One Piece: Bai Ye Deputy Captain of the Straw Hats

Translator: PapaSmurf0700

Usopp, stepping onto the deck just out of his room, looked around at the crowded space in confusion. "Chopper, wasn't the plan for Luffy and the others to defeat Moria and help Brook reclaim his shadow? Why are they back so soon?"

Chopper, equally puzzled, could only shake his head in response, having no answers to offer.

Amid the uncertain murmurs, a voice rose, aiming to cut through the tension. Lola, ignoring Luffy and Bai Ye, addressed all the other men on deck with a booming shout: "Hey! Please marry me!!!"

Her declaration only intensified the awkwardness on deck.

The responses she received were unsurprisingly uniform, adding another layer of tension.

This prompted an amused reaction from the Rolling Pirates. "The Captain has tried and failed to propose again—this time it's..."

The elderly man among them, nursing his injuries, pointed at the men and started counting, "One, two, three…" He paused, then announced, "She was rejected by six men at once! A new record for her!"

Brook looked on, bewildered by the commotion.

After the short chat, everyone was guided to the banquet hall on the fifth floor of the Sunshine Merry. This was the first time the hall had seen so many guests, sparking excitement in Luffy.

Sanji was put to work, tasked with preparing both the banquet feast and the special pasta.

Meanwhile, Nami and the others were briefed on the full story behind the recent events.

Upon discovering that Dr. Hogback created zombies for Moria, Chopper, who had once admired him, was torn: "Doctor Hogback... is he really that kind of person?"

Usopp, meanwhile, couldn't hide his amazement at Sanji's decision: "Sanji actually gave up the invisibility fruit? Hahahaha, that's really a big surprise." Knowing Sanji's usual antics, Usopp was well aware of how much Sanji had coveted such abilities.

Franky and Merry were captivated by Brook's recounting of the duel between Zoro and the centuries-old samurai, Ryuma. "Aww! A duel between samurais who is few hundred years old, it's awesome! SU.PER," Franky exclaimed, visibly moved by the story, tears streaming down his face despite his cyborg transformation.

Merry chimed in, "Merry thinks it's great too!"

Robin reflected on the complexities of their alliances: "I never thought that one of the Warlords of the Sea, who works with the Navy to maintain peace, would be a cadre of the Revolutionary Army." She added thoughtfully, "And the chief of staff of the Revolutionary Army is still so young."

Sabo, calm as ever, responded, "It's just the trust of the leader and everyone else in me. You, Miss Robin, were always the target of the Revolutionary Army. One of the reasons I came here this time is for Miss Robin."

Robin, ever enigmatic, simply remarked with a hint of amusement, "Haha, interesting."

On the other side, Nami, watching Sabo converse with Robin, turned to Bai Ye with curiosity. "Hey, Bai Ye, what exactly is that so-called revolutionary army? Is it very powerful?"

"The Revolutionary Army?" Bai Ye replied, "They are a group whose goal is to overthrow the rule of the World Government. They are certainly powerful, but compared to the World Government or the Navy, they are a bit inferior."

Nami looked at Sabo, who carried himself with the grace of a noble, and couldn't help but compare him to Luffy: "Is that so? But why do Luffy's brothers seem to be more reliable than Luffy?"

Bai Ye nodded in agreement with Nami's observation, acknowledging the irony in her statement.

Preparing the feast took Sanji a bit longer than usual, but he managed to get everything ready in time for the party. Sabo eyed the pasta in front of him, a trace of nervousness flickering across his face.

"Don't worry about the taste," Sanji reassured him, sensing his apprehension. He paused, a shadow of concern briefly crossing his face, but he added, "Although it might be a little awkward, the effect will definitely be there."

"Alright, I'll start then," Sabo decided, encouraged by Sanji's words. He took a bite of the pasta.

However, as soon as he did, Sabo sensed that something was amiss. The world around him began to shift dramatically. Sanji and Robin, who were nearby, seemed to rush toward him, and then everything vanished in the blink of an eye.

Sabo found himself in a stark white space, overwhelmed by a blinding light that made it hard to see. A voice suddenly filled his ears. As he instinctively opened his eyes, the surroundings morphed into something both familiar and foreign.

He was in a clearing in the woods, facing a chopped wooden stake with three small bowls set upon it.

At that moment, a young, angry face abruptly appeared before Sabo: "Hey Sabo! What are you doing?!" "Hey! Sabo! Can you hear me?"

Sabo puzzled, thought, "A child?"

In front of him stood a little boy, his face adorned with Band-Aids and a noticeable scar under his left eye. Sabo instinctively called out, "Luffy?"

Luffy retracted his stretched neck and responded, "Really? What's going on with you, Sabo? Ace just snuck a bottle from Dadan for us."

Ace?

Sabo's gaze drifted, and he noticed another child approaching. This one wore an orange vest, had black hair, and freckles dusted her cheeks.

[Another child? Yeah, I think I am one too.]

The boy walked towards them with a bottle of wine in his hands.

Boom!

Ace set the bottle down on the tree stump and chided, "Don't talk about Sabo, Luffy. You're usually the most unreliable one here."

Luffy protested, "Ah! I didn't!!!"

Ace laughed, "Hahaha, you still won't admit it?"

Luffy exclaimed, "That's too mean, Ace!!!"

As their playful argument wound down, Ace uncorked the bottle and began pouring wine into the small bowls on the stump. "Well, you know what? After drinking this sworn brotherhood wine, we're brothers."

"Brother! Really?" Luffy's face lit up with hopeful excitement.

Sabo thought, "Brother??"

Though Sabo harbored doubts, he unconsciously found himself smiling.

"Well," Ace continued, "when we become pirates, we might not all sail together."

"Then let's keep our bond strong through brotherhood," Ace proposed, lifting his wine bowl and looking at Luffy and Sabo beside him. "From now on, no matter where you are, no matter what you do, this bond will never break!"

Excited, Luffy raised his bowl, and Sabo noticed he too held a wine bowl in his hand.

The three of them exchanged looks and raised their glasses high.

Ace added, "From today on we are—"

"Brothers!!!"

The sound of the three wine bowls clinking together echoed as the transparent wine arched into the air, catching the sunlight and scattering beams through the droplets. Overwhelmed, Sabo closed his eyes, and unexpectedly, tears began to stream down his face like a dam had burst.

Overcome by his memories, Sabo fell to his knees, covering his face as he cried out in confusion and pain: "What!? Why is this happening?"

He realized then, "I've always had two brothers."

Luffy, puzzled, looked at him, "Sabo?! Why are you crying?"

"Bai Ye, what's happening? Why is Sabo upset?" Luffy asked, concerned.

"It's okay, Luffy," Bai Ye reassured. "Crying means it worked."

Luffy, still a bit confused, remarked, "Is that so? I thought maybe Sanji's pasta was just really bad."

Sanji, indignant, snapped back, "Hey! How dare you think that!"

"But, Bai Ye, Sabo..." Luffy began, only to be interrupted.

In that moment, Sabo suddenly rose and embraced Luffy tightly. "Sabo…" Luffy said, still confused.

Through his sobs, Sabo managed to say, "The bond between brothers can never be severed. Long time no see, Luffy."

Sabo's emotions peaked, and he wept openly, "I've made you worry all these years. I'm so sorry, brother!"

"Sabo..." Luffy responded, his own voice soft. Feeling Sabo's tears on him, Luffy smiled with relief and wrapped his arms around his brother, holding him close. "It's great that you didn't die, Sabo."

Just then, the air filled with the gentle, beautiful strains of violin music. Across the banquet hall in the concert area, Brook was playing elegantly. Even without eyes, tears streamed down his face.

Music transcends language, yet it expresses everything.

At that moment, everyone in the hall fell silent, choosing not to disturb the poignant reunion unfolding before them.

After a moment, Sabo bowed deeply to everyone in the Straw Hat Pirates, expressing his gratitude: "My brother has been well cared for by all of you, and for that, I am truly thankful!"

Chopper, tilting his head in thought, remarked, "Hmm, why does this feel so familiar?"

Usopp chimed in, "Don't you remember, Chopper? Luffy's other brother, Ace, said something similar back in Alabasta."

"Maybe it's because they're brothers? They tend to do the same things?" suggested Sanji.

Zoro added, "It's probably because they both know how unreliable their brother can be."

"What? Sabo, how can you say the same thing as Ace?" Luffy, picking his nose, showed his displeasure. "Bai Ye told me I'm very reliable."

Bai Ye quickly corrected, "I never said that, don't put words in my mouth!"

Sabo, turning serious again, said to Luffy, "By the way, Luffy, I have some news about Ace." Noting Luffy's discontent, he continued with a grave tone, "According to intelligence from Mr. Kuma, Ace was captured by Blackbeard Teach a few days ago and handed over to the Navy."

"And the Navy has made an important decision recently."

"Based on the timing, the official announcement should be today."

-----

On an island nestled in the Grand Line, a lavish palace stood majestically. Inside this grand abode, in one of its many rooms, a petite elderly woman was seated comfortably on a sofa. Beside her, a not particularly bright-looking blue-purple snake coiled quietly.

"It's odd. News Coo usually doesn't venture into the Calm Belt," the old woman mused, picking up a newspaper that had just been delivered. She expressed her confusion aloud as she unfolded the paper.

However, the moment she glanced at the headline on the front page, she leapt to her feet. "Is that so? That explains why the World Government is rallying all the Seven Warlords of the Sea," she realized, a sense of urgency washing over her.

"We need to inform Boa Hancock about this immediately," she decided. "War is definitely on the horizon!"

With those words, the old woman hastened out of the room, driven by the gravity of the news.

-----

"Fufufufufu~"

Within the walls of Dressrosa's palace, a figure cackled with glee. "Those fools actually made such a decision? It's really—" he paused, throwing his arms wide with reckless abandon, "—so delightful!!!"

Doflamingo bellowed, "This world should be destroyed as soon as possible, hahahahahaha!"

-----

"Shanks, have you made your decision?"

Aboard the Red Force, Benn Beckman observed Shanks, whose expression was somber. After a moment, Shanks set aside the newspaper, nodded, and declared, "Now is not the time for the world to fall into chaos. The sea still needs to maintain balance for a while."

"Hehehe, so, are we finally going to war with the Emperors of the Sea this time?" Lucky Roux chuckled, biting into a large ham with evident enjoyment. His expression made it clear that the prospect of war was somehow a cause for celebration.

"That's right. Before that moment comes, we must not disrupt the balance of the New World," Shanks affirmed. "In this situation, that madman will definitely choose to take action."

He stood, facing his crew, who had been through countless battles alongside him. "Everyone, get ready to set sail. Next up, it's going to be a tough battle!!!"

"Aye!!!" the crew responded in unison, their voices filled with determination.

-----

A tense atmosphere enveloped the Moby Dick, reminiscent of a similar situation years ago triggered by Blackbeard's betrayal and murder of Thatch. This time, the concern centered around Ace.

"Dad, the Navy is provoking us, but this is also... a trap," Marco, the 1st Division Commander, cautiously informed Whitebeard.

"Marco, what are you talking about?" Diamond Jozu interjected, his face clouded with anger. "Is this a trap? Are we not going to save Ace?"

"Jozu, calm down, that's not what Marco is suggesting," intervened Flower Blade Vista, putting a hand on Jozu's shoulder to ease his rising temper.

Marco, unfazed by Jozu's outburst, continued to address Whitebeard directly, his tone grave. "This is a trap set by the Navy against the Whitebeard Pirates."

Pausing for a moment, he then declared, "Let me go save Ace alone! Even if it costs me my life, I will bring Ace back!"