the others, his booming voice rolling across the night.
"To the old bastards who are still alive!"
Every word carried his affection for his former companions and longing for the years they had survived together.
Kaido's enormous tail slammed against the deck with a deafening crash, his scales gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
He threw back his head and shouted,
"To opponents still worth fighting!"
Excitement blazed in his eyes as though he could already see the great battles waiting ahead.
Big Mom gripped Napoleon with both hands and raised the legendary blade high. Its many jewels shone beneath the moonlight like stars brought down to earth.
With a wild grin, she declared,
"To feasts that never end!"
Her smile showed her bottomless hunger and shameless love of indulgence.
Shiki refused to be outdone. Holding Kogarashi and Oto in his hands, he crossed the blades before his chest.
Their cold edges reflected his determined face as he gazed toward the distant horizon.
"To an era where we get to see tomorrow!"
His voice carried firm faith in the future.
The four drinking bowls collided heavily in midair.
Liquor splashed outward like brilliant fireworks, drawing shining arcs beneath the moonlight.
The four legends of the old era looked at one another and laughed, their voices relaxed and unrestrained.
For that brief moment, the complicated grudges of the past seemed to dissolve into the rich scent of alcohol and scatter with the gentle night wind.
Near the distant railing, Marco quietly watched the scene.
His eyes grew damp, and he raised one hand to wipe them before murmuring,
"This is… really nice."
His voice was soft, but filled with genuine emotion.
Jozu's diamond body shimmered beautifully beneath the moonlight like a brilliant statue.
He nodded slowly.
"This is the sight Pops always wanted to see…"
From Pluton's bridge, Ron stood tall and watched the four legendary figures drink and laugh together.
The moonlight cast a soft silver glow across faces weathered by countless battles and years at sea.
A faint smile touched Ron's lips, but he made no move to disturb their rare moment of peace.
"Let them enjoy their reunion."
He turned and headed toward the command room with steady steps.
As he passed Marco, he stopped briefly.
"Marco, I'll leave things here to you. I heard Reiju of Germa 66 is still in the Divine Kingdom. It's time we discussed technological cooperation with her."
With that, he continued onward, his silhouette looking especially imposing beneath the moonlight.
Meanwhile, the banquet only grew livelier.
Its warmth spread like a roaring bonfire, illuminating every face as laughter mingled with the clatter of plates and cups.
Whitebeard lifted another fragrant barrel of liquor and drained the entire thing.
Wine streamed down through his thick white mustache, but he merely wiped it away before fixing Shiki with a sharp, questioning gaze.
"Shiki, explain something to me. Why did you suddenly come back carrying more than a dozen islands?
"That doesn't sound like something you'd normally do without a reason."
...
Shiki's eyes immediately lit up with barely contained excitement, as though twin flames had ignited within them.
With a casual lift of his hand, the liquor in his cup rose into the air under the power of the Float-Float Fruit and danced around him in elegant, glittering trails.
"Jihahahaha! This is my most important new mission!"
He deliberately lowered his booming voice, suddenly acting as though the matter were too secret for anyone else to overhear.
"All I can tell you is that it began with one of Ron's absolutely insane ideas. Even I was blown away when I heard it!"
Kaido narrowed his dragon eyes, curiosity and scrutiny entering his gaze.
"More interesting than the legendary One Piece?"
"One Piece?"
Shiki waved dismissively, making no effort to hide his contempt.
"I couldn't care less about that thing anymore!
"There's only one thing on my mind now—traveling across the vast sea every day, searching for suitable islands, bringing them back with my power, and carefully constructing our Divine Kingdom…"
His excitement continued building until he abruptly rose to his feet, his overwhelming presence rolling outward like a surging tide.
"That is the great dream I truly want to achieve!"
Big Mom's curiosity was thoroughly aroused. She leaned her round face closer, her eyes filled with anticipation.
"Mamamama~ Come on, tell us more!"
Shiki enthusiastically waved both swords, his gaze brimming with ambition.
"Just imagine it! A Divine Kingdom made from thousands upon thousands of floating islands, each one possessing its own unique ecosystem and flourishing civilization. Can you picture how magnificent that would be?"
His eyes burned with feverish excitement, bright enough to set everything around him alight.
"That would be a feat truly worthy of the name 'Kingdom of God'! Every island we add and every step we take will become part of our legend!"
Whitebeard nodded thoughtfully, his thick mustache shifting slightly with the movement.
"Gurararara… No wonder even a madman like you has been throwing everything he has into this."
"Throwing everything I have into it?"
Shiki threw back his head and laughed heartily.
"I'm doing far more than working hard—I'm enjoying every second of it!
"Every morning, when the first sunlight appears, I get to watch the territory of the Divine Kingdom spread farther outward like a great tree growing before my eyes.
"Watching my dream gradually become reality is far more satisfying than wandering around without a home like some ordinary pirate!"
The four legends sat around a heavy wooden table covered with fine food and liquor.
Together, they lifted their cups, the clear wine glittering beneath the moonlight.
Their cups met with a crisp sound before all four drained them in one gulp.
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