G-5 Branch, harbor ruins.
The air still carried the lingering aftershock of Conqueror's Haki clashing. The sea hadn't fully calmed yet, with occasional restless waves rolling in.
However, compared to the earlier tension, when it felt like the entire New World might be overturned at any moment, the current scene… was oddly comical.
Even reeked of money.
Zzz
Rehn, the same G-5 chief steward who had just looked like a descending thunder god, was now crouched over a relatively flat chunk of rubble.
At some point, he had produced a half-meter-long abacus made entirely of gold. In his other hand was a still-smoking pen as he flicked the beads at a dizzying speed.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
The crisp sound of the abacus echoed pleasantly, though to the Red Hair Pirates, it sounded like a death knell.
"Uh…"
Shanks sheathed Griffin and awkwardly scratched his red hair, trying to break the suffocating silence.
"Since the misunderstanding's cleared up… and I didn't really hurt anyone, "
"Didn't hurt anyone?!"
Rehn suddenly looked up, his narrowed eyes gleaming with the light of extortion.
"Mr. Red Hair! Please mind your wording!"
He pointed dramatically at the G-5 marines lying around foaming at the mouth, most of them pretending, cooperating with their boss's act.
"Look! Just look at them!"
"These poor kids were just trying to sunbathe and dream about promotions and raises!"
"And what happened? You showed up and blasted Conqueror's Haki! Emperor-level, no less!"
"Do you know the kind of trauma that causes?! What if they develop PTSD and wet themselves every time they see red hair?! Shouldn't you pay mental damage fees?!"
Shanks: "…"
Beckman: "…"
Yasopp: "…"
For the first time in decades of sailing the New World, the Red Hair Pirates felt utterly powerless.
They had seen shameless people before,
But never this shameless.
Those marines had clearly been lively moments ago, and now they were playing dead, some even sneakily peeking at the show!
"And another thing!"
Rehn didn't give Shanks a chance to respond. He pointed at the cracked ground.
"This is G-5's premium high-strength nano-cement flooring! Every inch costs a fortune! Your slash didn't just damage the structure, it ruined the feng shui!"
"Do you even understand feng shui?! It's metaphysics! Priceless!"
"Plus my lost wages, emotional distress, clothing damage, this is key, and the calories I burned defending against your attack…"
Rehn took a deep breath and slammed the abacus shut with a loud clack.
"Let's round it off, fifty billion Beli."
"PFFT!!!"
Lucky Roux dropped his meat on the ground.
'Fifty billion?!'
'Why don't you just rob them?!'
'Actually, robbery isn't even this fast!'
'A Yonko's bounty isn't even that much!'
"One slash and it's fifty billion?!"
Shanks' eye twitched uncontrollably.
He wasn't poor, but this was ridiculous!
"Don't want to pay?"
Renzo, who had been lounging on a soft couch, finally spoke lazily.
He slightly lifted his sunglasses, revealing dull gray eyes devoid of motivation.
"Red Hair, we're all reasonable people."
"You came to my turf, beat up my butler, smashed my floor, and woke me from my nap."
Renzo stretched, his aura of sloth turning… dangerous.
"If you think fifty billion is too much…"
"We can calculate another way."
He pointed to the Lullaby behind him.
"My ship was just serviced. I still need some live targets to test the main cannon."
"Or…"
His gaze shifted to the Red Force.
"Your ship looks decent. Old, but good wood."
"My mermaid garden happens to need a large wooden sculpture."
"So… leave the ship behind?"
"…"
A threat.
A naked threat.
Shanks looked at Renzo, then at Rehn, who was pretending to be injured while secretly gathering lightning, and Mihawk, who looked like he'd enjoy the show if things escalated.
He sighed.
This G-5 base… was a den of bandits.
And not just any bandits, ridiculously strong bandits with moral high ground.
"Alright, alright…"
Shanks raised his hands in surrender.
"I'll pay."
He turned to Beckman.
"Vice-captain, pay them."
Beckman's face was dark as a pot. He took a drag from his cigarette… then silently pulled out a black card.
A universal gold card issued by the World Economic News, only top pirates and underground kings had one.
"Card," he said through gritted teeth.
"Coming right up!!"
Rehn sprang up instantly, moving like lightning.
He pulled out a card reader, clearly prepared in advance and presented it with a wide grin.
"Beep!"
With a crisp electronic sound, fifty billion Beli changed hands.
Rehn trembled with excitement.
"Thank you! May you prosper!"
His bootlicking expression made the Red Hair Pirates want to kick him.
"Alright, compensation's done."
Shanks looked at Renzo.
"Can I talk to my daughter now?"
He looked at Uta behind Renzo.
She peeked out, saw her dad's defeated look, and burst out laughing.
"Idiot Shanks!"
She made a face. "Serves you right for attacking without thinking!"
Still, she ran over and hugged him.
"But… thanks for coming."
Shanks ruffled her red-and-white hair, smiling warmly.
"Silly girl. No matter where you are, I'll find you."
Watching this touching reunion, Renzo yawned.
"Since that's settled…"
He stood, ready to go back to sleep.
"Wait."
Shanks called out.
"What now?" Renzo turned back, annoyed.
Shanks' expression grew serious.
"Renzo. I've paid and apologized."
"But there's something I want to confirm."
"What?"
"The future of this sea."
Shanks' gaze sharpened, emperor's aura faintly surfacing again.
"You're building something big."
"Controlling G-5, backing Kizaru, gathering people like Mihawk and Rehn…"
"What do you want?"
"To replace Marine HQ? Or… claim that throne?"
Everyone held their breath.
Beckman. Mihawk. Even Rehn.
Renzo looked at Shanks like he'd asked a stupid question.
After a pause, he spoke.
"Replace HQ? Claim a throne?"
He chuckled.
"Shanks… your vision is too small."
"…Huh?"
Renzo pointed to the sky, then the ground.
"Do you know how tiring it is to be king?"
"Managing territory, guarding against betrayal, scheming with idiots, worrying about getting your head cut off every day…"
His face showed genuine disgust.
"That life is hell."
He lay back down, pulling a blanket over himself.
"What I want… is simple."
His voice drifted through the sea breeze.
"I just want a place…"
"Where even if the world collapses…"
"No one… nothing…"
"Dares disturb my sleep."
"That's my ambition."
"And my… justice."
He closed his eyes.
"If you have to name it…"
"Call it-"
"Slothful Justice."
Shanks stared at him.
'Absolute peace?'
'Slothful justice?'
'Suppress everything… just to sleep?'
'Ridiculous, yet overwhelmingly domineering.'
"Haha… HAHAHAHAHA!!"
Shanks burst into laughter.
"Interesting! Too interesting!"
"Renzo! You really are a complete freak!"
He turned to his crew.
"Bring out the booze!"
"It's a misunderstanding, and we've paid!"
"How can there not be a feast?!"
"Today, right here at G-5, let's drink with the laziest admiral alive!"
"OOOH!!!"
Cheers erupted.
"A feast?!"
The "unconscious" marines instantly revived.
"Free drinks?! From a Yonko?!"
"Wait!"
Rehn jumped in between both sides.
"Feast is allowed!"
He pointed at Shanks seriously.
"But three rules!"
"First! No loud noise! All celebrations must stay under 90 decibels!"
"Second! No littering! Dirty floors will be fined tenfold!"
"Third, and most important!"
He pointed at the sleeping Renzo.
"Anyone who wakes Lord Renzo…"
"I'll stuff you into a cannon and launch you to the moon!!"
Shanks: "…"
He shook his head helplessly, then raised his bottle.
"Fine! Then let's have…"
"The quietest feast in the world!!"
"Cheers!"
And so, in the most dangerous sea of the New World…
At the most rogue Marine base…
The Red Hair Pirates and G-5 marines held an unprecedented…
Silent feast.
Everyone whispered.
Even chewing was done carefully.
And at the center of it all, the so-called "freak"…
Bathed in sunlight…
Slept peacefully.
....
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu