"Arrogant?"
Shano chuckled softly, swirling his wine glass and looking at the liquid colliding inside:
"Hey hey, it's just a trip back to my hometown, and yet I'm being talked about like this. It's really a headache, oh well, say whatever you want... So, do you have a problem?"
As he spoke those last few words.
He slightly turned his head and glanced at Aokiji.
Buzz!
The terrifying Supreme King Haki exploded out instantly, like a mighty torrent rushing towards Aokiji, without a single leak.
Crack!
The glass in Aokiji's hand and his sunglasses shattered simultaneously.
"..."
Aokiji sat still, looking as laid-back and lazy as ever, but the chill emanating from him suddenly paused, and a slight bead of cold sweat gradually appeared on his forehead.
"Ah la la, that's too much."
He scratched his messy curls, troubled:
"The quality of Supreme King Haki can actually reach such a level? Even if Old Man Garp is called, he probably can't compare at all with you, kid."
"Don't compare that old man with me, huh? Who do you think I am?"
Shano grinned wide, revealing his white teeth:
"If you want to fight, just take action. I slept for several days on the plane, and now I really want to stretch my muscles, feeling quite itchy..."
On the plane?
Aokiji was taken aback, wondering how he came to the East Sea?
"Can't beat you."
He frankly shook his head, "Honestly, I'm not very confident one-on-one with you, and more importantly, the folks up high still don't want us Navy to go to war with you right now."
"Then you just..."
"Just joking around, don't take it to heart."
Aokiji shrugged, refilling both of their glasses, "After all, it's rare to run into you in the East Sea, gotta put up a front, otherwise it'd be embarrassing if word gets out."
Really.
No one expected the speed of this guy's growth to be so frightening.
Just one year, and he no longer has the privilege to posture in front of him.
Tsk, if only...
At the time of the first encounter in the City of Gastronomy, he'd put on a show a bit longer.
"Alright, let's talk business."
Shano was too lazy to argue further, he downed his drink in one gulp, "You, a Navy Grand Admiral, what are you doing coming to this remote island?"
The East Sea, deemed "the weakest sea," has never seen someone of Admiral Level step foot here in recent years.
"Ah la, shouldn't I be asking you that?"
Aokiji took off his sunglasses, gave them a pitying look, then cautiously tucked them into his chest, "But I guess there's no need to ask, the mighty Sea Emperor, returning from the New World, clearly has the same target as me..."
"It's the Golden Lion."
He looked at Shano, "You're pretty good-natured, though I don't know exactly what happened on Cake Island, but for you to chase him all the way to the East Sea... tsk, that old man has really pissed off the wrong guy this time."
Shano said nothing, "When did the Navy's intelligence network become so efficient?"
"Just a coincidence."
Aokiji shook his head, "The Flying Fleet of Golden Lion was on the Grand Line a while ago, ten days ago, sighted by a merchant ship from Inverted Mountain, crossing the top of the Red Earth Continent into the East Sea."
"Before all this, thanks to you Sea Emperors, this old man who was almost forgotten by the world suddenly became the focus again, and the kingdom royal families in the East Sea panicked, sent a joint petition to the World Government, so the folks up high specially sent me over to investigate."
"Your efficiency is quite high."
Shano glanced at the night sky outside the window, "For such a large East Sea, you still managed to find me."
"What do you mean by that?"
Aokiji furrowed his brows, feeling puzzled, "Hey hey hey, don't mess with me, I've been in the East Sea for a whole week, haven't found a single clue, otherwise I wouldn't be here drinking alone... huh?"
Suddenly realizing, he pointed at the sky in surprise:
"You mean?"
"That's right, the Golden Lion is above this sea area."
Shano snapped his fingers, signaled to the bartender to settle the bill, laughed loudly:
"Looks like you don't have to drink alone anymore, your luck isn't bad, you happened to run into me, otherwise this East Sea trip would have been for nothing."
He took out his wallet, paid the bill, and then directly pushed open the shutter door, stepping out of the tavern.
Behind him, Aokiji hurriedly followed.
"Team up, how about it?" Aokiji carefully chose his words, "That old man is a big hidden danger, especially since his Fruit Ability is quite troublesome. I'm not worried you can't beat him, that's not the issue, but if he tries to escape..."
"Escape?"
Shano grinned wide, "That old man? He won't, don't worry!"
Earlier on Cake Island, the Golden Lion only wanted to seize the opportunity to regain fame and never intended to tangle in a fight to the end.
But now things are different.
This is the Golden Lion's stronghold!
Under the Flying Fleet, there are fifty Pirate Gangs, a force of tens of thousands. In front of these many followers, who came for his reputation, he charges in, and the Golden Lion will escape?
Then don't call himself the overlord of the old era, a hero standing with Roger and Whitebeard!
Go sit at a table with Moriah and Buggy!
"This is a personal vendetta between me and the Golden Lion, don't interfere, otherwise I'll beat you up too."
Shano's aura was overwhelming, he opened his right hand and clenched it tightly, "Remember this, Kuzan! However, you aren't entirely without tasks!"
The world of the strong was a distant memory, many details have already become blurry.