Shanks leans forward slightly. "Mrs. Kushina, me and Benn are pirates. I'm the captain, and Benn is my vice-captain. We came to this island specifically to recruit Sterling."
Kushina nods, smiling as if everything suddenly clicks into place. "Now everything is starting to make sense."
Noelle looks completely confused. "Mrs. Kushina… are you not surprised? Or at least cautious about this?"
Kushina shakes her head gently. "You see, Noelle-chan, Sterling looked very troubled last night. So I asked him what the problem could be, and he just asked me how I felt when his dad wanted to go back to being a pirate."
Shanks and Benn both freeze, eyes widening.
Shanks blurts out, "Sterling's father is a pirate?"
Kushina nods. "Yes. He's quite prominent in the seas. The last bounty of his I saw was 170 million berries."
Shanks' face lights up with genuine excitement. "That's so cool! Maybe I know him."
Kushina says, "You might. His name is Norwell Renji."
Shanks thinks for a moment, murmuring, "Renji… Renji…"
Then he shakes his head. "Doesn't ring a bell."
Kushina chuckles softly. "I wouldn't expect you boys to know him."
Benn clears his throat. "So, when did Sterling's father leave?"
Kushina folds her hands in her lap. "He left when Sterling was three years old. He left him with a sword and a book containing all his sword techniques. We've never seen him again."
Benn nods slowly. "I see."
Noelle then asks, "Mrs. Kushina… so what happened with Sterling last night?"
"Oh, right," Kushina says. "So he asked me how I really felt about his dad leaving. I told him the truth, that I was devastated. I think Sterling was trying to find out how I would feel if he left to become a pirate as well."
Shanks smirks a little. "So he is interested, just like I suspected."
Kushina nods. "Well, Sterling does love his pirates. He's got a whole selection of bounty lists in his room."
Shanks' eyes light up instantly. "Really? Is it possible for us to see it?"
"Of course," Kushina says calmly. "I don't think Sterling would mind."
Benn raises a brow. "Actually, I think anyone would mind if you just went into their room without them present."
Kushina waves her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it."
Noelle's face suddenly turns a soft shade of red. I haven't seen Sterling-kun's room since we were kids… I wonder how much it's changed…
All four of them stand and begin heading toward Sterling's room.
---
Elsewhere, Bellé-mer is sweating heavily from running when she spots Yami walking with his metal pole strapped to his back as usual. The moment he sees the distressed look on her face, he rushes toward her.
"What happened?" Yami asks urgently. "Why do you look so panicked?"
Bellé-mer, startled by his sudden burst of speed takes a moment to regain her composure. "I'm rushing to grab Sterling's saber. Over a hundred pirates are on their way to this island, and Sterling is alone at the pier. I have to get his saber and run ba—!"
But before she can even finish her sentence, Yami is already sprinting toward the pier at full speed.
Bellé-mer watches him for a moment, then smiles to herself and continues running to complete her task.
---
Back at Sterling's house
Kushina, Shanks, Benn Beckman, and Noelle enter Sterling's room and immediately meet the sight of multiple wanted lists of notorious pirates plastered all over the walls.
Shanks scans the room in excitement, his eyes darting from poster to poster as he begins firing off names.
"Kaido… Big Mom… Shiki..."
Then he spots a particular wanted poster, his expression lighting up. He rushes over.
"Rayleigh-san!" he exclaims. "Sterling really is a collector!"
Kushina smiles softly.
"You have the same excitement that Sterling has when he speaks about these pirates. I can tell you really enjoy being a pirate."
Shanks turns to face her, grinning.
"Of course. Being free to do whatever you want on the vast sea is the best feeling ever. Even if given a chance, I wouldn't pick another profession."
"I see," Kushina replies, smiling again.
Benn then calls out, "Look, Shanks. It's a wanted poster of Roger."
Shanks' head snaps toward Benn, then toward the poster displaying a smiling man with a curved mustache.
"Captain!" Shanks says excitedly.
Kushina and Noelle are taken aback.
"No way… Shanks, do you know this pirate?" Noelle asks.
"Yes," Shanks replies. "This is my former Captain. I used to be in his crew."
Both Kushina and Noelle are shocked.
Kushina says, "Are you sure, Shanks-kun? Sterling says that Roger guy is a very legendary pirate, and that he's the reason for the Great Pirate Era."
"I'm 100% sure," Shanks says. "And yes, my Captain did set off the Great Pirate Era with his execution, and he is a legendary pirate indeed."
"Well, I didn't expect this," Kushina admits.
Noelle sits on Sterling's bed.
"To think you were this awesome, Shanks. You don't act like someone who had a legendary pirate as their Captain."
Shanks raises a brow.
"And how is someone who had a legendary pirate as their Captain supposed to act?"
Noelle goes deep into thought.
"I don't know… arrogant or something."
Shanks laughs.
"Is that so? That's how I will act from now on, then!"
Noelle laughs embarrassingly.
"That's not what I meant…"
Kushina cuts in.
"Wait, Shanks-kun. How old are you?"
"I'm 17 years of age," Shanks answers.
"So if you're so young, how old were you when you became a pirate?" Kushina asks.
Shanks shrugs lightly.
"Well, I've been a pirate since I was a baby."
Both Kushina and Noelle shout, "Baby?!" in shock.
Kushina asks, "Were you born on a ship? Were your parents pirates as well?"
Shanks sighs.
"Well, my entire life is one big complication. By the way, Mrs. Kushina, does Sterling have a favorite pirate? Is it Captain Roger?"
Noelle blurts out, "I know it!" in excitement, but quickly calms herself down.
Kushina chuckles.
"Why don't you tell them, Noelle-chan?"
Noelle smiles.
"His favorite pirate is named Rocks D. Xebec."
Benn is shocked.
"Rocks? How does Sterling know anything about him? Sterling should have been a baby when Rocks died. Besides, everything about Rocks was wiped from existence."
"Is that so?" Kushina says. "Well, his father had a notebook that he wrote since he started being a pirate, and in the book, it has the exploits of Rocks D. Xebec. Sterling has been reading that book over and over for years now. Why would this Rocks be wiped from existence? How does that even happen?"