novelnext Chapter 193 The Banquet
Chapter 193 The Banquet
Chapter 193 The Banquet
When Hawkeye's ship approached, there was no sound.
The pitch-black coffin boat seemed to be pushed by the waves, silently brushing against the red-haired man's side without even the slightest collision.
The hulls were only a fist's width apart, and they were as stable as if someone were holding them up with their hands.
Mihawk stood up from the boat.
His movements were very slow, as if he were doing something that required immense patience.
He walked from the bow to the ship's side, each step firm and steady. His black robe swayed slightly in the wind, and the Black Blade Night hung motionless on his back like a silent tombstone.
He stepped over the ship's railing and onto the deck of the red-haired vessel.
The sound of the boots hitting the wooden planks was so soft it was almost inaudible, but everyone on the deck heard it.
It was a very strange feeling.
It was like someone suddenly pressing the pause button at a noisy banquet; all the sounds disappeared, leaving only the echo of footsteps in the air.
Shanks stopped halfway through raising his flask.
He turned his head, looked at Mihawk, and then smiled.
"Hey, Mihawk, you're here too."
Mihawk glanced at Shanks but said nothing.
His gaze shifted from Shanks, swept across the deck, and then settled once more on the woman.
Retsu Unohana has already stood up.
She stood behind Kanna, one hand gently placed on Kanna's head, her posture as casual as if she were sunbathing in her own yard.
She had a gentle smile on her face, her eyes slightly narrowed, looking like a tender mother watching her child play.
But her eyes were not on Kanna.
She was looking at Mihawk.
Their eyes met in the air.
There were no sparks, no murderous intent, and no violent reaction.
They simply looked at each other calmly.
Like two mirrors reflecting each other, the calmness was unsettling.
Bai Yu noticed this detail, but he didn't say anything.
He walked to the gunwale, looked down at the small black boat, and then turned to look at Mihawk.
"Hawkeye, wanna come over for a drink? Redhead said he's still drinking today."
Mihawk withdrew his gaze from Retsu Unohana and fixed it on Shiraha's face.
His eyes were cold, as cold as the water of the deep sea, but that coldness was not hostile; rather, it was an innate, bone-deep arrogance.
"I don't drink cheap liquor."
"Don't worry, there's no way there'll be any bad wine on Redhead's ship. That man is picky about wine more than anything else."
Mihawk was silent for two seconds.
Then the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, so slightly that Bai Yu wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't been observing closely.
That was laughter.
Hawkeye Mihawk smiled.
"Then let's have a drink."
Shanks' face lit up with a bright smile upon hearing this.
"Come, come back to my ship! I'll have the finest wine brought out!"
After he finished speaking, he turned around and jumped back into his boat, his movements as swift and decisive as a cheetah hunting its prey.
Bai Yu watched his retreating figure and shook her head.
"This person is always in such a hurry."
"Because he looks happy."
Mihawk said in a calm voice, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself: "He was happy to see you."
Bai Yu glanced at Mihawk.
"And what about you?"
Mihawk did not answer.
He simply turned around, stepped over the gunwale, and boarded Shanks' ship, his movements as casual as if he were walking up the steps of his own home.
Bai Yu smiled, then turned to look at the others on the deck.
"Let's go get some drinks."
Rangiku was the first to raise her hand, her eyes shining like two stars.
"Let's go, let's go, I can't wait!"
Robin closed the book in his hand and nodded with a smile.
"I'd also like to hear about what's happened during this time."
Violet didn't speak, but quietly walked to Bai Yu's side and stood to his right.
Artoria stood still, her brows slightly furrowed.
Her gaze swept across Shanks' ship before returning to Bai Yu.
"That person—"
She paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully: "He gives off a dangerous vibe."
Bai Yu nodded.
"He is known as the world's greatest swordsman and one of the world's strongest pirates, so of course he's dangerous."
"No."
Artoria shook her head, her golden hair swaying in the wind: "I'm not talking about his strength, I'm talking about his—essence. Of course, what's more dangerous than him is that seemingly optimistic one-armed man."
Artoria looked into Bai Yu's eyes and said, word by word, "That's the aura of a king. It's not the domineering power built up by strength, but an innate, natural aura that comes from sitting on the throne and looking down on all living beings. That one-armed man has the mindset of a king."
Bai Yu remained silent for a second.
Then he laughed.
"You're right. He's the captain of the Red-Haired Pirates, one of the men on this sea who are closest to becoming the Pirate King."
"He was a king who yearned for freedom."
Artoria remained silent.
She watched Shanks's retreating figure, the man in the open shirt, laughing with a sake bottle in his hand. He looked like an ordinary, carefree pirate, not at all like a powerful figure standing at the top of the world.
But Artoria knew that the more someone was like that, the more terrifying they were.
"Let's go."
Bai Yu reached out his hand.
Artoria looked at his hand, hesitated for a second, and then placed her hand on it.
Kanna's eyes, however, looked around curiously before finally settling on Shanks.
"That red-haired uncle is drinking again."
"It's my older brother."
Unohana Retsu corrected her, her voice as gentle as if she were soothing a child to sleep.
"But he looks really big."
"You can't call him 'uncle,' you have to call him 'brother.'"
Why?
"Because—it's polite."
"oh."
Kanna nodded, seemingly understanding, then turned to Shanks and called out, "Red-haired brother!"
Shanks was drinking when he heard this and almost choked.
He put down the wine jug, turned his head, looked at Kanna, and showed an expression of being so moved that he was almost in tears.
"Finally, someone calls me 'brother'!"
"But you're still coughing."
"That's because the alcohol was too strong."
"You were coughing when you said 'older brother' instead of 'older uncle' earlier."
Shanks' smile froze again.
First mate Ben Beckman leaned against the mast, a cigarette dangling from his lips, smoke rising slowly from the corner of his mouth. He wore a lazy smile, looking like a middle-aged man who had no interest in anything, but his eyes were bright, as bright as blades gleaming in the dark.
"Captain, it's so nice to have such a cute child calling you 'brother'."
"Shut up, Beckman."
Shanks said irritably, then took another swig of his drink.
Lucky Roux sat on a barrel on the deck, gnawing on a huge leg of meat with grease all over his face. He was round and looked like a kind cook, but two pistols hung from his waist, their handles polished to a shine.
"This little girl is really interesting, would you like her to stay on our ship?"
"don't want."
Kanna refused decisively.
Lucky Roux paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, the sound of which shook the deck.
"So decisive! That's got character!"
Yessop stood beside the mast at the bow, holding a slingshot and adjusting the sight. His black hair was tied in a small braid, and he wore a quiet, observer's smile.
His gaze swept over everyone on the Dawnbreaker, finally settling on Bai Yu, where he stared at him for a long time.
Then he turned to look at Shanks and nodded slightly.
Shanks saw his movement but said nothing, only his smile deepened.
The banquet began.
The Red-Haired Pirates brought out dozens of jars of sake and piled them in the center of the deck like a small mountain. The seals were broken, and the rich aroma of sake immediately filled the air, mixed with the smell of the sea breeze, salty and fishy with a mellow sweetness.
The meat was also brought up.
Whole roasted pigs, lambs, and chickens are piled on huge plates, their fat glistening in the sunlight and emitting an enticing aroma.
There were also some strange ingredients, such as the meat of giant sea monsters, cut into thick chunks and roasted until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. When cut open, the juices would flow down the cut and drip onto the deck, making a sizzling sound.
The music started playing.
A crew member wearing a beret took out a guitar, sat in a corner of the deck, and began to play a light and cheerful tune, the melody simple and cheerful, like sunlight dancing on the sea.
Another crew member took out a violin and joined in the performance. The music was melodious and gentle, as if telling a story from a distant place.
Some people even took out hand drums and started playing rhythms. The drumbeats were dense and powerful, like the sound of a heartbeat.
In an instant, the entire deck transformed into a floating tavern, or rather, a mobile carnival.
Bai Yu found a spot by the ship's railing, sat down, and held a glass of wine in his hand.
Shanks sat opposite him, legs crossed, a flask beside him, a satisfied smile on his face, as if he had finally been waiting for an old friend to visit.
Mihawk sat a little further away, leaning against a mast, holding a glass of red wine in his hand. The glass was a stemmed glass, crystal clear, reflecting a dark red light in the sunlight.
He drinks in a way that is different from everyone else's.
He doesn't force himself to drink, doesn't drink excessively, and doesn't engage in drinking contests.
He drank it slowly, sip by sip, as if savoring something that needed to be appreciated with his heart.
But his gaze never left the crew of Dawn.
To be more precise, he never left Unohana Retsu.
Retsu Unohana sat next to Shiraha, holding Kanna in her arms. Kanna had already eaten a lot of grilled meat and juice, and was now starting to feel sleepy, her head drooping little by little like a chick pecking at rice.
Unohana Retsu gently patted her back, humming an unknown song with an ancient and melodious tune, like fallen leaves drifting in the wind.
Her demeanor was quiet and composed, not at all like someone being stared at by the world's greatest swordsman.
But Bai Yu knew, she knew.
Bai Yu took a sip of his drink and then looked at Shanks.
"Where did you go after we parted ways last time?"
Shanks thought for a moment, then tapped the lid of the flask with his finger, making a tinkling sound.
"I went to many places, took a trip to the New World, snatched a good item, went to the East China Sea, saw some old friends, and then came back."
"East China Sea?"
Bai Yu raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, East Sea."
When Shanks said this, his tone was as calm as if he were stating something obvious, but his eyes became deeper, as if he were recalling something.
"I met a kid in the East China Sea."
"Kid?"
"Yeah, a very stubborn kid. I even gave him the captain's straw hat."
As Shanks finished speaking, his voice became very soft, as if he were talking to himself.
Bai Yu did not ask any further questions.
The silence lasted for a few seconds, then Shanks patted his face, making a crisp sound, and the gloom on his face vanished, replaced by that bright smile again.
"Let's not talk about this anymore! Let's drink!"
He picked up the wine jug and raised it towards Bai Yu.
Bai Yu also raised his glass and clinked it with his.
The "ding" sound was crisp and loud.
The two of them tilted their heads back and drank it all at the same time.
Rangiku has already become close friends with the members of the Red-Haired Pirates.
She was holding a large bowl of wine and drinking with Rakiro. Her face was flushed, her eyes were bright like burning flames, and her laughter was crisp and unrestrained.
"Another bowl, please!"
"Are you sure? You've already drunk five bowls!"
"Five bowls is nothing! I can drink ten bowls!"
"Great! That's satisfying!"
Artoria sat on the other side of Shiraha, holding a glass of wine in her hand, and had also drunk quite a bit.
She was observing.
Her gaze lingered on each member of the Red-Haired Pirates, as if analyzing their combat strength and threat level. Her expression was serious and focused, making her seem more like she was conducting military reconnaissance than attending a banquet.
Bai Yu noticed her condition and waved his hand in front of her.
"Relax, this is a drinking party, not a war."
Artoria glanced at Bai Yu, her brows furrowing slightly.
"Relaxing in this environment is very dangerous."
Why?
"Because you never know which of these people will become your enemy in the next second."
Bai Yu smiled.
"They will not become enemies."
How did you know?
"Because they are not pirates in the conventional sense."
After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became increasingly lively.
Shanks' face was already red, but his eyes were still clear, as clear as if he hadn't drunk any alcohol at all.
He picked up the wine jug, took another big gulp, then put it down, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, looked around the deck, and his smile became even brighter.
"I'm so happy today!"
He said his voice was so loud the whole deck could hear: "I haven't been this happy in a long time!"
The crew members of the Red-Haired Pirates echoed in unison, their voices deafening.
"Yes, Captain!"
"It's been so long since it's been this lively!"
"Another jar of wine, please!"
Shanks laughed loudly, then he stood up, staggered over to Bai Yu, squatted down, and looked Bai Yu in the eye.
"White Feather."
His voice suddenly became serious, as if he were talking about something of life and death.
"Um?"
There's something I want to tell you.
"What is it?"
Shanks paused for a second, then a sly smile appeared on his lips.