Enel's golden eyes narrowed as he looked at Perospero. "If you want us to attend your Tea Party, show some sincerity. Don't assume we're soft persimmons to squeeze at will."
Crocodile crossed his arms, sharing the same tense energy as Enel. Usually, the two bickered endlessly, but against outsiders, their unity was undeniable.
"Remember, you invited us, not the other way around. Adjust your perspective accordingly."
Perospero's gaze flicked between Enel on the deck and Crocodile and the others across from him. Every one of them held the same cold, unbending expression. Clearly, the BIG MOM Pirates were not a threat in their eyes, and that infuriated him.
In the New World, a Tea Party invitation from Mama was no small matter. Those chosen were powerful, respected, and often boasted about it. Such an invitation carried influence, protection, and opportunity.
Yet here, the Ion Pirates acted as if Big Mom were groveling for their attendance. Perospero's teeth nearly clenched in frustration. "What more sincerity do you need? I'm Mama's eldest son, and Cracker is here too. I don't understand why Katakuri suggested this."
Typically, Tea Party invitations came from his younger siblings; never had the eldest son and a Sweet Commander personally delivered one.
"Fine, we've received the invitation. Mission accomplished. Return to base," Crocodile said, arrogance evident in his crossed arms.
Perospero had never been humiliated like this. They were usually the ones striking fear, yet now, they had been stared down and dismissed. He glared at Kuro and the others, then turned away. "Let's go. We came to deliver invitations, not to fight."
Cracker protested, "But Nii-san, how can you endure this?"
Perospero quickly restrained him with candy, preventing any rash action. He was furious, yet the Rolan Pirates' power was undeniable. Observing them, he realized that any confrontation now would almost certainly end in defeat. As the eldest, responsibility for his siblings' lives forced him to retreat.
"Let's go. Our task was to deliver invitations, not engage in battle," he repeated, steering his crew away.
Enel yawned, indifferently returning to the Breaking Sky.
Kuro exhaled in relief. "Enel, you were too reckless."
Enel shrugged. "So what? They fled like frightened dogs. Case closed."
---
Rolan, oblivious to the skirmish in the New World, was wrapped in a quiet, gentle routine aboard the ship. Nine Serpent Island had been relocated to Sky Nation, and Hancock's duties kept her there longer than she liked. Being apart from Rolan made her long for constant proximity. Naturally, Rolan indulged her, giving her everything she desired.
Despite her weak legs and occasional awe at his size and endurance, Hancock felt happiness simply being near him.
Four days later, Rolan returned to the Blue Sea. Below, Pkong 1 sank slowly toward the seabed, mangrove roots twisting like giant fingers, sunlight filtering through in a surreal underwater display. Schools of fish swam between the roots, bubbles rising as the vegetation seemed to breathe.
"Rolan, are you sure it's safe to go without coating the ship? What if a sea monster attacks?" Lina asked, craning her head nervously from behind Nami.
She had never experienced this before. Traveling from the first half of the Grand Line to the New World typically required coating the ship with a protective resin and passing through Fish-Man Island, ten thousand meters deep. Most ships risked sea monsters; eighty percent were lost to the depths.
Yet Rolan had navigated past Sabaody Archipelago unimpeded, commanding the ship straight toward the seabed without any protective layer.
Rolan's lips curved faintly. "Don't worry. My ship is better than any coating. Even the strongest sea monster won't break through."
"R… really?" Lina peeked out, uncertain.
Robin, calm as ever, added dryly, "That's not guaranteed. If a truly powerful sea monster appears, we could still sink. Maybe we should write our wills… though they'd be useless if we die underwater."
Lina quickly hid behind Nami at Robin's words. "Robin… is that true?"
Nami patted her hand. "Lina, don't mind Robin. She's just being… Robin."
Rolan observed them with mild amusement. Robin remained dark-bellied, Lina timid, and Nami had become the voice of reassurance. Lina, though older than Nami, was far less courageous, forcing Nami to take an older-sister role aboard Rolan's ship.
Robin pointed behind Lina. "Look, a sea monster."
Nami exclaimed, "Robin, stop scaring her! Look at her—she's almost crying."
Lina forced two tears from her eyes, looking utterly pitiful.
"This time it's real," Robin said, her tone unchanged. "Look behind you if you don't believe me."
Slowly, Lina turned her head. A pair of crimson eyes, like glowing lanterns, approached through the water.
"Ah! N… Nami, there… it's really a sea monster!" Lina cried.
Nami's eyes widened. "Oh my god! It's real!"
Clinging to Rolan's arm, they both froze.
Rolan's gaze followed the eyes and recognized the creature immediately: the North Blue Kraken, Surume. In his previous life, this was the same beast that had dragged the Thousand Sunny after Luffy's battle.
Rolan lightly patted Nami's head, crimson light flaring in his eyes. Conqueror's Haki surged toward the Kraken.
Even using less than a third of his top-tier Haki, the sea monster reeled, eyes rolling as it sank into the depths.
"What a pity," Rolan murmured, stroking his chin. "A waste of a good towing tool."
Lina perked up. "Rolan, are you planning to cook it for lunch?"
Rolan shook his head. "No, just regretting the loss of such a convenient transport."
With that, he refocused on the ship and the log pose, leaving the Kraken behind. Darkness enveloped them, and nothing was visible.
As time passed, a faint light appeared ahead.
"Is that… Fish-Man Island?"
---