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Chapter 188: Red-Hair, I Don't Mind Taking Your Other Arm!
🕑 Added 2025-09-13 13:44:30 +0000 UTCChapter 188: Red-Hair, I Don't Mind Taking Your Other Arm!
In the largest tavern in Blackstone City.
Under the dim night sky, the saloon doors were suddenly thrown open.
"Hey! Barkeep! Bring out every last bottle of grog you've got in the cellar! I'm treating some guests, and I mean every last bottle!"
With a booming laugh, Shanks strode confidently to the bar, slapping a thick wad of Belly down on the counter. The sound startled the owner and silenced the entire tavern, every head turning to the entrance.
"It's Captain Shanks! You and your crew were supposed to leave today, weren't you? What brings you back?" the owner asked, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and greed as he scooped up the money.
"Well..." Shanks scratched his head. "We ran into some important guests. We were going to have a party on the ship, but it's raining pretty hard, so we decided to come here instead..."
Important guests?
The pirates in the tavern exchanged confused glances. Who could possibly be important enough for a Yonko like Red-Haired Shanks to treat with such high regard?
Just then, the doors swung open again.
A gust of cold wind and rain swept into the room. A tall, slender figure dressed in black stepped inside. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead by the rain, but it couldn't hide the razor-sharp intensity in his eyes. He gave the room a calm, sweeping glance, and a dead silence fell over the tavern.
"Yo, Shane!" Shanks waved enthusiastically. "Over here, over here!"
Shane gave a slight nod and walked toward him. Behind him, the members of the Curtain Call Adventurers filed in, followed by the top officers of the Red-Hair Pirates.
Only when the room became a chaotic mix of bodies did the hushed whispers dare to start up again.
"It's really him... Shane, the World's Greatest Swordsman!"
"What the hell? How are these two together? And they actually look... friendly?"
"Are they planning to team up? To take down one of the other Yonko?"
"Is the New World... about to change forever?!"
That's how the world works. A single, casual action by a great power, a chance meeting, is noticed, magnified, and endlessly analyzed by those trying to decipher its meaning.
"Forget all that!" a more seasoned pirate warned in a low voice. "The Red-Hairs are one thing, but do you know how the Curtain Call crew operates?!"
"This isn't a place for us anymore. Let's get out of here!"
The others were jolted back to reality. According to the rumors, this "World's Greatest Swordsman" didn't seem to like being called a pirate and wasn't exactly friendly to his fellow buccaneers. So... it was probably best not to be an eyesore.
Many pirates quietly slipped out. Shanks and Shane, of course, paid them no mind. They took their seats at the bar, and Shanks heartily cracked open a barrel of ale, pouring a massive mug for both of them.
"To a chance meeting!" Shanks grinned, raising his mug. They clashed with a heavy thud, golden liquid splashing from the impact.
"To a chance meeting," Shane echoed with a laugh, downing the entire mug in one go.
After a few rounds, the atmosphere began to warm up. The officers of the Red-Hair Pirates and the men of the Curtain Call crew seemed to be hitting it off, swapping stories of their adventures. The women, disgusted by the "bunch of old men" from Shanks's crew, had taken their own table. Nami was loudly demanding a beer before Nojiko gave her a light punch, knocking her out cold on the table.
But no matter which side they were on, everyone instinctively kept their distance from the bar, leaving plenty of space for the two captains.
"Hey, Shane," Shanks said, his face already flushed. He leaned in and lowered his voice. "You've probably sensed it too. Even though we just met today... hic... there's something I've been wanting to ask you for a long time..."
"Funny," Shane said, setting down his mug. "Red-Hair, I have some questions for you, too."
"I'll go first!"
"I'll go first!"
They looked at each other.
"You go first!"
"You go first!"
"Stop!" Shanks rubbed his temples with a groan. "Come on, I'm buying. Give me the privilege of going first..."
He chose his words carefully.
"Unlike the other old geezers among the Four Emperors, who are too arrogant to know much about you, I've made it my business to collect information. I know what you said to Uncle Rayleigh on Sabaody, and what the World Government covered up back in Loguetown..."
"Normally, even pirates should know better than to get too deep with someone they've just met. I should have kept these questions to myself."
"But today... after feeling the weight of your Conqueror's Haki, I just can't hold back any longer."
Shane's expression remained neutral as he refilled his mug.
"Shane, what are you really after? What is your true goal?" Shanks stared intently into his eyes. "You talk a big game about ending the Great Pirate Era, but you and I both know that's not the true root of this chaos... I've seen it in your actions all along your journey, Shane! Tell me! The 'curtain' you truly want to bring down... it's on that place they call the Holy Land, but is really the gates of hell, isn't it?! Mary Geoise?!"
Shane drained his mug again.
"Good grog..." he savored, a grin spreading across his face. "Tch. You saw right through me?"
Just as I thought!
Shanks's face remained impassive, but inwardly, a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He's a potential ally for the future!
But... he was also too impulsive, too young, too full of pride. Just like he himself had once been.
And for that reason, he had to be stopped!
"Then I can speak plainly. Please, hear me out, Shane," Shanks said, taking a deep breath. "At our core, we are on the same side. But the absurdity and horror of this world are far beyond your imagination. Many things are not as simple as they appear."
"I can feel your fighting spirit, but... the time is not right! At least, not yet!"
"In the coming years, you can achieve great things in the New World. I won't interfere with you otherwise, but I ask that you do not disturb the balance that has been so hard-won. And do not—absolutely do not—recklessly challenge an enemy you cannot possibly defeat! It would be like a moth to a flame. Do you understand?"
His voice grew more urgent toward the end, but he was clearly struggling to contain his emotions, as if he didn't want to speak of certain forbidden truths, yet feared Shane would misunderstand his intent.
However, to his surprise, Shane's expression remained as calm as ever. He even chuckled.
"Why so tense?" Shane said, smiling as he poured Shanks another drink. "Your reaction actually makes me trust you more. It keeps me from believing some of the darker theories about you... To be honest, I've always wondered."
"Wondered what?" Shanks asked, confused.
"Why a man like you is so content to be a guardian of the status quo."
"You possess the Haki of a supreme king, and the power to change the world, yet you constantly stop others from challenging this rotten era. You've even become one of its pillars..."
"The time isn't right? You're not... setting the stage for someone, are you? Someone who, like me, comes from the East Blue, but whose name isn't Shane?" He tilted his head, as if joking. "Hey, Red-Hair, is that what Roger was thinking... back on Laugh Tale?"
Shanks's pupils contracted violently. The mug nearly slipped from his grasp.
He stared at Shane, the drunken flush draining from his face.
"..." Shanks's voice was strained. "How do you know about that?"
"Oh, that's a long story. I have a friend in the East Blue, or maybe you could call him my underling... Monkey D. Luffy," Shane shrugged. "That guy is, without a doubt, a complete idiot. But he's absolutely convinced he'll become the King of the Pirates. He told me that someone once saved his life, at the cost of an arm. To fulfill a promise, he set his sights on that grand ambition."
"A member of the Roger Pirates, a man at the pinnacle of the world... losing an arm to a small Sea King that even my sister Nami could beat." Shane clicked his tongue. "Hey, Shanks, isn't that a little ridiculous... Shanks? Shanks?!"
There was no response. The din of the tavern seemed to fade away, the chatter of the crews sounding like it was in another world. All that remained was the sound of rain drumming against the windowpanes.
"..." Shanks's hand gripped his mug so tightly his knuckles were white. His breathing grew ragged, and beads of sweat formed on his brow.
"Looks like you think it's ridiculous too, huh?" Shane laughed, clapping him on his rigid shoulder. "I told you to relax, why are you getting more tense...? Fine, I'll tell you something even more absurd. Before I even met Luffy, I ran into that little Sea King myself... Of course, to me back then, a little boy, it was a pretty big monster. But that's not the point!"
"The point is, it couldn't digest something, and it spit it out right in front of me. I picked it up, and it was an arm. And on that arm... there was a tattoo, a five-pointed star!"
"Back then, I didn't know what that symbol meant," Shane paused. "Until a little while ago, a guy claiming to be the Vice-Commander of the Holy Knights came looking for me. The symbol on his arm was exactly the same. And the most ridiculous part? That Celestial Dragon looked exactly like you."
"The things I run into, I swear," Shane sighed, leaning against the bar. "So... should I keep calling you Red-Hair, or should I get on my knees and call you Saint Figarland Shanks, the man waiting for Nika to appear?"
"..."
Shanks was silent for a long time. Then he threw his head back and chugged his drink, ale dripping down his chin. He didn't stop until the mug was empty, even licking the last drops from the sides. Only then did he slowly lower it, his eyes fixed on Shane.
"You," Shanks's voice was frighteningly hoarse. "Shamrock... Luffy... Nika... You knew. You knew everything."
"Yeah, I know everything. And you know everything too, don't you?" Shane grinned. "You said before that at our core, we're on the same side. But I don't think we are. You know why?"
"Because you hesitate! You're afraid! You're only willing to wait, to pave the road, to bet everything on a future you believe in!" He roared with laughter, the grog in his mug trembling, reflecting his wild, savage smile. "But me? I've never believed in that bullshit called fate!"
THUD!
He slammed his mug down on the bar, stood up, and walked toward the exit. The members of the Curtain Call crew rose without hesitation and followed him.
"The grog... was good," Shane said, pausing at the door. He glanced back and threw one last line over his shoulder.
"Thanks for the hospitality, Red-Hair. I hope the next time we meet, we're not trying to talk each other down."
"Of course, at our level, our convictions can't be swayed by others. If you want to continue being the farsighted grand schemer, that's fine by me. But don't interfere with my plans. And don't even think about trying to stop me."
"Otherwise, I don't mind taking your other arm."
BANG!
The saloon doors swung violently. By the time Shanks looked up with a complex expression, the dark, stormy night outside was empty. There was no trace of Shane or his crew.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Beneath the plaque that read "Absolute Justice," Sengoku's face was grim.
"What did you say? Red-Haired Shanks and Shane met in Blackstone City?"
"Y-Yes, Fleet Admiral!" the adjutant stammered. "It's an urgent report from the G-14 surveillance ship! This afternoon, their ships met just outside the harbor and engaged in a brief clash!"
"What was the result?"
"According to eyewitnesses, they each unleashed a slash of crimson energy. The power was earth-shattering, and it even briefly changed the weather. But they didn't escalate to a full-blown war. They sheathed their swords and began to talk..."
"A slash of crimson energy?" Tsuru, the Great Staff Officer, frowned. "Roger's Divine Departure... Shane can use that too?"
That was a detail that had never appeared in any of their intelligence reports. Did he learn it recently? This is significant.
But the implications of the meeting itself were far more important.
"One of the Four Emperors, and an existence who is approaching that same level, suddenly meeting in the New World and making peace..." Tsuru sighed. "No matter what they discussed, this is not good news for the Marines."
"My thoughts exactly. Red-Hair has always been an enigma, his actions unpredictable. And Shane harbors a massive ambition..." Sengoku's fingers tapped rhythmically on his desk. "And to make matters worse, both of them are young. They're cut from a different cloth than the other three Emperors..."
Will they form an alliance? If those two joined forces, even temporarily... wouldn't that mean the balance of power in the New World was about to be completely upended?
"Dammit!" Sengoku slammed his fist on the table in frustration. The intelligence was too scarce, too fragmented. The Marines' control over the New World was too weak. Without enough information, even he and Tsuru were just guessing in the dark.
"Have G-1 cooperate! Send out more surveillance ships!" Sengoku ordered gravely. "Send out every ship we can spare! For the foreseeable future, I want every movement of the Red-Hair Pirates monitored! Report any activity immediately!"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
Blackstone City, late at night.
"Captain." Benn Beckman, cigarette in hand, walked onto the rooftop under the moonlight and sat down beside Shanks.
"Benn..." Shanks glanced at him, his mood still low. "Of everyone, you know the most about my plan. Have you ever thought... that my choice was a mistake?"
Benn didn't answer right away. He took a long drag from his cigarette, exhaling a slow stream of smoke, the cherry glowing in the darkness.
"Honestly? At the beginning, I definitely thought it was a long shot," he said, gazing up at the night sky. "Entrusting the future of the world to a little kid... it's a strange bet. But that Luffy kid... he really is different. I think we'll see that day."
Shanks was silent for a moment, then he smiled and clapped Benn firmly on the shoulder. "...Thanks, old friend."
He changed the subject, his gaze shifting to the distant sea. "Forget Shane for a minute. His strength speaks for itself; he's earned the right to walk his own path. What about his crew? What did you learn from interacting with them today?"
"They're strong," Benn answered without a moment's hesitation. Then, he added with emphasis, his voice low and serious. "Extremely strong."
