Rogue Town Harbor.
A pirate ship with a red dragon head docked, with several crew members loading supplies up and down.
Fresh water, vegetables, meat, and most importantly, alcohol.
The townspeople, seeing that they were pirates, all hid. But since they were only loading supplies and not breaking into homes to rob, they left them alone.
...
Passing by the town's tavern, Shanks smiled and said to Beckman beside him, "Having tasted alcohol from all four seas, nothing compares to the aroma of liquor brewed from water that can make even your skin feel refreshed. Don't you think so, Beckman!!"
Beckman raised the bottle in his hand and sniffed it.
Not top-shelf, but the alcohol content was strong enough.
Gulp, gulp...
"Not bad!"
"Hahaha! See, the liquor from my hometown is pretty good, right!"
...
Beckman put down the bottle and said in a low voice, "Shanks, it's just an ordinary Devil Fruit. Why are those hyenas chasing after it endlessly?"
Shanks' expression froze for a moment as he scratched the back of his head. "Who knows? Maybe they really want to eat this fruit!"
Beckman knew Shanks didn't want to talk about it, so he didn't press further and instead asked, "Where are we heading next?"
"Hmm... the East Blue! I suddenly feel like having a drink from Makino!"
"Heh... I don't think it's the alcohol you're after." Beckman flashed a smile that all men would understand.
After a pause, Shanks' expression suddenly turned serious.
"Beckman... There are some things I can't tell you right now. I promise, when the time comes, I'll definitely explain everything to you!"
Beckman was highly intelligent, and Shanks knew he must have figured something out. But for now...
"Tch... I don't care, you idiot captain."
Beckman quickened his pace. "Supplies are almost done. I'm more used to sitting on the deck—walking on land makes me feel unsteady."
"Let's go."
...
"Hey!"
Just as the two reached the harbor...
A man and a woman stood at the harbor, both wearing Justice Coats of the Navy.
Beckman, with a cigarette in his mouth, chuckled lightly. "It's the Navy, here to arrest you, Captain."
"Haha, this is troublesome~"
Though they said it was troublesome... their tones carried no sense of actual trouble.
Just two Navy officers of captain rank... To deal with them, they'd need at least a vice admiral, if not an admiral!
...
Even without any visible aura, the thought of those terrifying rumors... an intangible, oppressive feeling lingered in their hearts.
Doll couldn't help but clench her fists, her black knuckledusters digging deep into her flesh.
Her knuckledusters were made of precious Sea Stone, an heirloom from her father, and were highly effective against Devil Fruit users.
But...
The Red Hair Pirate Crew—none of them were Devil Fruit users!
And this was a great pirate with a bounty close to two billion... Could she really stop him?
Trained since childhood and steadfast in her sense of justice, Doll couldn't help but doubt herself.
Like a drowning person grasping for something, she looked at Griffin.
Griffin's rapid promotion had essentially been achieved by stepping over her, and Doll, of course, was not satisfied. She had challenged Griffin many times.
Perhaps due to the overwhelming advantage Devil Fruit users have in the early stages, Doll had never won a single time.
She felt that although Griffin was stronger than her, he wasn't that much stronger. Facing such a powerful pirate...
You'd be scared too, right?
...
No.
Doll didn't see a trace of fear in Griffin's eyes.
On the contrary...
It was... how to describe it? A gaze filled with indescribable excitement, like seeing a huge prey!
In his mind, a panel that had been dormant for years flickered with text.
...
"Mission Target Discovered - Celestial Dragon - Figarland Shanks"
"Hunt Difficulty Rating - Ultra High Risk!"
"Mission completion rewards are random, drawn from the following options (multiple selections possible)—
1.
Fire Release Ninjutsu Collection
2.
Shaped Magic Puppet [Infuse a certain amount of Chakra to obtain a long-lasting puppet with growth potential]
3.
Ninja World Illusion Collection
4.
Uchiha Style Swordsmanship Collection
5.
Ice Release Ninjutsu Collection
6.
Island Destruction Bomb [Can disintegrate and explode islands within a 50,000 square kilometer range]
7.
True Relief Pill [Removes all negative statuses except aging, including diseases and injuries, restoring the user to their prime condition for two hours]
8.
High-Power Air Cannon [Compresses air to strike targets, power depends on user's physical strength, capable of shooting down spacecraft-level units]
9.
...
...
A long list of options instantly flooded Griffin's mind.
The common feature of these options was that they were all item-based - none directly boosted his attributes.
Even those ninjutsu collections were just secret manuals, not granting him instant mastery.
It seemed to suggest...
Stage completion would provide rewards, but whether you ultimately succeed depends on your own efforts - we won't level you up directly.
Really...
Not quite a system, not exactly a cheat - what exactly is this thing...
...
Griffin looked at Shanks again.
As expected... it reacts when seeing a Celestial Dragon...
He had never encountered a Celestial Dragon before - a branch navy soldier didn't have the qualification to meet them.
There were several locations where Celestial Dragons frequently appeared, like Sabaody Archipelago...
He never considered visiting.
Meeting a Celestial Dragon required kneeling and avoiding direct eye contact - that was the rule.
Griffin didn't want to kneel before such creatures.
If he couldn't control himself and caused conflict, he'd lose his position and have to turn pirate.
...
Shanks, a Celestial Dragon roaming the seas as a pirate.
A suitable candidate to activate the panel.
...
...
"Navy... your eyes are too intense.Shanks retracted his smile, his gaze turning slightly cold as he looked at Griffin.
Smiles don't disappear - they just transfer.
The corners of Griffin's mouth lifted: "Should a small navy soldier like me show fear and avoidance when seeing you?"
"Isn't that how it should be?"
Shanks rested his hand on his sword hilt without drawing it: "If you want to capture me, you should at least send a few famous vice admirals..."
"I don't want to kill you. Step aside."
...
Swish—
The sound of a drawn blade.
Griffin raised his sword to point at Shanks, tilting his head slightly.
"Sorry, but if I let you plunder without taking action, where would that leave the dignity of this Base Commander?"
...
Shanks frowned slightly: "Just... for that reason?"
Unlike pirates who went to sea for robbery, his status and power prevented him from bullying civilians.
But ultimately, a pirate is still a pirate.
Shanks had killed many who offended them, even having his subordinates blow away mountain bandits' heads in front of a young Luffy.
He was willing to pay for the goods, but those people didn't dare come out to collect the money, and he didn't have the leisure to track someone down to pay.
...
"It's just an excuse..."
A wild grin, unbefitting his usual demeanor, spread across Griffin's handsome, aloof face.
"A great pirate with a Bounty nearing two billion, appearing right before my eyes like this..."
"How could I let such an opportunity slip away!"
Whoosh!!!
With a light tap of his foot, Griffin shot forward like lightning, releasing a fierce blade aura wrapped in icy particles.
A sudden blizzard arose, bitingly cold!
Tiny ice crystals formed on the surface of the port, and the temperature in the entire area plummeted.
Clang—!!!
Shanks blocked the sharp edge with his sword hilt, looking up.
The lower half of Griffin's high black ponytail had turned ice-blue, the strands shimmering faintly in the sunlight.
Several vivid red fang-like marks appeared on his face, and his deep blue pupils seemed covered by a thin film, dotted with crystalline points that reflected a mysterious, wild red light.
Feeling the immense force transmitted through the blade, Shanks grinned.
"Zoan-type, huh..."
...
A lotus-shaped ice flower exploded between them, spreading an even deeper chill.
Griffin retracted his blade and swung down again, a phantom white wolf roaring out from the blade's gleam, claws bared and fangs exposed.
Zoan Type - Dog-Dog Fruit - Ancient Species - Snowfall White Wolf Form.
...
White Wolf Kill!!