One Piece: Marine to Chapter 187

Chapter 187: Chapter 187

Platters of gourt food were brought out one after another, and barrels of fine wine were carried in.

Though a slight mishap had occurred, Baratie still did its utmost to bring out their signature dishes.

With the food and wine brought forth, accompanied by cheers, the year-end banquet unique to the Conomi Islands of the East Blue had begun.

Of course, given the sheer number of attendees, after so discussion, tonight’s banquet would be held as a flowing feast.

Cooked dishes would be carried out by servers, passed from one end to the other, brought out as they were made. Every so often, temporary cooking stations with chefs were set up to prepare specialty dishes for the surrounding diners.

With the help of chefs from the Conomi Islands and the Marine 16th Branch, preparations had been underway since morning, so no accidents occurred. Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.

"at, at, at! So much at!"

"Idiot! That’s for another table. Why are you grabbing it? Go apologize right now! Zoro, we’re over here! Where are you running off to?"

"I, I know, I just think that table looks tastier!"

"Isn’t it all the sa? I’m never coming out with you two again."

The mont the banquet began.

Even Mock, who had been laying in Romance Dawn, stepped outside. His spirit renewed, his earlier dejection swept away, he sat at a table with Garp, Zephyr, Kuzan, and Mihawk.

Luffy, Zoro, Helppo, Chopper, and Smoker were also seated there.

"Bwahaha, what a great place!" Garp held a drink in one hand, taking large gulps, while his other arm draped over Zephyr’s shoulder as he laughed. "Next ti, I’ve got to drag Sengoku and Tsuru over too!"

"Just drink your drink properly!" Zephyr spoke with a resigned tone, though a smile lingered at the corner of his mouth. "Don’t go causing trouble for my students!"

"Ahahaha, too late!" Garp continued drinking heartily, a strange smile on his face. "Sengoku already made plans with Mock here to visit Romance Dawn when he’s free."

"Ask Mock yourself!" Seeing Zephyr’s stunned expression, Garp raised his glass and shouted at Mock. "Mock, didn’t you say you’d treat my friend Sengoku to a visit at Romance Dawn when he cos?"

"That’s right!" Mock, who had been drinking with Luffy, stood up proudly and slapped his chest. "I, Mock, never lie. If I say I’m treating, I’m treating. When is Boss Sengoku coming?"

At those words.

Zephyr, Kuzan, Mihawk, and Smoker fell silent.

Aside from Zephyr, even Kuzan and the rest fell silent, then looked with suspicious gaze at the grandiose East Blue Overlord.

A mont later.

Zephyr looked at Garp in disbelief. "You didn’t tell him who Sengoku is?"

Before Garp could say anything.

"Doesn’t matter who he is! Boss Garp’s friend is my friend!" Mock puffed out his chest again, slapping it firmly. "If I said I’m treating, I’m treating!"

Before the bewildered Zephyr could respond, Mock raised his glass and shouted, "Enough about that! Let’s toast!"

At Mock’s words.

"Bwahaha, exactly! Why think about that now? Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Everyone raised their glasses and shouted.

In this mont.

So cheered, so ate at, so shouted, so stirred up excitent, and so had headaches.

And so had been silently watching the scene from the start, confusion evident on their faces.

Smoker looked at Kuzan, who was raising his glass and cheering as if he had forgotten his own identity, appearing as if he wanted to say sothing but held back. After a mont of silence, he asked seriously, "For the Marines, what exactly is justice? Admiral Kuzan."

"I once felt lost just like you!" Though he heard Smoker’s words, Kuzan set down his glass with that sa laid-back expression, as if rely chatting, speaking leisurely. "Later, my justice beca different from Marine HQ’s justice."

"Is that so? So you all understood long ago? Is squandering public funds on vacations and foot spas your justice?"

"Ah, got caught... no wait, this is legitimate spending! After all, my mission is to find the Devil Child, and lodging and al expenses are reimbursable." Kuzan’s tone shifted, a smile still on his lips. After taking a sip of wine, he said slowly, "Compared to embezzling military funds and colluding with the Marine Hero, I’m already quite just."

Indeed, compared to Marine Hero, Kuzan just soaking his feet and slacking off on duty was already quite just.

As for Dante, even less needed to be said.

Besides, it’s just abit of embezzling military funds... he did that too. What right did he have now to question soone else’s justice?

Just as Smoker hesitated, he frowned.

"So embezzle military funds, so fool around with female pirates, so deceive their superiors and collude with them, so secretly work with pirates, and now so are even fooling around with female Marines." Kuzan smiled at Smoker. "Rember Zephyr’s teachings? Just follow the justice in your heart, Captain Smoker."

Follow the justice in his heart?

He sneered. Wasn’t he doing exactly that right now? But.

Smoker fell silent for a mont, looking at Kuzan. "The ’so’ you ntioned earlier... are they all the sa person?"

"Hahaha, that’s not the point. I just wanted to tell you that compared to a certain soone, you’re already very just. Also..." Kuzan deflected vaguely, then raised his glass with a smile. "Enjoy it! Smoker, cheers!"

"..."

Smoker remained silent for a mont.

But this ti he picked up his glass, a cigar in his left hand, the glass in his right. He gave a resigned smile. "Cheers."

Indeed, compared to these bastards, his past justice really was quite clean!

As everyone was enjoying the banquet.

"The Captain is here!"

"It’s Marine Caption Dante!"

At soone’s shout, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked toward the front.

Sure enough, a figure appeared ahead.

But so cheered, while others were puzzled.

"Who is that? Why is he so popular? Is he strong?"

"Idiot, that’s our company’s hidden boss!"

"Our company’s boss?" Luffy paused, his cheeks stuffed full, frowning in confusion. "Isn’t our boss the foreman?"

So you’ve been working all this ti and don’t even know who your boss is? "The foreman is just the manager of that area. The Shichibukai Bartholow Kuma is our official boss." Helppo looked at Luffy as he whispered. "And this is our hidden boss!"

"Why are there so many bosses? Too complicated."

"Forget it, just eat your at." Seeing Luffy seem to realize sothing and ignore these complicated matters, happily continuing to eat at, Helppo turned his head, looking with complicated eyes at the figure above. "I had my suspicions, but I didn’t expect it to really be him!"

Saying this, as if noticing sothing, he turned in surprise to look at Zoro, whose eyes were fixed intently on the hidden boss. "What’s up? Zoro?"

"Nothing." Zoro shook his head, but his gaze remained on the two familiar figures, his eyes filled with complexity.

Back when he couldn’t make it as a bounty hunter, he had thought about coming to this 16th Branch to take a look. He never expected that only now... would he finally co.

"Just how strong have you and Kuina beco?"

’I’ve been training constantly, growing stronger!’ Zoro stared ahead, muttering to himself, until sothing brought him back to his senses. He grimaced. "It’s just..."

He covered his face. "Where are these rumors even coming from?"

Indeed.

As Dante appeared with a group of people, the surroundings imdiately began buzzing with whispers.

"I told you those rumors were true! You just wouldn’t believe . He’s followed entirely by won."

"So what if it’s true? He’s just playing with female pirates, not you."

"There’s a rumor that this degenerate Marine Captain is now playing with female Marines too!"

"I won’t let you talk about Marine Caption Dante like that. Wait, who are you?"

Dante looked at the people below whispering among themselves, a annoyed look on his face.

And soone was still spreading rumors!

Spreading them right on the spot! As for that... where was he followed entirely by won?

These were all rumors!

Wasn’t Kuma a man? Wasn’t Daz Bones a man?

And Kuro, Jango, Binz, and Shuzo... weren’t they all n? He was just bringing out the 16th Branch officers for a walk, so why were rumors starting again?

Now...

Dante’s gaze sharpened. He cleared his throat and spoke seriously. "Quiet. I have a few words to say!"

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