【One Piece】Dawn in the Darkness

Chapter 467 Farewell

"It's okay, I'm very happy!" Hancock covered her face, her cheeks flushed. "So, does that mean my brother agrees to my marriage with Luffy?"

“Absolutely not!” the three shouted angrily.

Hancock was completely oblivious to her three brothers' rejections; she was lost in her own fantasy, believing she had received the blessings of Luffy's three brothers.

"Is she really alright?" Lucci couldn't help but quip, looking at the dreamy expression on Hancock's face.

"What exactly is she here for?" Ace asked impatiently.

Sabo twitched his lips, looking at Hancock whose thoughts seemed to have drifted a thousand miles away. "It's a bit impolite, but let's just go."

"Luffy, I've prepared lots of food for you!" Hancock quickly snapped out of her daze and waved to the warriors behind her. "Quick, bring the food!"

The Nine Serpent Warriors laid down their weapons and obeyed their leader's orders. Then, they surged out, each carrying a tray or bowl filled with food. Soon, a mountain of food appeared, including meat, fruit, and desserts. Each plate was carefully arranged, a beautiful sight to behold.

"Huh?" Ace blinked and looked at the two equally confused brothers.

Luffy pounced on the food the moment it was brought out and is now sitting under a mountain of food, enjoying it immensely.

"Luffy, I've prepared lots of meat for you." Hancock said happily, her face flushed, to Luffy, who was stuffing meat into his mouth. "Luffy, I... I'll... bring you food from Amazon Lily every day from now on!"

"Hey, really, Hancock!" Luffy immediately perked up. "Then I want that specialty called Gorgon, it's really delicious!"

"No...no problem!" Hancock replied shyly, blushing, while touching the tree with her fingers from a distance. "I'll bring you as much as you want, no matter how much! And that was the tenth time you called my name...is this...is this an engagement?!"

"No way!!" Lucci, Ace, and Sabo shouted angrily at Hancock.

"What's wrong with that woman?" Lu Qi rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

"I knew she was a self-absorbed freak," Ace retorted, arms crossed.

Sabo covered his face speechlessly at Hancock's infatuated look at Luffy, and finally said, "As long as she doesn't affect Luffy, it's fine."

“Luffy won’t be affected by her.” Lucci shook his head with amusement as he watched Luffy completely absorbed in his food.

"I really don't like the way she looks at Luffy," Ace complained.

"Hey, I think you guys should eat with Luffy too, you're his brothers." Hancock turned around and said to them with a big smile, "Don't be shy, eat whatever you want... Rayleigh, what are you doing here?"

“Rayle?” Lucci immediately turned to look at Rayleigh. “Master, what brings you here too?”

“You’ve made quite a commotion here,” Rayleigh said with a smile, taking a sip of his drink. He then greeted Hancock, “Long time no see, Hancock. But spoiling him like this will give me a lot of trouble.”

"What does it have to do with anything?" Hancock's eyes sparkled with hearts. "I provided Luffy with food every day during his training."

"Women are strictly forbidden from entering or leaving the island during Luffy's training," Rayleigh said seriously. "Besides, there's as much food as you can get here."

"What right do you have to decide this, Rayleigh?!" Hancock angrily rushed up to Rayleigh and pinched his nose.

Lucci and the others were already eating the food with Luffy, completely ignoring Rayleigh and Hancock's conversation.

"This is all for Luffy's own good!" Rayleigh said helplessly. "This is training."

"For Luffy's sake... I'll endure it." Hancock ran to the side and shyly covered her face. "But I will visit Luffy once a month to provide him with food and other necessities for his training over the next two years."

Hancock said shyly, then glared sternly at Rayleigh, who was about to refuse, "Don't refuse!"

Rayleigh, sweating profusely, looked at Hancock and realized that this was her final concession. In order to avoid being disturbed in the future, Rayleigh reluctantly agreed.

……

The four lay on the grassy cliff, listening quietly to the waves gently lapping against the shore. The salty sea breeze caressed their faces and softly ruffled their hair. No one spoke; a sense of peace filled the air between them, but they all knew that farewell was imminent.

Finally, Lu Qi opened his eyes, propped himself up with his hands, and gazed at the azure sky and sea, saying softly, "You're leaving."

“The dragon gave me a vacation, but I delayed it a bit too much.” Sabo lay on the grass, gazing gently at the azure sky with a smile on his face. “If I delay any longer, Kera might really want to kill me.”

Thinking of Kella's irritable nature, the four of them grinned.

“She won’t.” Ace sat up and looked at Sabo teasingly. “I think you can stay a little longer.”

“That’s right, Sabo can stay a little longer.” Luffy grinned and leaned on Ace’s shoulder.

“You know, this isn’t goodbye, nor is it the end.” Sabo sat up, looking intently at his three brothers, memorizing every detail on their faces.

After ten years of separation, he has long since become accustomed to having his brothers by his side and to the warmth of family again.

As he left again, a deep sense of melancholy welled up in his heart. He longed for more years spent together, for more warmth and companionship, for more time to explore the world, and for more hugs and heart-to-heart talks. But it was indeed time for him to leave. He knew his mission, which was also the responsibility of growing up.

“Yes.” Lucci gazed at the sea and smiled gently. “No matter how far apart we are, the bond between us will never be broken.”

“That’s right, we’ll see each other again soon.” Ace grinned and lightly punched Sabo’s shoulder. “Don’t forget our promise to come see Luffy every four months.”

"Of course!" Sabo smiled gently. Their bond was unbreakable, and it would only grow stronger even if they were separated by thousands of miles.

"What about you guys, Ace and Lucci? When are you leaving?" Luffy blinked and looked at his two older brothers.

"What, are you already urging your brothers to leave?" Lu Qi said deliberately in a hurt tone. "I'm so sad, Lu, you don't even want your brothers to stay with you a little longer."

Ace exaggeratedly clutched his chest. "That's right, are you in such a hurry to get rid of us? You little brat, I'm hurt."

Lucci shook his head with amusement at Ace's exaggerated performance, but seeing Luffy's complete belief, Lucci's smile grew brighter and brighter. His little brother was still so easily amused; it was truly adorable.

"No, that's not what I meant." Luffy quickly stretched out his arms and hugged his two brothers tightly, explaining, "I thought you were going to leave with Sabo!"