Journey to One Piece

276. Nice try, old man

Shirahoshi was crying a lot when she returned, and it took everyone to comfort her and assure her that everything was fine. Neptune was very happy to see his daughter safe and sound, and he thanked the Straw Hats for helping them.

He, of course, berated his sons again for going behind his back and betraying them.

"You will have to work like a normal Fishman for the next 10 years; your privileges are stripped from here on out," Neptune said. The princes didn't seem to be angry or sad at all by this decision of the King. They deserved to be treated that way for betraying their savior and guests.

"Who cares about it. I want a banquet," Luffy shouted.

"Yes.. Yes.. We will have a banquet right away," Neptune said, understanding that this guy only cared about food and nothing else. The princes left the palace and would continue to live a normal life from this point on.

The banquet soon started, with Shirahoshi feeling a little sad that her brothers would leave the palace. However, she would get to see them often, as by now she would be able to leave her palace without facing any danger. Of course, humans and pirates would still be interested in kidnapping mermaids, but over the past two years since the Jolly Roger of the Straw Hats was put up, such incidents had lessened significantly.

Especially now that Hody was in jail, it would lessen even more. The word would spread in the New World about how the Straw Hats defeated them. The pirates had already escaped, and their story would spread quickly.

The banquet started in a very grand way, with Hatchan being freed and joining them. He was very cautious, as he was in the palace along with Camie and Pappagu. Jimbei and the others had their fun time too while eating.

Especially Luffy, who bonded quite easily with Shirahoshi, leaving Sanji a bit on the side. Zoro got a taste of the sake of the Fishman Islands, and he was more than happy to gulp it down.

Luffy and Ace soon entered into a race to see who could eat more, and it was quite fun to watch. People around somehow started gambling on who could eat more, and Nami instantly became the bookkeeper of the gamble.

Both Ace and Luffy took it as a challenge and wanted to beat the other. This brought a new level of excitement to the banquet, and it went on for a long time. But in the end, it was actually Ace who won. He had the body of a dragon, and Natsu in the original world also loved to eat.

This played a much larger role in Ace's capacity for eating. Luffy lost in the end because he ended up sleeping soundly and didn't wake up again to eat. His stomach became distended with food.

Meanwhile, as they feasted voraciously, Ken veered to the side to have a conversation with Marco.

"You seem content sipping alone," Ken remarked.

"I'm just grateful that everyone is happy and everything worked out well," Marco replied.

"Do you miss him?" Ken asked, his tone gentle.

"Pops? It's been some time, and I always knew he wanted to make a grand exit. Maybe he saw this as his chance and took it. But I'm glad we were able to save Ace. I'm sure Pops would've chosen this path no matter what," Marco reflected. There was a brief pause as they continued to eat and drink.

"I know you've been asked this question many times, and I'm still going to ask you. Do you wish to join our crew?" Ken inquired. Marco burst into laughter upon hearing this.

"Hahahah. You really do know me well, just as Ace described you. He even predicted that you would ask me this," Marco said.

"So is that a yes?" Ken asked, his hope palpable.

"No. But I will align with your cause and stand under your banner. The Whitebeard Pirates will always be the Whitebeard Pirates, but once you become a Yonko, we'll be on your side," Marco explained. This brought a smile to Ken's face.

"Do you realize that Luffy doesn't aspire to be a Yonko? He wants to be the Pirate King, and he won't accept anything less," Ken pointed out.

"Hahah, well, if we support him, we can say we were a part of the Pirate King's crew in the future," Marco replied.

"Do you remember Whitebeard's last words?" Ken suddenly asked. Another silence fell, followed by a nod from Marco.

"Then we'll have to live to tell these stories in the future," Ken asserted. "We'll be heading to Wano soon, and I hope you'll join us. And, as an enticement, take these."

With those words, he produced two Devil Fruits before Marco.

"Devil fruits?"

"Yes..." Ken went on to explain what kind of fruits they were and how he would give them to him if he came to Wano when called upon. Marco was initially inclined to decline the offer for Wano, but the Devil fruits and Whitebeard's words made him reconsider. After some contemplation, Marco accepted the fruits. This brought a smile to Ken's face, and he also handed Marco a communicator.

The banquet stretched late into the night. Most of the attendees grew tired and retired to their beds. Nami lay among her newly earned riches, her mind dancing with thoughts of the treasures she was destined to acquire. This brought her immense joy.

While most reveled in the festivities and then rested, others still had work to do. Robin had been diligently seeking the Poneglyph, which had been mentioned in the Sky Island. When she finally found it and read its inscriptions, she was left with more questions than answers. Consequently, after the banquet concluded, she sought an audience with Neptune. 

Neptune was busy gazing the surrounding and getting out of the hangover when Robin approached him. 

"I can't cheat on my wife." Those were the first words of Neptune.