"I know where Luffy is — stop!"
At the sound of her voice, the blade halted just ten centimeters from the man's neck.
Makino could bear it no longer; she rushed forward, tears streaming down her face, and cried: "Please — don't kill him!"
The one‑eyed pirate drove his sword into the ground right at the man's feet, narrowing his eyes at the woman who had stepped out.
Makino stood before them, arms held open in surrender.
"Is that so? Thank you very much," Grimm said, stepping out of the tavern.
He reached one arm around her shoulder from behind, leaning close to her right ear in an uncomfortably intimate pose, and whispered:
"If you're lying to lead us astray… you know what will happen. Think carefully before you speak."
Makino trembled, biting her lip. After a long pause, she said faintly: "Luffy is on Mount Corvo. He lives there now."
"Thank you." Grimm pulled his hand away. Makino swayed, her legs giving way, and sank to the ground. What have I done?
Mr. Dragon told me never to reveal Luffy's location, no matter what happens… I thought Grimm wouldn't really kill anyone… what have I done?
Unconcerned by her distress, Grimm walked to the center of the street and called out: "Move out for Mount Corvo — now!"
"Aye aye!" the thousand men roared in unison.
Ten minutes after they had vanished from sight, Makino finally snapped out of her daze. "No… I have to warn Luffy!"
"Makino, don't rush — you can't stop those monsters even if you go," one villager said gently.
"The Village Head has already sent word to Mr. Garp."
"We can only wait here for the Marines to arrive," another added.
"This isn't your fault," said a third.
Still overwhelmed by guilt, Makino suddenly remembered the special Den Den Mushi Shanks had left with her two years before.
She hurried back into the tavern, found the snail with its distinctive red hair markings, hesitated for only a few seconds, and placed the call.
It said a great deal about Luffy that the villagers would hide him so faithfully — and that he had earned the protection of Red‑Haired Shanks himself.
---
The New World
The World Government had still not made Grimm's voyage to the East Blue public.
Partly to avoid widespread panic, but also to keep the situation as contained and manageable as possible.
Meanwhile, the Red‑Hair Pirates had effectively drawn the ire of Kaido — just as many of Shanks's crew had warned him they would.
When Shanks first entered the New World, he had managed to avoid open conflict with Big Mom and Whitebeard, but he had clashed sharply with Kaido — and had already severed ties with Grimm.
Shanks had defeated two of the All‑Stars, Jack and Queen. But the rift with Grimm ran far deeper:
Grimm believed the World Government had no right to exist, while Shanks saw it as the very foundation of order — and feared the world would descend into chaos without it.
As long as Grimm sought to overthrow the Government, a clash between them was inevitable.
To rise as an Emperor in his own right, Shanks would eventually have to face both Grimm and Kaido — and the two seemed to share some quiet, uneasy alliance.
Unsure he could stand against Grimm yet, Shanks had taken Beckman's advice: he would start by seizing territory from Kaido instead, and build a strong base of his own first.
After two weeks of brutal fighting, Shanks had finally carved out a foothold — wresting a large, prosperous island straight from Kaido's grasp.
Kaido had no easy way to strike back immediately, so after careful consideration he chose to let the island go — for now.
But Kaido was the kind of monster who never forgot a grudge, and who would pick fights even when he had none.
He would never forgive some "upstart brat" taking what was his; the moment he saw his chance, he would launch a full‑scale counterattack.
By now the sun had set, and the moon hung low in the night sky.
The Red‑Hair Pirates were in full celebration, feasting and drinking around a roaring bonfire.
Lucky Roux and the others had their arms slung over one another, dancing and singing.
"Ahahahaha!" Shanks laughed heartily as he drained yet another large tankard of wine.
It was a day worth celebrating — their flag now flew over land taken from one of the Four Emperors.
"Shanks, slow down," Benn Beckman said, sitting on a nearby rock with a cigarette in hand.
"If Kaido decided to strike right now, look at you lot — how would you even fight back?"
"Ahahahaha — you're such a killjoy, Beckman!" Shanks grinned. "Kaido's too busy for that!"
Buru buru buru!
The sudden ring of a Den Den Mushi cut through the noise. Shanks blinked, his haze of drunkenness clearing fast.
"Huh? Where's that coming from?"
A crew member with two scars across his face hurried over, holding the snail.
"Captain, this one's been ringing in your quarters — I thought I'd bring it out."
"Alright…" Shanks picked up the receiver.
The moment the snail's eyes opened, its face twisted into a look of despair, and Makino's tearful voice came through:
"Shanks… where are you?"
"Makino?" Shanks stammered, instantly sobering up.
Every pirate who had been singing or dancing froze, turning their full attention to the call.
Shanks had given Makino that Den Den Mushi two years ago, but she had never used it — until now.
To hear her crying like this meant something terrible had happened.
"It's like this…" Makino recounted everything that had taken place in Windmill Village.
Shanks went silent for several seconds after hearing her out.
"Don't worry, Makino. I'll find a way."
"Thank you… please hurry," she sobbed, and the line went dead.
Lucky Roux set aside the ham he had been eating and stepped forward.
"Why would Grimm be so set on Luffy?"
"I don't know…" Shanks said aloud — though in his heart he thought: Still not giving up?
Is he finally going to take him by force?
"Beckman — any ideas?" he asked his first mate.
"Ideas… meaning saving Luffy?" Beckman said, twirling a toothpick between his teeth.
"Of course we are! We can't just let this happen," Shanks said firmly.
The rest of the crew nodded in agreement.
Many of the newer recruits had never even met Luffy, but the old‑timers already thought of him as family.
__________________
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