That night, stars sparse against a bright moon, gentle sea breezes carrying a hint of salt blew over from the ocean, bringing a perfectly pleasant, refreshing chill.
On an exceptionally remote beach on the western island of Hannabal, the Straw Hat Pirates were holding a beef barbecue banquet. The bright campfire flickered and danced under the teasing wind, casting shifting light and shadow across Luffy and the others' faces.
Generally speaking, holding a barbecue party on such a wonderful night should be a deeply enjoyable occasion.
In reality, however—aside from a certain rubber idiot eating with gusto, and a little black cat fast asleep in Robin's arms—everyone else's attention was far from focused on the premium Star Dew Island beef in front of them.
"Ahem..." Sherlock cleared his throat, his posture calm and composure intact. "Based on the intelligence everyone gathered earlier, allow me to summarize our situation."
"First, the trio led by Luffy ran into Silver Fox Foxy at the amusement park. Not only did Luffy sign up for the upcoming 'Dead End Race,' but he also wagered all his crewmates in a Davy Back Fight."
"Therefore, we must participate in this race, and we must achieve victory."
"That utter idiot..." Nami's face turned pale, and she held her forehead in helpless frustration.
She vividly remembered how earlier, Luffy had rushed over to her in high spirits and said: "Nami! I saved 10 million Berries this time!"
At first, hearing those words nearly brought tears of gratitude to the orange-haired navigator's eyes. She had thought her captain had finally learned how to manage money! Praise the heavens!
However, after asking Usopp how this blockhead had managed to save 10 million Berries, Nami felt like strangling Luffy on the spot...
"Next is Zoro, who stayed behind to watch the ship. A childhood friend of his, now Marine Commander Sakaz, came to catch up and warned him against entering the Dead End Race."
Sherlock glanced at the green-haired swordsman currently enjoying himself with a barrel of fine rum, gently pushing up his glasses as he added, "So, apart from other pirates, our opponents in this race will very likely include the Marines."
The more Usopp listened, the paler his face became. By the end, he suddenly clutched his chest in agony and collapsed to the ground.
"Hss— Oh no! I've come down with 'I-Can't-Participate-In-The-Race' Disease! I'm even spitting blood just hearing the word 'race'!"
Pfft! A spray of "tomato-flavored" blood burst forth.
"Eek! Usopp! Hold on! Where's the doctor?! Doctor!" The blue-nosed little reindeer instantly went into total panic.
Watching the long-nosed coward put on his melodramatic act, Sanji's face darkened with frustration. "Hey! Don't waste food, you idiot!"
"I've made up my mind!"
Nami clenched her fist tight, speaking to everyone with absolute gravity: "The Log Pose is already set. Before the race begins, let's quickly..."
"Ah, I forgot to mention, Nami."
Sherlock reached out to grab the ketchup bottle hidden in a certain long-nosed fellow's hand, squeezing a bit onto his grilled meat while explaining with a calm smile:
"In the last Dead End Race, the grand prize was 500 million Berries. I'm not sure about the exact figure this time, but it certainly won't be any less than that."
"So let's prepare properly and push toward victory with everything we've got! Work hard! FIGHT!"
The greedy navigator instantly changed her tune, blazing with fierce determination from head to toe—shocking the long-nosed coward who was pretending to be a corpse straight back to life.
"Hey, hey, hey, Nami, think this through carefully!"
Usopp wiped the ketchup off his face, dripping with sweat. "This isn't just the Dead End Race, it's a Davy Back Fight! If we lose, our entire pirate crew will be absorbed by someone else!"
"Well, in that case..."
The blockhead captain, who had eaten himself into a round, plump ball, swallowed the last piece of steak. He grinned widely at his crew, speaking in an utterly matter-of-fact tone: "All we have to do is win, right?"
"Luffy..." xN
Hearing their foolish captain's supremely confident declaration, the rest of the crew exchanged looks and broke into knowing smiles.
Indeed, why overthink it? As long as they win, everything will be fine!
Besides, they weren't going to lose anyway!
"Fufu..." Robin chuckled softly, her beautiful eyes shifting toward the lovely, nervous girl sitting beside a certain glasses-wearing crewmate.
Before the banquet began, when Sherlock brought this cute young girl back, the Straw Hat Pirates had instantly exploded with noise—especially a certain simping cook, who was overcome with wild excitement!
It was worth mentioning that the two items a certain glasses-wearer bought back from the auction house had instantly captivated both Zoro and Sanji in a matter of seconds...
After Sherlock concisely explained what had happened to his crewmates and repeatedly emphasized his true motivation for purchasing her, Nami and the others gained a general understanding of the situation.
Regarding Miss Maya's tragic ordeal, the Straw Hats felt immense sympathy.
"By the way, Miss Maya,"
Robin gently petted Besty's smooth black fur and asked, "You mentioned earlier that you come from a kingdom called [Asuka]?"
"Yes, is there a problem?" Maya held an empty plate, looking timidly at the intellectual beauty. Her delicate, vulnerable appearance made a certain simping cook howl like a wolf.
After spending some time together, the blue-haired girl had come to realize how different the Straw Hat Pirates were from other pirates. However, without a sword in her hand, her gentle and weak disposition kept her feeling quite constrained.
Robin nodded: "I am an archaeologist, so I know a little about your country's history."
"It was a kingdom with a long and glorious history, much like Alabasta. The history of the Asuka Kingdom is something that interests almost all archaeologists."
"Oh? So Miss Maya's kingdom is actually that famous?" Swatting away Luffy's sneaking paw, Sanji gallantly added a large steak onto Maya's empty plate.
Then, lighting a cigarette, he murmured softly, "Then it must have been a beautiful, prosperous, and magnificent realm. And there must have been many lovely ladies just like Miss Maya~~~ Hehehe..."
"Tch, idiot curly-brow..." Holding a sake cup, Zoro scoffed with disdain.
"Ah? Moss-head, are your itching for a beating again? Believe it or not, I'll..."
"No, it wasn't like what you imagine," Maya lowered her head and spoke softly, her expression darkening with sorrow.
"That prosperous and flourishing kingdom has long ceased to exist. The Asuka of today is merely a small city-state formed by the descendants of the survivors."
"Eh?" xN
The blue-haired girl's words immediately drew everyone's attention. Even Sanji and Zoro, who were about to engage in their usual "friendly" exchange, stopped their movements and looked at Maya in confusion.
"Survivors?" Sherlock gently pushed up his glasses. That word was never a good sign.
"Yes. Approximately one thousand years ago, a sudden [Cataclysm] struck that kingdom."
Robin lifted her coffee cup and took a small sip, her deep blue-black eyes shimmering with a peculiar light.
"And shortly after, that once-dominant, magnificent kingdom vanished from history altogether."
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