In a certain sea area of the East Blue, a small dinghy drifted on the waves.
On the dinghy sat a young, carefree-looking man wearing a straw hat. He was leaning back against the side of the boat, reading a newspaper. The man had short, wine-red hair and bright, lively eyes.
That's right. This was Shanks, who would later become one of the Four Emperors and the famous "Red-Haired" pirate. But right now, Shanks didn't even have a bounty. Yes, as trainee crew members of Roger's pirate crew, he and Buggy hadn't earned bounties. Buggy had spent twenty years in the East Blue before he finally got a bounty of 15 million berries.
Shanks and Buggy had continued to hang out together for two more years after the execution in Loguetown. Although the two of them constantly bickered and cursed at each other, their relationship was actually quite good. But people with different philosophies couldn't work together forever.
After Captain Roger died, Buggy no longer planned to be a pirate. He just wanted to find more treasure. He believed that was what it meant to be a real pirate. In comparison, Shanks, who had inherited Roger's straw hat and will, clearly valued freedom more. During the years he'd spent following Roger's crew into battle, his horizons had broadened. Now, if someone asked him to live a mediocre life like Buggy, he simply didn't want to.
Therefore, he'd planned to persuade Buggy to form a new pirate crew with him. The two brothers would go out to sea again together. As a result, Buggy had rejected Shanks without hesitation and said he just wanted to be a lazy bum in the East Blue. Thus, the two had officially parted ways.
After breaking up with his good friend Buggy, Shanks had been wandering the East Blue for the past two years. Because he was well-informed and not as narrow-minded as a frog in a well, he knew very well that, although Captain Roger had praised his excellent talent, he was still in the growth stage. His strength wasn't enough to support him traveling around the New World yet, so he hadn't left the East Blue.
In fact, Shanks's real peak period would be about four years before the main story began, around 1515 to 1516, when he would officially reach the top of the New World and become one of the Four Emperors. Of course, he should already be quite strong a few years from now. After all, his arm would still be intact at that time, and he'd often fight with Mihawk on the seas.
Right now, Luffy had been arranged by Finn to live in Marineford. Shanks probably wouldn't have any connection with him anymore. Therefore, in a sense, Finn could be considered Shanks's benefactor. After all, this indirectly destroyed his boast of "betting on the new era." He wouldn't have to become some one-armed pirate emperor!
But Shanks definitely wouldn't know the reason behind this, and Finn wouldn't bother explaining it to him.
While honing his own strength, Shanks was constantly inquiring about talented people in the East Blue. Although most masters believed that the East Blue was the weakest sea, as one of Roger's crew members, Shanks didn't think so. Come on, if the East Blue was the weakest sea, how could a strong man like Captain Roger have come from it? Not to mention, the Marine Hero Garp was also from the East Blue.
Just those two alone could beat most of the world's masters to pieces, yet people still dared to say the East Blue was the weakest sea? Wasn't that insane?
In Shanks's opinion, it was simply because the environment in the East Blue was very stable. Many powerful people hadn't developed their talents and hadn't chosen to become pirates. That's why it seemed a little "weak." There had to be powerful people throughout the entire East Blue.
Not to mention, he'd actually heard about someone not long ago: the defending champion of the Four Seas Shooting League for three consecutive years, a sharpshooter known for his unerring accuracy. The guy was from the East Blue. And he lived in a small village called Syrup Village.
Shanks was heading toward that village at this very moment, intending to invite the shooting genius, Yasopp, to join his fledgling pirate crew and become his first partner.
"Admiral Finn, Hero Garp... Are they also in the East Blue?" Shanks murmured softly while looking at the newspaper.
The news article mentioned that Finn and others had visited the 19th Branch base in the East Blue not long ago. Shanks was certainly no stranger to Garp. The man had chased his captain for years, and Shanks had met Garp many times. Shanks was also deeply impressed by Finn. According to the news, he was the man who'd captured his captain, and Shanks had seen him on the day of the execution.
Shanks never doubted Garp's power. As for Finn, he was now an Admiral of the Marines. Was there any reason to doubt his strength? He had to be extremely powerful.
"Tsk tsk, I hope I don't run into them," Shanks muttered.
At that moment, he suddenly turned his head to look at the sea level. His pupils shrank slightly as he stared into the distance. Then Shanks's face changed.
"What I said is really coming true!" Shanks complained.
Because he'd already spotted, in the distance, a huge standard warship of Marine Headquarters sailing toward him against the wind and waves. But as far as he knew, the only people from Marine Headquarters currently in the East Blue were Finn and his group!
Shanks was anxious at first. After all, if he ran into Garp and Finn, he definitely wouldn't be able to defeat them. But soon, he paused. He tapped the straw hat on his head and laughed at himself. "What am I afraid of? I don't have a bounty. Although I worked under Captain Roger for a while, the Marines didn't put a bounty on me. Theoretically speaking, I'm a good citizen..."
Thinking of this, Shanks was no longer in a rush. He lay on the edge of the boat and watched the warship slowly approach.
At the same time, on the deck of the warship, Finn was wearing a beach shirt, flowery shorts, and a pair of flip-flops, leisurely fishing. In the end, Dragon hadn't taken him to see Koshiro. The guy had answered a call on his Den Den Mushi from the Revolutionary Army and left in a hurry. At that point, the encounter with Dragon had come to an end.
As for Garp, since he had Luffy, Ace, and the others with him, he hadn't followed Finn this time. He'd stayed in Windmill Village and would pick Finn up when he returned. At the same time, Bell-mère had done the same and temporarily settled down in Windmill Village. Hina, the young Marine, had originally gotten on board under the pretext of "going on vacation with Vice Admiral Garp," so now that Garp wasn't around, she felt embarrassed to continue following Finn.
Therefore, at this moment on the warship, it was truly Finn and Gion's "world for two."
Although Dragon wasn't leading the way, Finn still planned to go to Shimotsuki Village. It was very likely that Koshiro was hiding secrets about Wano Country. Maybe there would be some gains?
"If Luffy and Ace are going to Marineford, what will happen to Sabo then?" Finn stroked his chin, glanced at his fishing rod, and thought to himself.
The three brothers definitely couldn't happen now. Sabo was the legitimate son of the Outlook family of the Goa Kingdom. Outlook was a member of the aristocratic class. Finn couldn't just go in and abduct him. That would be inappropriate. What's more, the Outlook family would soon become the royal family of the Goa Kingdom, and Sabo would theoretically become a prince.
It really wasn't a good idea for Finn, a Marine Admiral, to kidnap the prince of an allied nation and bring him back to serve as a Marine. Therefore, Sabo could only be left alone for now. If he was lucky, he might still be able to join the Revolutionary Army. But no matter what, he and Ace and Luffy wouldn't be able to become sworn brothers. He could only wander alone in the Goa Kingdom. Finn wished him good luck.
Just as Finn was thinking about all this, he suddenly spotted a small dinghy on the sea not far away, keeping a safe distance from the warship. There seemed to be someone on it looking at him curiously.
Finn followed his gaze, then laughed. Good God, Red-Haired Shanks!
After seeing Finn's smiling face, Shanks even raised his hand casually, as if to greet him.
"Someone, come here!" Finn suddenly called out.
Soon, a Lieutenant Commander stepped up behind Finn. "Admiral?"
"Go check and see if there's any bounty on Roger's pirate crew, Red Hair... or Shanks. That guy was an apprentice crew member," Finn said.
"Yes!" the Lieutenant Commander replied.
After a brief pause, Finn added, "Stop the ship!"
"Yes!" The officer responded again. Seeing that Finn had no other instructions, he quickly went to carry out his orders.
Originally, Shanks had been waiting for the huge warship to leave, but the warship suddenly stopped halfway. Then he saw Finn, who was standing on the deck and waving at him, as if to say hello.
"What does that mean?" Shanks muttered to himself in confusion.
Not long after, the Lieutenant Commander returned and reported, "Admiral, we haven't found any bounties on Red Hair or Shanks. He should be considered unwanted. Since the disbanding of the Roger Pirates, theoretically, as long as he doesn't commit any crimes, he's no longer a pirate."
"Really?" Finn smacked his lips. But that bastard Shanks was right in front of him, and he always felt a little uncomfortable if he didn't do something about it.
Thinking of this, Finn said, "Go and bring me a cannon."
The Lieutenant Commander blinked in confusion but quickly carried out Finn's order. After a while, a mobile cannon was wheeled onto the deck. Finn positioned the cannon against the railing and aimed it directly at Shanks's boat.
Shanks, who had been looking at the warship curiously, was suddenly shocked when he saw Finn gripping the cannon barrel with his bare hands as if it were a rifle and pointing it at him. He froze for a moment, then quickly shouted, "Hey, Admiral, I don't have a bounty on me! Technically speaking, I'm a civilian! Is this appropriate?!"
"Straw Hat Shanks!" Finn didn't call him Red Hair. He directly called him Straw Hat Shanks. After all, he really was wearing a straw hat.
Before Shanks could say anything else, Finn laughed. "You bastard, you were a trainee on Roger's ship back then. Even though you didn't have a bounty on your head, don't tell me you're planning to retire! If you dare to swear now that you'll never be a pirate again, I'll leave immediately and won't make things difficult for you!"
Shanks froze. He was a man of his word. How could he possibly make such a vow?
Seeing that Shanks didn't respond, Finn laughed. "Hahahaha, I knew it! You bastard, you still want to be a pirate. You dare to pretend to be a civilian? You're screwed!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Finn lowered the cigar from the corner of his mouth and directly lit the fuse on the cannon. The next second, there was a deafening boom.
Finn blew Shanks's boat to pieces with one shot. The small dinghy exploded into splinters, though Shanks wasn't seriously injured. He clutched his straw hat, floundered in the sea, and cursed, "Hey, Admiral, are you even human?!"
"Hahahahahaha..." Finn laughed, but he didn't continue to bully the guy. After all, he really didn't have a bounty and wasn't flying a pirate flag. Messing with him once was enough.
Tossing the cannon barrel back onto the gun mount nearby, Finn waved his hand at Shanks, who was floundering in the seawater. "Remember this: if you dare to become a pirate again, I'll burn your straw hat the next time we meet!"
After saying this, Finn turned to the officer behind him. "Set sail. Ignore him."
As Shanks continued to curse, the huge warship quickly sailed away from the "crime scene of the Marines attacking a civilian."
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