As night fell, Whole Cake Island was brightly lit.
To welcome Shiki's arrival, Caesar had organized a grand banquet.
In the plaza, pirates drank boisterously, clinking glasses amid laughter and cheerful chatter.
The thousands of pirates from the Golden Lion Pirates had long grown numb from their time on the sky island.
Now, with the chance to reintegrate into the New World, they went wild, challenging the Beast God Pirates to drinking contests.
Surprisingly, this cathartic behavior actually strengthened the bond between the two groups. Soon, everyone was treating each other like brothers.
As usual, Sanji sat in a corner with Pudding.
Generally, no one bothered them.
Yamato had been stripped of her tomboyish demeanor by Caesar's alterations.
Though she remained just as fierce in fights, in daily life, she was simply Kaido's ordinary daughter.
Naturally, she no longer bothered Pudding either.
"San... Sanji, it really is you. I thought I might have mistaken you for someone else."
Sanji was taken aback.
Turning his head, he saw a young man of average height but with a commanding presence walking straight toward them.
The young man had an ordinary appearance, but his eyes were particularly striking.
They were eyes filled with arrogance, ruthlessness, audacity, and utter contempt.
"You... who are you?"
Sanji felt slightly awkward, as he didn't seem to recognize the person.
The newcomer was, of course, Gin.
Since joining the Beast God Pirates, Gin had either been frantically training himself or relentlessly training Moria, leaving him no opportunity to learn who exactly was part of the Beast God Pirates crew.
Beyond combat and improving his strength, he had no interest in such matters anyway.
Thus, even after all these days, Gin remained unaware that Sanji—his former savior—was actually within the same organization.
It wasn't until today, aboard the Queen mama charter, that Gin accidentally spotted Sanji and recognized him.
However, since Caesar and the others were discussing serious matters at the time, he thought it inappropriate to approach for a chat.
Gin smiled as he walked closer, glanced at Pudding, and froze momentarily.
"Hahaha, Sanji, it seems you've forgotten about me. But I could never forget that plate of egg-fried rice you made—it was truly the most delicious food I've ever eaten in my life. Over two years ago, at the Baratie restaurant in the East Blue, you saved my life!"
Sanji was stunned by Gin's words and began scrutinizing him carefully.
After a long moment, Sanji spoke uncertainly, "You're... 'Man Demon' Gin?"
"Hahaha, 'Man Demon'—it's been ages since anyone called me that. After parting ways with Krieg, that name completely vanished with the wind. I'm surprised you still remember it, Sanji."
Gin laughed, then turned to Pudding and said, "This young lady... could she be your wife? Congratulations! I never imagined you'd already found such happiness in life—not only marrying a beautiful wife but also expecting a child. Congratulations, Sanji, you're going to be a father!"
"What did you say?"
Sanji's body jolted violently as he shot to his feet.
Gin looked puzzled. "You didn't know? Just use your Observation Haki to sense it. But don't worry, I didn't recklessly use Haki. It's just that I'm naturally sensitive to life forces. Even the faintest presence of new life, I can detect it."
Sanji immediately released his Observation Haki.
After a brief moment of sensing, his face erupted into ecstatic joy.
He rushed to Pudding's side, excitedly looking at her.
"Pudding, you... no wonder you've been feeling nauseous. I thought you had caught a cold. So it's morning sickness! You... you're pregnant! I'm going to be a father! I'm going to be a father!"
The news was so sudden that Pudding's face was filled with bewilderment as an exhilarated Sanji embraced her.
Gin watched the joyous couple, rubbed his nose, and tactfully took his leave.
...
Inside the golden-domed building, the area originally used for pirate meetings had been cleared out, replaced with a large table.
Caesar and the others were dining there while chatting.
The August weather was still quite hot, and even though it was nighttime, the air remained stiflingly warm.
Fortunately, Caesar had created several large ice blocks in the hall to cool the place down.
"Gyahahaha! Caesar, you sure know how to live it up! And I must say, this oolong tea really hits the spot! Especially with ice—it tastes even better!"
Shiki sat beside Kaido, guzzling alcohol and savoring the delicacies of Tottoland.
Having spent over a decade in the sky, eating nothing but roasted meat day after day, Shiki had long grown sick of the blandness.
Now, everything tasted like heavenly cuisine to him.
"Woroorororo, slow down, Shiki, your table manners are awful, just like a starving ghost reincarnated! You're a big shot after all, have some decency, you bastard!"
Kaido roared with laughter while chugging wine from his bottle.
Shiki chuckled, "Decency? Can decency fill your stomach? I became a pirate for freedom and unrestrained living! Gehahaha, Kaido, look at yourself when you say that, hahaha!"
Everyone seated at this table was either of high status or possessed great strength.
Besides Caesar and the other three, Katakuri, Yamato, Hiyori, Crocodile, Doflamingo, King, and others were also present.
Judge, Indigo, Queen, and Caesar Clown, who had been captured by Doflamingo, were also arranged to sit here, showing how much Caesar valued these scientists.
"Brother Katakuri, try this foie gras, it's really delicious."
Yamato smiled as she picked up a piece of perfectly roasted foie gras with a peppery aroma and placed it on Katakuri's plate.
"Hehe, thank you, you should have some too." Katakuri grinned.
However, when he grinned, it revealed many sharp fangs, making him look quite ferocious.
Combined with the two long horns on his head, he bore a striking resemblance to Caesar.
Suddenly, Yamato stood on her tiptoes and whispered something in Katakuri's ear, causing him to show a surprised expression and secretly glance at Shiki, who was eating and drinking heartily.
"Heehe, I didn't lie to you. If you don't believe me, look down." Yamato said playfully.
Katakuri scratched his head and smiled awkwardly, "Well... forget it, there's nothing to see."
"Come on, just take a look!" Yamato pouted, her eyes full of laughter, her demeanor completely different from before.
Playful yet adorable.
Clatter.
"Your chopsticks fell, Brother Katakuri." Yamato deliberately knocked the chopsticks off the table and winked at Katakuri.
"Ahem..."
Katakuri coughed dryly and finally lowered his head to glance under the table.
He saw that Shiki's legs under the table were pitifully thin, like a baby's, looking extremely comical.
When he straightened up, his head accidentally bumped into Yamato's with a crisp thud.
"Ouch... that hurts..." Yamato cried out in pain, covering her forehead.
"Uh... are you okay, Yamato? Sorry, I didn't notice." Katakuri looked flustered.
"I'm fine!"
Yamato removed her hand, and Katakuri saw that her forehead was red.
Clearly, he had bumped her quite hard.
"Hehehe, I didn't lie to you, did I, Katakuri? Hehehe, it's so funny."
Yamato leaned in again with a laugh.
Katakuri's body stiffened slightly, catching a faint, pleasant fragrance from her.