One Piece: Marine to Chapter 188

Chapter 188: Chapter 188

As Dante finished speaking, the crowd fell silent.

Aside from the outsiders, everyone on the Conomi Archipelago already knew who their true boss was, and they gazed at Dante with reverence.

Facing the scene before him...

"Another year has co to an end." Dante held the gaphone Den Den Mushi, a smile on his face, speaking with practiced ease. "First, I offer my sincere gratitude and thanks to everyone here. This year has been a crucial year for us. In this year..."

As Dante spoke, smiles instinctively spread across the faces of the crowd.

They had witnessed the changes here with their own eyes, the changes in their own lives.

Especially the scavengers, refugees, and civilians from the mber nations who had been driven out and nearly sold into slavery, they had watched their lives transform, bit by bit.

From fear, hunger, dread, and anxiety about the future, to gritting their teeth and following the ships out to work, until now.

Everything had changed.

At the thought, many eyes grew red.

Of course.

So were different.

"Didn’t he say just a few words?" Garp happily snacked on treats, tilting his head up with a grin. "He can really ramble! Even more than Sengoku."

"He may ramble," Kuzan said, taking a large swig of beer as he looked up with a smile, "but this place really has changed a lot!"

"A lot?" Zephyr laughed and nodded, sighing. "If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it."

"Truly incredible." Smoker flicked his cigar, his eyes betraying conflicted thoughts. "Is this your idea of justice?"

"Just wait until Marine HQ has a massive headache on their hands." Mihawk sneered. "He isn’t so righteous Marine. He’s going to give the World Governnt plenty of trouble in the future!"

At those words...

Zephyr, Garp and Smoker fell silent.

Especially Zephyr... he knew so secrets, and he understood that the Admiral’s words were true.

But monts later...

"Doesn’t matter." Smoker scoffed. "This is my justice!"

"True, who cares?" Zephyr laughed heartily. "We’ll deal with that when the ti cos!"

"Exactly." Garp nodded, grinning just as happily, and said without a shred of sha, "When that happens, I’ll definitely pretend I don’t know him!"

"Sa here!"

The group burst into laughter once more.

At that mont, Dante was nearing the end of his brief speech. He raised his right hand and shouted, "Let’s grow bigger, grow stronger, and create more glory! Now..."

He waved his hand. "The banquet continues! Eat if you want to eat, drink if you want to drink!"

As Dante’s words fell, the crowd, montarily quiet, as if lost in mory, erupted into cheers once more.

The banquet continued!

This mont was even livelier and more spirited than the beginning. So, drunk, even jumped onto tables and started dancing.

The real revelry had begun.

"Everyone, cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Even Baratie chefs, having finished their preparations and finally able to rest, joined the year-end banquet.

"So?" Zeff stood with arms crossed, watching Sanji who crouched by the floating platform, silently observing the scene. "I told you those were just rumors. A man who commands such respect... how could a Marine Captain be that kind of person?"

"You old man really guessed wrong this ti." Sanji chuckled twice, his eyes showing a mix of envy... and anger. He threw his cigarette to the ground and stomped on it hard. "Those rumors are true! That bastard doesn’t just fool around with female pirates, he even goes after female Marines."

"The rumors have gotten this ridiculous?" Zeff’s expression turned peculiar. "Now he’s playing with female Marines? If that’s not a rumor, what is?"

"I’ve got solid proof!"

"Solid proof? From where? Romance Dawn?" Zeff’s eyes flickered slightly. He crossed his arms again, continuing to look ahead, speaking in a leisurely tone. "By the way, what kind of place is Romance Dawn? It sounds interesting. Heard you ran off there for a foot massage?"

"Romance Dawn... that’s a fine establishnt!" At Zeff’s question, Sanji seed to recall sothing, a lecherous smile spreading across his face. But monts later, he seed to realize sothing and quickly adopted a righteous expression. "Foot massage? No! That never happened. I never went. I only went there to gather intel on that Corrupt Marine Captain. Let

tell you, old man, even though that Captain is a bit degenerate, he... hey, hey, old man, what are you doing?"

"What am I doing? We’re here working our butts off, and you run off to a place like that for a foot massage? Even I haven’t been there!"

"Want

to take you later?"

"You bastard, is this about whether you take

or not?"

"Ow, stop kicking!"

--**--**

So cheered, so applauded, so got kicked for secretly going to Romance Dawn, so happily danced on tables with chopsticks stuck up their noses, pulling friends to join them, so stood with old friends, talking about retiring here in the future, so shouted while adding ice to their already cold beer, so started with cold expressions but soon smiled as they smoked cigars and drank, and so could only huddle inside the experintal base, eating delivered delicacies with their tal-synthesizing assistant (Wapol) and important power sources and blood packs (Enel), happily watching the monitors, wondering if they should create a clone to join the festivities the following year. Everyone happily enjoyed this rare banquet.

The year’s end wasn’t just the end of the year in East Blue, out on the seas, others were enjoying this year’s end as well.

Soone, seeming to sense sothing, temporarily set aside heavy work, picked up a teacup, and walked to the window, gazing toward East Blue. A faint smile appeared on his face, as if guessing that a troubleso old friend was currently suffering, trying to persuade another friend walking an extre path.

Later, he would definitely find ti to drink with them, and visit that Romance Dawn place to see what the fuss was about.

Soone huddled behind iron bars, reading the newspaper with deep significance, occasionally looking up to discuss a certain na with another fellow similarly imprisoned behind iron bars.

And others...

Under the moonlight, a whole family happily soaked their feet with their father, marveling at how comfortable this smart foot spa tub was, occasionally arguing about whose turn it was, wanting to soak with their father too, enjoying their happy family ti.

Until a certain gap-toothed, rugged, brute plunged his dirty foot into the water, instantly turning the entire tub black. Everyone scrambled to pull their feet out, loudly denouncing him.

That happy family scene made the old father laugh heartily, declaring... this foot spa tub was worth every penny!

And so.

The year ca to an end amidst laughter.

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