"Indeed." Benn Beckman took a deep drag from his cigarette.
It was like this again.
He had tried it before too, and it was the same.
"Hope it doesn't discourage Lime Jomes."
It clearly did.
Lime Jomes dejectedly put down "Ace." His only chance in life had failed.
Dege took a deep breath, washed his hands thoroughly, and approached "Ace" even more reverently. He closed his eyes and calmed himself for a full ten minutes before reaching out and gripping the hilt.
Everyone held their breath.
Praying for Dege in their hearts.
They were all failures; they had all tried, even Yasopp, who wasn't a swordsman, had tried.
Without exception.
None of them could use the Supreme Grade Swords "Ace."
Dege picked up "Ace" and likewise swung the blade towards the sea.
A flying slash cut across, shaving off a section of the sea.
"Pfft!" Dege spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
It wasn't a backlash.
It was too great a blow, and he couldn't bear it for a moment.
He also couldn't use it.
Whether it was strenuous or not, he knew best, and others could tell at a glance. If you couldn't use it, you couldn't use it, no matter how hard you tried. It wasn't something you could use just by relying on strength.
"Ah, there's no need to be disheartened. I can't use it either, and none of us can." Red-Haired Shanks patted Dege's shoulder.
"That's right, none of us can use it."
The closely-knit crew members mocked themselves one after another.
"What kind of blade is it? Is it broken?" Red-Haired Shanks glared fiercely at "Ace": "You'll stay here forever and gather dust, bleh bleh bleh..."
Jabba watched Red-Haired Shanks' childish behavior, speechless.
"It seems we still have to wait," Jabba sighed. "Are there any famous swordsmen left on the high seas now?"
"None," Red-Haired Shanks shook his head.
Jabba sighed repeatedly.
He also hoped that someone could take "Ace" and let Roger's favorite blade, "Ace," once again burst forth with a different brilliance and splendor on the high seas.
It had been almost ten years.
He hadn't waited.
He was almost giving up.
"No one in this era can succeed, can they? As expected of Roger's favorite blade, others can't even use it. A legend is a legend," Benn Beckman exclaimed.
He also couldn't imagine who in this era would still be qualified to succeed.
Captain Shanks failed.
Hawkeye Mihawk failed.
All of us failed.
Who else could there be?
Since everyone failed, they weren't as sad and started a banquet.
Laughter and joy.
Filled the entire area in front of the wooden house.
Barrels of wine were moved out from the cellar, and for food, they simply sent someone to the forest or the sea, and soon enough meat was caught.
"Hey, hey, hey, if you're taking wine, just take wine, why are you taking it to the ship?" Jabba's face darkened.
"Ah, Mr. Jabba, you're not drunk?" Red-Haired Shanks opened his innocent big eyes.
Another burst of laughter.
The banquet lasted for almost a day.
The Red Hair Pirates, sprawled everywhere, only staggered to their feet around noon the next day.
"Mr. Jabba, I'm leaving."
"Get lost," Jabba said grumpily.
"Hehe..." Before leaving, Red-Haired Shanks looked at the wine cellar again. Only one barrel of fine wine was left. He couldn't bear to leave none at all, so he finally walked towards the Pirate Crew ship on the shore with peace of mind.
Jabba sat in front of the door.
Smoking his pipe.
Like an ordinary old man basking in the sun, he watched the Red Hair Pirates board the ship.
In his eyes were memories of the past.
The ship began to raise its anchor, preparing to depart.
"Captain, where are we going?" Lucky Roux, who was at the helm, asked.
Red-Haired Shanks yawned, "We've been out for so long, it's time to go back to the New World."
"Shanks, aren't we going to Windmill Village?" Benn Beckman asked.
Red-Haired Shanks' expression immediately became unnatural: "No, I've made a promise with Luffy to meet at the peak. There's no reason to go back right after leaving."
"Is it just Luffy?" Benn Beckman teased.
Red-Haired Shanks' face was a bit awkward.
A woman's figure appeared in his mind.
"The next time we come to the East Blue, who knows how many years it will be? Are you really not going?" Benn Beckman's tone became even more mocking.
The other crew members also burst into laughter.
They all grinned, looking at Red-Haired Shanks.
They could see their boss's little thoughts.
"Go away, go away, all of you." Red-Haired Shanks grumpily shooed them away and shook his head: "Forget it, our journey is too difficult for Makino. Fate has destined that I will only meet her in the future. I believe she will wait for me."
Benn Beckman was speechless: "Wait for you for what? Captain, I need to remind you, you have no relationship with Makino at all. You just ate a meal and drank some wine at her tavern."
Red-Haired Shanks smiled confidently: "I believe in fate."
"..."
"Let's go!" Red-Haired Shanks waved his hand.
The ship started.
Yasopp, as the lookout, also went to his post, checking the surroundings from the high platform.
Suddenly! He focused on one side.
"Boss, a ship has appeared on the coast."
Yasopp looked towards the horizon with his telescope.
A ship appeared in his vision.
"Strange, this is a secluded part of the island. Besides Mr. Jabba, there's no one else. And there's a ship coming here, are they lost?" Benn Beckman wondered, "Is it the Marines or a Pirate Crew?"
No one paid much attention.
Although the Red Hair Pirates were good-natured, they also had their pride.
With their combat power.
Coming to the East Blue was like a big boss coming to a beginner's village.
There were no pirates in the East Blue that they would take seriously.
Even in the Grand Line, there are few pirates they pay much attention to.
"Is that so?" Yasopp raised his telescope, slowly panning upwards.
Up, little by little.
He saw the fluttering flag.
It wasn't the most common skull and crossbones pirate flag, but a Chinese character he didn't recognize: "Tomorrow" (Tomorrow)!
"It's the Sun and Moon Pirates!!!"