Shanks? I think there was someone by that name on the ship back in the day. But his strength wasn't anything impressive back then.
I guess times really have changed. Captain Roger may be dead, but his former crewmates are all making waves now," Douglas Barrett said with a sigh.
"Let's go meet him. I want to commandeer his ship anyway. This little warship of ours is way too cramped," Renji Kai said with a grin.
"Hah, I was thinking the same. Since he used to sail with Roger too, I'd like to see if he still remembers me," Barrett laughed.
With that, the two sped toward the massive Red Force aboard their compact marine vessel.
"Captain Shanks! There's a small warship approaching fast. Should we avoid them?" a pudgy man on deck asked, humming and gnawing on a chunk of fresh meat. He wore small sunglasses, a green-and-white striped cap, a matching shirt, a yellow coat, blue sash, beige pants, and red sneakers.
This was Lucky Roux, one of the Red-Haired Pirates' main fighters.
"Let's see who they are first. If it's an admiral or someone like that, we'll pass," Shanks replied.
Standing on the deck, Shanks' red hair blew in the wind beneath his black cloak. He wore patterned brown capri pants, sandals, and had the famed saber "Gryphon" at his waist. Notably, his left arm was missing.
There's only one man in the world who could lose an arm and still be a captain: Red-Haired Shanks.
"Only two men on that warship," Lucky Roux said, squinting. "Doesn't look like they're Marines. No uniforms."
"Looks like they might've hijacked the ship, just like us once," Ben Beckman said beside Shanks. Beckman had gray hair, a sharp, chiseled face, and a fit physique. Scars marked his arms, and a rifle was strapped to his waist. He wore a black three-quarter-sleeve shirt and a spiral-patterned cloak.
"Interesting. Two pirates targeting us, huh? Let's see what they want," Shanks smirked as the warship neared.
Within minutes, the two ships drew close, and Renji Kai and Douglas Barrett leaped onto the Red Force's deck.
A crowd quickly gathered, with Red-Haired Shanks standing front and center.
"Hey, what do you two want?" Ben Beckman asked coldly, puffing a smoke ring before putting out his cigarette.
"Nothing much," Renji Kai said casually. "As you can see, our ship is tiny and uncomfortable. Yours is huge. We figured we'd come and negotiate a trade. Ship for ship."
The entire crew burst into laughter.
"Do you even know who we are? Or which pirate crew you're talking to?" scoffed a man wearing a cloth-collared shirt and long pants, a metal staff at his waist and a rifle slung across his back.
"Yasopp," Renji Kai said calmly, "Your son Usopp is just as dumb as you."
The moment the words left his mouth, the air on deck went still. Pirates subtly reached for their weapons.
Ben Beckman extinguished his cigarette immediately.
Renji's comment had struck like a bomb.
"So, you know my son?" Yasopp asked, voice low.
"Sure do. But he's too dumb to be on my crew," Renji replied coolly.
"You know us well, huh? And you still came here? Must mean you're pretty confident," Shanks said, gripping Gryphon tightly.
"You've already lost an arm. Time to retire. No need to go messing around in the New World. Leave your ship here and stay in the East Blue," Renji said.
Before Shanks could react, Ben Beckman moved. In a blink, his rifle was up.
Bang!
The bullet fired without warning, heading straight for Renji.
But before it could hit, a blackened hand stretched out—
Clack!
The bullet stopped cold in the palm, blocked by a powerful armament haki-clad hand.
Everyone gasped.
Even Ben Beckman narrowed his eyes.
"Have we met before?" Shanks asked, realizing that this man beside Renji was not ordinary.
The man had instantly covered his body with haki and moved fast enough to block a bullet from Beckman. That required terrifying strength.
Shanks then turned his gaze to Barrett.
"Time really flies," Barrett said with a nostalgic smile. "Even the brats who used to mop the deck don't recognize me anymore. I must be getting old."
"Hah, the world's changed, old man! That's why I said we need to get out there and make our mark. Otherwise, everyone will think you died back in Impel Down," Renji teased.