"Come on, Sanbes, have a drink with us!" Rojen filled a cup to the brim and set it down heavily in front of Sanbes.
"Thanks for taking us to Long Ring Island this time." His voice was cheerful and filled with warm laughter.
Sanbes' expression was complicated. He stared at the cup on the table, sighed, and shook his head.
"This was Vice Admiral Garp's order. You don't need to thank me."
"Haha! Just being able to sit here together is fate, why be so distant?" Rojen laughed again, then raised his own cup high and shouted loudly: "Come on, everyone! Let's thank Sanbes for his help!"
Someone started the toast, and soon all the crewmates were raising their cups.
"Sanbes, have a drink with us!"
"Come on, man! Don't be such a girl, all hesitant and shy!"
"I'm starting to lose respect for you, Sanbes. You've been all cold and stiff these past few days, you're putting me in an awkward spot!"
In the blink of an eye, the crewmates were all laughing loudly and joking around one after another.
"You guys…"
Sanbes looked at them in surprise. He was a Marine, and the people around him, whether pirates or internationally wanted criminals, should have been the worst of the worst in his eyes. And yet, at this moment, their genuine warmth made his heart feel unexpectedly warm.
Yeah… if fate brought them together, why cling to old identities?
Even Vice Admiral Garp had that kind of open heart. Why couldn't he learn from him?
"Alright! Tonight, let's not go to sleep until we're drunk!" Sanbes took a deep breath, lifted his cup, looked solemnly at everyone around the table, and downed it in one gulp.
"Now that's bold!"
"Savage!"
"Sanbes, you're the man!"
The crewmates cheered and hollered. Riding the high from the alcohol, laughter filled the air. The whole atmosphere was lively and full of joy.
As the buzz set in, even the usually mild-mannered crewmembers became more hyped and began to chant:
"Captain, sing us a song! We just joined today, and Sanbes is here too, you have to sing!"
"Yeah! Pirates and booze, pirates and songs, you can't separate those!"
"Right! Everyone sings one song today, we party till midnight!"
The Dragon-Elephant Group of Six took turns calling out, their faces flushed red from the alcohol.
"Haha! Alright then. Since everyone's fired up, I'll sing one for you!" Rojen stood up with a laugh and downed the rest of his drink in one go.
He, too, was feeling the warmth of the alcohol, his emotions swelling.
Seeing their captain stand up, the crew all cheered and clapped excitedly.
Come to think of it, the whole ship was full of young people, the oldest barely over twenty. They were all full of hot-blooded passion, living in the most fiery, dream-chasing years of their lives, the prime time for raising hell.
Rojen, though reborn twice, was still a young man at heart. As long as the heart stays young, one is never old. Clearing his throat, Rojen picked up his chopsticks and arranged a few bowls and wine jugs in front of him.
"Dang, dang dang dang!"
Crisp tapping sounds rang out, forming a simple yet catchy beat that instantly grabbed everyone's attention. The room quieted, their spirits focusing.
"Mountain of Blades and Seas of Fire, this one's for my crewmates. Welcome to our new brothers! May our dreams come true, and may we stay together forever!"
Jason, Crocodile, Trens, and the Dragon-Elephant Six all turned to look at him.
And in the next second, Rojen began to sing:
"Blades, fiercely strike down the Sea King beast!"
"Mountains, soaring proudly to pierce the sky!"
"Fire, burning wildly in a blaze. Seas, surging up ten thousand feet high!"
"Winds, cannot scatter smoke and clouds. Flowers, can't drift past the edge of the sky!"
The unique rhythm and straightforward yet domineering lyrics, paired with the increasingly intense beat, instantly captivated everyone present.
"Step on Commodores, crush Vice Admirals, cleave through Admirals, make ten thousand Marines wail in despair!"
"The tiger roars, the azure dragon soars, one curved bow to shoot down the great eagle!"
"Boundless seas, endless mountains, across this world, I go where I please!"
"Through mountain of blades and seas of fire, I charge for you, facing ten thousand arrows alone!"
As the song reached its climax, the domineering Haki-filled and proud lyrics stirred everyone aboard.
"Rule the world, battle the wolves, even if enemies gather beneath our ship, so what?"
"Even if blades strike my chest, I will guard the wall of brotherhood!"
"Waaah!!"
Everyone on the ship jumped to their feet. People in this world were simple at heart, passionate and wild. For the sake of their dreams, they could cast aside everything, even their lives. For their comrades, they would dare to charge through mountains of blades and seas of fire. With blood running hot in their veins, all for the bond between brothers.
"This life, a brotherhood for all time! Even if I fall into the enemy's camp, still I'll charge through mountains of blades and seas of fire!"
"I will charge!!"
In the final moment, Rojen threw his head back and let out a long, thunderous howl. He raised the wine cup on the table and downed it in one go.
His voice echoed endlessly, and the entire ship erupted with boiling passion and excitement.
One song carried the full essence of his soul and spirit. That fierce and heroic aura, the willingness to shed blood and offer one's life for brothers and comrades, instantly swept through everyone present.
"Brothers, drink!!"
With a roaring shout, Rojen, drunk and fired up, showed a wild side rarely seen.
"Drink!!"
In front of him, Jason and the others also raised their cups and shouted, drinking with their heads tilted back.
In life, you don't need many brothers, just a few like this are enough.
Through mountains of blades and seas of fire, they live and die together. They cry for each other. They howl for each other. They fight for each other!
That is bond, that is faith.
That meal was filled with intense emotion. The crew sang loudly and drank heartily. Even Crocodile, usually cold and reserved, let his burning blood rise to the surface. With a flushed face, he shouted his dream for the first time:
"I, Crocodile, one day, will challenge the World's Strongest!"
The Dragon-Elephant Six, moved by the atmosphere, also raised their voices:
"We, the Dragon-Elephant Six, will one day make our names echo across the entire world!"
"I, Trens, will become the strongest sniper in the world!"
"I, Jason, will stand by the captain's side for life. I'll train hard. If he's the number one powerhouse, then I swear I'll be number two!"
Everyone shouted their dreams to the skies, voices full of wine and burning ambition.
Finally, all eyes turned toward Rojen, filled with murderous intensity, as they shouted in unison:
"Captain! It's your turn, tell us your dream!"
Their fierce expressions made Rojen's head throb. These guys were definitely drunk; each one looked like they'd beat him up if he didn't answer.
Taking a deep breath, Rojen looked toward the sky and shouted:
"I, Gol D. Rojen, will become the World's Strongest in this lifetime!"
"I will inherit his dream. I will bring this era to an end and lead it into a new age! I will create a new world!"
His serious and solemn declaration echoed across the sea.
For the first time, Rojen shouted his full name before everyone. And for the first time, he told the sea his dream.
(End Of This Chapter)
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