The winter island was a breathtaking sight to behold, despite the harsh weather that made it nearly uninhabitable. Snow fell steadily from the gray sky, coating every surface in pristine white. Ancient pine trees stood like silent sentinels, their branches heavy with snow that sparkled like diamonds when caught by the occasional ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds. The very air seemed to shimmer with ice crystals, creating an almost magical atmosphere that would have been peaceful if not for the bone-chilling cold.
Near the rocky coastline, a magnificent ship sat anchored in the protected harbor. The Red Force was unmistakable—its distinctive skull and crossbones flag bore three parallel red scars across the left eye socket, marking it as the ship of one of the Four Emperors. Even covered in snow, the ship radiated an aura of power that made it clear this was no ordinary pirate ship.
The Red Hair Pirates were legendary throughout the New World, known not just for their captain's incredible strength, but for being the most balanced crew among the Four Emperors. Unlike other Emperor crews that relied heavily on their captain's overwhelming power, every member of Shanks' crew was formidable in their own right. Their bounties were distributed more evenly than any other Emperor crew, creating what many called an "iron wall" of defenses around their captain.
At the heart of this crew was Ben Beckman, the vice-captain whose intelligence and combat prowess were said to rival even Shanks himself. The other officers—Lucky Roux, Yasopp, and the rest—were all monsters in their own right, each one capable of commanding their own crew if they chose to.
Ace stood at the bow of their ship, studying the Red Force with obvious excitement. "Well, this is definitely the right place."
"No kidding," Jerry replied, pulling his coat tighter around himself. Despite his ability to manipulate the moisture in the air around him—keeping the wet snow from penetrating his clothes—the raw cold was still brutal. "So what's the plan? Just walk up and knock on their door?"
"Pretty much," Ace grinned, shouldering a pack that clinked with the sound of glass bottles. "I brought gifts."
Jerry raised an eyebrow. "Please tell me those aren't explosives disguised as wine bottles."
"Just wine. Really good wine, actually. From East Blue." Ace's expression grew slightly more serious. "Trust me on this one, Jerry. I know what I'm doing."
After securing their own ship and making sure the rest of the crew understood to wait for their signal, Ace and Jerry made their way toward the island. The snow crunched under their feet as they followed tracks that led inland from the Red Force's mooring point.
They didn't have to walk far before they found what they were looking for.
The cave was clearly a natural formation, but it had been modified for comfort. Warm light spilled from the entrance, and the sound of laughter and conversation echoed from within. The smell of cooking meat and wood smoke mixed with the crisp winter air, creating an almost inviting atmosphere.
Inside the spacious cavern, the Red Hair Pirates had created a perfect shelter from the storm. A large fire pit dominated the center of the space, its flames casting dancing shadows on the cave walls. Around it, the crew members sat on various makeshift chairs and logs, creating a cozy gathering space that felt more like a tavern than a pirate hideout.
Lucky Roux, the crew's chef and a man whose round figure spoke to his love of good food, was putting the finishing touches on what looked like a magnificent feast. The portly pirate had been working for hours, and the results showed—platters of perfectly prepared meat, fresh bread somehow obtained despite their remote location, and various side dishes that filled the cave with mouthwatering aromas.
"The temperature's rising," Ben Beckman observed quietly, exhaling a stream of cigarette smoke as he looked toward the cave entrance. "And there's movement outside. Something's coming our way."
"Aw, come on, Beckman!" Shanks called out from where he'd been casually whittling a piece of wood. "Don't be such a pessimist! We're about to have a great party, and you're talking about trouble. Can't a guy enjoy his dinner in peace?"
Beckman's response was cut short as two figures appeared at the cave entrance. The contrast between the harsh winter storm outside and the warm, welcoming interior made their sudden appearance all the more dramatic.
Ace stepped forward first, snowflakes still clinging to his dark hair despite the relatively thin clothes he wore. Behind him, Jerry looked equally unaffected by the brutal cold, though he'd wisely dressed more appropriately for the weather.
The moment they appeared, the jovial atmosphere in the cave shifted dramatically. Conversations stopped mid-sentence, hands moved toward weapons, and every eye in the cave focused on the unexpected visitors. The Red Hair Pirates hadn't survived in the New World by being careless about uninvited guests.
"Well, well," Shanks said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement despite the tension. "Aren't you two a bit underdressed for this weather? Most people freeze to death just walking from their ship to this cave."
Before either of the newcomers could respond, a younger crew member came scrambling into the cave behind them, clearly out of breath from running through the snow.
"Boss!" the lookout called out, his voice tight with anxiety. "They just walked right up to me and said they wanted to say hello to you, then headed straight for the cave. I couldn't stop them!"
Beckman waved the young pirate aside with a calm gesture, then fixed his steady gaze on the two intruders. "Fire Fist Ace and Dragon Fist Jerry, I presume? What brings two rising stars of the New World to our little dinner party?"
Jerry noted the casual way Beckman had identified them both, despite never having met either of them in person. The Red Hair Pirates' intelligence network was clearly as impressive as their reputation suggested.
"Nothing complicated," Ace said quickly, raising his hands in a peaceful gesture. "I just wanted to come over and say hello to Shanks. That's all."
The temperature in the cave seemed to drop several degrees as Shanks' expression grew serious.
"Say hello?" Shanks repeated, his voice carrying an edge of danger. "In the New World, 'saying hello' can mean a lot of different things. Some of them aren't very friendly."
A wave of Conqueror's Haki rolled out from the red-haired Emperor, washing over the cave like an invisible tide. It was a casual display of power, meant to test the newcomers' resolve and strength. Lesser pirates would have been knocked unconscious instantly.
But both Ace and Jerry remained standing, completely unaffected by the pressure. If anything, they looked slightly bored by the display.
"Please don't misunderstand," Ace said quickly, removing his hat and offering a surprisingly formal bow. "My name is Portgas D. Ace, and this is my Vice Captain Jerry. I really did just come to say hello. I apologize for the intrusion."
"That's right," Jerry added with a casual nod, his eyes scanning the cave and taking note of each crew member's position and potential threat level. "No hidden agenda here."
Shanks blinked, clearly caught off guard by the formal politeness.
"Uh... what?" Shanks said eloquently.
Seeing the confusion on the Emperor's face, Ace seemed to panic slightly. He'd clearly rehearsed this meeting, but the reality wasn't going according to plan.
"Right, so... I'm from Baterilla Island in South Blue, but I grew up in East Blue," Ace began, his words coming out in a rush. "I've been a pirate for a while now. People call me Fire Fist because of my Devil Fruit powers, and I wanted to meet you because..."
He trailed off, clearly struggling with how to continue. The other Red Hair Pirates were watching this display with expressions ranging from confusion to suspicion.
"Ahem," Shanks interrupted, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Kid, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Jerry watched the tension building in the cave and prepared himself for a potential fight.
But Ace seemed oblivious to the dangerous atmosphere, too focused on his obviously rehearsed speech to notice the hostile body language around him.
"Damn it," Ace muttered, rubbing the back of his head with an embarrassed smile. "I practiced this speech for weeks, but I'm still messing it up. Makino's going to scold me so hard when she finds out I couldn't even introduce myself properly."
The effect of that single name was immediate and dramatic. The tension in the cave didn't disappear, but it shifted noticeably. Several of the Red Hair Pirates exchanged meaningful glances, and Shanks' expression changed from suspicion to curiosity.
"What did you say?" Shanks asked, leaning forward. "Makino?"
Jerry rolled his eyes internally. You could have mentioned the password earlier, he thought, watching as the atmosphere began to defuse.
"Yes," Ace continued, his confidence returning now that he'd gotten a reaction. "When I was in East Blue, Miss Makino taught me proper manners. She always said I should be polite when meeting other pirates, especially important ones."
As he spoke, Ace unslung the pack from his shoulders and carefully removed several bottles of high-quality liquor. "She also said I should bring gifts. This is sake from East Blue—from the region where I grew up. Makino thought it might help break the ice."
Shanks stared at the bottles for a long moment, then looked back at Ace with growing interest. "Which Makino are we talking about here? Because if you mean who I think you mean..."
"Makino from Windmill Village," Ace confirmed, his face lighting up with genuine fondness. "I've been living in the nearby mountains since I was a kid—Mount Colubo, with the Dadan Family bandits. But I spent a lot of time in the village, and Makino always looked out for me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Support me at [email protected]/goldengaruda and check out more chapter of this or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~