The Straw Hat crew packed their luggage and set off toward Scrapyard Island.
"Damn it! Why is mine the only one that's a drawing?!"
Sanji held his bounty poster in one hand, fuming with anger.
"Co on, it's 300 million Berries! That's already amazing for your first bounty. My first one was only 30 million," Luffy said, putting an arm around Sanji's shoulder to comfort him.
"But this doesn't look like at all!"
Sanji collapsed onto the ground like a boneless corpse.
"All the ladies of the world are going to laugh at !"
"Looks pretty similar," Zoro said after glancing at it.
Though he looked like he was trying hard not to laugh.
"And I told them I was just a reporter!" Nami complained, on the verge of tears.
"The photo even ca out nicely—but why did I beco a wanted criminal too?!"
Luffy suddenly appeared beside her.
"What's the problem? If you sail with us, even without a bounty you'd still get arrested."
Nami: "..."
Then Chopper ran up to Luffy and pushed his bounty poster toward him.
Tears stread down his face.
"I fought bravely like a real pirate! So why is my bounty only 50 Berries?!"
Luffy rubbed Chopper's head.
"That's because your role is the pet."
"Just try harder next ti. One day you'll definitely beco a pirate worth over 100 million!"
"Really?!" Chopper looked up with sparkling eyes.
"Of course!" Luffy replied while glancing away awkwardly.
Nearby, Robin watched the embarrassed Luffy and smiled softly.
A Few Days Earlier — The New World
However, just days earlier, sothing earth-shaking had happened in the New World.
In a certain sea—
A ship with a red dragon prow cut through the waves.
All around it floated the wreckage of warships.
Before long, two massive ships faced each other across the sea.
Two flags—both representing Emperors of the Sea—fluttered in the wind.
"Pops! Pops! Red-Haired Shanks wants to et you!" a pirate shouted toward a towering figure.
Whitebeard sat connected to dical tubes, drinking heavily.
"Let him co," he said casually. "That brat brought good sake, right?"
Soon, the two pirate ships drew close enough for boarding.
"Red-Hair is coming aboard," said a calm man with pineapple-shaped hair.
"Youngsters should step back. Your bodies won't be able to handle it."
"Handle what?"
THUD—
The mont a foot stepped onto the Moby Dick, an invisible pressure exploded outward.
Crew mbers collapsed one after another, losing consciousness.
As Shanks appeared on the deck, only the battle-hardened pirates remained standing.
"Don't panic. They just fainted."
"Anyone with weak willpower can't stay conscious in front of that man."
"That Haki… it's as strong as ever."
Shanks dragged a massive sake bottle taller than himself across the deck.
Even the wood along the ship's edges began cracking under the pressure.
When he arrived before Whitebeard, Shanks looked up.
His red hair and the three scars over his eye were unmistakable.
"My apologies. I ca aboard an enemy ship and caused a bit of a disturbance."
Whitebeard glared at him.
"Every ti I see that face of yours, the scar that bastard gave starts aching again."
Shanks sighed.
"I brought healing water."
"I'm not here to fight. I want to talk."
Whitebeard crossed his arms.
"Does that sound like sothing a man leaking that much Haki would say?"
"Hahaha!"
At that mont, Marco stepped forward, staring sharply at Shanks.
"Red-Hair… what exactly are you doing here?"
Shanks t his gaze calmly.
"So you're Marco of the First Division."
"Want to join my crew instead?"
Marco looked thoroughly annoyed.
"He's not here to fight," Whitebeard said calmly.
"Leave us alone."
His voice carried unquestionable authority.
Everyone withdrew.
The Conversation
The two n sat facing each other.
Shanks poured sake from the bottle into a large bowl and tossed the jug toward Whitebeard.
Whitebeard caught it with one hand.
"This is sake from the West Blue. Not exactly high quality."
Shanks smiled faintly.
"I've traveled all the seas. Nothing compares to sake brewed with water that seeps through the earth."
"This is the sake from my hotown."
"Give it a try."
Whitebeard took a heavy drink.
"Not bad."
"Roger, Garp, Sengoku… back then there were fewer people who truly understood the sea."
"You were just a brat on Gol D. Roger's ship."
"What about that interesting red-nosed kid who was with you? Is he dead?"
"Buggy?" Shanks chuckled.
"Those were good tis."
Whitebeard studied him carefully.
"A man of your caliber lost an arm in the East Blue."
"Anyone would be shocked."
"Who took it?"
Shanks touched the empty sleeve where his left arm used to be.
He seed to recall sothing that filled him with pride.
"I bet it…"
"…on the new era."
Shanks' expression suddenly turned serious.
"Whitebeard."
"I've fought many battles and carry countless scars."
"But the one that still aches…"
"…is this one."
"The one who gave it to is your son—Marshall D. Teach."
"I wasn't careless."
"You know what I'm trying to say."
"That man has been waiting for the right mont all along. He's not—"
Suddenly—
The atmosphere changed.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky.
"What exactly are you asking to do?" Whitebeard said.
"That's the real issue."
"Stop Ace," Shanks said.
"He's young but strong enough to command your Second Division."
"I know how powerful he is—but—"
"HAHAHAHA!"
Whitebeard burst into roaring laughter.
"The snot-nosed brat learned to talk big!"
"That man committed the greatest cri aboard a pirate ship—he killed a crewmate."
"He broke the iron rule!"
"And you think you can tell what to do?"
"You're a hundred years too early!"
Whitebeard drained the sake and tossed the jug away.
Shanks disappeared in a blur to avoid it.
His face darkened.
Without a word, he finished the bowl of sake and stood up.
His hand rested on his sword.
The blade slid slightly from its sheath.
BOOM—
Conqueror's Haki burst forth like dark red lightning, wrapping around the supre blade Gryphon.
"This era will spiral out of control."
"No one will be able to stop it."
Whitebeard gripped his Supre Grade Blade Murakumogiri.
Crimson lightning wrapped around it as well.
The two blades swung.
They didn't even touch—
Yet the collision exploded outward.
BOOOOM—
Scarlet lightning erupted from the Moby Dick.
Waves surged across the sea.
Massive hundred-ter waves rose everywhere.
Even the mighty ship built from Treasure Tree Adam groaned as cracks spread through its hull under the pressure.
"What's happening? Are they fighting?!"
"No… that man wouldn't act so recklessly."
"The negotiations must have failed!"
A brilliant crimson flash shot into the sky.
The heavens themselves seed to split apart.
Monts later—
Both n lowered their weapons.
Just then, a towering wave rushed toward the ship.
Shanks turned and walked away.
Whitebeard clenched his fist.
A white sphere ford around it.
He punched forward.
CRACK—
The air itself shattered.
A dinsional shockwave tore through space and smashed into the giant wave.
In an instant—
The wave vanished.
The sky cleared once again.
But neither man felt at ease anymore.
anwhile — Banaro Island
On the other side of the world—
Banaro Island had been reduced to ashes.
It looked as if a catastrophic battle had taken place there.
"Commander Ace… you still lost in the end."
"If you had agreed to rule the world with , things wouldn't have turned out like this."
Marshall D. Teach slowly stood up despite his heavy injuries.
Around him stood his crew:
Jesus Burgess
Laffitte
Van Augur
Doc Q
They surrounded the fallen Portgas D. Ace.
"That's impossible, Teach!" Ace shouted angrily from the ground.
"I've always chosen to follow Whitebeard as my king!"
"Zehahahaha!"
Teach laughed wildly.
"Then I'll hand you over to the World Governnt."
"Straw Hat Luffy… looks like I got lucky."
"This is fate," Van Augur said calmly.
The era—
Was about to erupt.
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