Aboard the Red Force,
Shanks activated his Den Den Mushi, speaking excitedly,
"Brother, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit is in our hands. Come and get it! I'm at..."
After hanging up, Buggy, standing nearby, turned pale and asked nervously,
"Oi, Shanks, are you sure you want your brother to come here?"
Shanks tilted his head and replied,
"Yeah, he's come plenty of times before. No need to be so tense."
"Don't say it so casually, dammit! Is there a single pirate left who isn't afraid of your brother?!"
"Relax, he was the one who let you out. He won't do anything to you."
After somewhat reassuring Buggy, Shanks stepped out of the cabin and onto the deck, where Teach was already restrained with Sea prism stone shackles.
Truthfully, even without them, Teach was in no condition to put up a fight. He could barely lift a finger.
Chiffon, however, was not restrained. She knelt beside Teach, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at his blood-covered body.
Teach lay sprawled on the ground, panting heavily. He forced his eyes open and looked at Shanks, demanding,
"Red-Haired... what the hell do you want from me?"
Shanks spread his hands and said,
"It's not on you anymore."
"Nani?! Don't tell me... Whitebeard?!"
Shanks didn't answer, but Buggy suddenly stormed over, kicking Teach in the side and snarling,
"You're a prisoner now! Shut up already! You'll have plenty to worry about when you meet him!"
Chiffon clung to Buggy's leg, crying out,
"Please, don't hurt my husband!"
Buggy frowned, thinking Teach had peculiar taste in women. Seeing Chiffon clutching his leg tightly, he barked,
"Let go! You think this great Buggy won't hit a woman?!"
Shanks sighed and pulled Buggy away, saying,
"Alright, Buggy, you're looking a little too smug right now."
"Nani?! Shanks!!!"
Teach sneered at Buggy and chuckled despite his pain,
"I remember now. You're that red-nosed fool from back then! Even after all these years, your nose is still just as ridiculous! Zehahahaha... cough cough!"
Teach's remark instantly shattered Buggy's composure. His nose turned red-hot like a branding iron, making him look even more comical.
Shanks couldn't hold back his laughter, nearly causing Buggy to faint from rage.
After venting a little, Teach felt slightly better, but his heart sank again when he remembered his dire situation.
Chiffon, too, wore a sorrowful expression. Just then, a high-pitched voice rang out,
"Chiffon!"
Chiffon turned, eyes widening in shock.
"Brûlée?!"
Brûlée rushed over and pulled Chiffon into a tight embrace, exclaiming,
"Chiffon, I never thought we'd meet again!"
Before Chiffon could respond, she caught sight of a towering figure approaching—her older brother, Katakuri!
Chiffon was completely stunned, frozen in Brûlée's arms.
Katakuri walked over, first glancing at Teach before turning to Chiffon. His deep voice carried a rare gentleness,
"Chiffon..."
Shanks, observing the scene, was just as surprised. He had no idea Chiffon was one of Big Mom's daughters.
Chiffon snapped out of her daze and clung tightly to Brûlée, urgently asking,
"Brûlée, how are you and Katakuri here?!"
Brûlée quickly explained their situation, leaving Chiffon, Teach, and the others completely dumbfounded.
Because from Brûlée's words, they had learned an earth-shattering truth—
Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, was actually the younger brother of Fleet Admiral!
Seeing Teach and the others in shock, Buggy scoffed and muttered,
"Tch, acting like it's a big deal. I've suspected something was off about those two for over twenty years..."
Shanks chuckled and added,
"But Buggy, if I recall correctly, you were so shocked when you first heard that you literally split into pieces and couldn't even put yourself back together."
"...Shanks, you are seriously insufferable!!!"
Suddenly, Chiffon grabbed Brûlée's clothes, tears streaming down her face.
"Brûlée, please! Save my husband!"
Katakuri frowned slightly and averted his gaze, while Brûlée hesitated before saying,
"Chiffon... you want me to plead with the captain?"
Chiffon nodded desperately, but Brûlée bit her lip and shook her head,
"I... I can't help you with this, Chiffon..."
"But—"
"Chiffon!"
Katakuri's sudden outburst made Chiffon flinch.
"You need to focus on yourself right now! As for your husband, let me be clear—he's dead today."
With that, Katakuri pulled Chiffon up forcefully, his voice firm,
"Calm down!"
Shanks, who had been watching, finally spoke up,
"Katakuri, take your sister below deck. Keep her in Brûlée's quarters. She's not to come out."
Katakuri's body stiffened for a moment before he turned, gratitude evident on his face.
He understood Shanks' underlying message—this was a way to spare Chiffon's life.
Because soon, Fleet Admiral would be arriving.
Brûlée also realized the meaning behind Shanks' words. She immediately dropped to her knees, bowing deeply.
"Thank you, Captain!"
Shanks waved dismissively.
"What are you saying, Brûlée? You're my crew, not my subordinates."
Hearing this, even someone as stoic as Katakuri felt moved, let alone Brûlée, whose tears began flowing freely.
Katakuri picked Brûlée up and slung her over his shoulder, then took Chiffon's hand. After offering Shanks a deep bow, he turned and left, dragging a still-crying Chiffon with him.
From this moment on, Katakuri truly saw himself as a member of the Red-Haired Pirates.
Compared to his own mother, Shanks was someone truly worthy of following.
Ignoring Chiffon's protests, he headed for the cabins.
Once they were gone, Buggy clicked his tongue and muttered,
"You never change..."
Shanks just smiled, while Teach, struggling to speak, gasped,
"W-Wait... Red-Haired—no, Shanks Saint! I get it now... you're trying to help your brother get the Tremor-Tremor Fruit! It's not with me anymore! L-Look, for the sake of our past battles, let me go! I surrender!"
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