Grand Line, aboard the Red Force.
Shanks stood at the bow, tilting his head back to gulp down a mouthful of strong liquor. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then glanced over his shoulder at the small island fading into the distance. A mocking smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Beckman approached slowly, carrying a jug of wine. He leaned an arm against the railing, his tone laced with a hint of melancholy.
"So this so-called One Piece... is just that, huh…"
Shanks shrugged.
"No wonder Captain Roger reacted the way he did back then. In the end, it was just a trap someone else laid out. Thinking back to how I used to be, it's almost laughable!"
As he spoke, Shanks irritably lifted his empty flask, only to find it bone dry. Without hesitation, he snatched Beckman's and took another hearty swig.
Beckman stared at him, deadpan.
"So, what do we do next? One way or another, we've already reached Laugh Tale. News will spread fast. Before long, you'll be crowned as the next Pirate King after Roger."
"Pirate King, huh... tch. Carl was right — a pirate is just a pirate. There's no such thing as a king among us. This whole 'Pirate King' thing is just a glorified bandit title. A joke, just like the One Piece itself."
Shanks casually handed the empty jug back to Beckman. Beckman weighed it in his hand, found it light as air, and could only smile helplessly.
Tossing the jug overboard, watching it drift away on the waves, a trace of wistfulness flickered in Beckman's eyes.
"Shanks… are you really going to disband the crew? Just like Roger did back then?"
Shanks stiffened. The carefree act he wore a moment ago began to fade. Forcing a smile, he muttered,
"Maybe… I can't find any reason to keep sailing these seas anymore."
...
"Captain!!"
Shanks turned to find the entire Red-Haired Pirates assembled on deck — Buggy among them.
Arms crossed, Buggy tilted his head, eyeing Shanks.
"Unbelievable. Never thought a guy like you would one day get sick of being a pirate. Looks like this business really is done for, huh?"
Shanks gave a noncommittal smile.
"Buggy, don't give me too much credit. Whether pirates continue or not… that depends on my brother's will."
Buggy swallowed hard. His fear of Carl ran bone-deep. At Shanks' words, he nervously glanced around, as if afraid Carl might pop out of thin air at any moment.
Lucky Roux, Yasopp, and Bonk Punch — the old guard of the Red-Haired Pirates — all had tears brimming in their eyes. Lucky Roux tore off a huge chunk of roasted meat with his teeth, but even his hearty appetite faltered. The meat tasted like wax in his mouth, and he nearly gagged.
Bonk Punch wiped his tears.
"Captain... are you really going to disband us?"
Shanks hesitated. Then, at last, he gave a silent nod. He didn't want to meet the sorrowful gazes of his crew anymore. Turning away, he fixed his eyes on the distant horizon and whispered,
"I've drifted long enough... maybe it's time to go home."
A heavy silence fell over the deck. After a long pause, Beckman elbowed Shanks sharply and barked in mock anger,
"Hey, hey! Who's this gloomy wreck? Where's the Shanks I know? Everyone's watching, you know! You're still our captain — don't go embarrassing the Red-Haired Pirates before we even disband!"
Buggy chimed in, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Yeah, this isn't the first time I've seen him like this. Wasn't this the same guy who once told me he'd become a real man? Pathetic!"
Shanks' face twitched. His back turned to the crowd, his complexion shifted between green and white. His brow furrowed.
Getting scolded by Beckman was normal — Shanks had gotten used to that as captain. But getting mocked by Buggy… that he couldn't stomach.
He spun around, rolled up his sleeves, face flushed, and bellowed just like in the old days aboard Roger's ship,
"Oi! Buggy! What the hell did you just say!? You itching for a beating!?"
Buggy didn't flinch. No matter how strong Shanks had become, in his eyes, he was still that red-haired brat from back then. His body split apart, upper half floating into the air as he pulled a grotesque face.
"I said you're pathetic! What are you gonna do about it?"
Veins bulged on Shanks' forehead. He raised a hand and squeezed the air — two reddish pressure spheres materialized, clamping Buggy's torso and yanking him down, slamming him face-first onto the deck.
Seeing Buggy sprawled out, Shanks felt some of the pent-up frustration in his chest finally ease. He looked up at his crew, took a deep breath, then suddenly laughed heartily.
"Everyone! I'm going to be a father!"
The crew, still wallowing in sadness, were stunned speechless by the announcement. None of them had known.
Shanks burst out laughing.
"Just for that alone, we've gotta throw one hell of a party! Come on! Bring out all the booze and meat!"
Katakuri, hearing this, silently snapped his fingers. Clumps of white mochi split off from his body and floated into the ship's hold. Moments later, they emerged, hauling out piles of food and barrels of liquor.
Shanks strode to the center of the deck, grabbing Lucky Roux and Bonk Punch and throwing an arm around each of their shoulders.
"Enough with the long faces! Cheer up already!"
Beckman came over, massaging his temples with an exasperated look.
"Can't take you anywhere… But fine. We did find the One Piece, after all. Whatever the result, we fulfilled our original dream. Yeah — we should celebrate."
At Beckman's words, the crew slowly let go of their sorrow. They roared in unison, grabbing food and drink, sitting cross-legged right on the deck, and throwing themselves into the party like they always had.
Shanks watched them, smiling, then whipped off his black cape with a dramatic flourish and dove into the crowd, clinking cups and drinking heartily with his men.
...
Amid the revelry, Shanks glanced at Katakuri, who was stuffing his face with doughnuts like a man possessed. Grinning, Shanks asked,
"Katakuri, got any plans after this?"
Katakuri swallowed a massive mouthful, then glanced at Brûlée beside him. Wiping his mouth, he said,
"I'll be heading back to Whole Cake Island with Brûlée. Heard things have changed a lot over there."
-----------
+140 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg