"Ah! Fox-Faced Old Guy! Long time no see!"
Shanks pulled Luffy over with a laugh, and he greeted Naruto.
Behind him, Ace followed. He paused for a moment upon seeing Naruto before also greeting him.
"Uncle Naruto… Congratulations on your wedding."
"Much better manners than last time."
Naruto replied with a smile.
After greeting him, Luffy's eyes scanned the table full of old-timers.
Besides Rayleigh and Crocus, he didn't recognize anyone else.
As for Big Mom and Kaido drinking nearby… aside from glancing at their size, Luffy quickly looked away.
He didn't know those two.
But they, in turn, looked at Luffy a bit longer.
Not because Luffy's identity as [Joy Boy] was exposed, but because they recognized that straw hat.
The previous owners of that hat were no ordinary figures: one was the Pirate King, the other an Emperor. And now, that hat rested on Luffy's head…
"Hah, you really think highly of that kid, Red Hair."
Big Mom shot a sideways glance at Shanks but didn't comment further.
Shanks simply smiled faintly, not bothering to explain.
As for Kaido… after sensing Luffy's strength, he immediately lost interest.
Just an ordinary brat. He probably couldn't even beat his own disappointing daughter. Not worth his attention.
Although Luffy had now mastered Haki and was stronger than most of his pirate peers, he lacked experience facing true powerhouses.
Due to someone's intervention, the Flamingo, who should have been a stepping stone for his growth, had already been captured. Old-timers like Shiki had also met a spectacular end.
Maybe Crocodile and Gecko Moria had some value.
But even those two, placed before Big Mom and Kaido, were just defeated underlings or nobodies. They wouldn't even give Luffy a second glance.
As for the Marineford War… let's not exaggerate.
It was true that Luffy and his crew played a key role in rescuing Ace, but claiming they had faced any real enemies was nonsense.
In that war, even grander than in the original fate, Luffy and the others, who had only just learned Haki, didn't even qualify to enter the main stage. Naturally, they hadn't had a chance to meet the other two Emperors.
—Not that Luffy minded.
After greeting Naruto, his attention was immediately captured by the mountain of food on the table, towering over him.
Good drinks needed good food. With fine sake, how could there not be delicacies?
With the help of the Baratie chefs, the Amazon Lily palace cooks had quickly prepared a vast array of dishes. Paired with some fruits, it was barely enough to accompany the drinks for the big shots present.
Consider it a rehearsal for the actual wedding party.
—So said Head Chef Zeff.
At that moment, Luffy's eyes were fixed on a massive rack of ribs.
This wasn't the rough barbecue low-level pirates usually made.
The ribs were glistening with oil, infused with pre-marinated juices and sprinkled with spices. Its deliciousness far exceeded its 'rustic' appearance.
A culinary master like Sanji could tell that this dish was incredibly complex, with over ten steps visible to him alone.
'But… why did the technique seem so familiar?'
Before Sanji could ponder further, their captain stretched his arm towards the half-meter-high rack of ribs.
But just as he was about to grab it, another large hand snatched it first.
"Ah! It's gone!"
Luffy, seeing his food taken, tried to grab it back, disregarding everything else.
But what met him was Kaido's Haki burst.
Bam!
Armament Haki, channeled in the [Ryuo] style to the back of Kaido's hand, flicked Luffy's hand away.
"Worororo… Kids should go sit at the kids' table. It's not your turn yet."
The old man said with a malicious grin.
He had agreed not to start a big fight here, but a little 'prank' was fine.
And indeed, Naruto just watched with a smile, not intervening.
Since Luffy wore Roger's hat, he would eventually have to face the old-era roadblocks like Kaido and Big Mom. It was good for Luffy to learn that sooner rather than later.
As for whether Luffy would be crushed by this, Naruto had faith in him.
"That hurt!"
Luffy rolled back a couple of times clutching his arm before stopping. Looking at his hand, there was a large bruise.
Even though he had instinctively used Haki to defend, the difference in power was too great. His Haki, spread across his whole body, was no match for Kaido's.
Ace, who had come over, steadied Luffy and stopped him before he could strike back at Kaido.
"That guy is [Kaido of the Beasts], one of the Four Emperors, like Pops and Shanks. Don't be reckless."
"No! Let me go! I'll kick his ass!"
Luffy struggled. Ace held his body but didn't restrain his arms.
So Luffy threw a rubber punch straight at Kaido's chest.
As he threw the punch, perhaps remembering Kaido's earlier move, he tried to concentrate his Haki, usually spread across his body, into his fist.
He didn't succeed, but the rudimentary attempt was visible.
Most of the big shots present could see it. If they wanted, they could have stopped it.
But no one did. Not even Kaido, the target.
"Gomu Gomu no… Pistol!"
Thud!
Luffy's fist hit the scar on Kaido's chest hard. Kaido took it without even using Haki.
But… it wasn't entirely ineffective.
When Luffy withdrew his fist, a small indentation was left in the scar.
"Hey, big guy! We're even!"
Even though he hadn't broken Kaido's defense, Luffy showed no fear.
Go big or go home… cowards were the lowliest pirates.
"…Interesting."
Kaido raised an eyebrow, turning to look at the loud-mouthed Straw Hat brat.
Those familiar with Kaido knew what was coming.
Shanks stepped forward, positioning himself between them, and signaled Ace to take Luffy away.
Ignoring Luffy's struggles, Ace locked his brother in a headlock and forcibly dragged him off.
"If you're not satisfied, I'll be your opponent."
Shanks spoke with a smile, but his hand was already on the hilt of Gryphon.
"That suits me fine—"
Slap!
Just as Kaido was about to agree, Naruto clapped his hands.
"Alright. If you want to fight, it can wait until after the wedding. For now, how about doing me a favor?"
Fighting among the younger generation like Luffy was one thing, but if Shanks and Kaido started here, the resulting battle would be no less destructive than the one with Big Mom.
With Naruto's protection, the island wouldn't sink, but the wedding venue would certainly be ruined.
After a few seconds of staring at Naruto, Kaido eventually sat back down.
"Tch…"
He thought to himself, it was for the sake of finding Joy Boy.
Unaware that he had just brushed past the Joy Boy he longed for.
Perhaps to save his dignity, he suddenly slammed the table and shouted.
"Is this supposed to be enough for anyone? Where are the cooks? What are they doing?"
"Coming—"
A young voice called out. A figure in formal wear with blond hair rushed over, carrying a large plate of food.
He moved incredibly fast, stepping on the air to leap over obstacles, using Geppo to quickly reach the table.
"Golden Tropical Feast Trio. Please enjoy!"