"Then I! I want to become the King of Pirates! To find the Great Treasure, buy the whole world, and throw a feast for everyone on a global scale!
I want everyone to have meat to eat, for people all over the world to get along well!
It would be best if there were no annoying mountain bandits around!
Hmm... but someone like Dadan could be okay!"
"What?"
"I thought you were going to say something profound!"
"You really are interesting, Luffy!"
Ace and Sabo were shocked yet amused, unable to believe that Luffy harbored such grand ambitions to buy the whole world!
A world-class feast? In the end, it all comes back to food!
Kaito Sakamoto was also taken aback.
Luffy's dream... could only be described as fitting for him! It perfectly matched his personality, especially for a 7-year-old child, so innocent and pure.
"Hahaha!!"
"I can only say, you truly are something, Luffy! Your wish is quite nice!"
Kaito smiled happily. It was no wonder so many people liked Luffy.
"And what about you, Kaito?"
Among the four of them, Kaito was the last to respond after Luffy.
Seeing Kaito's bright smile and his unwavering support for his dream, Luffy asked him what his aspirations were.
"Me?"
Kaito stifled his laughter, feeling a bit lost inside. He didn't understand why fate had tossed him into this pirate world.
A dream?
To hang out at the docks and sell fries?
Luffy's dream sounded innocent, but the idea of ensuring everyone in the world could get along and have meat to eat, to enjoy freedom—
At that moment, Kaito was unaware of the Celestial Dragons' existence.
If you looked at his ideal from another angle, it was like an outright declaration of war against the World Government, the Celestial Dragons, and Im!
Wasn't this very similar to his father Dragon's revolutionary ideals?
Summing it all up, Luffy's dream was to overthrow the World Government and establish a new world.
Though he didn't even realize it himself.
How incredibly difficult that would be!
"As for me, just like Sabo, I want to explore this vast world."
"And besides... I want to help Luffy become the King of Pirates! I also want to feast at that world-class banquet; I'm already looking forward to it!"
Kaito didn't shout it out with as much flair as the others; instead, he spoke in a calm, understated tone.
He remembered his past life, where there wasn't a single day that his stomach wasn't "drumming."
The thought of ensuring everyone in the world could have meat to eat.
Just with that sentiment, Kaito was certain he would set sail with Luffy in the future.
.....
Four boys—no, they were barely more than little kids—stood at the edge of a cliff, declaring their dreams to the sea.
And whether they would stir up huge waves in the ocean someday was another story altogether.
.....
"Hey!"
Kaito mentioned wanting to board Luffy's ship to go to sea.
Ace and Sabo looked disappointed and began to dig in.
"Luffy is so weak! Come to my ship instead, Kaito!"
"I want to see the world just like Kaito, so why not join my crew?"
Luffy immediately positioned himself in front of Kaito.
"No way! Once we promise, we can't change it!"
"I'm weak right now, but I will definitely become stronger! The strongest!"
"I will make my dreams come true!!!"
Of course, Ace and Sabo disagreed. Who wouldn't want a (cook) companion?
Kaito felt a bit flattered to have three people arguing over him.
"Hahaha, just consider it an older brother letting his younger brothers have their way, Ace and Sabo."
"And don't forget, Luffy and I are the same age. When we set sail, you both should go first."
"My health isn't great, and Luffy is still young; it's best if the two of us look after each other."
"You guys are the older brothers, right? Ace, big brother Sabo."
Upon hearing the term "big brother," Ace and Sabo ceased their arguments.
They puffed out their chests, embodying the figure of an older brother.
"That's right, huh? Hahaha."
Sabo replied, chuckling.
Then Ace recalled something upon hearing "big brother." He dashed behind a tree and retrieved four bowls and a bottle of wine.
"Do you guys know?"
"It's the legendary pirate ritual—the Oath of Brotherhood."
"Downing this drink will make us brothers!"
As Ace spoke, he poured the wine into the bowls.
"Brothers? Really?"
Clearly, Luffy was excited and interested in becoming brothers.
"Perhaps we may not be on the same ship when we become pirates! But we will have a 'brotherly' bond between us!"
"Wherever we are, whatever we do! This bond will never be severed!"
As Ace continued speaking, Kaito gazed at the four bowls of wine.
Brothers?
Though he had only crossed over into this world, the person he had been before was already dead.
In any case, he had become a 'lonely wanderer,' relegated to the past.
In his previous life, he had always been alone.
But now!
He had gained three brothers.
"That sounds pretty good."
Kaito murmured with a smile, then picked up a cup to join the others.
"Then!"
"From this day forward, we are brothers!!!"
The four raised their bowls and toasted, downing the drinks in one go.
Kaito thought of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei's oath in the Peach Garden, and now there were four of them... the Oath of Brotherhood by the cliffside!
...