Chapter 655: The Mastermind, Vegapunk!
When Sabo saw the smile on Ryuunosuke's face, he exchanged a glance with Luffy.
"Big brother, how about we grab a drink?" Sabo said.
"At times like this, a little alcohol can actually make you clearer headed."
"And bottling up your emotions isn't good."
Sabo spoke bluntly.
He and Luffy had not been part of Ryuunosuke's internal discussion, so they did not know what he was waiting for.
From their perspective, Ryuunosuke had to be in a terrible mood.
He looked composed, sure, but to them it felt like he was simply forcing everything down.
That kind of restraint was dangerous.
"You want to drink?" Ryuunosuke raised a brow.
"With the two of you, whether back then or now, you've never been able to outdrink me."
"If you want it, then come on."
As he finished speaking, Ryuunosuke pulled out two wine jars and tossed them to Sabo and Luffy.
Both of their faces twitched.
The first thing that flashed through their minds was not joy.
It was fear.
Fear of being dominated by Ryuunosuke again.
Back then, even with Ace included, the three of them still could not beat him.
And before going to sea, Ryuunosuke had worked at the bar run by Makino's sister.
His tolerance had only gotten worse, for them.
With their strength growing, his strength had grown too.
Cold sweat appeared on both their faces.
"Drinking?" Zoro's voice came from the side.
"Count me in."
He walked over calmly, sat down, and snatched the jar right out of Luffy's hands.
Then he started chugging like the jar owed him money.
"Captain, I want a drink too!" Ban rushed over, excited.
Once word spread that they were drinking here, the news traveled faster than Den Den Mushi gossip.
In an instant, most of the Dragon Hunter Pirates gathered around.
"You all came here just to drink?" Ryuunosuke asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Yes, Captain!" Ban answered without hesitation.
"As expected of Captain. Your heart is already shattered and we still can't tell at all."
"Captain, you're truly incredible…"
Voices piled up one after another.
Their explanation for why Ryuunosuke needed to drink was completely beyond his understanding.
But whatever they believed, it did not matter.
Now that they were all here, the remaining wine would not survive the night.
"Fine then," Ryuunosuke said.
"Let's do it together."
"The next battle is against Lilith, the one the Guardians worship."
"It's going to be extremely dangerous…"
As he spoke, he lifted a hand.
A wine jar appeared in everyone's grasp.
Even Akame and Kuina did not escape.
After a few simple words, Ryuunosuke raised his jar and took a deep drink.
Seeing that, everyone followed.
The deck quickly filled with the sound of drinking and laughter, the kind that tried to push the pressure away for a few hours.
…
Far off to the side, Vegapunk sat on the ship's railing, watching the scene.
He wanted to join.
He really did.
But it was not appropriate right now.
For Ryuunosuke and his group, this was an internal gathering.
Vegapunk could not find a reason to step into it.
"Vegapunk."
Plum walked up quietly.
"Everything you told me is true, right?"
"Yes," Vegapunk replied.
"Plum, no matter what happens, you have to trust me completely."
"Otherwise, this plan could fail."
There was tension in his voice.
Right now, Ryuunosuke's group had tremendous momentum, and they were strong enough to force everything through.
Under circumstances like that, Vegapunk's plan could not tolerate even a small mistake.
A single error could turn into disaster.
He could not afford to gamble.
He could not afford to lose.
"I know," Plum said.
"I trust you too."
"But in this situation, if you don't tell me anything…"
Plum stopped there.
Vegapunk's eyes narrowed slightly.
"It seems you understand."
"It's not that I don't want to tell you."
"It's that I can't say it."
He exhaled and softened his tone.
"Alright. Let's leave it here."
"The timing is perfect."
"Ryuunosuke has shifted his focus to Lilith."
"So this isn't a bad thing for us."
Vegapunk even managed a small smile.
The situation had become more complicated.
But at the same time, that complexity was an opportunity.
Plum clearly understood the risk as well, which was why she stopped pressing.
Her body was still connected to Lilith.
If she forced the issue, she would only push herself and Vegapunk closer to a breaking point.
"Gentlemen."
A voice cut in.
"Is there a problem?"
Kobayashi arrived.
Vegapunk and Plum both stiffened, startled by the sudden appearance.
Had the Dragon Hunter Pirates' captain already noticed something?
If so, things would become troublesome.
Kobayashi looked at them for a moment, expression unreadable.
Then she spoke.
"If you want to survive, don't think too much."
"Just fight to meet the minimum standard for survival."
"But if you mix too much desire into survival…"
"Then you might not even survive."
After leaving those words, she turned and walked away.
Was that… advice?
Plum opened her mouth as if to ask something.
"Vegapunk, you…"
But she stopped halfway.
Because she knew he would not tell her.
Whether there was a problem or not, he would not say it directly.
"It's fine," Vegapunk said, offering no explanation.
"We'll be fine."
"I will protect you."
His voice was fast, firm, and full of stubborn determination.
"I know," Plum answered.
She sat down beside him.
The anxiety on her face was impossible to hide.
Whatever came next was only going to be more complicated.
…
Kobayashi returned to the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
"It's been checked," she reported.
"They do have a special plan."
"But Plum doesn't know what it is."
"The leader and the captain both said the same name."
"Vegapunk."
"How interesting," Ban grinned.
"Maybe this first battle will finally be fun."
Uncertainty was a scent Ban loved.
The others wore expressions that were almost expectant.
Their recent battles had been dull.
Now, at last, a worthy enemy.
And they were close to their ultimate goal.
…
Meanwhile, on the high seas.
"Did you hear? The Dragon Hunter Pirates are heading for the Guardians' islands. Something big is coming."
"Who hasn't heard? A Guardian actually dared to dig up graves. Nobody can tolerate that."
"By the way, it seems none of the other Four Emperors objected to Portgas D. Ace becoming Pirate King…"
"What objection could there be? Fire Fist Ace is the Pirate King's son…"
Whispers spread through the Grand Line like wildfire.
Pirates, kingdoms, bounty hunters.
Anyone with even a little power was watching the ocean closely.
Because once this wave hit, the entire sea was expected to reshuffle.
When that happened, the world's balance could change completely.
For countless people, that meant opportunity.
If they seized it, they might become the new leaders of the next era.
.....
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