Chapter 19: The Banquet
The town of Whispering Rock was a lie.
That was my first thought as my boot hit the wooden dock.
The buildings were painted in bright, cheerful colors were pinks, cyans, and yellows—that clashed violently with the gray, jagged rock of the island itself. Confetti littered the streets. A banner hung over the main archway:
WELCOME, BRAVE SAILORS!
A man pushed through the cheering crowd to meet us. He was round, sweating, and wearing a checkered suit that looked like a tablecloth. He had a smile that was too wide and eyes that were too shiny.
"Welcome! Welcome to Whispering Rock, the oasis of the Grand Line!" he boomed, spreading his arms. "I am Mayor Guff! Oh, look at this ship! A magnificent vessel! And you..."
He looked at me. He didn't flinch at my size (I was currently seven feet tall, it being early afternoon). He didn't tremble at the heat radiating from me. He looked... delighted.
"You must be the Suncorch Pirates! We saw the News Coo! 250 Million! An honor! Truly an honor!"
"You honor pirates?" Riyon asked, stepping forward, his thumb popping his sword from its sheath by an inch. The sharp click made the Mayor flinch.
"We honor spenders!" Mayor Guff laughed nervously. "Pirates, Marines, Merchants... everyone is welcome here! The Grand Line is hard. Whispering Rock is soft! We have food, we have beds, and we have the finest Cactus Ale in the world!"
"Ale?" Vasco perked up.
"Free for our honored guests, of course!" Guff added.
"I like this town," Vasco decided instantly, sheathing his daggers.
"We need supplies," Elara cut in, her voice business-like. "Fresh water. Vegetables. Meat. And logs for the ship."
"We have it all!" Guff beamed. "But first... a banquet! You must be exhausted from the Calm Belt. Please, come to the Town Hall. Eat first, business later!"
I looked at the Mayor. My Observation Haki was buzzing. Not with a sense of immediate danger, but with a low, sticky feeling. Like walking into a spiderweb.
These people weren't warriors. They were vultures.
"A banquet," I said, my voice a deep rumble. I looked at the sun. It was 2:00 PM. I was nearly invincible. "Very well. I am hungry."
"Captain..." Riyon warned.
"Let them play their game, Riyon," I whispered, striding forward. "It is amusing."
We were led through the town. The townsfolk cheered, throwing flowers. But I noticed things. The eyes of the men were calculating. They were looking at Riyon's sword, at Elara's rifle, at the gold buttons on my coat. They were estimating value.
The Town Hall was a massive wooden structure. Inside, tables groaned under the weight of food. Roast beasts, towers of fruit, barrels of frothing ale.
"Dig in!" Guff cried.
Vasco didn't need telling twice. He was already at the buffet table, inspecting a roast duck. He poked it. He sniffed it.
Then, he frowned.
Riyon sat at a table, his back to the wall, refusing to eat. He held a cup of water, but didn't drink. Elara sat beside him, her rifle across her lap, hidden by the tablecloth.
I sat at the head of the table. Mayor Guff poured me a massive flagon of ale.
"To the Suncorch Pirates! To the Grand Line!"
I raised the cup.
"To the stupidity of ants," I said.
Guff blinked. "I... beg your pardon?"
At the buffet, Vasco turned around. He held up a piece of the roast duck.
"Mayor," Vasco called out, his voice cutting through the festive noise. "I have a question about this marinade."
"Yes? It is a local secret!" Guff smiled.
"Is the secret ingredient... Midnight Banshee Root?" Vasco asked.
The room went dead silent. The music stopped.
"I... I don't know what you mean," Guff stammered.
"It's a paralytic," Vasco said, his eyes narrowing. "Tasteless. Odorless. But if you cook it above 400 degrees, it leaves a faint... purple... tint on the bones."
He ripped the leg off the duck, revealing a distinct violet stain on the bone.
"I am a Chef," Vasco snarled, drawing 'Parsley' and 'Sage'. "To poison food... is an insult to the art of cooking."
"And to poison my food," I said, standing up. The chair flew backward, shattering against the wall. "Is an insult to my Pride."
Mayor Guff's smile vanished. His face twisted into a sneer.
"Get them!" he shrieked. "They're worth 250 million! The Baroque Works agents will pay double for them alive!"
Baroque Works. The name was familiar.
Suddenly, the "townsfolk" dropped the act. Panels in the walls slid open. Hundreds of men and women drew hidden weapons—pistols, nets, and jagged swords. They weren't civilians. They were Bounty Hunters. Millions of Berries worth of greed aimed at four people.
"Riyon," I said calmly.
"Aye, Captain." The swordsman stood up, Nagasone Okisato singing as it left the sheath.
"Vasco."
"I'll carve the turkey, Captain," the chef growled.
"Elara."
"I've got the Mayor," she said, leveling her rifle.
I looked at the mob rushing towards us. I raised my hand.
The room temperature spiked. The roast pig on the table began to sizzle. The ale in the cups began to boil.
"You invited a lion to dinner," I boomed, my aura flaring gold. "Now... you are the meal."