Dream:
*Cough… I let my guard down.*
The air trembled as a man in a white suit suddenly appeared in front of a towering, ancient-style building. The sound of his landing immediately startled a group of shadowy figures inside, who rushed out in alarm.
"Supreme Commander? What happened to you…?"
"This is impossible! Who in this world could possibly harm you?!"
Hearing their shocked and furious words, the man in the white suit simply waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't panic. I was just slightly outmatched this time. I'll recover and then go back to show her the true power of— *cough cough cough*…"
But despite his calm tone, the bright red blood staining his pristine sleeve told a different story—he was badly injured.
Before anyone could say another word, he raised a hand, stopping them. With a flick of his wrist, a book appeared in his hand, which he then handed to one of the figures before him.
"Take this and my ship to the base in Wano Country. Leave immediately. Unless I give you further orders, stay there and don't come back."
"Supreme Commander?!"
Hearing what sounded like a final request, the surrounding figures grew restless. But the man in the white suit remained unmoved.
"Protect them, along with the title and techniques I've passed down. Remember them well and pass them on. I'll return to claim them… but first, I need to settle things with her."
As he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his figure slowly began to dissolve into streaks of light, as if activating some kind of teleportation ability.
"Commander! When will you—"
Just before he completely vanished, for the first time, there was hesitation in his firm voice.
"Maybe soon,"
"Or… maybe 800 years from now."
"We will wait for you! No matter how long it takes—generation after generation—"
*Shhh—*
The world spun. Everything became a blur.
The sky cracked with thunder, mountains flipped, rivers reversed, the earth itself shattered—until only a pair of cold, indifferent eyes remained.
"Face reality. It's time to wake up from this foolish dream. You and he have lost—lost to the very people you trusted."
A shimmering gown spread across the floor, a towering crown resting above a gentle voice.
"Come now. We can rule this world together."
No.
We haven't lost yet.(End of Chapter)
Next time...
————
When he opened his eyes, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
"You're awake?"
"Nami, the way you said that sounds kind of creepy."
?
Ignoring Nami's confused expression, Roman sat up and glanced around the room. There were two other beds nearby, both empty now. That meant—
"Luffy and Ace? They've already recovered?"
"Yeah. Luffy's stuffing his face like usual, and as for Ace… he's probably got a headache. Actually, pretty soon, *you'll* be the one with a headache."
"…Because of how the spoils will be divided?"
The *Straw Hat Crew* had always fought and adventured without worrying about rewards. After all, with Roman's deep pockets, money was never an issue. But things weren't so simple for the *Whitebeard Pirates.* As the captain of a crew with thousands of members, Ace was surely struggling to figure out how to fairly divide the spoils from their victory.
"That's a minor issue. Not even worth wasting time on."
They had made it through a fight against Kaido—what else was there to worry about?
Roman pulled off his blanket and got out of bed. Just as he was going through his usual stretches to loosen up his muscles, a loud commotion rumbled closer and closer.
"Hehehe~~ Roman!!"
Luffy burst into the room, carrying several giant slabs of roasted meat. Without hesitation, he shoved one—about the size of a millstone—right into Roman's face.
"You took too long to wake up! You need to eat more meat!"
"Move, move!"
An annoyed voice called from behind.
"Giving roasted meat to someone who just woke up sick—cough, I mean, to *Roman*—do you think everyone has a rubber stomach like you?"
Sanji handed a specially made recovery meal to Nami. For once, he wasn't smoking.
"This is a 'recovery energy dish' I learned on *Kamabakka Island.* It'll help the body heal naturally and quickly."
"Huh? Why don't *I* get one?"
Luffy looked shocked, but Sanji didn't even bother glancing at him.
"Just eat your meat."
"Hmph, making a big deal out of nothing. It was just a little injury. I *knew* Roman would be fine."
Zoro stood leaning against the doorway, arms crossed. He might've acted nonchalant, but the fact that he had come straight here showed that he wasn't as relaxed as he pretended to be.
"Was my condition really that bad?"
As Roman spoke, Luffy chomped down on a huge piece of meat, his mouth stretching unnaturally wide.
"Chopper said you actually recovered faster than me and Ace. But for some reason—maybe you used your powers too much, or maybe your brain got hurt—you just wouldn't wake up. You scared everyone to death~~"
For once, Luffy actually remembered a long explanation. After all, back then, Chopper had been so panicked that he practically shouted, *"I can't treat this! He's as good as dead! I'm out!"* His words had sent the whole crew into a tearful meltdown.
?! "That's impossible—"
Roman closed his eyes, carefully sensing his condition. He even scanned himself up and down with Observation Haki. Then, puzzled, he looked over at the little reindeer doctor who had just arrived.
If he didn't trust Chopper's medical skills completely, he might've blurted out *"What kind of quack doctor are you?!"* Because—
"Roman's body…"
After thoroughly checking him over, Chopper had to admit the truth.
"You're *completely* healthy. Actually, you're *too* healthy! All your stats are even better than before! But—"
Even the world's best doctor couldn't do anything about one thing.
"Could it be something wrong with your *soul*...? Damn it! I have no clue at all! What kind of doctor am I?!"
As Chopper blamed himself, looking like he was about to cry, Roman calmly reached out and patted his hat.
"Don't worry, I feel completely fine. Maybe that blackout earlier was just a reaction to all the built-up pressure. After all, our opponent was *Kaido of the Four Emperors*."
"Roman, on the other hand, isn't as tough."
Usopp pointed at himself with his thumb. "Not like me! I'm negative all the time, so I never have to worry about mental pressure!"
Uh… yeah, no, that's not something I can learn.
Usopp's nerves had even been tested by real negative ghosts. Roman knew he didn't have that kind of special talent.
"As long as you're okay."
"That's a relief~"
Robin, Franky, Jinbe, and Brook—some of the older crew members—smiled with relief. If Roman had suddenly collapsed, they couldn't even imagine what the *Straw Hat Crew* would be like moving forward.
"Alright, alright~~"
Nami clapped her hands and stood up. "Since Roman is fine, then—"
"Time for a party!!!"
"That's right, let's—wait, no! Shouldn't we think about *Wano* first?"
Roman rolled his eyes, almost getting swept up in Luffy's energy. Wano wasn't just any place—what happened here would decide whether the *Whitebeard Pirates* could reclaim their status as one of the Four Emperors.
And if Ace became one of the Four Emperors, it would no doubt be Luffy's greatest support in his journey to become Pirate King…
*Smack!*
"Hahaha, PARTY~~~!!"
Roman let out a helpless sigh as Luffy grabbed him by the collar and dragged him off like a kite in the wind.
Fine. A party it is.
The battle was over, and nothing unexpected was going to happen.
Though… wasn't he forgetting something?
*Zing~ zing~~ zing~~~*
*Boom boom boom! Boom boom boom~~!*
With the crisp sound of a shamisen and the steady rhythm of drums, the maids pushed open the grand doors of the castle for the *Straw Hat Crew*.
Cherry blossoms drifted through the air, while below, a massive crowd of *Wano's* citizens filled the streets.
The moment the *Straw Hat Crew* appeared, the crowd erupted in cheers like a tidal wave. Some raised their fists and shouted until their faces turned red, others clapped wildly, and many called out praises—there wasn't a single person standing still.
The voices of tens of thousands of people merged into a deafening roar, echoing across the Flower Capital. The sound carried so far that it reached the towering mountains beyond the city, where it continued to roll like thunder.
"Luffy, our captain!!"
"Zoro, the great swordsman—!"
"And Roman, the *Ming King*~~!!"
…??
"When did I get a title like *Ming King*? And wait—"
Wasn't that one of *Kaido's* titles?
"Of course! It was after you held back Onigashima—if it weren't for you, Roman, the Flower Capital would have suffeRed the Aloofless casualties."
Yamato, dressed in a light summer outfit, approached with her spiked club resting on her shoulder. Beside her stood Hiyori, dressed in full ceremonial armor, while on the other side was Ace, leading the captains of the *Whitebeard Pirates*.
"Hahaha, little Roman! You're looking weak~"
Blamenco, covered in bandages and with one arm in a sling, waved at him with his free hand.
"Since you were the last one to wake up, you owe us three drinks right off the bat—!"
"…Huh?"
Feeling the intense stares from the Straw Hat crew behind Roman, a chubby man in overalls—captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' 6th division and a user of the Bag-Bag Fruit—scratched the pouch on his neck, wondering if he had said something wrong.
Ace had already stepped forward. "Since Roman is awake, it's time we discuss the important stuff."
The "we" referred to Ace representing the Whitebeard Pirates, Kozuki Hiyori for Wano Country, Yamato for the remnants of the Beasts Pirates, and Roman for the Straw Hat crew.
Normally, Luffy, as the captain, would handle dividing up interests, but—
"Ugh, too much hassle. Roman, you handle it."
"Alright."
Roman nodded. It was already the third day after the battle, which meant it was the day of the shogun's coronation in Wano Country. There were things that had to be settled now—otherwise, former allies could turn against each other, and that would be a mess.
After all, nothing stirs up trouble like wealth and resources!
Even if the leaders were noble and selfless, their subordinates still had families to feed and daily needs to take care of.
"Alright, let's settle this quickly in a few words—then it's time to party!"
Dividing up benefits was something others found hard to talk about, but for Roman, it was no big deal. After all, politics was about finding common ground despite differences. With his position, strength, and resources, he was confident he could smooth over any conflicts.
Besides, the people involved weren't the type to haggle over every little thing. Coming up with a plan that satisfied everyone wouldn't be too difficult.
(End of chapter)
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