Black Stone City, the largest tavern.
In the dim night, the entrance door was suddenly pushed open.
"Hey! Boss! Bring out all the wine from your cellar, I'm having guests over, remember, I mean all of it!"
With a hearty laugh, Shanks strolled familiarly to the bar counter, flinging a large stack of Belly onto it, startling the owner.
The guests in the tavern were also shocked, turning their heads to look.
"It's Lord Shanks! Weren't you and your crew supposed to leave today? Why are you back?"
The owner, while grinning widely and collecting the money, boldly asked.
"Well..."
Shanks scratched his head, "Because I encountered an important guest. Originally, I thought of hosting the banquet on the ship, but with the rain pouring down, I decided it would be better to come here..."
Important guest?
The pirates in the tavern exchanged glances, wondering who could be so important to the Four Emperors' Red-haired Shanks.
At that moment, the entrance door was pushed open again.
A cold wind mixed with raindrops rushed in, and a tall, slender black figure stepped in, his black hair wet from the rain, casually sticking to his forehead, but couldn't hide those eyes sharp as blades.
He calmly swept his gaze across the room, and the entire tavern fell silent instantly.
"Yo, Shano!" Shanks enthusiastically waved, "Over here, over here!"
Shano nodded slightly, striding over, and behind him were other crew members from the Endgame, filing in one by one, followed by the cadres of the Red Hair Pirates.
As the scene became chaotic, the whispers of pirates were daring enough to start.
"It really is the World's No.1 Sword Master Shano!"
"Damn, how are these two appearing together, and they seem to get along well..."
"Are they teaming up to attack the other Four Emperors?"
"Is the New World... about to change!"
This is the world as it is.
The slightest action or coincidental meeting of the big figures, once noticed, can be magnified infinitely and analyzed with effort and intrigue.
"Forget about it!"
Some seasoned pirates whispered a warning, "The Red Hair Pirates are one thing, but don't you know the Endgame's way of doing things!"
"This isn't a place we should stay, let's go!"
The others then suddenly realized.
It is rumored that the World's No.1 Sword Master disliked identifying as a pirate and wasn't friendly to pirate comrades.
So... it's better not to stick around and be an eyesore.
Quite a few pirates quietly slipped out immediately, while Shanks and Shano naturally didn't have time for the gossip, as the two sat by the bar, with Shanks generously opening a barrel of wine, pouring a large glass each for Shano and himself.
"To our meeting!"
Shanks grinned, raised his glass, and clinked heavily with Shano, causing the golden liquid to splash in collision.
"To our meeting."
Shano also laughed heartily, throwing back the entire glass in one go.
As the drinking continued, the atmosphere gradually became lively.
The Red Hair Pirates' cadres and the male crew members of the Endgame seemed to have bonded, exchanging stories of their adventures at sea.
The girls, however, were put off by the older men on the Red Hair ship, gathered at a table of their own, with Nami banging on the table and demanding to drink beer, only to be punched by Nojiko, slumping over the table asleep.
Yet no matter which side, they tacitly kept their distance from the bar, leaving ample space for the two captains.
"Hey, Shano."
Shanks, already flushed, leaned in to whisper, "You felt it too, didn't you? Though today's meeting was by chance, but... hic, I, uh, have some things I've wanted to ask you for a long time..."
"What a coincidence."
Shano put down his glass, "Red Hair, I also have things to ask you."
"I'll go first!"
"I'll go first!"
The two exchanged glances.
"You go first!"
"You go first!"
"Stop!" Shanks rubbed his temples, looking pained, "Hey, come on, since I'm hosting, give me the privilege to go first..."
He pondered for a moment, then opened his mouth to speak:
"Unlike the overly arrogant old folks among the other Four Emperors, who don't know much about you, I have specifically collected some intelligence about you, and have a bit of understanding of things you've said, to Rayleigh on Shampodi, and in Log Town, what was covered up by the World Government..."
"Ordinarily, even as pirates, we should remember the rule of not speaking too deeply in shallow acquaintance, and I should bury this doubt in my heart."
"But today... after personally sensing the weight of your Supreme King, the urge to get to the bottom of it can't be suppressed or delayed any longer."
Shano's face remained unchanged as he filled his glass again.
"Shano, what exactly are you planning? What's your true aim?"
Shanks stared intently into his eyes, "With your bold statements about ending the Great Pirate Era, but you and I both know, right? Where the root of chaos truly lies... I've seen through it from your deeds along the way, Shano! Tell me! Your real intention is to bring an end to that place called the Heaven's Holy Land, but is actually the Gate of Hell, isn't it??"
Shano drained his glass again.
"Good wine..."
He smacked his lips enjoyably, the corner of his mouth curling, "Tsk, seen through, eh?"
As expected!
Shanks maintained his impassive look, but within him, a heavy stone seemed to settle, a sigh of relief escaping.
A future potential ally indeed!