"Open!"
As the dice cup was lifted, Issho calmly signaled to Vice Admiral "Shark Cutter" Bastille beside him.
"What's the number?"
"It's... 1."
The large "1" on the die was clearly visible, leaving Bastille speechless.
"A roll of 1 means 'Straw Hat.' This is fate! Let's let them go today."
...Don't try to fool me! Bastille was at a loss for words. Someone like Fujitora, a Marine Admiral-level powerhouse, could roll whatever number he wanted. Fate? Yeah right—this was just Issho deciding to let them go. Whatever—
A big shot will be here soon anyway. Let them make the decision.
As for me, a mere Vice Admiral, I'll just stay out of things I don't understand.
---
Meanwhile—
Dressrosa, Ruins of the Former Royal Palace
A place abandoned for ten years was once again filled with lively crowds.
"Time for a feast!!!"
"Hehehe, Roman, hurry up and bring out the meat!"
"Alright,"
Ever since Roman got his "Bag Bag Ability," he'd been turning more and more into Doraemon. His storage space was packed with all kinds of—
Food.
Boom! A hundred-meter-long Sea King was pulled out of Roman's pocket. This was a deep-sea fish he caught back on Fishman Island—a delicacy most people would never get to taste in their lifetime. But whether it was delicious or not didn't matter—the real point was the atmosphere.
"Healing Dandelion!"
As Princess Mansherry of the Tontatta Kingdom—the "Heal-Heal Fruit" user who had been imprisoned by Doflamingo—scattered dandelions into the air, the floating seeds landed on the wounded. Instantly, their injuries healed, and color returned to their faces.
"As expected of a real healing ability."
Roman nodded. Unlike his own brute-force method of restoring "life force," the little princess's power could bring any living thing back to full health.
Whether it was an external wound or internal injury, broken bones or damaged organs—her ability could restore everything to its original state. Roman, on the other hand, needed to first reset bones and stitch up wounds before healing could even begin.
Normally, her ability only lasted for a limited time. But if it was activated using "life force" as a condition, the effects could become permanent. And if there was one thing Roman had in abundance, it was paper infused with life force.
"If this ability spreads, doctors are gonna be out of a job."
"!?!" Chopper was shocked.
"I'm out—"
"Relax," Roman waved his hand. "Mansherry is way too small. Even if I wanted to 'record' her ability, it's impossible."
With how tiny the Tontatta people were, even if she gave up all her blood, it wouldn't even be enough to fill a single page. So yeah, no "Healing Pages" anytime soon.
"Uuuugh, thank goodness this power ended up with the Tontatta..."
Chopper was almost "unemployed," but Luffy just grinned and patted the little reindeer's shoulder.
"What are you talking about? I didn't bring you on board just because you're a doctor."
...Anyway, with Princess Mansherry's healing ability and Roman's blood-infused paper providing a huge boost of energy, most of the heavily injured fighters quickly recovered. That included the top fighters from the colosseum.
After all, they had just fought a brutal battle, then got turned into toys and forced into labor. Right after Usopp freed them, they ended up fighting Doflamingo's family and the Beasts Pirates. Every single one of them was covered in wounds! But now, after getting treated—
"Hahaha! It was a wild ride, but our trip to Dressrosa is finally wrapped up!"
Abdullah had been getting beaten up the whole time, and his rough, fierce appearance made him seem intimidating. But in reality, he was a polite and respectful man. He was deeply grateful to the Straw Hats, who not only saved him and his grandson but also completed their "mission"—destroying Dressrosa's underground weapons trade.
"No one in this world wins alone!"
Ideo might have been a "fighting champion," but he valued teamwork and always repaid his debts. Even as a lone warrior, he stood fearlessly against the Beasts Pirates.
"If I don't even have the courage to throw a punch for the people who saved me, then calling myself the 'King of Giants' would be a joke!"
Hajrudin, a giant warrior, had the fierce and fearless nature of his people, along with a clear sense of honor and grudges. But beyond that, he had a grand ambition—to unite the giants. His strength wasn't enough to fulfill that dream yet, but just like the Straw Hats from East Blue, as long as he kept moving forward, he could one day reach the top!
"Hmph, you guys stole all the spotlight."
Cavendish struck a dramatic pose, holding a rose to his lips.
"But I'll let it slide this time. Next time, I'll make sure all eyes are on me!"
"Ohhhhhh! The entire Straw Hat crew, gathered together! My eyes can't handle this glory! I can die happy now~~~"
Bartolomeo collapsed to his knees, crying tears of joy.
"I have no idea what you guys are talking about, but—"
Luffy raised a huge chunk of meat and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"LET THE FEAST BEGIN!!"
Everyone dug in, singing off-key songs, dancing wildly to who-knows-what kind of moves. They raised their glasses for victory, cheered for freedom!
This world could be complicated—full of schemes, betrayals, and hidden dangers.
But this world could also be simple—adventure, battle, and grand celebrations.
"TO FREEDOM!"
"We owe it all to 'God Usopp' and Captain Luffy!"
"Yeah! A toast to our savior, Usopp-sama!!"
"And to Captain Luffy! That 'Heavenly Demon' Doflamingo was completely helpless before him~~~"
"This White Knight guy—"
"Why don't you take off your armor and have a drink with us?"
Across from him, Admiral Orlumbus raised his glass, but Roman, under the name The White Knight, smiled and shook his head.
"No, I'm fine. Just watching everyone else celebrate is enough for me."
You stand on the bridge, looking at the view,
While someone in a building watches you;
The bright moon lights up your window,
Just as you light up someone else's dream.
For Roman, this was exactly how he felt—watching the Straw Hats celebrate was his way of celebrating. Their dreams were his dreams. He provided a large amount of food, while the people of Dressrosa brought barbecue tools and side dishes. And so, the feast to honor the heroes began.
---
Behind a wall near the banquet:
"You're leaving?"
Hearing The White Knight's question, Sabo nodded.
"CP0 has already returned to this country, and their target is most likely us. If I stay here, I'll only bring trouble to Luffy."
Well, technically, CP0's real target should be "Doflamingo" and the "big secret" he holds, along with loose ends from the underground trade. But there was no need for Roman to say that out loud.
"Give my regards to Dragon and Ivankov. Oh, and you guys..."
The world conference was coming up soon, and if Roman remembered correctly, two major events would happen: The Revolutionary Army would invade Mary Geoise, and Sabo would be declared "dead." At the same time, Vivi's father, King Cobra, would be "assassinated" and blamed on the Revolutionaries.
"...Forget it. Just take care on your way."
Even though they were allies, Roman wasn't a Revolutionary himself. He had no idea what exactly they planned to do by sneaking into Mary Geoise during the world conference.
If it was to rescue Kuma... well, Kuma was nothing more than a machine at this point. And trying to invade Mary Geoise at a time when the Marines had gathered their forces? Sure, this was the only chance to blend in with the crowds from different nations, but still...
No matter how things played out, even if "that person" didn't get involved, there was no way the Revolutionaries could hold their own against multiple Admirals. And as for King Cobra's death, anyone with half a brain could tell it was obviously the World Government's doing, with the blame conveniently thrown onto the Revolutionaries.
Another headache waiting to happen.
He'd deal with it when the time came. Roman planned to "switch" his real body back to Mary Geoise during the world conference. Partly to protect Shirahoshi, and partly to make sure things didn't spiral out of control, leading to unnecessary losses on their side.
"By the way, thanks for letting me have the Mera Mera no Mi."
"Don't mention it. You're Luffy's brother. I wouldn't have any use for it anyway—at most, I'd just keep it as a memento." Roman waved his hand dismissively. In the end, this was the best place for the fruit to go. Speaking of which—
Ace had been making waves lately. He had mastered all three types of Haki and earned the nickname "Blackheart." Under his leadership, the Whitebeard Pirates had become the strongest force just below the Four Emperors. The entire New World was buzzing with rumors that he was Whitebeard's true son, secretly raised in hiding...
"Well, I'm off then. Roman, Luffy's personality... I'll leave him to you."
Hearing Sabo's words, The White Knight waved him off.
"Don't worry. I'm already used to it."
With a flap of wings, Sabo leaped onto a flock of crows and disappeared into the night. Roman turned around and walked back.
"Among Luffy and his two brothers, Sabo is definitely the most reliable."
"I think so too."
Amidst falling petals, Robin appeared beside the wall. Her real body was still at the banquet, drinking sake. This clone was just on lookout duty.
"Leaving without saying goodbye—are you sure about this? Luffy will definitely cry if he finds out."
"Who cares!"
Roman, from the White Knight, rolled his eyes and changed the topic, "Honestly, if Luffy wasn't like that, I'd find it strange." Besides, on this vast ocean, they're bound to meet again someday.
The Dressrosa incident had basically come to an end. Roman watched as the Straw Hat crew mingled with everyone else, grabbing food and chugging drinks. Indeed, thanks to the 'enhancements' he brought, the battle this time wasn't too dangerous—maybe it lacked a bit of 'emotion' and 'tears.'
But even if he had to do it over, Roman would plan it the same way. Because—"All we want is a fun adventure, right?"
"Roman, what did you just say?"
Facing Robin's question, Roman brushed away his faceplate, revealing the lower half of his face.
"Nothing much. It's a rare happy day—I want to celebrate with everyone too!"
It wasn't that Roman had suddenly changed—Fujitora was right there. With a Marine Admiral acting as a 'bodyguard,' it's okay to indulge a little. Although Roman usually didn't seem to eat much, in reality—Roman has never lost to anyone!
Bring on the meat!
Soon, it turned into—
"Hahaha! How can a man of the sea not drink?"
Chinjao, looking hearty, filled Roman's cup. "We only get to live once—if we're drinking, we drink to the fullest!"
Wait a second—thinking about it, it makes sense for someone from the Land of Flowers to say something like that.
"Roman can't drink that much—let me help him drink!"
Nami meant well, but in this situation—"Heh, who says I can't drink?"
With a confident smile, Roman revealed the lower half of his face. Just like how Duan Yu from *Tian Long Ba Bu* used his martial arts to keep up with Qiao Feng in a drinking contest, today, Roman would use *Seimei Kikan* to break down alcohol and drink three hundred cups—not a problem! Gulp gulp gulp—not a problem—
It's a problem.
Big problem.
"Hahahaha, I'm invincible!"
What?!
(End of chapter)
----You can read 10 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu