243 Another Wedding

"Brother Lynch, happy wedding! I didn't prepare much, so if you don't mind, I'll just gift you Gabban," Rayleigh said with a playful smile.

"Get out!" Gabban snapped, kicking Rayleigh sharply from behind.

The Roger Pirates had a dynamic that felt a lot like the Straw Hat Pirates—tight-knit bonds, constant banter, and the ability to argue like kids despite their age.

"Hahaha! Uncle Rayleigh, just your presence here is the best gift I could ask for," Lynch replied warmly. "But honestly, I'm surprised you came. Traveling all the way from Sabaody to the West Blue for a wedding? That doesn't sound like you at all," he added curiously.

Rayleigh chuckled. "You got me. I'm not exactly one to leave Sabaody unless necessary. I'd rather sell myself off if I ran out of money than take a long trip!"

Unlike Hawkeye, Rayleigh is a little old man who enjoys his retirement life. 

"But to be honest," Rayleigh continued, pulling Gabban forward and pointing at him, 

"I mainly came to see this old guy. By the way, I heard about your wedding, so I figured I'd stop by."

"Oh? So Uncle Gabban has been living in seclusion in the West Blue this whole time?" Lynch asked with a grin.

"Yeah, I thought you knew," Rayleigh said with a mischievous smile. He leaned in and whispered, 

"In fact, he's living not too far from here, little brother."

"Rayleigh, you old fool! Shut your mouth!" Gabban barked, quickly covering Rayleigh's mouth.

If Lynch learned where he lived, Gabban knew his peace and quiet would be gone for good.

"Hahaha," Rayleigh chuckled, removing Gabban's hand. "Relax, Gabban. I was just joking!"

"Happy wedding, Mr. Lynch," Marco greeted, impeccably dressed in a suit and tie. After handing over his congratulatory gift, Marco noticed Rayleigh and Gabban standing nearby.

"Mr. Rayleigh, Mr. Gabban, long time no see," Marco said respectfully.

"Hey, isn't this the little bird?" Gabban teased with a smirk.

"Marco, how's Whitebeard doing?" Rayleigh asked, reminiscing. "I remember playing with you when you were just a kid."

Marco's face darkened at the memory of being thoroughly humiliated by Rayleigh. 

Back then, when he was just 19, he sparred with Rayleigh for the first time. Rayleigh had effortlessly beaten him with just one finger, leaving him utterly crushed and in shock.

"Come on, come on. It's been a while; let's sit down and catch up properly," Rayleigh suggested.

"Brother Lynch, we'll leave you to it," Gabban added as he and Rayleigh each grabbed Marco by an arm, dragging him off like a pair of mischievous thugs.

Just then, Lynch noticed a figure staggering through the door. It was wrapped head-to-toe in bandages.

"Where'd this mummy come from?" Lynch muttered in confusion.

"Hey, you bastard Leiden! Go easy on me!" Moia groaned, wincing with every step. Wrapped in three layers of bandages inside and out, he looked like a walking disaster.

"Grandma, you've got plenty to do, so get going!" Enel said dismissively, handing Moria a golden walking stick. He then turned away, clearly uninterested in helping further.

Without Enel's support, Moria barely managed two steps before collapsing to the ground.

"You idiot!" Enel snapped in frustration, but despite his irritation, he reluctantly helped Moria back to his feet.

"What's going on with him?" Lynch asked as he walked over, looking at the pitiful state Moria was in.

Enel sighed, clearly exasperated. "This idiot ran into King and Quinn after beating Jack."

"King and Quinn?" Lynch raised an eyebrow, noticing that Moria's entire body was swollen to nearly twice its normal size. 

"Running into them shouldn't have ended this badly, right?"

"Exactly! That's why I say he deserves it," Enel said, shaking his head. 

"Instead of retreating, he thought he could actually beat them. And, well... you can see the result for yourself."

"Though he did manage to escape, he got beaten to a pulp in the process."

"Shut up already!" Moria groaned, his muffled voice tinged with embarrassment as his face reddened beneath the bandages. 

"How was I supposed to know those two would be so ridiculously strong?! I thought I had a chance!"

"I even told him I'd handle it for him later," Enel added, still fuming. "But no, he had to act on his own and get himself smashed up like this."

"You bastard Raiden, I have to settle this myself! If you're a good brother, stay out of it! Ouch— Perona, what are you doing?!" Moria yelped mid-sentence as Perona, floating behind him, poke him hard with her umbrella.

"Idiot!" Perona huffed, puffing her cheeks in frustration as she floated past Moria like a ghost.

As she passed Lynch, she turned her head slightly, her hamster-like expression brimming with annoyance. In a quiet but sharp tone, she muttered, "Big bad guy!"

Years ago, Lynch had scared her half to death and even ruined her favorite cake. Perona still hadn't forgiven him. 

'How dare he! Unforgivable!' she fumed internally, her pouty yet indignant demeanor making her look undeniably adorable.

"Poor thing," Lynch chuckled, shaking his head. 

"I'll get you a few drops of blood later. Go find a spot to sit down and stop causing a scene." He gestured toward the Sky Island duo for assistance.

Meanwhile, the stream of guests kept coming, adding to the festive atmosphere. The arrival of the five emperors of the underground world turned heads, bringing an air of intrigue and excitement to the event.

As for Stussy, her removal from the underground world due to her exposed identity remained a notable topic among the attendees.

If anyone wanted to dominate West Blue, they had to go through Lynch first. 

As a result, they all did their best to win his favor. Lynch, in turn, welcomed them warmly.

This group was a mix of personalities—neither entirely good nor entirely bad. Even the most notorious loan shark king had once funded a research institute aimed at developing methods to achieve world peace.

The institute's members included Quinn, Judge, Vegapunk, Caesar, and Stussy. However, among them, only Vegapunk genuinely pursued the goal of peace for humanity.

Despite differing motives, the institute made groundbreaking progress, eventually creating the famous "Bloodline Factor." 

This innovation drew the attention of the World Government, which deemed it a threat. As a result, the institute was disbanded and its members scattered.

Before anyone realized it, the auspicious time for the wedding had arrived, and the ceremony proceeded smoothly without any interruptions.

No one dares to stir up trouble in the current West Blue.

Colorful ribbons filled the sky, mingled with vibrant flowers that cascaded down like a shower of blessings.

Amidst the cheers of family and friends, three brides appeared in stunning white wedding dresses and gracefully walked down the red carpet.

That's right, three brides.

In addition to Reiju, there were Tsunade and Ino. Lynch had owed them a wedding, and today, he was finally making it right.

The three brides approached Lynch, their long, elegant legs adding to the charm of the moment.

The emcee stepped forward and began to read the ceremonial lines.

In the audience, Judge suddenly felt a pang of hesitation—a rare feeling for him. The last time he had felt this way was when his wife passed away.

"Tch, what a hassle," Ichiji muttered.

"Once our sister gets married, she won't be part of the Germa family anymore. Let's see who dares to boss us around after that," Yonji added with a smirk.

Both brothers, devoid of human emotions, felt no sentiment about their sister's wedding. Instead, they found it inconvenient. To them, holding a wedding was a pointless waste of time.

"The bride is so beautiful," Hilda said dreamily, munching on a drumstick with stars in her eyes like a lovestruck fan.

Loki, sitting nearby, smiled faintly and passed his chicken leg to his sister.

Fukaboshi, watching the ceremony, whispered to himself with genuine happiness, "I'm glad I didn't bring my little sister. She'd just end up sad again."

He thought his voice was soft enough, but it didn't escape the ears of those around him.

"What?! Mr. Lynch is having an affair with the mermaid princess?"

"Wait, how does the mermaid princess even have legs?"

"Yeah! Are you saying Mr. Lynch has something special going on with the Mermaid Princess?"

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TO BE CONTINUED

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