Night had fallen. Stars adorned the sky above Marineford, brilliant and captivating, as if joining the celebration. Tonight, Marineford was hosting a grand New Year's Eve party in Oris Plaza. The biting cold wind, typical of winter, fanned the blazing orange flames of the bonfire, causing them to sway erratically, radiating an inviting warmth.
The rather chilly temperature did not in the slightest dampen the spirits of the Marine soldiers. They sat at long tables laden with delicious food—ranging from roasted meats, grilled fish, to various fresh seafood—toasting each other and making merry, laughter and cheerful chatter filling the air. In the center of the plaza, on a makeshift stage, people continuously went up to perform songs, dances, magic tricks, and other entertainment programs, creating a truly lively atmosphere.
This bonfire party was actually specially prepared by Marineford for Marine soldiers whose families were not in Marineford and who could not return home to celebrate the New Year. Therefore, the number of participants was not large, only about three thousand fewer, creating a more intimate and warm atmosphere.
At one of the long tables filled with Marine Academy Students, the clinking of glasses, laughter, and cheerful banter filled the air. At the end of the long table, Sephiroth held a knife and fork, concentrating on the steak in front of him, savoring each bite as if nothing else mattered. Across from him sat Maynard, and beside him was the usually gloomy Smoker, who tonight looked a little more relaxed.
Zephyr, with a cigar dangling from his mouth and dark glasses covering his eyes, walked to the long table where the Marine Academy Students sat. His expression was cheerful, his hands behind his back. He stopped right next to Sephiroth, and said in a loud, spirited voice to his students: "Hahaha! Tonight is New Year's Eve! You naughty brats should have fun and make merry tonight! You are my students, and I've been thinking about it. I must give you a New Year's gift..."
Suddenly!
Silence instantly fell!
Gulp!
When Zephyr uttered the word 'gift,' the smiles on the faces of the Marine Academy Students immediately froze. Their hearts inexplicably plummeted, and many looked anxious, swallowing the food in their mouths with difficulty. This old man always finds different ways to torture us in class, they thought, Who knows if this time he'll make us undergo temporary additional training on New Year's Eve? A bad premonition flashed through their minds.
"My favorite drink is Sherry. Although it's not expensive, it's a token of my appreciation. I'll give each of you a bottle as a New Year's Eve gift!" Zephyr said, grinning. As Zephyr spoke, he waved a hand behind his back. The next moment, Shuzo pushed a cart containing more than ten crates of Sherry to the side of the long table, its wheels creaking slightly.
Phew!
Seeing this, all the Marine Academy Students let out a sigh of relief and let their hearts return to their stomachs, relief washing over them. The atmosphere at the long table instantly became lively again. Some who were already a bit drunk even began to pull Zephyr to drink with them, and he did not refuse, instead happily drinking with them, enjoying the camaraderie.
Sephiroth reached out and took a Sherry brought by Shuzo, then poured a third of it into a wine glass. He slowly swirled the pale golden liquid in the glass before bringing it to his lips and taking a small sip. The wine had a light fruity aroma, a complex taste, fresh, dry yet full-bodied, and bitter with a hint of saltiness. Overall, it didn't taste bad, but its quality was one or two levels below the bottle of red wine Kaji had served him some time ago, which cost 500,000 Berries—bringing back old memories.
After drinking a lot, Maynard, who sat across from Sephiroth, began to feel the effects of the alcohol. His face flushed, and his voice started to get loud.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Maynard raised his cattail-leaf-fan-like right hand, and repeatedly slammed the long table while shouting, "The most annoying fight I've ever had, from childhood until now, was the one on the Marine ship against Sephiroth... I'm not convinced! If only I hadn't underestimated you and hadn't been prepared back then, I definitely wouldn't have lost in one move!" He stared at Sephiroth with a challenging gaze. "Sephiroth, do you dare to compete with me again? This time... we'll arm wrestle! The loser has to finish this bottle!" As he spoke, Maynard placed an unopened bottle of tequila on the table between them with a loud "Bang!", attracting everyone's attention at the table.
"You're drunk! Don't make any more noise," Sephiroth said, looking speechless, slightly frustrated by the ruckus.
"Let's compete!" "Let's compete!" "Let's compete!"
Seeing the situation, the Marine Academy Students, who loved to watch excitement, immediately booed and cheered them on, the atmosphere growing even livelier.
The silver-haired youth looked around at the enthusiastic crowd, then looked at Maynard sitting across from him, his eyes meeting the challenging gaze. He could only sigh softly and nod, saying: "Alright! Let's compete!"
"Come on! Let's make it clear first, don't use Busoshoku Haki!" Maynard seemed to think of something and immediately added, his voice containing a slight hint of cunning.
"..."
Hearing this, the corner of Sephiroth's eye immediately twitched. He thought, This big, dark-faced man looks honest and trustworthy, but I didn't expect him to pull such a small trick! Without using Busoshoku Haki to enhance physical strength, based on height and body shape alone, Sephiroth was only 201 cm tall, while Maynard was 252 cm tall. His well-proportioned muscles, purely from a visual standpoint, could not compare to Maynard's muscular and bulging physique... This guy was clearly trying to trick him!
After moving the food, plates, and wine glasses on the long table to make enough space, the two placed their hands on the table, wrists interlocked, and began to exert force.
On the other side, on the makeshift stage, Momousagi, wearing a loose pink kimono, held a folding fan. Accompanied by soothing music, she moved her lotus-like steps and slowly walked onto the stage, where she began to perform a graceful and captivating dance, drawing the attention of most of the audience.
"Go!" "Go!" "Go!"
Amidst the excited shouts of the Marine Academy Students, Sephiroth and Maynard's arm wrestling match slowly entered a heated stage. Veins popped on their foreheads, and their teeth were tightly clenched, exerting all their strength. Even the entire long table began to shake slightly from the pressure they applied.
Suddenly!
Sephiroth looked surprised, raised his left hand pointing at the stage, and shouted loudly: "Look! Momousagi is having a wardrobe malfunction!"
Swish!Swish!Swish!
Hearing that, the Marine Academy Students subconsciously turned towards the stage, their eyes wide. Even Maynard, who was arm wrestling him, was no exception, his concentration instantly broken.
"Where's the malfunction?" "Is she not wearing underwear...?" ...
"Wah! What a shame!" came disappointed shouts from the crowd.
A bunch of perverts... Sephiroth grumbled inwardly, suppressing his satisfied smile.
After he shouted that, Momousagi, who was dancing on the stage, her face suddenly stiffened, and even her body movements became slightly unnatural, realizing the commotion she had caused.
The next moment.
While Maynard was off guard, Sephiroth suddenly exerted force with his wrist, and with a "Bang!" sound, he slammed his opponent's hand onto the table, ending the match in an instant.
At this moment, everyone finally reacted. It turned out Sephiroth had tricked them all!
Maynard slammed the table with his hand, making "Bang! Bang!" sounds again. He said angrily, "Wah! You cheated! I'm not convinced." His face was flushed crimson, not just from the alcohol but also from embarrassment.
"Nonsense! Momousagi really did have a wardrobe malfunction... you just didn't see it! Just because you didn't see it doesn't mean it didn't happen? Besides, who told you to turn and look?" Sephiroth put on a smug expression, a victorious smile etched on his lips, then slammed the bottle of tequila hard in front of Maynard, gesturing for him to immediately fulfill his promise.
Hearing this, Maynard gritted his teeth in anger, but he didn't renege on his bet. After uncorking the tequila bottle, he "Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!" poured the entire contents of the tequila bottle into his stomach, downing it in one breath. Immediately after, he let out a heavy burp and collapsed onto the table, his head lolling, mumbling indistinctly, "I'm not convinced... We'll compete again next time..."
Sephiroth, who had eaten and drunk his fill, stood from his chair after socializing briefly with the other Marine Academy Students. Humming cheerfully, he walked away from Oris Plaza and headed towards the Marine Academy dormitory, the night a small victory.
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