Chapter 24: Tribute for the Four Emperors?
The heated atmosphere of the banquet seemed somewhat distorted beneath the ever-growing mountain of empty plates piling up in front of Garp and Luffy.
The carnival music played on, and the dancers' skirts continued to twirl.
But everyone's movements carried a barely perceptible stiffness.
King Neptune held his wine glass suspended in mid-air, hesitating to set it down.
The three princes sat with their backs straight, bodies pulled taut like three full-drawn bowstrings.
The ministers whispered amongst themselves, daring not to make too much noise.
Their gazes would uncontrollably drift toward the two bottomless pits seated at the head table.
Burp.
Luffy let out a full belch and patted his round, distended belly with satisfaction.
Garp, meanwhile, was leisurely picking his teeth, having stripped the rib of a sea beast completely clean.
"Gone?"
Luffy's eyes swept over the now-empty long table, then cast a look toward the kitchen, his face filled with pure, unsatisfied longing.
"Just this much stuff isn't even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth."
Garp tossed the clean bone onto a plate, making a crisp clatter.
At the kitchen entrance, the Head Chef's legs gave out, and he nearly knelt on the floor.
Gone?
The entire Ryugu Palace's reserve of top-tier ingredients—enough to last ten years—had been wiped out in a single meal!
Just then, a commotion came from the direction of the kitchen.
Several cooks carefully wheeled out an enormous serving cart.
atop the cart was a mountain of pastries constructed from colorful candies, biscuits, and cream, exuding a sickly sweet aroma.
The mountain was so colossal that as the cart passed by, the coral lamps on both sides of the hall reflected a kaleidoscope of colors.
"Wow!"
Luffy's eyes instantly turned into two sparkling stars.
"There's still so much more!"
Garp raised an eyebrow, shifting his gaze from Luffy to the mountain of sweets.
"Those look decent. Bring me a serving."
Seeing this, the Head Chef nearly lost his soul from fright.
He lunged forward with a sudden burst of speed, spreading his arms to block the path of the cart, a look of tearful desperation on his face.
"Wait! Mr. Garp! Mr. Luffy!"
"Those... those are the tributes for the Four Emperors, Big Mom, due this month!"
His voice cracked, high-pitched and distorted by extreme terror.
"Big Mom?"
Luffy tilted his head, evidently having no concept of the name.
Garp acted as if he hadn't heard a thing.
His figure left an afterimage where he stood.
In the next second, he appeared right in front of the mountain of sweets.
He casually broke off a piece of a chocolate castle larger than his own head and popped it into his mouth.
Crunch.
"Mm, a bit too sweet."
"Wow! This is delicious!"
Luffy instantly followed suit, grabbing a handful of rainbow jelly beans and stuffing them into his mouth.
Ten minutes.
No, barely even ten minutes.
That work of art, which would have made any pastry chef proud, vanished under the dazed, terrified, and despairing gazes of everyone in the hall.
Even the last bit of cream on the cart was licked clean by Luffy.
Ryugu Palace fell into a deathly silence.
"It's over..."
The Minister of the Left rolled his eyes back and fell straight backward, fainting on the spot.
"Now... now it's really over..."
King Neptune slumped into his massive throne, his giant body trembling slightly.
Offending Garp might just mean Fish-Man Island would continue to exist in a different way.
But offending Big Mom, who would destroy an entire nation over sweets...
He didn't dare think any further.
"You... You two... do you have any idea what you've done?!"
Nami's scream finally tore through the dead silence.
She rushed in front of the grandfather and grandson, clutching her hair with both hands, looking like she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
"That was a tribute for one of the Four Emperors! The Four Emperors!"
"What's a Four Emperor? Can you eat it?"
Luffy licked his fingers and asked back with a face full of innocence.
"It was tasty! Grandpa, is there more tomorrow?"
"Should be. The taste was passable, after all."
Garp let out a burp and gave his review.
Nami was utterly in despair.
She could almost see Big Mom's hideous face and visualize the Thousand Sunny being blasted into splinters by cannonballs made of candy.
Just then.
WOO! WOO! WOO!
Ear-piercing alarms rang out through Ryugu Palace without warning.
"Report! Report to His Majesty!"
A guard scrambled into the hall, stumbling and crawling, his voice thick with sobbing.
"The Big Mom Pirates' tribute collection ship has entered the waters of Fish-Man Island!"
Before his words could land.
BOOM!
The thick walls of the Great Hall were blasted open by a massive force from the outside.
Two figures broke through the wall, wrapped in violent currents and killing intent.
One was a lion Mink wearing sunglasses and a black suit, his body wreathed in crackling electricity.
The other was an egg-shaped man with disproportionately long legs, wearing a top hat and leaning on a cane.
Combatant of the Big Mom Pirates, Pekoms.
And the Executive of the Charlotte Family, Baron Tamago.
"Neptune!"
Pekoms looked around, the eyes behind his sunglasses radiating a dangerous light.
His voice, like rolling thunder, exploded within the hall.
"Where are the sweets for this month?! Hand them over quickly!"
"Mama is getting impatient, gao!"
King Neptune's body shook violently. His lips trembled for a long time, but he couldn't squeeze out a single word.
He could only point a shaking finger in the direction of Garp and Luffy.
Pekoms and Baron Tamago looked in the direction he pointed.
They saw only a serving cart so empty and clean it could reflect light.
And two men who were currently picking their teeth.
"Jamais..."
Baron Tamago adjusted his top hat, completely dumbfounded.
"Where... are the sweets?"
Pekoms' body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Not from fear.
But from extreme rage.
A violent aura erupted from his body, causing the surrounding guards to lose their footing.
"The sweets! Did you eat them all?!"
His roar nearly lifted the roof off Ryugu Palace.
"Are you looking to die?!"
"Do you know what Mama will do if she doesn't get her sweets for this month?!"
"She will destroy this island! She'll sink every last one of you into the deep sea to feed the fish, gao!"
Luffy stood up and walked in front of the two.
He patted his stomach, his face serious.
"Me and Grandpa ate those sweets."
"Is there a problem?"
"You bastard!"
Pekoms' anger detonated at that moment.
He took a fierce step forward.
Electricity gathered frantically on his right fist, which was equipped with a clawed gauntlet.
"Then pay for it with your life! Straw Hat!"
He recognized Luffy.
But right now, all he wanted to do was tear this reckless brat into pieces.
However, just one second before his fist could fly...
His movements froze.
His line of sight passed over Luffy and landed on the old man sitting behind him—legs crossed, leisurely picking his teeth.
That seemingly harmless old man next door, wearing a floral shirt and beach shorts.
The anger on Pekoms' face solidified.
His sunglasses slowly slid down the bridge of his nose.
His lion pupils instantly contracted to the size of dangerous pinpricks.
The violent aura surrounding him deflated in an instant, like a popped balloon.
"Ga... Ga..."
His lips quivered, his throat producing meaningless syllables.
Beside him, Baron Tamago's long legs, his pride and joy were currently shaking at a bizarre frequency.
"Mon... Monkey D. Garp!"
(To be Continued)