In an unnamed stretch of the West Blue, near the Kano country, the sea was calm and the sky was a brilliant, cloudless blue.
The Red Force cut a slow, imposing path through the gentle waves, its iconic flag—a skull with three deep, red claw marks—fluttering from the mast.
On the sun-drenched deck, a quiet, lazy peace had settled over the crew.
But for the captain, Red-Haired Shanks, there was no peace.
He stood at the railing, a freshly printed newspaper gripped so tightly in his one hand that the paper crinkled under the strain, his brows furrowed in deep frustration.
"Ugh, can't those two just stay quiet for once?" he muttered to himself, his tone laced with a familiar exasperation.
"They barely settled down for a few days, and now they've stirred up a mess of this scale. And Kaido... actually offering that much money just to get beaten up?"
Lucky Roux, a massive drumstick in hand, waddled over, peering curiously at the paper.
"Boss, what's got you so worked up?" he asked, his words muffled by a mouthful of chicken.
But when his eyes landed on the staggering headline—Kaido challenging Whitebeard with a bounty of three hundred billion Belly—his jaw nearly dropped.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" he sputtered, nearly choking. "That's enough money to buy us drinks for a lifetime!"
"Haha, seems like someone's got too much cash and nowhere to spend it," Yasopp laughed, holstering his rifle and pulling his coat a little tighter against the crisp sea air.
"But speaking of which," he continued, his tone growing more serious.
"Shouldn't we head over there? We can't just let them act so recklessly, can we?"
Before Shanks could respond, Benn Beckman, his first mate, set down a freshly cleaned revolver.
The usual playful atmosphere on the deck evaporated as he spoke, his voice low and steady, commanding immediate attention.
"This isn't as simple as it seems. For a pirate crew like Kaido's to offer three hundred billion Belly is an act of either sheer desperation or supreme confidence. Now, with Morgans broadcasting this declaration of war to the entire world, who knows what schemes he's really plotting?"
His eyes swept over each person present before finally settling on Shanks.
"We should observe this mess from the sidelines," Benn advised, his tone laced with caution.
"There's no need for us to get involved." He then pointed with his chin toward the colossal structure that dominated the horizon.
"Besides, we're already here."
Ahead of them loomed a massive iceberg, a veritable frozen continent shimmering under the sunlight, its crystalline peaks refracting the light into a thousand dazzling colors.
A faint, cold air rolled off it, a stark contrast to the warm sea breeze.
"The treasure ahead should keep us drinking for a while," Benn added with a faint smile.
Yasopp nodded, a smug grin spreading across his face.
"Hahaha! The Happo Navy. Those guys guarded this treasure for centuries but could never crack it open. In the end, it fell right into our laps. Don't worry, I've scouted the area thoroughly—no suspicious targets around."
"Kaido has a temper," Shanks finally mused, his eyes reflecting a careful consideration.
"But he isn't a fool. To flaunt that kind of money and challenge Whitebeard so openly... something must have given him the confidence to do so." He turned, grabbing a cup of sake and taking a hearty swig before letting out a laugh.
"Let them stir up their own trouble. The Marines will never stand by and let two Emperors go to all-out war. Our priority is right in front of us. We secure that treasure, and then we throw a feast the world will hear!"
"Woohoo! Feast time!" Lucky Roux cheered.
"Binks' Sake," Benn added, his eyes gleaming with a rare longing.
"I've missed it."
"Hahaha, Shanks," Yasopp teased, a playful edge to his voice. "It's about time we visit Uta again soon, isn't it?"
At the mention of her name, the hard, strategic glint in Shanks's eyes softened instantly into a tender warmth.
He saw a flash of a much younger Uta, her bright smile and the sound of her singing carried on a long-lost wind.
"Yeah… Time really flies," he mused, a touch of melancholy in his voice.
He then downed the entire bottle of wine in one gulp, as if trying to swallow the complex emotions within him.
"I wonder if she still hates me," he murmured, so softly it was almost lost to the wind.
Yasopp stepped forward, his usual playful grin replaced by a look of genuine friendship.
He clapped a firm, comforting hand on his captain's shoulder.
"There are no grudges between a father and daughter that can't be mended, Shanks. It's been a long time. Uta must be eager to see you."
"...I hope so," Shanks replied softly, his gaze lost on the distant horizon.
********
Sky Island.
The atmosphere on Angel Island was electric, a stark contrast to the oppressive gloom now hanging over Onigashima.
A massive, jubilant feast was in full swing, the sounds of celebration echoing across the sea of clouds.
Mugs of sake crashed together as pirates roared with laughter, drunkenly recounting the events of the raid.
"Kakakaka! Can you believe the Old Man actually got that much of Kaido's blood?!"
"You guys didn't see it—Pops was a legend! He sent Kaido flying with a single slash!"
"Yeah, yeah! If Kaido hadn't dodged fast enough, that slash would've sliced his kidney right out!"
"Azure Dragon and Tremor-Tremor! I want both!" one pirate declared drunkenly.
"You want both? You got the twelve billion Belly for it?!" another shot back, sparking a fresh round of raucous laughter.
At the center of it all, Whitebeard sat on his makeshift throne, a deep satisfaction on his face.
He slowly pulled out two items: a large ornate gourd and a small, shimmering vial of precious, dark blood.
"Is that... Kaido's liquor gourd?" Ron asked, his eyes wide.
The old man hadn't just defeated him; he'd taken his favorite drinking flask as a trophy.
The sheer audacity of it was breathtaking.
"Captain, is that Kaido's blood inside?"
"Gurararara! That's right, Ron!" Whitebeard laughed heartily, handing both items over.
"Using his own gourd to hold his blood—brilliant!" Ron praised, giving his captain an admiring thumbs-up.
"Kaido really bled this time," Whitebeard chuckled, his mood exceptionally cheerful.
"Not only was he severely injured, but all the gold he'd hoarded for years is gone, too! Ron, this time, we absolutely must create a few dragons. Traveling to and from this Sky Island is just too inconvenient."
Ron nodded, his mind already racing, painting a picture of a fleet of nine majestic dragons, their roars shaking the skies.
And if funds weren't an issue, a more manic part of his brain thought, a hundred dragons would be even better.
A hundred fiery breaths could sink an entire island in a single, apocalyptic volley!
It was then that Ace, his face a mixture of excitement and deep frustration, finally found a chance to interject.
"Pops! Pops, can you take me with you next time you fight Kaido?" he pleaded, his eyes gleaming with a desperate, fiery eagerness.
He had just woken up from training-induced exhaustion to learn that his brothers had gone and robbed an Emperor without him.
The regret was so intense it made him sick to his stomach.
Seeing the longing in Ace's eyes, Whitebeard fell silent.
A complex wave of emotions washed over him.
He saw the boy's immense potential, but he also saw the recklessness, the fire that could burn too brightly.
He knew that in the brutal grinder of the New World, against monsters like Kaido, Ace's current skill set wasn't enough.
As a father, his first instinct was to shield him, to protect this passionate, dream-filled young man from a fate he wasn't yet ready to face.
But as a captain, he knew that true growth only ever came from weathering the storm.
"How's the Haki training going?" Whitebeard asked, his tone gentle but his gaze penetrating.
"Don't worry, Pops!" Jozu assured him, slinging a massive diamond arm around Ace's neck with big-brotherly pride.
"I've been teaching him Armament Haki all afternoon. He's a natural—just needs more practice."
"That's right, Pops!" Ace added, his eyes gleaming with a fierce, almost dangerous excitement.
"Armament Haki comes naturally to me. I'm almost at the edge of external emission!"
Before, he had been arrogant, complacent in the supposed invincibility of his Logia powers.
But the New World had been a harsh teacher.
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