"Hey, Shanks."
South Blue, in some unknown sea.
A red ship with a simple dragon head carved into its prow slowly sailed forward. At the bow, a young man in a straw hat was reading a newspaper.
Hearing someone call him, he raised his head in surprise.
"What is it, Beck?"
"Nothing," the tall, broad-shouldered man with slicked-back hair and a cigarette dangling from his lips walked over and snatched the paper from his hands.
"Is it about that Orin?"
"Eh? Why would you ask that??"
Beckman spread open the newspaper, glanced at Shanks's astonished face, and chuckled.
"Because every time you read a paper that carefully, it's almost always about him."
Shanks scratched his cheek, looking a little guilty.
Is it really that obvious...
"Actually, this time it's not about Orin. It's about someone having a duel with Rayleigh-sensei. Ever since I left the ship, it's been a long time since I last saw him."
"Is that so..."
Beckman narrowed his eyes suspiciously and glanced at the details in the paper. Sure enough, it was exactly as Shanks said. But...
"If I'm not mistaken, Hawk Eyes is Orin's crewmate, isn't he? Shanks, you—"
"Ah... ahahaha..."
Just as the two were chatting—
"Oi!!! Shanks, looks like a pirate ship up ahead!"
Through his telescope, Yasopp spotted a ship in the distance and shouted to Shanks at the bow.
"A pirate ship? Now that's unlucky. Prepare for battle!"
Shanks immediately seized the chance to divert the topic, leaving Beckman helpless.
From afar, a pirate ship sailed toward the Red-Hair Pirates. On closer look, it was loaded with treasure.
They seemed to have just finished pillaging and were now on their way out.
"A huge haul, huh. That's a lot of treasure."
The ship's doctor, Hongo, carrying a long staff, quickly examined from afar before pulling a dossier from his coat. It was intel on that very ship.
Shanks took it with a grin.
"As reliable as ever, Hongo."
"Cut it out."
Shanks unfolded it slowly, but quickly lost interest.
"Looks like they're not big-name pirates at all."
The enemy likely hadn't recognized the Red-Hair Pirates, mistaking them for some nobodies, and foolishly rammed straight into them.
The result was obvious.
With barely any effort, the Red-Hair Pirates seized a pile of loot.
"Treasure, eh... that'll fund plenty of banquets."
Everyone cheered. Shanks's face lit with joy too, as he opened one of the chests. But inside wasn't treasure at all—
A baby?
"You little guy... where did you sneak in from?"
"Could those pirates have kidnapped it?"
Strangely, once the chest was opened, the infant stopped crying and instead burst into laughter. But upon seeing the dumbfounded crew, it started bawling again.
This threw Shanks into a panic. Which of these hardened men had ever cared for a baby?
Helpless, Shanks awkwardly sang a "lullaby":
"Sleep tight, little one~ Quiet now, don't make a sound~"
Perhaps finding it amusing, the baby giggled again.
Seeing this scene, Shanks froze, as though recalling a long-buried memory.
"Reminds you of when Captain Roger picked you up, doesn't it, Shanks?"
A sudden voice spoke right next to him.
Everyone was startled!
Years of fighting on the seas had honed their instincts; weapons were instantly drawn toward the source of the voice.
Even Shanks jolted, beads of cold sweat sliding down his forehead in shock.
When...? Even Observation Haki didn't pick it up...
But once he realized who it was, Shanks's face shifted to surprise and joy. Slowly, he turned around.
Bathed in sunlight stood a tall young man, his cloak and long hair swaying gently in the wind.
With a faint smile, he walked casually through the circle of drawn blades and spears, as though oblivious to the tension, his gaze fixed only on Shanks.
"Shanks."
Shanks's face lit up with excitement, still carrying the rashness of youth.
"Oh!! It's Orin!!!"
The tense Red-Hair Pirates saw that the newcomer seemed to be Shanks's friend and finally breathed easier.
"What the—just a friend of Shanks. Orin, huh..."
"..."
After a moment of silence, realization struck them all at once. They stared in disbelief at the towering figure before them.
"Nani!?!"
"The Black Emperor, Orin??!!"
Even Beckman—who had heard Shanks tell countless stories of Orin—looked deathly serious now.
That name alone had suppressed an entire era. The legendary pirate, Orin, had actually boarded their young crew's ship?
Orin's reputation was so great, his feats so many, that they instinctively overlooked the fact that he and Shanks were of the same age.
As Orin and Shanks exchanged greetings after so many years apart, Mihawk, who had followed Orin onto the Red Force, sized up the Red-Hair crew.
Not many swordsmen. Only Shanks seemed worth cutting.
Unlike the wary gazes of the crew, Orin and Shanks were genuinely overjoyed at the reunion after years apart.
"It really has been ages, Orin!!!"
"Lads, let's have a banquet!!! Welcome Orin!!!"
"OOOOHHHHH!!!!"
Though they were unfamiliar with Orin, and his strength and reputation carried an oppressive weight, since Shanks said so, they believed in him.
The welcome feast for Orin began immediately.
Orin gladly joined, bringing along plenty of fine wine worth millions of Belly—since it was the only drink he could stomach; anything else hurt his throat.
After some time together, Beckman, Lucky Roux, and the others found that the Black Emperor was actually quite easy to get along with.
Shanks quickly got drunk, especially after reuniting with his old friend Orin. By the latter half of the banquet, he was already slinging arms around both Orin and Mihawk, rambling drunk.
Orin didn't mind much, but Mihawk clearly disliked it. He sat coldly, drinking alone, ignoring Shanks's chatter.
Instead, it was Beckman's arrival that drew Mihawk into some talk.
"Having such an unreliable captain... sometimes it's really a headache."
Beckman shook his head helplessly at the sight of the drunk Shanks laughing and talking away with Orin.
Mihawk understood the feeling well.
"In that regard... someone I know is much the same."