Shanks didn't believe for a second that Whitebeard was the kind of man who could be cowed into submission.
A hero like that—even if it meant death in battle—would never yield.
And certainly not through something like ceding territory.
There had to be something deeper at play—something he didn't know yet.
Ben Beckman took the cigarette from his mouth, held it between his fingers, and glanced up at the cloudy sky.
"Remember what happened after Sanders fought Whitebeard?"
Shanks raised an eyebrow.
"Of course I do."
"Afterward, Whitebeard fought the Marines. That bastard Akainu's fleet was wiped out by a tsunami triggered by the Gura Gura no Mi."
A smile crept across Shanks' lips as he spoke.
Clearly, seeing the Marines suffer didn't dampen his mood one bit.
After all, at his core, he was a pirate—
And pirates and Marines were on opposing sides.
"Old man Whitebeard's still got it—able to summon natural disasters like that with ease."
Shanks let out a sigh of admiration.
But then, his smile froze.
He realized something wasn't adding up.
"Whitebeard had just fought Sanders... They went all out, settled who was stronger—so why didn't he have a single injury?"
"You figured it out, huh?"
Beckman said softly.
"Top-tier fighters don't settle things easily. It usually takes days."
"Even by those standards, Whitebeard and Sanders went at it for a whole day."
"And yet, after that, Whitebeard was fighting Akainu like nothing had happened."
"His beard had even been blasted off during the fight with Sanders."
When combatants reach that level of strength, it's almost impossible to determine a victor quickly.
A real fight between top-tier powerhouses can stretch out for days.
Even so, Sanders and Whitebeard had fought for an entire day before a winner emerged.
But afterward, Whitebeard was completely fine—
And still had the strength to go toe-to-toe with a Marine Admiral.
That wasn't normal.
"I've heard that the infusion tubes Whitebeard usually keeps on him—there's way fewer of them now," Beckman added.
"So after their fight... Sanders treated Whitebeard?"
Shanks caught on immediately.
Beckman nodded.
"That's probably why Marco went to Dressrosa to hand over territory."
"It was a deal."
"Whitebeard wouldn't give up land just because he lost a fight."
"But if Sanders healed him—then ceding some land as part of the deal makes sense."
"Whitebeard's sons wouldn't object either—not if it meant saving their old man."
Shanks nodded in agreement.
He'd known Whitebeard for decades.
He understood just how much sway Whitebeard held within his own crew.
If it meant improving their father's health, giving up some land was a small price to pay.
And as for Sanders having the power to heal Whitebeard's injuries?
Neither Shanks nor Beckman was surprised in the slightest.
Sanders possessing multiple Devil Fruit abilities was no longer a secret on the seas.
Given his long silence, it wasn't surprising that he had managed to get his hands on a healing-type fruit as well.
"Hahaha, so you're saying Whitebeard's fully recovered now?"
"A battle-scarred lion regaining his strength... I wonder what kind of terrifying power that'll unleash."
Shanks laughed heartily, a glint of fighting spirit flashing in his eyes.
But that fighting spirit quickly faded, replaced by his usual relaxed demeanor.
"What about Kaido of the Beasts?"
He suddenly brought up another Emperor of the Sea.
"Why did he send King the Wildfire to Dressrosa?"
A hint of seriousness crept onto his face.
The Whitebeard Pirates wouldn't ally with Sanders against the World Government.
But the same couldn't be said for the Beasts Pirates.
That monstrous creature—aside from his obsession with dying—had always been scheming a massive war.
All those years of stockpiling power were preparation for that moment.
Someone like that teaming up with Sanders?
It wasn't far-fetched.
In fact, it was quite possible.
After all, Sanders had plenty of history with the World Government and the Marines.
Two unrestrained, powerful pirate crews joining forces... who knew what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world?
Half the Marine forces were already mobilized because of the instability.
"We're not sure yet," Beckman said softly.
"You know we don't have any intel sources in Dressrosa."
"From what we've heard, King stayed less than an hour before leaving."
"Hopefully nothing crazy happens... The balance in the New World has only just settled," Shanks sighed.
"Even if the two major pirate crews don't form an alliance, the seas are going to descend into chaos."
Beckman exhaled a puff of smoke, the haze quickly swept away by the sea breeze.
Shanks' puzzled voice followed:
"Why's that?"
"Heh... because someone's eyeing the Emperor's throne."
"But his territory's way smaller than ours," Beckman continued.
"Up until now, he's only really held Dressrosa."
"And strictly speaking, Fish-Man Island isn't even officially his territory."
"But now..."
"Sanders has started taking over Whitebeard's territories."
"That means he's done lying low."
"He wants territory that matches his status."
"Hahaha, so he's finally making a move?"
Shanks laughed again.
"I thought he'd end up like Golden Lion Shiki—just isolating himself up in the sky."
Shanks wasn't surprised by Beckman's theory.
As the youngest of the Four Emperors, there was no way Sanders would be content ruling just Dressrosa.
Shanks always knew—sooner or later—Sanders would begin expanding his territory across the New World.
"But the real question is... does his crew have the strength to uphold his title as the Fifth Emperor?"
He had his doubts about the other members of the Thunder God Pirates.
"Besides that blind swordsman, the others are finally starting to make a name for themselves," Beckman said quietly.
As the vice-captain of the Red-Hair Pirates, Beckman kept a closer eye on the sea than his captain—
After all, Shanks mostly just hosted feasts and partied, and didn't bother with most current affairs.
"The War Demon Vapa, and the Death Surgeon have both been roaming the New World for quite some time."
"They've defeated several well-known pirate crews."
"Their bounties have already surpassed 200 million Berries, and it's likely to go even higher soon."
"Not bad at all," Shanks chuckled.
"Once they return to Dressrosa, I imagine the war for territory will officially begin."
"I still haven't fought Sanders myself."
"I really want to see the power of the man who defeated Whitebeard."
As he spoke, Shanks gripped the Western-style sword at his waist, his eyes brimming with battle lust.
The one who had replaced him as the youngest Emperor of the Sea...
He was eager to test that man's strength for himself—
And maybe, finally uncover the mystery of how Sanders had managed to acquire so many Devil Fruit abilities.
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