The finals were scheduled for two days later, giving Gustave time to take the Red Hair Pirates on a proper tour of the Prince of Tennis world. He wanted them to experience modern civilization firsthand before returning to their own era.
"That internet café was absolutely fascinating! Those computers could not only show videos but play games too. I wonder when our world will have such incredible inventions," Shanks muttered to himself like a man possessed as he boarded the Bamboo Staff with Uta in tow.
His obsession had started when Gustave's group had passed an internet café during their sightseeing tour. Noticing the crowds inside, Shanks had insisted on investigating. One look at the glowing screens and the engrossed players had been enough to hook him completely.
"Hey Shanks, didn't you know? The Bamboo Staff has computers! They're on the third floor - Uncle Gustave set up a whole computer room. Ace and I each get one hour of gaming time every day after we finish our daily assignments!" Luffy looked at the Emperor with genuine surprise. He visited the ship almost daily during this period - how had Shanks missed such an obvious feature?
"What?! There are computers on the Bamboo Staff?! You and Ace play there every day?!" Shanks stared at Luffy in complete disbelief. He'd been wondering why the two boys disappeared for periods each day. He'd assumed they were doing extra training or studying, never imagining they were gaming!
"Gustave! Why didn't you tell me there were such amazing things aboard the ship!" Shanks spun around and grabbed Gustave's shoulders, shaking him vigorously. After all this time as friends, how could he keep such entertainment secret? What kind of friendship was this?
"You never asked," Gustave replied with a casual shrug, as if this was somehow Shanks' fault.
"But I..." Shanks sputtered helplessly. He certainly hadn't asked about computers - at the time, he hadn't even known what a computer was!
"Well, I'm going to the third floor right now! I'm going to use those computers!" Shanks suddenly began acting like an overgrown child, as if he might throw himself on the deck and refuse to move unless granted computer access.
"Uta, look at this - this is Shanks, your father figure," Gustave said, pointing at the sulking Emperor with obvious amusement.
Uta was speechless at Shanks' childish behavior. He was a grown man - why was he acting like a toddler?
But Gustave had underestimated the magnetic appeal computers held for someone from Shanks' era. The usually dignified user of the Face-Face Fruit now abandoned all pretense of maturity, prepared to argue with Gustave in broad daylight for gaming privileges.
"Look Gustave, we've been friends for... let me count..." Shanks began tallying their relationship on his fingers, clearly prepared to guilt trip his way to computer access.
"Stop, stop, stop! I never said you couldn't play!" Gustave interrupted, unwilling to endure a lengthy emotional manipulation session.
"So then—"
"It's perfectly fine to use the computers," Gustave cut him off again. "But consider this - the Bamboo Staff has the only computers in this entire world. Daily maintenance and operational costs are significant, so naturally you should..." He made the universal gesture for money with his fingers.
"Fine, I get it! You just want payment, right? I'll get you the money!" Shanks trudged off reluctantly to retrieve his funds.
When Shanks returned to the Bamboo Staff, he was followed by a parade of Red Hair Pirates, each clutching thick stacks of banknotes. Clearly, word of the computers had spread throughout the entire crew.
"The computer room has limited capacity - maximum six people at a time," Gustave announced with the air of a reasonable businessman. "I'm not trying to cheat anyone here. I won't take your money and then deny you access."
He spread his hands magnanimously. "Since there are many of you in the Red Hair Pirates, we'll need to work in shifts. How you organize the rotation schedule is entirely up to your crew to decide."
When the Red Hair Pirates heard that only six could play simultaneously, their expressions toward each other grew distinctly hostile.
"You all heard what Gustave said, right? Six people maximum per session. As captain, I obviously deserve one of those spots!" Shanks declared, clutching his money as he approached Gustave with renewed confidence.
"Hold on there, Shanks. You may be captain, but I'm vice-captain! If you're claiming a spot, then I'm definitely taking one too!" Beckman stepped forward with his own payment, matching his captain's determined stride.
The rest of the crew was not impressed by this logic. These two wanted to claim two spots automatically? With so many crew members, they'd only get four remaining positions? What kind of tyrannical reasoning was this?
In most pirate crews, the captain and vice-captain's word would be absolute. But who were they? The Red Hair Pirates - one of the most egalitarian crews on the seas!
While the Red Hair Pirates didn't operate with the completely flat hierarchy of the future Straw Hat Pirates, Shanks and Beckman's authority wasn't dramatically elevated above their crewmates. This group of increasingly agitated sailors decided rebellion was the only appropriate response!
Shanks and Beckman strode confidently toward Gustave, suddenly feeling an ominous chill. They turned to find a pack of wild-eyed crew members staring at them with barely contained hostility.
"You... what are you planning? I'm your captain!" Shanks swallowed nervously, trying to invoke his positional authority.
"Get them!" someone roared, and the Red Hair Pirates crew surged forward, grabbing both Shanks and Beckman by their collars in preparation for a thorough beating.
"Wait!" A commanding voice froze the mutinous crew mid-assault.
Shanks and Beckman looked at Gustave with profound gratitude, assuming he was intervening to save them from their own crew's wrath.
"You can beat up Shanks and Beckman all you want, but don't do it aboard the Bamboo Staff. Drag them somewhere else first - I don't want their blood staining my deck!" Gustave's next words sent both officers plummeting from hope to despair.
"You—!" both men started to protest.
"Hmm?" Gustave's simple questioning hum immediately deflated their objections. At such a critical moment, antagonizing their host seemed unwise.
Thus, the two dejected leaders were dragged to the beach by their own crew for a comprehensive thrashing. No one could have predicted how the situation escalated, but it eventually devolved into a full-scale brawl involving the entire Red Hair Pirates crew.
Gustave stood at the bow, watching the pirate civil war unfold with genuine entertainment. Even Tom and Jerry, eternal enemies, had set aside their rivalry to observe the spectacle together. Apparently, the Red Hair Pirates fought with considerably more viciousness than the cartoon duo ever managed.
After several hours of combat, six victors finally emerged - including, remarkably, both Shanks and Beckman. Despite taking initial beatings, the captain and vice-captain had managed to fight their way back to victory. Their leadership positions weren't entirely ceremonial after all.
The six winners, sporting bruised faces and swollen features that rendered them nearly unrecognizable, finally approached Gustave with their crumpled payment.
"Excellent work, everyone! Luffy, Ace, please escort our six champions to the computer room and teach them proper usage. Remember to provide comprehensive instruction!" Gustave counted his earnings with obvious satisfaction, then assigned the two boys as technical support staff. The customer service was truly exceptional!