Chapter 355: Tranquility Amidst the Clamor!

On the massive plaza in front of the Kings Plateau.

At the center of this clamor and celebration, Luffy sat cross-legged before a mountain-high pile of roasted meat.

His left hand gripped a massive, sizzling piece of bone-in roast meat, while his right hand held a roasted Sea King fish taller than a person.

His mouth, possessing the properties of the Gum-Gum Fruit, opened like a bottomless abyss, frantically clearing the food before him at an exaggerated speed that ordinary people simply couldn't comprehend.

This shocking display of gluttony drew burst after burst of exclamations and admiration from the surrounding Dressrosa citizens.

Not far from Luffy, Bartolomeo was like a devout believer, holding an exquisite little notebook in both hands.

Watching Luffy's 'invincible heroic posture' as he devoured the meat, he was moved to tears, his face covered in snot and weeping, while his quill pen flew across the paper, recording his impressions.

"Waaaah... Even the way Luffy-senpai eats is so cool! This heroic swallowing, this Haki-filled chewing—it's simply art bestowed by the heavens!"

Bartolomeo scribbled while letting out a perverted, infatuated giggle.

Just then, with his mouth stuffed to the brim, Luffy seemed to notice this strange guy nearby who had been staring at him and crying.

So he stopped chewing, turned his head, and called out indistinctly:

"Hm? Hey, Cockscomb-head, what have you been doing over there?"

Hearing his idol actually take the initiative to speak to him, Bartolomeo's body instantly stiffened.

An unprecedented surge of immense happiness rushed straight to his head; he cupped his cheeks with both hands, his face turning bright red.

"Luffy-senpai... called me Cockscomb-head..."

With a blissful murmur, Bartolomeo's eyes rolled back, and he fell straight backward.

Seeing this, the nearby subordinates from the Barto Club all showed expressions of being long accustomed to such sights.

They rushed forward with great skill and began performing emergency CPR on their boss.

On the other side of the plaza, Zoro had already taken off his shirt, baring his scarred and muscular torso.

He was surrounded by Hajrudin, Sai, and a crowd of massive heroes from the New World.

The friendship of men is built upon blades and strong liquor.

They raised massive wooden barrels, clashing them together as wine splashed everywhere, then tilted their heads back to drink heroically, shouting in delight.

Meanwhile, as the chef of the Straw Hat Pirates, Sanji had long since thrown the matter of cooking to the back of his mind.

He was currently amidst Violet, Rebecca, and a group of graceful and beautiful Dressrosa dancers, like a happy butterfly flitting through a garden of flowers.

His eyes turned into giant red hearts, and his whole body wiggled like a noodle.

Amidst the giggles of "Sanji-san is so amazing," he felt so happy he was floating on air.

Chopper, Usopp, and Brook had completely integrated into the exotic atmosphere.

Wearing flower garlands, they held hands with the tiny Tontatta Tribe people and danced a joyful, rhythmic traditional dance around the bonfire.

Watching his celebrating companions on the plaza, a faint smile played on Tatsuya's lips.

Holding a glass of mellow red wine, he didn't join the commotion but instead followed the shadows, withdrawing from the center of the noise.

He passed through several ruined stone gates and arrived alone at a very quiet garden pond behind the ruins.

The bright moonlight poured down unreservedly, quietly blanketing the crystal-clear water and creating shimmering silver ripples.

Tatsuya stood at the edge of the pond and reached out to take out an exquisitely shaped pink conch.

He slowly leaned down, walked to the edge of the water, and submerged the special conch into the clear pond.

As the water rippled slightly, the interior of the conch began to emit a faint, soft glow.

After a brief delay, a soft, sweet, and familiar voice filled with unmistakable surprise came from the conch:

"Vi... Tatsuya-sama? That's wonderful! Is it you?

"Can you hear Shirahoshi's voice?"

That voice was so sweet it seemed to trail like silk; every word was saturated with deep longing and attachment, the gentle posture of a young girl in love.

Hearing the voice that haunted his dreams, Tatsuya's gaze instantly softened.

He leaned back against the stone carving of the pond and responded in a gentle tone:

"It's me, Shirahoshi. I can hear you clearly."

On the other end of the line, Shirahoshi took a deep breath, her tone carrying a bit of urgency and lingering fear as she mentioned she had just seen the latest newspaper.

The newspapers were flooded with terrifying news of the earth-shattering battle in Dressrosa, even involving a Marine Admiral.

She was terrified that Tatsuya and the others had encountered irreversible danger.

Listening to her words full of concern, Tatsuya softly soothed her frightened heart, downplaying the battle situation here and telling her that everything had ended peacefully.

Hearing Tatsuya's steady and reassuring voice, Shirahoshi sniffled softly on the other end.

She obediently reported her recent situation to Tatsuya.

She said she had been listening to him on Fish-Man Island, seriously learning how to be a proper royal every day, and working hard to care for the citizens of the ocean.

Tatsuya laughed and praised her strength and growth, which made Shirahoshi incredibly happy.

But then, a hint of a sob entered Shirahoshi's voice as she asked softly with heartache:

"Tatsuya-sama... were you injured in that terrible battle? Does it hurt very much?"

Tatsuya tilted his head back slightly, looking at the bright moon in the night sky:

"There were some minor injuries. But as soon as I hear your voice, those wounds don't hurt at all."

This sudden, direct romantic line immediately caused the pure-hearted Shirahoshi on the other end to blush.

Her heart fluttered like a trapped bird; she stammered for a long time, completely unsure of what to say, leaving only the sound of shy breathing.

Amidst the interplay of moonlight and ripples, the two shared their daily trivialities.

Tatsuya listened patiently as Shirahoshi talked about the interesting things deep in the ocean, the naughtiness of the Sea Kings, and the praise she received from her father and brothers.

Unknowingly, time slipped away.

At the end of the call, Shirahoshi reluctantly stopped talking and cautiously asked Tatsuya when he could return to Fish-Man Island.

She really, really missed him.

Tatsuya gave a light chuckle and said that once he finished the urgent matters in the New World.

He would personally go to Fish-Man Island and would formally propose to her father, Neptune.

Hearing these words, Shirahoshi on the other end immediately broke into an incredibly happy smile.

Her hand kept fumbling with the token of affection Tatsuya had given her.

That pink gemstone she now cherished and kept in the valley of her chest.

As the two tenderly bid each other goodnight, the faint light emitted by the conch gradually dimmed in the pond, finally returning to calm.

Meanwhile, in the Ryugu Palace on Fish-Man Island, ten thousand meters below the sea.

The massive Princess Shirahoshi was lying on her soft, wide shell bed.

Her beautiful pink fish tail swayed gently in the air, and her hands propped up her exquisite chin as she gazed quietly at the now-dull conch in her hand.

However, the sweet smile on her face gradually vanished in the silence following the call.

In its place was a deep sense of worry and attachment.

Thinking about how Tatsuya always had to face so many dangerous enemies and go through those bloody battles in the outside world.

A flicker of dark light quietly passed through Shirahoshi's originally clear and flawless eyes.

She sighed softly and murmured in a low tone:

"The outside world... is truly too dangerous."

"If Tatsuya-sama is always getting hurt... maybe I should just ask my Sea King friends to bring Tatsuya-sama back."

"It would be better to hide him forever and ever in this deep sea where no one can find him..."

"That way, he can be with Shirahoshi forever and never be hurt again."

"When we are together forever... we can have several cute children..."

"What should we name a boy, and what should a girl's name be..."

Lost in her sweet fantasies, a strange glow appeared in the depths of Shirahoshi's eyes.

On that pure and beautiful face, the corners of her mouth slowly curled into a breathtakingly beautiful yet eerie arc.

Back in the garden of Dressrosa, Tatsuya, having put away the conch, naturally had no idea what 'dangerous' plan the beauty in the deep sea was plotting.

He returned to the outer corner of the banquet.

Near a ruin far from the clamor of the bonfire, the firelight cast long shadows here.

Robin was sitting on the rubble in an elegant posture, a thick notebook in her hand, her expression focused.

Opposite her sat Elder Gancho of the Tontatta Tribe, with his long beard.

The elder was waving his short arms, vividly telling Robin about the secret history of Dressrosa over the past eight hundred years and the ancient legends passed down through generations of the Tontatta Tribe.

Robin was completely absorbed, her fountain pen making a'shasha' scratching sound on the paper.

She would occasionally stop her pen to ask a few questions.

And as the Navigator, Nami was currently propping up her chin with both hands, sitting boredly beside Robin.

Her large, lively eyes darted around in the night.

Although she wasn't very interested in that dry history, she still pricked up her ears and listened with great curiosity.

She was trying to keenly catch any clues about'secret treasures' from the elder's vague and misty words.

Just then, from the corner of her eye, Nami caught sight of Tatsuya walking slowly over from the darkness.

Seeing this guy, Nami immediately pouted her rosy little lips.

She complained unceremoniously, "Honestly, where did you run off to just now?

"Everyone is celebrating, yet you're always pulling a disappearing act alone."

Although her tone carried reproach, anyone could hear the thick layer of coquettishness mixed within.

Tatsuya walked closer, looking at Nami's puffed-up appearance.

He didn't speak to refute her complaint; he just smiled slightly.

Tatsuya walked straight to Nami's side and lay down on the flat patch of grass, naturally resting his head on Nami's firm, straight, and elastic thighs.

Feeling the sudden heavy weight on her legs and the warm body temperature belonging to a man.

The words Nami wanted to continue lecturing with were suddenly stuck in her throat.

She looked down at the man resting on her lap; that cold face appeared exceptionally relaxed at this moment.

The resentment in Nami's heart vanished in an instant.

She gave a light sigh and reached out her slender fingers, gently stroking Tatsuya's slightly messy black hair.

Robin, sitting nearby, stopped her pen at the right time.

She looked up, watching this warm scene, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes.

In the night where the distant clamor shook the heavens, this secluded corner belonging only to the few of them was permeated with an intoxicating silence and tenderness.

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