The sun began to dip below the horizon of the White Sea, painting the endless clouds in hues of burning orange, deep violet, and soft pink. It was that magical time of day when the world seemed to take a deep breath and relax. But in the ruins of Shandora, "relaxing" was taking on a very different, much louder meaning.
The war was over. Just like that. Four hundred years of bloodshed, screaming matches, and dial-blasting ended not with a bang, but with a bell. And now, as the adrenaline faded, a new, far more pressing instinct took over for everyone present:
Hunger.
And when you have Monkey D. Luffy as your captain, "hunger" isn't just a feeling; it's an emergency siren.
"BANQUET!" Luffy screamed, throwing his hands in the air, his voice echoing off the ancient golden city. "I WANT MEAT! ALL THE MEAT!"
"Aye, aye, Captain," Ben chuckled, watching the chaos unfold with a satisfied grin.
The atmosphere in the ruins had shifted completely. Where there were once drawn weapons and hateful glares, there was now a confused but cooperative hustle. The Shandians and Skypieans, who had been trying to kill each other just an hour ago, were now awkwardly looking at each other, realizing they had a common goal: building the biggest bonfire the sky had ever seen.
"Hey! You with the wings!" a Shandia warrior shouted, pointing at a fallen tree. "Grab the other end! We need more wood!"
"My name is McKinley," the Skypiean soldier grumbled, but he holstered his axe and grabbed the log. "And lift with your knees, surface-dweller."
Slowly but surely, the tension melted away, replaced by the universal language of party prep.
---
Over in what used to be a plaza, Sanji had declared martial law.
"I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE A DIVINE SOLDIER OR A GUERRILLA!" Sanji roared, kicking a massive pot onto a makeshift stone stove. "If you have hands, you are peeling potatoes! If you have wings, you are fanning the flames! Move, move, move!"
"Yes, Chef!" a mixed group of terrifying warriors shouted back, terrified for a completely different reason now.
"Vivi-chan! Nami-swan!" Sanji's voice instantly turned into liquid honey as he spun around. "How are the spices coming along, my goddesses?"
"We're good, Sanji-kun," Vivi laughed, tying an apron over her combat outfit. She was chopping vegetables with precision. "But are we sure we have enough meat? This is a lot of people. Plus the giants..."
"And Luffy," Nami added, counting on her fingers. "Don't forget, he eats for ten giants."
"Meat is not a problem," Ben said, strolling into the kitchen area. He patted the spatial pouch attached to his belt. "I pick up a few souvenirs every time I go diving."
Ben opened the pouch and started pulling things out. First, it was a massive Shark, perfectly preserved in stasis. Then, a giant lobster. Then, chunks of Sea King meat the size of small cars. He tossed them onto the prep tables with casual ease, thanks to his enhanced strength.
"Whoa," a Shandia cook stared, his eyes popping out. "Where... where were you keeping that?"
"Pocket," Ben winked. "Magic. Don't worry about it. Sanji, catch."
Ben tossed a massive ribcage—likely from some unfortunate deep-sea leviathan—toward the cook. Sanji caught it with a kick, flipping it perfectly onto a cutting board.
"Beautiful marbling," Sanji grinned, lighting a fresh cigarette. "Alright, boys! We're making a roast that'll make you forget four hundred years of history! Get chopping!"
---
As the bonfire roared to life, sending sparks dancing up toward the stars, a small tragedy was unfolding near the edge of the clearing.
The Master of the Sky, Nola, was sad.
The giant snake was currently coiled up just outside the ruins, its massive head resting on a pile of rubble. It watched the tiny humans running around with sad, puppy-dog eyes. It could smell the roasting meat. It could hear the laughter. It saw its favorite human, Cricket (or "New Noland" as the snake probably thought of him), sitting by the fire.
Nola tried to slither forward, but its massive bulk knocked over a stone pillar with a loud CRASH.
"Watch it!" Wyper yelled, jumping out of the way.
The snake hissed an apology and shrank back, curling into a ball of depression. It was just too big. If it joined the party, it would crush the party. Literally.
Cricket looked at the snake, feeling a pang of guilt. "Hey, big guy... sorry. You just... you don't fit."
The snake let out a whimpering hiss that broke everyone's heart. Even Zoro looked up from his booze and frowned. "Poor thing."
"Well, that won't do," Ben said, walking over with a drink in his hand. He looked up at the mountain of scales. "It's a celebration. Everyone is invited. Even the scenery-crushing wildlife."
"Ben?" Cricket looked at him hopefullly. "Do you have a gadget for this?"
"Better," Ben smirked.
Ben closed his eyes for a second, shifting his internal systems. He tapped into the Brandish μ template. The power of the Nation Destroyer, the ability to manipulate mass and size at will.
"Command T: Shrink."
Ben snapped his fingers.
A ripple of magical energy distorted the air around the giant snake. It looked like looking through a heat haze.
VOOM.
In an instant, the titanic proportions of the Master of the Sky vanished. The mountain-sized serpent rapidly condensed, shrinking down, down, down... until it stopped.
Nola blinked. It looked around. The trees were suddenly huge. The ruins were towering. It looked at Cricket, who was now... well, he wasn't exactly eye-level, but he wasn't a speck of dust anymore.
Nola was now roughly the size of Dory and Brogy—still a giant snake by normal standards, maybe fifteen feet long, but small enough to slither through the plaza without destroying civilization.
"WHAT?!" The Shandians and Skypieans dropped their jaws.
"Did... did he just shrink the God of the Forest?" a warrior whispered, trembling.
Nola seemed confused for a moment. It tested its body, wiggling its tail. It realized it wasn't knocking over buildings. It looked at Ben, then at Cricket.
"Hiss!" (Yippee!)
The snake did a happy little wiggle-dance, which was adorable in a terrifying reptilian way, and slithered right over to Cricket. It coiled around him gently, resting its head on his lap like an oversized cat.
"Whoa, easy there!" Cricket laughed, patting the smooth scales. "You're still heavy, you know!"
Ben dusted off his hands. "Problem solved. Sanji! Send over a few roasted hogs for our scaly friend!"
---
"FOOD IS READY!" Sanji's voice cut through the noise like a dinner bell.
It wasn't a meal; it was an avalanche of flavor.
Giant platters of roasted Sky Shark, seasoned with herbs Vivi had found in the jungle. Mountains of fruit salad made from sweet sky-pumpkins and cloud-berries. Sea King steaks grilled to perfection, dripping with savory juices. Barrels of Skypiean alcohol were rolled out by the Shandians.
"Itadakimasu!"
Luffy didn't even use a plate. He just unhinged his jaw and inhaled a table's worth of food. "SO GOOD! SHISHISHI!"
"This is amazing!" Wyper admitted, tearing into a drumstick. He looked at the Skypiean sitting next to him. "Pass the salt... McKinley."
"Here," McKinley grunted, passing it.
While most were eating, a silent battle of titans was erupting near the booze supply.
Zoro and Wyper sat across from each other over a massive barrel of Skypiean alcohol. There were no words, only intense, manly eye contact and the aggressive slamming of tankards.
Glug. Glug. Slam.
Wyper wiped foam from his mouth, glaring fiercely. Zoro smirked back, challenging him with a raise of his brow.
Glug. Glug. Slam.
They both swayed dangerously, sweat beading on their foreheads. The rest of the party watched in awed silence.
"Not... bad... sky-man," Zoro slurred, his eye twitching.
"You too... blue-sea... demon," Wyper muttered, gripping the table for stability.
Then, with perfect synchronization, their eyes rolled back, and they both collapsed face-first into the dirt, snoring loudly.
"Gebababababa!" Dory roared, watching them fall. "A tie! A warrior's tie!"
"Gebababababa!" Brogy laughed, raising his own barrel. "To the fallen warriors!"
Meanwhile, sitting atop a large rock like a king on his throne, Usopp held court. He was surrounded by a group of wide-eyed Shandia children, including the little girl Aisa.
"And that," Usopp declared, gesturing dramatically with a skewer of meat, "Is how I, the Great Captain Usopp, used my telepathic waves to calm the giant snake! Ben merely finished the job with his magic, but the beast was already tamed by my Haki!"
"Wooooow!" the children gasped in unison.
"God Usopp! God Usopp!" they chanted, their eyes sparkling with adoration.
Nearby, Sanji rolled his eyes so hard it hurt. "He's literally lying to toddlers."
"Let him have it, cook-san," Robin chuckled softly, sipping her tea. "Legends have to start somewhere."
Masira and Shojou were having a banana-eating contest with Caroo (who was surprisingly winning). Chopper was in a sugar coma, covered in cloud-cotton candy.
As the eating slowed down and the bellies filled up, a comfortable warmth settled over the group. The bonfire crackled and popped, sending sparks into the dark sky. The stars above Skypiea were brighter than anything on the Blue Sea, a canopy of diamonds watching over the peace.
Luffy, currently shaped like a ball with thin limbs poking out, rolled over to Ben.
"Hey, Ben," Luffy patted his distended stomach.
"Yeah, Captain?" Ben took a sip of his wine, leaning back against a fallen pillar.
"Music!" Luffy said. "A party needs music! Play something, Ben! Play something fun!"
"Music, huh?" Ben swirled his drink. He looked around. The Shandians had drums, but they were mostly for war. The Skypieans had harps, but they were too quiet for this crowd.
"Aye, aye, Captain," Ben said, setting his glass down. "Music it is."
The chatter died down as people saw Ben stand up. There was a natural charisma to Ben, an aura of authority that drew eyes to him.
Ben reached into his coat and pulled out a long, knobby stick. The Elder Wand.
He raised it high above his head.
"Orchestra Illusio."
He waved the wand in a wide arc.
From the tip of the wand, streams of golden and silver light poured out like liquid silk. They swirled around the bonfire, weaving together, forming shapes in the air.
Gasps echoed around the clearing.
"Magic..." Aisa whispered, forgetting God Usopp for a moment as her eyes widened.
The light solidified into translucent, ghostly instruments floating in mid-air. There were huge taiko drums made of starlight. ethereal flutes, shimmering guitars, and brass horns that glowed with a soft inner fire. They hovered in a circle around the fire, waiting for a conductor.
The Straw Hats just grinned. They'd seen Ben's magic tricks before, but it never got old.
"Alright," Ben muttered, tapping the wand against his palm to set the tempo. "Let's start with a heartbeat."
He flicked the wand sharply.
BOOM!
The first note hit the air like a cannonball. A deep, resonant bass drum that vibrated the very stones of Shandora.
BOOM... BOOM-DA!
It wasn't just a sound; it was a force. The spectral drummers slammed their sticks down, creating a rhythm that you felt in your teeth, in your bones.
DOOM-DUT-DA-DA! DOOM-DUT-DA-DA!
"What is this rhythm?" Gan Fall asked, clutching his chest as the beat resonated inside his ribs. "It feels... wild. Ancient."
Ben didn't answer. He just added more layers. He slashed the wand through the air.
CRASH! BADA-BOOM!
The percussion section exploded. Congas, snares, and massive war drums joined the fray, weaving a complex, driving rhythm that was impossible to ignore. It was primal. It was the sound of a heart running free.
DOOM-DUT-DA-DA! DOOM-DUT-DA-DA!
Then, the melody kicked in. A playful, high-pitched flute melody that danced over the heavy, thundering drumbeat. It sounded like laughter turned into music.
DOOM-DUT-DA-DA! SKIBIDI-BOP-BOP!
The music grew louder. Louder. The air itself seemed to vibrate with the sheer kinetic energy of the song. It demanded movement. It demanded joy. It grabbed you by the soul and shook you awake.
DOOM-DUT-DA-DA! BOOM-DA!
Luffy, who had been lying on his back unable to move, suddenly sat up. His eyes went wide.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
His own heart was beating weirdly. It was syncing up. The Drums of Liberation were calling to something deep inside his rubber body.
DOOM-DUT-DA-DA!
"Heh..." Luffy let out a breathy chuckle.
"Luffy?" Nami looked at him concerned, shouting over the roaring drums. "You okay?!"
"I don't know..." Luffy grabbed his chest, his grin widening until it stretched across his face. "I just... I feel weird! But good weird!"
DOOM-DUT-DA-DA! DOOM-DUT-DA-DA!
The music swelled to a deafening, glorious crescendo. The drums hit harder than cannon fire.
"I feel..." Luffy stood up. The massive amount of food he had eaten seemed to digest instantly, his energy spiking through the roof. "I feel like dancing!"
"Shishishishi!"
BADA-BUM-BUM-BOP!
Luffy threw his head back and laughed—a pure, unadulterated sound of freedom that harmonized perfectly with the beat. He started to bounce on his feet. Then, he began to dance, but this was no ordinary jig.
DOOM-DUT-DA-DA! DOOM-DUT-DA-DA!
It was a wild, rubbery explosion of movement. Luffy's limbs seemed to lose all bone structure, snapping and stretching in impossible angles that defied physics. He pranced with a chaotic, loose-limbed grace, kicking his legs high into the air and spinning like a top.
BADA-BING-BOP-POW!
"AHAHAHAHAHA! SHISHISHISHI!"
His laughter rang out clearer than the bells, infectious and maniacal. He grabbed his knees and bounced, his body forming a perfect 'C' shape mid-air, silhouetted against the roaring bonfire. For a split second, the firelight caught him at the apex of his jump—arms loose, legs bent, head thrown back in pure ecstasy.
The shadow he cast on the ruins wasn't just that of a pirate captain. It looked ancient. It looked like a warrior from a forgotten age, a trickster god come to life to liberate the night.
DOOM-DUT-DA-DA!
"Look at him go!" Usopp cheered, clapping his hands to the intense beat. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! "Go Luffy!"
"Whatever he's doing, it looks fun!" Chopper yelled, transforming into his Heavy Point to do a muscular version of the dance.
"Gebababababa!" Dory stood up, the ground shaking with every step as he stomped to the beat.
THOOM! THOOM! DOOM-DUT-DA-DA!
"That is the dance of a warrior celebrating life! Come, Brogy!"
"Right behind you, brother!" Brogy joined in.
The two giants started stomping around the fire, their massive movements syncing perfectly with Ben's drums. THOOM! THOOM! Their footsteps added a literal bass line to the magical orchestra.
DOOM-DUT-DA-DA! DOOM-DUT-DA-DA!
"Come on!" Luffy shouted, grabbing a surprised Wyper by the arm. "Dance!"
BOP-BOP-DA!
"I don't dance!" Wyper protested, trying to pull away.
"You do now!" Luffy laughed, spinning the fierce warrior around.
Before Wyper knew it, he was moving. The rhythm was impossible to resist. The beat hammered away the anger, the stoicism—it all just felt heavy and useless in the face of this sound. Wyper cracked a smile. Then a grin. Then he started stomping his feet to the driving percussion.
BOOM-DA! BOOM-DA! DOOM-DUT-DA-DA!
"Yhahaha!" Masira and Shojou joined the line, screeching in time with the music, grabbing Skypieans and pulling them in.
Soon, the entire clearing was a swirling vortex of joy.
Concentric circles formed around the bonfire. In the center, Luffy danced like a maniac, his silhouette flickering in the flames. Around him, the Straw Hats. Around them, the Giants and the monkey brothers. And around them, a massive ring of Shandians and Skypieans, holding hands, linking arms, wings brushing against tattoos, all jumping and stomping to the overwhelming beat.
DOOM-DUT-DA-DA! DOOM-DUT-DA-DA!
They danced the same steps. They laughed at the same mistakes. Under the rhythm of the Drums of Liberation, there were no ancestors to avenge, no holy land to protect. There was just the fire, the food, and the beat.
BOOM! BOOM! CLAP! BOOM! BOOM! CLAP!
Even Mini Merry had joined the fray. The small, 10-year-old android girl was bouncing alongside Chopper, her mechanical joints whirring in perfect rhythm.
BEEP-BOOP-BOP-DA!
"Analyzing dance patterns," Mini Merry chirped happily, mimicking Luffy's rubbery movements with surprising grace. "Fun levels exceeding 9000! Initiating Party Protocol!"
She grabbed Chopper's hoof and spun him around, her eyes glowing with happy emoticons.
Ben stood slightly to the side, maintaining the spell, his body swaying to the heavy rhythm as he conducted the ghostly orchestra. He watched the scene with a soft expression. This... this was what One Piece was about.
He glanced to his left.
Sitting on a piece of fallen masonry, away from the main circle, was Nico Robin. She was watching the fire, a small, polite smile on her face, but her eyes were distant. She was observing the happiness, not participating in it. Always the outsider. Always the demon child looking in.
DOOM-DUT-DA-DA... The beat thrummed in the background, a constant invitation.
Ben lowered one hand, keeping the music hammering away with just a subtle movement of his wand, and walked over to her.
"Ms. Archaeologist," Ben extended a hand. "You're sitting out the best part."
Robin looked up, startled. "Oh, Magician-san. I'm fine, just watching. I'm not really... a dancer."
THUMP-THUMP-THUMP! The bass drum echoed her heart.
"Liar," Ben said casually. "You have the dexterity to be a world-class dancer. You just don't think you're allowed to."
Robin's smile faltered slightly. "It's not about permission, Ben. It's just... this light. It's very bright. Sometimes, shadows prefer the edges."
"Not on this crew," Ben said firmly. "On this ship, the shadows get dragged into the sun whether they like it or not. Come on."
He wiggled his fingers in time with the music. BADA-BOP!
Robin hesitated. She looked at Ben's hand. She looked at the bonfire where Luffy was laughing, where Nami was swinging Chopper around, where Zoro was drunkenly waltzing with a confused Skypiean guard.
"I..." Robin's voice was small. "I might step on your toes."
"I have steel-toed boots and Haki," Ben grinned. "I'll survive."
Robin let out a short, genuine laugh. Slowly, she reached out. Her pale hand took his.
Ben didn't just pull her up; he spun her right into the mix.
WHOOSH!
"Whoa!" Robin gasped as she was suddenly in the middle of the third circle, the beat thumping against her chest like a second heart.
"Keep up!" Ben laughed, swinging her around.
DOOM-DUT-DA-DA! DOOM-DUT-DA-DA!
The music reached its crescendo. The illusory brass section blared a triumphant fanfare. The drums thundered like a heartbeat of the world itself, loud enough to wake the dead and make them dance too.
DOOM-DUT-DA-DA! DOOM-DUT-DA-DA!
Robin stumbled at first, feeling awkward and exposed. But Ben held her firm, guiding her, his confidence acting as an anchor. She looked at Luffy, who waved at her with a piece of meat in his mouth. She looked at Sanji, who swooned and pirouetted past.
She felt the heat of the fire. She heard the roar of the celebration. She felt the beat in her soul.
BOOM! BOOM! DOOM-DUT-DA-DA!
I'm here, she thought. I'm really here. And they want me here.
The icy wall around her heart, the one built by twenty years of betrayal and running, developed a small, hairline crack.
She looked at Ben, who was grinning at her like a fool.
"See?" Ben shouted over the music. "Not so hard!"
Robin smiled. A real, dazzling smile that reached her eyes.
"No," she whispered, though no one but her could hear it over the drums. "It's not."
Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. Not tears of sadness, for once. But tears of relief. Tears of belonging.
She wiped them away quickly before anyone could see, squeezed Ben's hand, and for the first time in her life, Nico Robin danced.
She danced under the white moon of Skypiea, surrounded by giants, sky people, and the craziest family on the seas, while the Drums of Liberation played on, promising a dawn that was just beginning to break.
DOOM-DUT-DA-DA! DOOM-DUT-DA-DA!
BADA-BUM!