The long and intense battle had finally reached its conclusion.
Takero stood over Shanks, who was slumped on the ground, panting for air like a fish thrown onto dry land. Even now, a hint of regret lingered in Takero's dark eyes—the regret that their fight was already over.
A shiver ran down Shanks' spine as he met Takero's gaze, which seemed to say, 'That wasn't enough.' He quickly scooted backward on the dusty ground, waving his hands frantically as terror filled his expression.
"Hey, hey! You… you can't be thinking of another round, are you?! I'm warning you! I really don't have any strength left! If we keep going, one of us is actually going to die!"
"I know. You sure talk a lot," Takero replied, pouting slightly. Then, a thought seemed to strike him. He stroked his chin for a moment before extending an open hand toward the defeated Yonko.
"Oh, right. Shanks, I need you to hand over your Life Paper."
"...Huh?" Shanks stared back with a look of pure confusion, deciding to play dumb. "L-Life Paper? What's that? I don't think I've ever heard of it."
"Don't play dumb with me," Takero's voice dropped, and his eyes took on a dangerous glint. "Robin told me all about it. Famous pirates like you, who have made a name for themselves in the New World, always carry that special paper. It's made with your own fingernails so it can track your location. Just hand it over."
He paused, a deceptively kind smile spreading across his face.
"…You really don't want me to have to search you for it myself, do you?"
"Here! Here it is!"
The mere mention of a "personal search" made Shanks' entire body tremble. He didn't doubt for a second that this monster standing before him would follow through on his threat if he stalled any longer. With a heavy, helpless sigh, he reached into his sash and pulled out a plain, off-white sheet of paper. He tore off a small piece and reluctantly handed it over to Takero.
Takero accepted the trembling scrap and nodded, satisfied.
Life Paper was a unique creation of the New World. By mixing a person's fingernails into the pulp during its creation, the resulting paper becomes a perfect representation of its owner's life force. When a piece is torn off, it will always point toward the main sheet, no matter how great the distance between them. It was an unbreakable connection.
"Hehehe," Takero chuckled, looking down at the paper in his hand. The smile on his face sent a new wave of dread through Shanks. "With this little thing, whenever I get an itch for a fight, or whenever I'm feeling bored…"
"…I can find you anytime I want."
Shanks felt his world go dark. His expression turned as grim as someone who had been constipated for a month. He could already see his bleak future stretching out before him: a miserable existence where this battle-obsessed maniac could appear at any moment to 'stretch his muscles.'
Just then, the rest of the Red Hair Pirates finally made their way over from where they had been watching the fight.
"Yo, Captain!" Yasopp called out with a teasing grin. "I gotta say, I'm surprised… I really didn't expect you to still be alive."
"Get lost!" Shanks shot back irritably.
Uta walked around Shanks, acting like a concerned little adult. She poked his arm here and looked him over there. After confirming he wasn't missing any limbs, she nodded with a serious expression.
"Hmm, it looks like… he's fine."
She then turned her beautiful, amethyst-colored eyes toward the black-haired young man who was watching her 'second adoptive father' squirm with a mischievous grin. Before she could say a word, Takero stepped forward, scooped her small body into his arms, and lifted her high above his head.
"What's wrong, little one?" he asked with a wide smile. "It's only been a few years. Don't you recognize me?"
"Eh?!"
Uta was completely stunned by the sudden motion. But the feeling was so familiar, something she had experienced countless times before. This feeling of flying freely through the air was something she had missed deeply, and it made her young heart pound in her chest. A happy giggle escaped her lips before she could stop it.
However, when she looked down and saw the other members of the Red Hair Pirates looking up at her with fond, amused expressions, as if thinking 'our daughter has grown up,' her face instantly turned bright red. She began to flail her arms and legs in the air, struggling as she shouted in embarrassment.
"Idiot! You moron! Put… put me down right now!"
"What's the matter?" Takero asked, looking a little disappointed as he lowered her back to the ground. "When you were little, you loved playing 'flying high' more than anything."
"Who… who said I liked it!" Uta shot back, her face still flushed as she stomped her foot. "Seriously! Don't be so familiar! It's not like we're that close!"
"You were so cute and obedient when you were a kid," Takero complained helplessly as he looked at her defensive, 'tsundere' attitude. "How did you grow up to be so… uncute?"
He pointed an accusing finger directly at Shanks, who was enjoying the scene from the sidelines.
"It must be your fault! This unreliable guy must have been a bad influence on her!"
"Hey! Don't you dare blame this on me!" Shanks immediately protested, his voice filled with anger. "When you think about it, this is clearly your fault, isn't it?! You were the one who took her out to play wildly every single day when she was little! The only reason she's so rebellious now is because she's turning into you!"
Shanks truly believed what he was saying. He felt that the grown-up Uta's personality was practically a perfect, miniature copy of Takero's.
"This girl, all she does all day is go on and on about wanting to be some kind of… rock star! See? It's all your fault!"
"Is that right?"
Hearing this, Takero didn't get angry at all. Instead, a look of genuine pride and approval appeared on his face.
"A rock star?" he repeated, his smile returning.
"Excellent!"
"That dream… is a really good one!"
"So," Takero continued, his gaze shifting back to Shanks, "what made you decide to bring her back to Ambri Island?"
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