"Learn from the experience, since it's fake, losing it doesn't hurt."
Shano patted his arm, "Just consider it a lesson bought. Be more vigilant in the future when such things happen."
"Yes, boss..." Jack nodded with grievance and hugged his pajamas as he returned to his room.
Shano, on the other hand, watched Jack disappear into the distance and looked out the porthole.
He sneered.
Jack thought it was lost, but how could it be such a coincidence that he had a drink in the tavern with the Red Hair and then it was gone?
The Red Hair's men must have taken it!
Hmph, stealing is one thing...
But stealing from me is another!
Do you think that just because you were once a crew member of the Pirate King, you can underestimate the true Pirate King?
At first, Shano was moved by Shanks' concern, hesitating to make a move, planning to steal a few personal items from their ship under the cover of night, just to pull some wool over their eyes, and then call it a day.
But then...
The other side pulled this stunt.
Looking towards Black Stone City, whose silhouette was barely visible on the horizon, he quickly changed his clothes emotionlessly, jumped from his ship, and swam toward it—
In that case.
Don't blame me for being impolite!
...
The night is peaceful and quiet, moonlight like water.
On the Redfox, the night watch crew lazily sat on the lookout tower, yawning.
Most of the ship's crew was spending the night at the tavern district with their boss, Shanks, and those left to guard the ship were newcomers who had not long been aboard and were still in their trainee phase.
These people seemed lacking in alertness and combat ability, but no one thought anything would happen.
After all, this was Whitebeard's territory!
Plus, with the Red Hair Pirates' flag... under the dual emperor's deterrence, who would have the guts to come onto this ship to cause trouble?
Suddenly, he felt as if something swam beneath the ship.
"Hmm?" He suspiciously leaned out to look at the sea, but under the moonlight only saw calm waters.
An illusion...
The newcomer shook his head, just about to lean on the railing for a nap, when suddenly an earth-shattering noise occurred, bringing strong feelings of weightlessness!
Wow ah ah ah!
Beneath him and the ship, something lifted them up!
"Is it the Sea King Species?"
"I don't know!"
"In any case, let's stop it together, or the ship will capsize!"
The trainees drew their weapons, rushed to the side of the ship, and prepared to flip over the railing to check below, but just at that moment—
The ship disappeared.
...
Half an hour later, at Black Stone City Port.
Shanks, Beckman, and others stood at the empty dock, dumbfoundedly gazing at the spot where the Redfox once anchored.
Nothing remained, just an outline of flashing dotted lines...
First, Shanks rubbed his eyes and checked the dock, confirming it wasn't an illusion, then gaped, nostrils flaring, his eyeballs bulging.
Where's my ship?
Where's my massive Redfox?!!!
Beckman too was stunned, cold sweat streaming, his cigarette dropped to the ground, still not recovered: "...How was this done?"
"Hey! You there!"
Yasopp snapped awake first, rushed to the trembling, soaked night-guarding trainees by the shore, clenched his teeth, and grabbed their collars, pulling them over:
"What just happened? Where did the ship go?"
"We... We really don't know!"
One trainee cried with a scrunched face, "We stayed on the ship the whole time, didn't dare blink, boss! The ship suddenly shook as if something underneath lifted it up, and the next moment, the ship just vanished, as if erased!"
"Yes, boss, in one blink it was gone, and we plopped into the sea, tried swimming back but couldn't find the ship at all, and didn't even see who was responsible!"
Lifted by something in the sea?
Then vanished in plain sight, just like that?
Several officers glanced at each other, feeling quite puzzled, while ship doctor Honjo frowned: "These guys don't seem to be lying, nor dare to lie, but such a thing... even a large Sea King Species couldn't achieve it..."
"No, I think it wasn't a Sea King Species, but some kind of strange Devil Fruit Ability User."
"Indeed, taking the ship away and disappearing without a trace in an instant, this kind of ability..."
Listening to the officers' discussion, Shanks finally slowly snapped out of his petrified state. He suddenly raised his head, looked in a certain direction, and started laughing loudly.
"Hahaha, hahahahaha!!"
"Shanks?"
Lucky Roux felt anxious and tentatively reached out to touch Shanks' forehead, "You, are you okay? Don't scare me!"
"That's right, Shanks, if you want to cry, just cry, you can borrow my shoulder."
Yasopp also worried, "You're reacting very oddly..."
"Hahahaha~!!!"
But Shanks kept laughing, his laughter resounding freely in the night, and after a while, he gently moved Lucky Roux's hand away, gesturing that he was okay.
"Cry? Why cry?"
His smile vanished, his gaze like a blade swept far off, "Those lofty 'Gods' think they can intimidate me with such a vile tactic?"
Beckman frowned: "You mean... the Divine Knight Order?"
He intentionally lowered his voice—some things were well known to the ship's veterans, but the trainees were not yet fit to hear it.
"Who else could accomplish this?"
Shanks sneered, "Coming and going without a sound, erasing an entire ship without leaving a shadow—that's the 'Divine Punishment' they're best at!"
"They're scared! Seeing me and that Shano kid meet, thinking we will ally, now finally knowing fear!"
"Is this supposed to be a warning? They think by taking my ship away, I'll back off? Shut up? Stop 'meddling'?"
"How ridiculous!"
He fiercely kicked a wooden box by the dock, splintering wood, "The more they act like this, the more it proves my path is right! The happier I am!"
Compared to showing him the fear of those guys, losing the ship that had been with him for years was nothing!
Shanks steadily raised his gaze, what he was now looking at, and had been looking at, was precisely the direction of Mary Geoise.
Just you wait...
Those fools who devastated this world, this is just the beginning, already afraid?
Far from it!
Even if that Shano kid fails, there's still Nika in the wings!
Soon, just a few years... when the Sun God Nika fully awakens, as the sound of freedom's war drums resonates through the seas, the entire Holy Land will know what true fear is!
...
On the Endgame.
Shano took another bath and stepped out into his pajamas from the bathroom, but this time his face wore only a joyful smile.
Clearly feeling much happier.
Because this haul was exceptionally lucrative!
Humming the tune "Eternal Pose," he opened the system panel, quickly scanning the information.
[You've sacrificed Beckman's spare pistol, gaining 2800 points]
[You've sacrificed Yasopp's wife's memorial photo, gaining 1900 points]
[You've sacrificed Lucky Roux's sunglasses, gaining 1900 points]
[You've sacrificed Honjo's single bed, gaining 1400 points]
...
Following were several other named officers, contributing a total of 3000 points.
But these were just appetizers, the true prime treasure was yet to come...
Shano's gaze shifted to the final line and clicked open the details.
[You've sacrificed Shanks' Redfox, gaining 15000 points]
[Redfox]
[Quality: Legendary]
[Value: 15000 points]
[Appraisal: One of the Four Emperors, Red-haired Shanks' flagship, bearing the will and glory of New World's top sovereign. The vessel is crafted from the branches of Treasure Tree Adam, exceptionally sturdy, having weathered countless storms and battles since the dawn of the Great Pirate Era, yet remaining invincible. It is a longtime companion of Red Hair et al., a symbol of the Sea Emperor's dominion]