With the giant beast hunted by Ah Hua and his two companions, and the two large birds lured out by Brook and taken down by Alo, along with the bird eggs he produced, everyone gathered on the beach for a feast.
After all, they had been sailing for over a week since leaving Water Seven.
A week might mean the food was still the same, but how could frozen food compare to freshly hunted meals!
Especially with the golden eggs Brook had found.
Thus, this banquet offered everyone a rare moment of complete relaxation on the Grand Line.
With Brook's addition, his music, and his jokes, their party became truly complete, filled with more laughter than ever before.
After feasting and drinking their fill, Kong Tai brought out his piano, and he and Brook performed a duet of "Binks' Sake."
This cheerful music, mingled with their laughter, continued until the sun dipped below the horizon, the full moon rose in the east, and the sky filled with stars, illuminating the entire sea.
By then, everyone lay on the beach, admiring the brilliant starry sky for a while before gradually heading to the Sunny, to sleep.
That night, everyone fell asleep with smiles on their faces.
This feeling of having companions by his side made Brook's smile never fade, even as he drifted off to sleep.
He cherished this hard-won companionship immensely, and was grateful to heaven for being so kind to him, sending Kong Tai and his crew to him just as he was about to despair.
They had brought him news of Laboon and invited him aboard.
If he had resented fate before for giving him such a tragic life, all that resentment vanished the moment he stepped onto the Sunny.
At this moment, he felt like he was indeed favored by destiny, otherwise, why would he receive so many surprises in succession?
"Laboon, wait for me, wait for me to fulfill our promise."
"After I finish circling the Grand Line as promised, I'll slowly tell you about my journey."
"The first half was incredible, we visited all sorts of islands, went to Skypiea, and even met our end in the Thriller Bark. But I believe that with Mr. Kong Tai and the others, it will be just as exciting as before."
"No... it will be even more exciting."
"So!"
"Wait for me, just give me a little more time, and I will definitely return to meet you and fulfill our promise."
In his dreams, Brook saw Laboon again, and his former crewmates from the Rumbar Pirates. This time, he was no longer alone in his solitude; beside him were his new companions, Kong Tai and the others.
All of this made his old crewmates beam with genuine joy for him, and even in his sleep, a gentle smile graced his face.
"It's so good to be alive!"
He was grateful once again that he was still alive.
Only by being alive could he meet Kong Tai and his crew, set sail again, feel the greatness of life, cherish its beauty even more, and fulfill his promise to Laboon.
...
On the beach, only Kong Tai and Kuina remained.
Looking at the drowsy and utterly adorable Kuina, Kong Tai put his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.
"If you're sleepy, go to sleep. Why are you staying here with me!"
"Haa!"
Kuina nuzzled into Kong Tai's chest without a word, yawned, and slowly closed her eyes, her lips curving upwards in a smile that had not faded.
"You..."
Kong Tai looked at Kuina's flushed cheeks, illuminated by the bonfire, and smiled tenderly. Then, he relaxed his body, allowing Kuina to sleep more comfortably.
He, on the other hand, raised his head, gazing at the bright moon and the countless stars above, lost in thought.
Honestly, it had been a long time since he had felt so relaxed and happy.
With Brook's addition, their crew had indeed become more vibrant. The guy was a total riot; he had quickly become good friends with everyone on board not long after joining.
Moreover, he was not shy at all and his jokes were always well-measured.
After learning about Kuina's relationship with him, he never made lewd jokes at Kuina again, only doing so in front of Robin.
He had to admit, the man was indeed a seasoned individual who had lived alone in the mist for fifty years.
He knew how to maintain boundaries!
"Hmm!"
Just then, Kong Tai suddenly noticed that the moon in the sky had changed.
Being highly sensitive to spatial anomalies, he realized that this seemingly ordinary island had changed.
It felt as if it had become dangerous.
Looking at the full moon gradually being enveloped by a crimson hue, a cold glint flashed in Kong Tai's eyes.
He hadn't expected them to encounter someone who wasn't afraid of death here.
The Navy? The World Government?
Or pirates, or perhaps bounty hunters?
Swish swish swish!!
The silent island was suddenly filled with the sound of many things moving through the forest, rustling fallen leaves.
As if sensing something, Kuina, nestled in Kong Tai's arms, her eyelashes trembling, slowly opened her eyes.
A red glow flickered in her eyes before quickly vanishing.
With Kong Tai here, she didn't need to worry about their safety, but her sensitivity to danger was involuntary, which was why she had opened her eyes.
"Since you're awake, go sleep on the ship!"
Ignoring the changing full moon above and the rustling sounds from the forest, Kong Tai lowered his head and said gently to Kuina, "Don't catch a cold later, it won't be good. The temperature difference between day and night on the beach can be quite significant."
Kuina looked at Kong Tai, then at his eyes, which shone brighter than the starry sky, and smiled tenderly.
Then, she lifted her head from his embrace, sat up, and stretched her arms upwards.
She then turned to Kong Tai and said with a smile, "Alright! You should rest early too. We're setting off first thing in the morning."
Without waiting for Kong Tai's reply, she turned into a bolt of lightning and vanished from the spot.
Seeing Kuina leave, the gentleness in Kong Tai's azure eyes vanished, replaced by a coldness more profound than the dark beach, yet tinged with amusement.
He didn't intend to seek out the trouble. Since they had come looking for him, aiming for his head, they would reveal themselves without him having to find them.
He wondered if the person had been hiding on the island all along, or if they had arrived temporarily after spotting their ship.
Shaking his head, Kong Tai placed his left hand behind his head and leaned back, lying on the sand. He squinted at the increasingly red full moon and listened to the approaching rustling sounds, a chilling smile forming on his lips.
"Interesting, interesting. It turns out to be another Domain ability user."
He wasn't sure if he was lucky or not, but since setting sail, all the Devil Fruit users he had encountered seemed to be incredibly powerful.
They were all god-tier, and he still had three god-tier fruits in his dimensional bag that he hadn't used yet.
Besides the Door-Door Fruit and the Time-Time Fruit, which he planned to incorporate into items, the other fruits might just have to sit there and go bad.
And the person who had come this time, even though he hadn't met them yet, judging by their ability to create a domain that enveloped the entire island, their fruit ability couldn't be weak.