Chapter 116

Tossing and turning for what felt like an eternity, the farce finally reached its conclusion as Tatsumaki succumbed to sleep.

Around the table of Tatsumaki, no one was spared, each now lying unconscious upon its surface. It was a spectacle to see.

This night's events would cast a long shadow over their entire lives, a memory they would carry forever.

That much was certain.

Indubitably, this occurrence also roused the remaining crew members. A lesson learned the hard way - one must never engage in a drinking contest with Tatsumaki.

The hour was late, deep into the night. As Carnes awoke, he found most of the crew were asleep on the deck.

"Lord Carnes, are you feeling hungry?" Albedo stood just behind him faithfully, her voice tinged with concern.

"Indeed."

Carnes responded with a slight stretch, landing gracefully on the shore before proceeding directly to the barbecue site.

"Captain, these barbecues have turned out rather dry. Allow me to grill up some fresher one's for you."

The senior crew member in charge of the grill spoke up. Hastily, he retrieved a batch of fresh barbecue from the freezer.

Carnes didn't fuss too much, selecting a piece of meat that had been marinating to perfection, and settled down to savor it.

"Is there no wine?"

While savoring the food, Carnes inquired once again. Barbecue without it being accompanied by wine felt somewhat lacking in spirit.

Eating barbecue without drinking some alcohol felt soulless to him.

Albedo brought several bottles from the ship, her tone edged with a hint of wry amusement.

"You see Lord Carnes, Tatsumaki got a bit carried away, her drunken antics got a bit out of hand, and she ended up breaking quite a number of bottles in her drunk state. Regrettably, the entire stock of wine below decks has been completely ruined."

"Tatsumaki got drunk and damaged the wine?"

A sudden pang struck Carnes' heart, reviving memories that had long lain dormant in the recesses of his mind.

In the original One Punch Man anime, Tatsumaki's drunkenness had led to a violent incident, as she became angry after drinking which resulted in her impaling Zombieman.

"Did any crew member got harmed?

Any casualties aboard?"

Carnes inquired about the well-being of his somewhat unruly crew.

"All is well. There is no need for you to be concerned.

Only those who joined her in drinking found themselves on the receiving end of her outburst, but... I doubt we shall witness once again." Albedo chuckled lightly.

Carnes merely offered a smile, his gaze drifting to the slumbering Tatsumaki on the ground.

"Carry her back to the ship and let her rest."

Albedo nodded and proceeded toward the still-sleeping Tatsumaki.

With barbecue in one hand, wine on other, and the serene moon above, Carnes felt a warmth he hadn't experienced in a long time. It was a moment of simple contentment.

Time, as always, moved forward.

In the blink of an eye, the second day arrived.

In the New World.

On Whole Cake Island.

One of the Four Emperors' territories, Big Mom's influence reigned supreme here.

Under her orders, her children were orchestrating a temporary gathering centered around a grand cake, all prepared for meeting.

"What is mother thinking? That guy Kaido is coming here, and she's even arranging a banquet for him?"

Smoothie, one of the top commanders of the Big Mom Pirates, had received a late-night summons about Kaido arrival from her mother and hastened to Cake Island.

"Wouldn't it have been wiser to label it as a grand feast? Engaging the Beasts Pirates in war doesn't appear to be the wisest strategy."

"It's not a grand banquet, but rather a discussion of crucial matters," Katakuri, one of the three Sweet Commanders, responded while seated on a table.

"Discussing important matters..." Smoothie paused briefly, her mind suddenly inundated with a flurry of images.

She pressed on, her tone contemplative, "Do you think she is planning to take action against the World Government and Marines as they are weak right now?"

"No," Big Mom's eldest son, Perospero, shook his head.

"It's about Mother's former vice-captain whom she worked under. He seems to have appeared once again."

"Mother's crew mate?" Smoothie's surprise was evident.

Yet, it was not unreasonable for her to be unaware.

After all, that was many years ago.

Among Big Mom's children, only a handful had remained within the ranks of the Rocks Pirates and witnessed Carnes' ways back then.

"Yes," Katakuri nodded subtly in affirmation.

"In the past, mother informed me that Carnes had perished alongside Rocks in the battle at God's Valley. I didn't expect him to reappear on the seas suddenly during this era."

"So many years have passed... Does Mother still hold him in such high regard?"

Smoothie was a bit puzzled. After all, the combat prowess of the Big Mom Pirates at this point was not to be trifled with.

If combined with the Beast Pirates, even the World Government would pay heed to their combined strength.

"Smoothie, you're underestimating him," Katakuri said calmly.

Just as Smoothie was about to respond.

All at once, a diminutive figure approached.

"Commander Katakuri, the newspaper you requested has been delivered."

Katakuri nodded slightly and took the newspaper.

The contents of today's publication were centered around the Marineford battle.

"Whitebeard has fallen!"

"Dead!!"

As Katakuri read the newspaper aloud, the expressions of those present grew somber.

"Who was responsible? The Marines? Mother's mate?" Smoothie inquired.

Katakuri shook his head slightly. "I don't know. There's no mention of that man in the paper."

"Indeed, the report merely states that Whitebeard engaged in a fierce battle with the Marines, ultimately resulting in their victory,"Perospero chuckled.

"I've grown accustomed to it. The news given by the Marines rarely works against them, it's designed to paint them in a favorable light."

Katakuri turned a page, revealing a stack of bounty posters tucked within the newspaper.

The first one featured a photograph.

In a magnificent hall, numerous lifeless bodies lay strewn about. Armed individuals flanked both sides, laughing in triumph.

And at the center of the portrait, a majestic and solemn throne stood empty!

The throne befitting a king.

Yet, in the depiction, the king lay sprawled beside the throne, surrounded by a pool of blood.

Seated upon the throne, designated solely for royalty, was a young man.

In his hand, a silver-white long sword gleamed, a faint smile gracing his lips.

At the sight of this image, Katakuri's eyes contracted imperceptibly.

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