Facing the barrage of questions—or rather, pleas for answers—Lucian didn't rush to speak.
He shifted his gaze away from Rocks' face, which was etched with urgency.
Then, he slowly scanned everyone present.
Roger.
The curiosity in that man's eyes was second only to Rocks'.
Edward Newgate remained silent, simply watching him, his eyes hiding an indefinable scrutiny.
There were also the young Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, Gaban, Rayleigh, and the others.
Finally, after his gaze had swept over every person...
Under the collective stare of the crowd, he finally spoke. His voice wasn't loud, yet it reached every ear in the clearing.
"You can just think of me as a genius."
"A genius?"
Rocks roared back, his voice hoarse with agitation.
"The sea is never short of geniuses! I've seen too many of them!
But where the hell is there a genius like you?! Even a genius needs time to grow! At your age, even if you'd been training since you were in the womb, it's impossible to possess that... that god-like power!"
Rocks' reaction mirrored the inner thoughts of everyone there.
They had seen countless geniuses; they themselves were the geniuses among geniuses.
But no definition of "genius" could explain the existence of the man before them.
A man only twenty years old who could drive the King of the World into a panicked retreat.
This was no longer just "unreasonable."
Facing Rocks' roaring interrogation, the smile on Lucian's face deepened.
He didn't dwell on the question. Instead, he shifted the topic, speaking slowly in a more playful tone.
"This ocean is vast. There are far too many things you've never seen."
"And in the future, you'll discover that even greater geniuses will appear."
'Some of you sitting here might even get the chance to meet them!'
After saying this, Lucian instinctively glanced at Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, and even Rayleigh.
He paused for a few seconds, giving everyone time to digest his words.
The statement left everyone momentarily stunned.
Then, he delivered the line that would truly end the investigation.
"Besides."
"Everyone has secrets, don't they?"
The words were spoken softly.
In that instant, they slipped into the deepest locks within the hearts of every powerhouse present and turned gently.
*Click.*
That was the sound of a heart's lock opening.
Everyone has secrets, don't they?
This sentence was a magical key. At the same moment, it slotted into the deepest lock of every legendary figure present.
And then, it turned gently.
*Snap.*
The doors to their hearts swung open. Those secrets, sealed away by their strongest wills and deemed unspeakable, were left exposed by this plain statement.
What did Rocks think of?
Was it the will of Davy Jones buried in the deepest part of his bloodline, the ultimate ambition to overturn the world? Or perhaps a past that had forged his current personality?
What did Roger think of?
Was it the inheritance of the Straw Hat, the mission to listen to the Voice of All Things, or the lonely route he foresaw leading to the final island, Laugh Tale?
And what did Whitebeard think of?
His turbulent childhood, his almost obsessive longing for "family," or the heavy burdens of the past he carried on his shoulders?
Then there were Rayleigh, Kaido, and Charlotte Linlin.
Which one of them didn't carry a massive secret while sailing these seas?
These secrets were their motivation, their shackles, and the very reason they would become the future overlords of the ocean.
Lucian had skillfully used a single question to answer all questions.
He hadn't explained himself, yet he had made everyone understand him.
It was a far more sophisticated form of wisdom.
The entire area fell into a silence deeper than any that had come before.
This time, it wasn't because of shock.
It was because of resonance, because of understanding—a tacit agreement shared between the strong.
'So, we are all travelers on the same path.'
A few seconds later.
The dead silence was shattered by a suppressed laugh.
"Ze-hahahahaha!"
The sound came from Rocks.
He slapped his thigh hard, doubling over with laughter.
"Well said! Too well said! Ze-hahaha!"
He pointed at Lucian, laughing until he was out of breath.
"Everyone has secrets! Who gives a damn? Who cares where he comes from or what kind of monster he is!"
Rocks abruptly stopped laughing, grabbed a massive wine barrel half as tall as a man, and hoisted it high above his head.
Using every ounce of his strength, he announced loudly to everyone present and to the starry sky above:
"At the very least, for now, you are a friend of the Rocks Pirates! That's enough for me!"
"Forget it! Everyone, get back to the damn party!"
This roar was a command, but more so, a declaration.
He proactively terminated the topic that could have led anyone to dig further into Lucian's background.
This gesture represented his respect for Lucian's secrets.
More importantly, it showcased the vast magnanimity of a true hegemon, capable of embracing anyone.
He didn't care about Lucian's origins or his secrets.
He only cared that a man so powerful he was incomprehensible was, at this moment, his friend and not his enemy.
For Rocks D. Xebec, that was enough.
Following Rocks' declaration, the tension that had gripped everyone finally snapped.
Roger and Whitebeard looked at each other and smiled.
In each other's eyes, they saw the same sense of relief and appreciation.
All the previous scrutiny, shock, and confusion vanished completely in that moment.
In their place was the purest recognition and acceptance of a powerhouse of an equal, or perhaps even higher, level.
"Gurararara! Well said, Rocks!"
Whitebeard raised his massive sake bowl.
"To friends, cheers!"
Roger also grinned widely, showing his signature smile as he raised his glass.
"To friends, cheers! Hahahaha!"
"Cheers!"
"Ohhhhhhhh!"
The oppressive atmosphere was completely ignited, and the heat of the banquet became more intense than ever before.
The scrutiny vanished.
The wariness vanished.
They were replaced by pure passion and a heartfelt celebration.
The pirates clashed their glasses with more force, sang out-of-tune songs with rougher voices, and tore into giant pieces of roasted meat with more savage hunger.
At this moment, Lucian was no longer the mysterious and unpredictable "benefactor" who needed to be wary of.
He had become a "friend," truly accepted from the bottom of the hearts of the most untameable men in the world.
By the bonfire, the young Kaido watched the man who was being flanked by Rocks and Roger, who were constantly forcing drinks upon him.
In his fierce eyes, besides deep awe, there was a flicker of almost fanatical admiration that even he hadn't noticed.
He actually felt that this was what a true powerhouse should look like.
Powerful enough to make everyone shut up, and carefree enough to earn everyone's respect.
Under the night sky of Beehive Island, soaring bonfires illuminated faces filled with boisterous laughter.
The wildness of Rocks, the freedom of Roger, the grandeur of Whitebeard, the elegance of Rayleigh, and the composure of Lucian.
These names, which would one day shake the entire world, gathered together for one brief, unprecedented night.