Night.
Nearly nine hundred people gathered around the bonfire, arms around each other, holding wooden cups, faces flushed, laughing heartily.
Byron played the violin at the center of the bonfire, playing lively music, causing his subordinates to sway their bodies along with the rhythm.
Pasia dressed in embroidered attire, her top just covering her chest, revealing her soft, slender waist and continuously bouncing...
Her eyes sparkled, arms stretched out like butterfly wings, delicate yet powerful. As the music tempo increased, her dance became increasingly agile, her skirt fluttering like a colorful butterfly through flowers, sparkling with a strange glow under the bonfire.
As a dancer, her professionalism was unquestionable; every dance was pleasing to the eye, always matching the music with timely dance moves, mostly focusing on softness and elegance.
"Yo Yo Yi, next it's my turn, let me show everyone the charm of Kabuki!"
Kumadori hopped out, tossing his fluffy long hair like a lion, twisting his head and spreading his big hands, forcibly breaking into the graceful dance field, appearing very comical, causing everyone to laugh even louder.
In the midst of the crowd, only Jabra kept drinking, looking unhappy.
"Hey, Jabra, don't sulk."
Bellamy came over, sat down beside Jabra, patted his shoulder, and smiled, "Breaking up is nothing!"
"How do you know?!"
Jabra just raised his cup, startled by the words.
Owl hopped over from the side, chirping, "I told them, you went to the bar the day before yesterday to confess to Catherine, and failed."
"It's you again!"
Jabra angrily pulled Owl's face outwards, "And it wasn't Catherine, it was Angelina!"
"Well... they look exactly the same." Owl's face was pulled into rubbery shapes, speaking indistinctly.
"Can't you keep a secret, damn guy!"
After tugging Owl for a while, Jabra downed two cups of wine, feeling bitter inside.
Once this guy knows, it means the whole group knows...
"Catherine! No... Angelina, my Angelina!" Jabra cried out, provoking laughter from those nearby.
"Sage, what are you watching?"
At the dining table, Lily elegantly cut a piece of steak, used a fork to put a piece in her mouth, chewed twice, then looked toward the sofa where Sage was.
In that spot, many empty plates were already piled up; Sage certainly didn't eat as gracefully as Lily, using his fork to press a roasted, crispy-skinned, tender-meat Sea Beast down his throat in a few bites.
This ingredient was considered a delicacy, but the truly valuable part wasn't the ingredient itself, but rather the rare ingredients placed inside the hollowed-out Sea Beast, making this dish more delicious.
Sage waved, and Bella, who was catering, handed over a towel, which Sage took to wipe his mouth, then placed it aside and took a sip from his wine glass.
"Watching a dead shut-in, see when he'll come over." He then speared a piece of steak and tore off half of it with his mouth.
Dead shut-in...
Lily's eyes moved, "Moriah? Did he agree?"
"Don't know, anyway, what I needed to show him, I have shown, he should know it in his heart."
Sage finished the remaining steak, moved his wine glass aside for Bella to refill, "If he doesn't agree, it's fine. Once we reach the New World, he'll be an enemy, and we'll handle it accordingly."
Destroying Marineford was not just to prove his strength to the world, but also for Moriah and others to see.
Power is unpredictable unless the difference is huge; you never know until they fight all the way to the end.
Even the Four Emperors, many can withstand their attacks.
Right, King...
The people at sea, each have extreme vitality, otherwise, his North Star Divine Fist wouldn't have changed from 'Instant Death' to 'True Damage.'
The power level can't be distinguished, but the threat and destructive power are visibly clear.
With Sage's current destructive power, he can join the higher ranks, and this level of threat is enough to make people at sea wary and respectful.
Enough to make Moriah see.
As the banquet nears its end, Lily still didn't see anyone coming. The subordinates were mostly drunk and found a spot to spread a small blanket to sleep directly, while Marika began to tidy up the mess here.
"Wait a moment..."
Sage stretched out his hand, stopping Marika's action and smiling, "Go prepare some more food, I want to invite new partners."
Marika froze, instinctively looking back, in this starry night, two somewhat plump figures appeared inexplicably.
Seeing the guests, Marika smiled, waved for the cooking team to remove the empty plates, then said to Sage, "Is barbecue okay? Other dishes, we're short on time."
"Of course, it's barbecue time at night, and bring out some ale, wait, stand there first, let's welcome them..."
Sage spread his arms, addressing the front, "Our new partners!"
The two figures gradually approached, bringing the cadres closer to Sage.
Lily stood to Sage's left, hand on the sword hilt, under the bonfire's light, reflecting her golden hair illuminating like a gemstone, her sapphire-like eyes filled with determination.
Marika on the right, maintaining a gentle smile, with Renedia on her right side, looking sleepy.