New World, Hachinosu. The weather today was excellent. The sea was calm, and the sunlight fell warmly on everything.
In the harbor, countless pirate ships were packed together. On the docks, two groups of pirates were brawling, surrounded by a large crowd of onlookers shouting and cheering, afraid the fight might not be exciting enough.
This was everyday life on Hachinosu. A lawless land. A chaotic pirate paradise.
Not far from the docks, on the rooftop of a small two-story building, a bonfire burned as a group of people held a barbecue party.
Red-Haired Shanks sat on the edge of the rooftop, holding a half-empty bottle of West Blue liquor. Watching the pirates fighting below, he grinned.
"This place really is full of energy…"
That's right. The pirates partying on the rooftop were none other than the Red Hair Pirates.
Benn Beckman, a cigarette between his lips and a skewer of freshly grilled beef in hand, walked over and sat down beside Shanks at the edge of the roof.
"After this meal, we make our move?" he asked.
"Yeah!" Shanks nodded eagerly. "Once we're done eating, we're going to beat the hell out of Ochoku!"
"Looks like you're getting a bit impatient," Beckman said, chewing his meat thoughtfully.
Shanks took a swig of his drink and sighed helplessly.
"No choice. If we want to make a name for ourselves in the New World now, we can only pick on a few of them. Ortoren is someone we can't afford to provoke. Same goes for the Big Mom Pirates. That leaves the Beasts Pirates, the Whitebeard Pirates, and Ochoku's group. Kaidou's a pain to deal with, and I can't beat Whitebeard. After weighing it all, Ochoku's the only option left…"
In the entire New World, only a handful of pirates carried enough weight. Among them, Ochoku's Hachinosu faction was clearly the weakest. Shanks wanted to strike while the iron was hot, make his name known, and truly establish himself in the New World. That was why he chose Ochoku as his target.
But just as Shanks and Beckman were discussing how to move and how to arrange things, Yasopp, who had been drinking nearby, suddenly froze.
He immediately tossed his bottle onto the table, pulled out his binoculars, and stared out at the sea with a tense expression.
Noticing the change, Shanks frowned.
"Yasopp? What is it?"
"Looks like the Navy…?" Yasopp said uncertainly at first. After a few seconds of careful observation, his expression changed drastically. "Damn it, it's real. A G-5 fleet!!!"
"What!?" Shanks jumped to his feet. "They're coming this way? How many ships?"
"Looks like they're headed straight here. Let me count… one, two, three… damn it, sixteen warships. That's definitely a large fleet," Yasopp replied quickly.
Shanks had been tense, but after a moment, he let out a long breath.
"I almost forgot. Ortoren is a Marine Admiral now, not the G-5 base commander anymore. He shouldn't be here, right?"
After watching for a while longer, Yasopp shook his head uncertainly.
"I can't see any high-ranking Marine officers on the ships, so I can't confirm whether Ortoren is there. But they're definitely here to stir up trouble on Hachinosu. What do we do?"
Shanks looked toward Beckman, clearly seeking his opinion.
Beckman thought for a moment before speaking.
"First option: we leave right now. That fits our usual approach when dealing with G-5. Avoid the sharp edge and watch the show from afar. Second option: take advantage of the chaos. Ochoku and G-5 might clash. They might not actually fight, but if they do, both sides will take losses. We might be able to profit from it… though that could mean running into that monster, Ortoren."
Shanks listened, his expression conflicted. But he wasn't the type to hesitate for long.
After a brief pause, his gaze hardened.
"Whether Ortoren is here or not, even if he is, things aren't the same anymore. If we want to stand our ground in the New World, we can't keep running from his shadow forever. I don't believe that with my current strength, he could still break my arm so easily."
Shanks felt he had avoided Ortoren for far too long. Now, no matter what, he had grown stronger. He was confident in his strength. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to Hachinosu with the intention of taking on Ochoku.
If he still thought about running the moment Ortoren's name came up, then Ortoren really would become a permanent shadow in his mind.
After thinking it through, Shanks decided to stay on Hachinosu, waiting to see if there was a chance to snatch an opportunity from the chaos and finally face the shadow he once feared head-on.
Seeing their captain make his decision, Beckman and the others quickly made their preparations. However, this wasn't a situation where they needed to take the lead, so they had no intention of striking first. Instead, they kept a low profile and waited to see how things would develop.
At the same time, Hachinosu's alert seemed to have been triggered. On the harbor docks, the pirate crews that had been brawling, along with the crowd of onlookers, suddenly heard someone shout in terror that the Marines were coming. Panic spread instantly. Everyone scattered, regrouping into their own factions.
Some of the more timid ones didn't hesitate at all. They jumped straight onto their ships, preparing to flee.
But it didn't take long for everyone to see the truth. The Marine grand fleet had already spread out, completely sealing off the waters around the harbor. Several pirate ships that tried to escape hadn't gone far before being swallowed by dense cannon fire. When the smoke cleared, all that remained floating on the sea were scattered fragments of wreckage.
"Those G-5 mad dogs are still just as arrogant!"
"What's the point of cursing here? If you've got the guts, sail over there and curse them to their faces!"
"Damn it, if those Navy dogs hadn't shown up, I'd have killed you first!"
"Don't be scared, don't panic! This is Hachinosu. Ochoku-sama and Silver Axe-sama aren't pushovers. Those G-5 bastards might not even dare to really fight!"
"Yeah! What's there to be afraid of? Worst case, we'll just clash with those damn Marines!"
The pirates at the port were clearly fired up by these shouts. One after another, they roared loudly, as if they were simply waiting for the Marines to arrive so they could charge into a brutal battle and prove just how vicious pirates could be.
Of course, there were also some smarter ones who sensed something was off. Quietly, they retreated toward the rear, using the pirates on the docks as a shield.
...
Inside the skull-shaped building, Ochoku had also received the news. He stood by the window, staring at the G-5 Marine fleet that had already locked down the harbor.
"Damn it, so they really came," Ochoku cursed angrily as he glared at the distant ships. "Is that Navy Lieutenant Commander some big shot's illegitimate son or something?"
Silver Axe stood beside him, his expression just as grim. After a moment, he hefted his battle axe onto his shoulder.
"Damn it. Over a worthless Navy Lieutenant Commander, they bring this whole pack of dogs down on us? They really think we're pushovers. Just G-5? Let's go and fight them!"
"Boss!" A pirate subordinate rushed into the room, clearly uneasy. "Boss, the Marine warships are almost within firing range. Should we make a move?"
Ochoku's expression darkened when he heard that.
"They've already stopped," he said coldly. "Looks like they know exactly how far our coastal cannons can reach."
Of course they knew. Every cannon Ochoku's group had bought through the underworld was something G-5 was well aware of. The range was crystal clear to them. After all, those weapons were originally retired Navy equipment.
Unfortunately, this distance was outside the range of Ochoku's coastal defenses.
What was even more unfortunate was that Ochoku knew very well that this same distance was well within the Marines' firing range.
The reason was simple. The weaponry on Marine warships was far more advanced than anything these ragtag forces could muster.
After thinking for a moment, Ochoku grabbed the broadcast Den Den Mushi nearby and switched it on, his voice low and heavy.
"Marines, what do you think you're doing? Are you trying to start a war?"
After Ochoku shouted into the Den Den Mushi, there was no immediate response from the Marine side. The fleet continued making small, orderly adjustments, then gradually came to a complete halt.
Soon after, the hatch on the flagship's deck opened.
Ortoren emerged from inside, draped in the Navy's Justice cloak, flanked by Issho and the others, and walked all the way to the front of the deck.
The moment Ochoku saw Ortoren, a bead of cold sweat slid down his temple. He swallowed hard and muttered,
"Hey, Silver Axe… that Navy Lieutenant Commander… he's not Ortoren's illegitimate son, is he?"
"How is that even possible?" Silver Axe snapped back immediately. "That guy looks older than Ortoren himself!" He then cursed under his breath. "Are you crazy? A damn Navy Lieutenant Commander actually dragging out a Marine Admiral?"
At that moment, Ortoren raised his own broadcast Den Den Mushi and spoke calmly.
"Ochoku, I know you're on the island. I won't waste words. One of my Navy Lieutenant Commanders went missing near your territory. Order your men to lay down their weapons, stop resisting, open the port, and allow my people to come ashore and conduct a search."