Not far away, on an open patch of ground, a red-haired, one-armed man strode toward them with his Western sword resting at his waist.
Shanks.
Behind him, the officers of the Red Hair Pirates stood in a line, their presence imposing.
But compared to Shanks's calm and steady stride, the officers under him all showed varying degrees of caution and fear in their eyes as they faced Rosse. Their muscles had quietly tensed.
"Shanks, it's been a long time. I wouldn't call this misleading him. This is simply a senior's expectations for a junior."
The smile at the corner of Rosse's lips never faded. Even the way he turned around was elegant.
Before the two important figures could continue exchanging greetings, a furious roar filled with endless hatred suddenly echoed across the area.
"Yasopp! You piece of trash actually have the nerve to show your face here?"
When enemies met, their hatred burned all the brighter.
Before Luffy could excitedly run toward Shanks, Usopp, who had been hiding behind everyone with weak knees just moments ago, seemed like a completely different person.
He shoved Zoro aside and strode forward.
His bloodshot eyes were so red they seemed ready to bleed. Veins bulged across his forehead as he stared at Yasopp behind Shanks.
Usopp felt nothing but hatred for Yasopp.
If he hadn't wanted to personally watch Yasopp experience betrayal by everyone around him and suffer a fate worse than death, he would have already eliminated him himself.
A beast who abandoned his wife and son for freedom, lived carefree on the seas alone, and later even tried to kill his own son and daughter-in-law, that was a true piece of human trash. Every extra breath he took polluted the world.
Still, his efforts hadn't been in vain.
Usopp had noticed something.
Although Yasopp stood only half a step behind Shanks, clearly having taken over as first mate after Beckman left, the other officers had unconsciously put more physical distance between themselves and Yasopp.
The rest of the Red Hair Pirates all seemed to be subconsciously maintaining a subtle gap from their new first mate.
No one would openly say it, but in the world of pirates, even the smallest crack could become fatal when life and death were on the line.
It was one enormous game, and everyone was inside it.
As the one seeking revenge within that game, the one thing Usopp had in abundance was patience.
Patience to wait for that crack to slowly widen until it completely collapsed.
Just like now.
The real show had only just begun.
The sea breeze seemed to stop, and the air became unbearably tense.
"Rosse, my apologies. You've had to witness another embarrassing spectacle."
Shanks raised a hand and brushed the windblown red hair away from his forehead with what looked like a helpless sigh.
His expression remained composed, but beneath his cloak, his hand had already clenched into a fist.
This was too difficult.
The moment he spotted Rosse standing here from a distance, his heart had sunk, and he'd rushed over with everyone without a second thought.
But now that he was here, he realized the situation was a hundred times worse than he'd imagined.
The Straw Hat Pirates had become a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.
Not only had Rosse planted his own people inside, but the crew itself was clearly divided, and Usopp had deep hatred toward the Red Hair Pirates.
What frightened him most was Rosse's attitude.
Rosse stood there smiling with an arm around Sanji, as if he'd already laid every card face-up on the table.
It was a silent declaration.
Rosse knew everything.
He knew Luffy's uniqueness, the truth behind the Gum-Gum Fruit, and even the Red Hair Pirates' plan.
A thin layer of cold sweat formed on Shanks's back.
What he feared most now was Rosse flipping the table.
Luffy was the only card they had bet the new era on.
Yet instead of growing into a Joy Boy capable of standing on his own, he couldn't even keep control of his own crew.
If Rosse so much as entertained the thought of overturning the board now, all of their plans and every sacrifice they had made would be reduced to dust.
There would be no room to resist.
"A spectacle?"
Rosse raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his deep eyes.
He paid no attention to the vigilant Shanks, nor did he continue focusing on Luffy. Instead, his gaze drifted past the crowd and lightly settled on Yasopp.
"Shanks, do you really call abandoning your wife and child, living carefree outside, and later even trying to murder your own flesh and blood... a spectacle?"
Rosse's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck home like a barbed whip lashing across Yasopp's face.
"You!"
Yasopp's sickly face instantly flushed red. The veins on his forehead bulged and throbbed.
He clenched his teeth so tightly that the veins stood out on the back of his hands, yet he didn't dare utter a single word in rebuttal.
Rosse looked him up and down with interest, a mocking smile curling at his lips.
So this so-called great pirate wasn't quite as shameless as expected.
At least he still knew what shame was.
"Yasopp."
Seeing the situation about to spiral out of control, Shanks spoke in a low voice.
Without another word, he turned around and placed his one arm firmly on Yasopp's trembling shoulder. His gaze had never been more stern.
"Go apologize to your son."
Silence fell over the entire area.
Shanks's mind raced.
Since Rosse was only mocking them instead of wiping them out immediately, it meant Rosse still wanted to watch the show.
As long as Rosse didn't flip the table, then he had to grit his teeth and keep acting out the script.
He had to resolve this hatred immediately.
He had to make Yasopp lower his head in exchange for the Straw Hat Pirates', or rather, Luffy's, forgiveness.
He knew Luffy too well. He knew exactly how easy that would be.
Under no circumstances could Luffy become estranged from the Red Hair Pirates.
That was the bottom line.
Yasopp's whole body shuddered as he looked at his captain in disbelief.
But beneath Shanks's unquestionable stare, he finally swallowed all of his humiliation.
His movements stiff, he took one step, then another, until he stood before everyone.
Looking at the son whose bloodshot eyes looked ready to devour him alive, Yasopp took a deep breath, lowered his head, and said hoarsely, "I... was wrong back then. I'm sorry, Usopp."
"GET LOST!"
Usopp answered with a hysterical roar.
His eyes were nearly bleeding as tears mixed with overwhelming rage streamed down his face.
"You think one half-hearted apology wipes away everything my mom and I suffered? Don't even dream of making me forgive you, you piece of trash that belongs in hell!"
"Hey, Usopp! Don't be like this!"
Right as things reached a breaking point, a figure wearing a straw hat suddenly stepped between them.
Luffy spread his arms, blocking Yasopp and Usopp.
Frowning in confusion, he looked at Usopp and called out, "But he already apologized to you! If someone's apologized, shouldn't you forgive them? If someone sincerely admits they're wrong, they should get a chance to start over."
Luffy's words were innocent and straightforward.
In his worldview, apology = forgiveness = being friends again.
The logic was that simple.
Even though Nami had left him speechless over this same way of thinking back at Arlong Park, his beliefs hadn't changed at all.
After all, these two situations were completely different.
Nami and Arlong were true enemies.
Usopp and Yasopp were father and son.
But hearing those words left Usopp speechless.
He already knew Luffy wasn't reliable.
He just hadn't expected him to be this unreliable.
"Luffy, do you even hear yourself?", Usopp's voice trembled.
"He abandoned me! He got my mother killed! He got Kaya and my child killed! He even tried to kill me! And you're telling me to forgive him?"
"But he knows he was wrong now!"
Luffy scratched at his head anxiously before pointing straight at the bowed Yasopp.
"Look at him! He's being sincere! He's Shanks's friend, so he can't be a bad person deep down! Usopp, we're all pirates. You should be more open-minded!"
"Luffy! Shut up!"
This time, before Usopp could answer, two icy voices rang out at the same time.
Zoro had somehow moved to Usopp's side. His grip on his sword hilt tightened as he glared coldly at Luffy, his brows knitted tightly together.
On the other side, Nami was shaking with anger as she hurried over to stand beside Usopp, glaring at Luffy.
Neither of them could understand how Luffy could brush off someone else's ruined family so casually.
"Why are you all..."
Luffy looked at the rejection in his friends' eyes, utterly confused, and tried to argue again.
"But he really apologized... If not, then you can just beat him up."
"Enough!"
A rough shout cut off Luffy's endless talking.
It was Yasopp.
He couldn't take it anymore.
He couldn't stand the humiliation of being judged in public as though people were inspecting merchandise.
He wasn't some prisoner.
At that moment, his pride completely crushed what little guilt remained.
Yasopp suddenly raised his head. His bowed back straightened, and the arrogance and ferocity of a pirate returned to his eyes.
"Listen carefully, Usopp!"
Pointing at him, Yasopp let out a cold sneer.
"I apologized today because of my captain! I came to tell you I'd apologized, I never begged for your forgiveness!"
He turned around and strode back toward the Red Hair Pirates while sneering over his shoulder.
"In my book, a father lowering himself to apologize to his son is already an unprecedented exception. If I still had to beg my own son for forgiveness afterward, what kind of father would that make me? What a ridiculous joke."
Even the Red Hair Pirates sucked in a sharp breath.
As expected of Yasopp.
What a ruthless man.
"Ha... haha... hahahaha!"
Usopp suddenly covered his face and let out a chilling laugh.
He had expected this all along.
Still, seeing Yasopp act exactly like this really did make him want to laugh.
This was the kind of man he was.
Exactly this kind of man.
'Why...'
'Why do I have to carry this man's blood?'
Pointing at Yasopp as tears poured down his face, Usopp spoke in the most mocking tone imaginable.
"Did you hear that, Luffy? That's the sincerity you were talking about! 'Lowering himself.' What a great father. So this is the standard of your Red Hair Pirates. You learn something new everyday."
"You little brat!"
Yasopp flew into a rage, his right hand immediately reaching for the gun at his waist.
Bang!
A large hand clamped down on his wrist like an iron vise, stopping him from drawing it.
Shanks didn't even turn around. He merely shot Yasopp a cold glance out of the corner of his eye.
A terrifying flash of Conqueror's Haki swept past, instantly pinning Yasopp in place.
Shanks had never expected Yasopp to truly accept this apology in his heart.
All he wanted was for Yasopp to make the gesture.
And the gamble had paid off.
Luffy had accepted that gesture.
As for the Straw Hat Pirates, who were now falling apart from within, Shanks's eyes became dark.
He had noticed long ago that something was wrong with Luffy's crew.
But Rosse was standing only a few steps away, watching everything like a play.
For now, all Shanks could do was preserve Luffy's trust in them. Solving even one problem was better than none.
As for Usopp and the others drifting further apart, he'd have to find a way to mend that later.
"Usopp, don't say things you don't mean."
Luffy still hadn't realized the atmosphere had completely collapsed. He stepped forward and reached for Usopp's arm, his expression earnest.
"Uncle Yasopp only said those harsh things because you made him angry. As long as you nod, this can all be over. Then everyone can have a banquet together again."
"Don't touch me!"
Usopp violently slapped Luffy's hand away as though he'd touched something filthy.
He took two steps back, standing beside Zoro and Nami.
Looking at the captain he had never felt particularly attached to in the first place, the look in his eyes gradually turned cold.
The emotions had built up to this point.
If he didn't completely break with him now, it would feel like all of this had been for nothing.
"Don't touch me!"
The sharp smack echoed through the frozen air.
Usopp violently knocked away Luffy's outstretched hand. The disgust in that motion was as though Luffy had been something revolting.
He immediately stepped back another two paces without hesitation, opening a clear distance between them before coming to a stop beside Zoro and Nami.
The sea breeze rustled Usopp's curly hair.
Lowering his head, he looked at the stunned boy in the straw hat standing opposite him from beneath the shadows.
Usopp had never truly invested much of himself in this captain.
Bonds, dreams, they had only ever been part of a script handed down from above.
From the very beginning, all of them had belonged to the World Government.
To the Lord of the World.
Usopp let out a quiet sigh.
The emotions had already reached this point.
If he didn't use today's performance to completely sever ties and draw a firm line between them, then all the grievances he had endured would truly have been wasted.
"Usopp..."
Luffy stared blankly at the back of his hand, now red from the slap, then looked at Usopp standing opposite him, his gaze growing colder and colder.
Beside him stood Zoro and Nami, both wearing equally cold expressions, with no intention whatsoever of smoothing things over.
For the first time ever, an overwhelming sense of unfamiliarity caused Luffy's mind to come to a complete stop.
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