At the G-5 base harbor, what was unfolding at this moment was the strangest and most unique banquet in the history of the pirate world.
The sunlight was perfect, and the sea breeze gentle.
Thousands of elite G-5 marines mingled together with the officers and crew of the Red-Haired Pirates.
If you only looked at the scene, it was undoubtedly a grand celebration.
On massive grills, entire Sea Kings sizzled as they roasted, golden fat dripping onto the charcoal and releasing an irresistible aroma.
Barrels of top-tier wines from all over the world were brought out and stacked into small hills.
People raised glasses, clinked them, devoured meat, and drank deeply.
However… if you closed your eyes and listened, you might think this was some kind of mysterious religious ritual, or that everyone had suddenly become mute.
There were no loud shouts of "Cheers!"
No noisy drinking games.
No drunken rambling.
Every sound was deliberately suppressed to an extremely low level.
"(whisper) Hey, brother, give me that piece of meat. I'll trade you this bottle of West Sea red wine."
"(breathy whisper) Deal! Be careful, don't drop the bones. That fat steward is watching us!"
"(whisper) Is it true your captain has been to Laugh Tale?"
" Shh! Can you even say that here? But… hehe, that's a secret."
Across the entire plaza, there were only chewing sounds, swallowing, and faint clinks of cups.
What kind of pirate and marine banquet was this?
It was quieter than a library!
At the center of the banquet, around a large round table sat some of the most powerful figures in the world.
Shanks sat cross-legged on a cushion, holding a large bowl of wine.
But instead of drinking boldly as usual, he carefully sipped it bit by bit.
Across from him, Mihawk elegantly cut into a steak, his movements so precise they resembled an art performance. Even the sound of his utensils touching the plate had been controlled to zero decibels through sheer swordsmanship.
As for the "host representative," Rehn was sweating profusely as he moved around the area, holding a decibel meter, acting like an obsessive disciplinarian, staring down every corner.
"You there! The one eating noodles! That slurping sound is too loud! One dessert deducted!"
"That fat guy! Can you chew more quietly?! Are you trying to shatter Lord Renzo's eardrums?!"
Lucky Roux looked at the bone in his hand with grievance, tears welling up, and silently switched to licking it.
At the very center of everything, on the most luxurious and comfortable lounge chair, Renzo maintained the same sleeping posture, breathing steadily, as if completely detached from the world.
Monet knelt beside him, gently fanning him with a feather fan while using her Snow-Snow Fruit ability to regulate the surrounding air to the perfect temperature and humidity for sleep.
The scene was absurdly harmonious.
"I still can't believe this…"
Beckman sat beside Shanks, a cigarette in his mouth, unlit, for fear the smell would drift over, whispering:
"We're actually playing along with the marines… in this childish game."
"You have to adapt, Beckman."
Shanks smiled lightly, his voice quiet yet clear.
"Don't you think… this atmosphere isn't so bad?"
He glanced around.
Those marines who were usually filled with killing intent, and those unruly pirates, though suppressing their voices, had genuine relaxation and enjoyment on their faces.
No tension.
No life-and-death hostility.
Just pure enjoyment of food and drink.
"In this chaotic New World…"
Shanks looked at the sleeping man, a complex light flashing in his eyes.
"To create a place like this 'pure land'…"
"That man… is truly not simple."
At that moment, Clink.
A very soft, crisp sound of porcelain touching echoed.
The empty juice cup beside Renzo had been gently set down.
…
The entire place froze instantly.
Everyone subconsciously held their breath and looked over.
'Renzo… woke up?'
He slowly raised a hand and pulled down the eye mask from his face.
His gray eyes, still hazy from sleep, scanned the strange banquet.
"…Mm."
He let out a soft nasal sound.
Rehn instantly appeared before him, dropping to one knee and nervously asking:
"Lord Renzo! You're awake? Was it too noisy? I'll go sew shut the mouths of those making too much chewing noise!"
"No."
Renzo sat up and stretched.
"This nap… was pretty good."
"Phew."
Thousands of people collectively let out a sigh of relief.
That synchronized sense of release even created a faint breeze.
"Since I'm awake…"
Renzo looked at Shanks, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Let's talk about business."
"Business?"
Shanks set down his bowl, his expression turning serious.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"About…"
Renzo pointed toward Uta, who was nearby experimenting with new recipes with Sanji.
"Your daughter's 'custody' issue."
"Pfft!!!"
Shanks spat out the mouthful of wine he had just taken, right onto Beckman's face.
"Cus-custody?!"
Shanks' eyes widened. "That's my daughter! What do you mean custody?!"
"She's my person now."
Renzo said matter-of-factly. "She's my exclusive broadcaster, my sleep aid master, and G-5's ambassador of spiritual culture."
"And she's willing to stay here."
"Bullshit!"
Shanks panicked. "Uta must've been brainwashed by you! How could she want to stay in a marine base?!"
"Ask her yourself."
Shanks immediately turned, looking at Uta with hopeful, fatherly eyes.
"Uta! Tell me! Do you want to come back to the ship with Dad, or stay in this… place full of weirdos?"
Uta was holding a freshly baked "cloud cake," her mouth full of cream.
She paused, looked at the cake in her hand, then at Sanji beside her, then at Rehn in the distance smiling in a slightly terrifying way.
"Hmm…"
She tilted her head and thought for a moment.
Then,
Firmly shook her head.
"No."
"I want to stay here."
"What… what?!"
Shanks was struck as if by lightning, turning pale.
"Why?! Doesn't Dad treat you well?! We have banquets on our ship too!"
"But…"
Uta pointed at Sanji. "The desserts here are a hundred times better than what Lucky Roux makes!"
She pointed at the luxurious concert hall. "There's a special venue built just for my concerts! The sound system is amazing!"
Finally, she pointed at Renzo.
"And Lord Renzo said, as long as I help him fall asleep, anything I want to buy or anywhere I want to go is reimbursed! No limit!"
"Dad!"
She looked at Shanks seriously.
"Can our crew afford that?"
"I…"
Shanks clutched his chest.
He couldn't.
Really couldn't.
"See?"
Renzo shrugged.
"The kid's grown up. You should learn to let go."
"You, "
Shanks pointed at him, trembling.
"This is kidnapping! Financial corruption!"
"This is talent acquisition," Rehn interjected.
"At G-5, we value talent highly. As long as you're talented, we offer top-tier compensation. It's called 'building a nest to attract a phoenix.' Understand?"
Shanks took a few deep breaths to calm himself.
He knew forcing Uta to leave was impossible.
And clearly… she was happy here.
Safer than anywhere else.
With Renzo, Mihawk, and this group of terrifying lunatics, there was probably no safer place in the world.
"Fine."
Shanks sat back down, his gaze deep.
"If Uta wants to stay, I won't object."
"But Renzo-"
His tone turned serious.
"You must promise me one thing."
"Say it."
"No matter what happens."
"No matter how the world changes, or what you plan to do."
"You must guarantee Uta's safety."
"If you ever use her, or let her get hurt even a little…"
A faint but terrifying aura burst from Shanks.
"Even if you're a Marine Admiral, even if this is G-5…"
"I will personally destroy this place."
Renzo looked at him.
He didn't avoid the gaze.
After a moment, he smiled.
"Don't worry."
He lay back down and pulled his eye mask over his face.
"As long as she can still help me sleep well…"
"No one in this sea…"
"…will be able to touch a single hair on her head."
"Unless…"
His voice drifted.
"…they want me to lose sleep."
"And the consequences of that…"
He gestured toward the pile of gold nearby and the massive crater in the distance.
"…you've already seen."
Shanks stared at him for a long time, then suddenly laughed.
"Hahaha!"
"Alright! In that case," He raised his bowl and drained it in one gulp.
"Renzo!"
"Even though you're lazy, an asshole, and a damn marine…"
"You're not so bad."
"Next time we meet, hopefully it won't be on the battlefield."
With a wave of his hand,
"Crew! We're leaving!!"
"Yes, boss!"
The Red-Haired Pirates quickly gathered.
Before leaving, Shanks hugged Uta.
"Take care of yourself. Don't cause too much trouble."
"If you miss home, call Dad."
"Okay! Bye, Dad!"
The Red Force slowly sailed away from G-5 harbor.
Under the setting sun, the red ship gradually disappeared over the horizon.
Renzo lay on his lounge chair, listening to the fading sound of sails.
"They're gone?"
"Yes, my lord," Rehn replied.
"Mm."
Renzo turned over.
"Finally… peace and quiet."
"Rehn."
"Yes!"
"For dinner tonight… I want a full fish banquet."
"To celebrate."
"Yes, my lord! Celebrate what?"
Renzo smirked.
"To celebrate… gaining a free top-tier bodyguard."
With Uta here, Shanks was basically G-5's unofficial protector.
Anyone who dared touch G-5 would have to face not only Renzo but also a daughter-obsessed Yonko.
This deal… was insanely profitable.
"Heh…"
Renzo chuckled.
"Lazy people… really are blessed."
....
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu