The Red-Haired Pirates' base.
A lively banquet was in full swing.
That was always how it was with the Red-Haired Pirates—no fun without a party. They spent their days drinking, laughing, and living as freely as the sea itself.
Because Captain Shanks insisted on a "quality over quantity" approach, his official crew was only a little over ten people. With so few mouths, expenses were never an issue.
If it were Whitebeard and his tens of thousands of subordinates, they could never afford to be so carefree.
"Buru buru…"
At that moment, the Den Den Mushi on First Mate Benn Beckman chirped to life.
He pulled it out, answered the call, then turned to look at Shanks—who was busy tearing into meat and downing booze—with a complicated expression.
"What is it, Benn? Don't tell me one of Shanks' old flames is throwing another tantrum and threatening to die without him?"
Yasopp caught his look and couldn't help asking curiously.
"Hmm? We just had some drama not long ago. No way it's starting again this soon, right? And wait—hey, I'm just a guest, how did I end up being the 'old lover' in this story?!"
Shanks nearly choked on his drink, then remembered he wasn't actually anybody's ex-lover and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Please. Didn't she say she was going to settle down and marry you? You're the one who refused."
Yasopp snorted in contempt. Even Lucky Roo, who was gnawing on a giant hunk of meat beside him, mumbled "That's right" through a full mouth.
"It's not that. It's about little Luffy."
The moment Beckman said that, everyone put down their food and drink and turned to look at Shanks.
"What happened to little Luffy?"
Shanks asked immediately.
Back in the East Blue, he had thrown away an arm—literally gambling it in the jaws of some entirely mediocre Lord of the Coast—for the sake of some so-called "future," just to save that kid.
The bond between them was not something that could be summed up in a few words.
One thing, however, was beyond question: Shanks was still watching Luffy. He'd even left a lookout in Foosha Village just so he could keep track of Luffy's movements.
"He beat that so-called Lord of the Coast and said he's setting out to sea as a pirate."
Beckman said slowly, looking at Shanks.
"YES!!"
"He's finally debuting—my little Luffy!"
"That's the guy our captain staked everything on, the man he's betting on to become the future Pirate King!"
"Amazing. Our captain couldn't even beat that Lord of the Coast!"
"Why do I feel like, someday, our captain's going to end up as just a stepping stone on Luffy's path to the Pirate King's throne?"
"Hahaha! Come on, let's drink to celebrate!"
The crew burst into cheers. They clinked mugs and drank heavily in celebration.
Shanks, listening to them, could only stare blackly.
Is this how your crew is supposed to act? When it comes to roasting the captain, you guys always have another line ready.
"Little Luffy… I hope we can meet again soon."
A hint of anticipation rose in Shanks' heart as well.
"But compared to Luffy, that little brother of his is a bit too dazzling, don't you think?"
Beckman wiped the booze from the corner of his mouth.
"Yeah. Ace has already become the Second Division Commander under Whitebeard, right beneath Marco."
"'Fire Fist Ace'—that name is everywhere now. He's the brightest of the new Supernovas. I heard that ever since he started hunting pirates who encroached on Whitebeard's territory, he hasn't lost a single fight. Some of the ones he beat had bounties of four or five hundred million belly."
"With how highly Whitebeard values him, it looks like he's grooming Ace as his successor. The old man finally realized he's getting on in years, huh?"
"Maybe the era of Whitebeard really is reaching its end. When I delivered a message to him not long ago, he was covered in IV tubes, and there were over a dozen nurses bustling around him."
"Once Whitebeard's era ends, Kaido will probably be the one to rule these seas. Among the Four Emperors, his strength is the greatest."
"What a shame our captain's such a carefree guy. If he took it seriously, Kaido might not be so sure of a win."
"I'm more worried about whether Garp will come knocking with his Iron Fist to get his revenge."
"Can't say that's impossible. He's the so-called Hero of the Marines, and all three of his grandsons got tricked by our captain into becoming pirates! Hahahaha!"
The crew's chatter grew even louder, and the teasing at Shanks' expense continued amid peals of laughter.
"Of course, the most dazzling of the three brothers is still that Marine traitor, the Fifth Emperor Creed. But the taller the tree, the more it catches the wind. Now that Marine Headquarters has moved into the New World, for their first show-of-force battle… I'm afraid they plan to use him as the opening act."
Someone brought up Creed, worry creeping into his voice.
The Red-Haired Pirates actually had a pretty good impression of the three brothers—Creed, Ace, and Luffy.
Especially Creed.
To them, he was basically the "successful version" of the path they'd once hoped Luffy would walk.
At such a young age, he had become the New World's Fifth Emperor, even defeating a monster like Big Mom. Now his momentum was terrifying—new divisions were forming under him one after another, countless powerhouses were flocking to his banner, and there were already signs of him becoming the very first among the Emperors.
"I get the feeling I'll be meeting him again very soon."
Shanks took a sip of wine before slowly speaking.
Right then, Beckman's other Den Den Mushi rang.
He picked it up, and within a few seconds, his calm expression had twisted into shock. He shot to his feet.
"You're sure?!"
After confirming it on the other end and exchanging a few more words, he hung up and turned to Shanks, his face still full of disbelief.
"Shanks, Creed just defeated Golden Lion Shiki in the eastern waters outside Totto Land! He also destroyed Shiki's dozen floating islands and all his vicious beasts!"
Beckman's words not only made Shanks put down his mug—they froze the whole banquet in place.
The boisterous atmosphere seemed to shatter in an instant.
Several people couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air.
This news was even more shocking than Creed defeating Big Mom.
Who was Golden Lion Shiki?
The man who launched the Battle of Edd War, nearly driving Pirate King Roger into a corner. A legendary pirate on par with Whitebeard.
And a man like that… had also fallen to Creed.
"It seems… Shiki might be planning to submit to Creed. That's an exclusive scoop from Morgans."
Beckman continued.
"Incredible. This Creed is truly one of a kind in my lifetime. If that's the case, I might have bet on the wrong person."
Shanks broke the silence with a self-deprecating laugh.
"Too bad I'm down an arm, and Creed's wings have already fully spread. Even if I wanted to place my bet again, it'd be too late."
"But I still like little Luffy." He raised his glass. "Come on, drink. Once we're done, it's time to get down to business."
The mugs clinked, and the atmosphere gradually warmed up again.
…
Totto Land waters.
"Wow! It smells so sweet!"
A wave of creamy fragrance wafted over from ahead, making Perona cry out in delight.
"Everyone look—is that cheese?!"
Brook shouted, pointing with excitement.
They all followed his gaze. Sure enough, the buildings on that island—houses and all the main structures—were made of cheese. Just looking at it made their mouths water.
They'd heard that in Totto Land, on every island, the buildings were made of sweets or delicious foods, and even the rivers flowing through them were milk or juice…
The dreamlike utopia of countless races.
"They're here. Everyone, stay sharp."
Redfield suddenly spoke up, eyes narrowing. The others tensed as they saw it too—a sizable fleet had appeared ahead, sailing toward them.
(End of Chapter)
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