Later that day, a scream echoed violently from Crocus' small, sturdy house.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH—!!!"
The sound was so piercing it startled a flock of birds perched near the artificial shoreline, sending them scattering in a panic. Inside the house, chaos reigned—though only for one person in particular.
Giovanni was pressed up against the wall, his back flat against it, hands raised defensively as if facing a deadly enemy. Fear and resistance were written plainly across his face, his usually confident posture completely gone.
Crocus stood calmly a few steps away, holding a long, very real needle between his fingers.
He sighed.
"To think," Crocus said dryly, "a pirate who is so confident in his strength would be afraid of a little needle."
Giovanni's eyes bulged.
"Little?!" Giovanni shouted. "Little, you say?! There is nothing little about that needle! That thing is gigantic!"
Shanks leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, laughing openly. "Gio," he said between laughs, "you're afraid of needles? What a wussy."
Giovanni whipped his head toward him. "Then why don't you take the injection with me, Shanks?!"
Shanks turned away smugly, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm not the one who's injured."
Giovanni grit his teeth. "You bastard."
He slowly turned back toward Crocus, his voice dropping into something almost pleading. "Old man… is there anything else we could do? Perhaps something that doesn't include needles?"
Crocus' answer was immediate. "No."
Giovanni blinked. "Huh?"
"And if you keep struggling," Crocus continued calmly, "I'll have to apply some force."
Giovanni's eyes widened. "Force? What do you—"
Before he could finish, Crocus vanished from his field of vision.
In the next instant, Crocus was behind him.
Giovanni felt himself pinned down with frightening ease, his body immobilized as if caught in iron clamps.
"WAIT—!"
The needle went in.
A scream tore through the house, so loud and agonized it almost sounded like Giovanni was being slaughtered.
Shanks collapsed to the floor laughing. Beckman exhaled smoke quietly, shaking his head. Building Snake turned away, sweating nervously.
The next day, the Red-Haired Pirates stood aboard their ship, supplies packed and sails ready. Crocus stood on the island below, hands resting on his hips, smiling up at them.
"Well then, Shanks," Crocus said, "it was really nice meeting you and your crew."
Shanks smiled warmly. "Crocus-san, we're going to visit again someday, okay?"
Crocus chuckled. "I'll be waiting."
He then glanced toward Giovanni. "Though I don't think Giovanni wants anything to do with me now."
Giovanni scoffed, arms crossed. "It was just a mere little needle. Nothing to overreact about."
Crocus laughed. "Is that so?"
He turned his attention back to Shanks. "Shanks, you're going to Rayleigh, right?"
Shanks nodded. "Yes. Well, we're actually going to Shakky-san first, but I guess we'll end up meeting Rayleigh as well."
Crocus nodded thoughtfully. "If you do meet him, give him my greetings."
"Don't worry," Shanks replied. "I'll definitely do that."
"I'm dropping the sails," Beckman announced.
"I'll help!" Giovanni said quickly, running over to assist.
Soon, the ship began to move, quietly leaving the whale behind as it sailed onward. Crocus watched from the island, his smile softening as the ship grew smaller in the distance.
"…Shanks," he murmured, "carry on the will of Roger, will you."
The ship disappeared from sight.
Elsewhere—somewhere deep in the New World.
On a ship shaped like a whale, massive beyond belief, a towering figure sat upon a throne-like chair, a relaxed smile on his face as he looked upon the people he called his sons.
Edward Newgate—Whitebeard.
Diamond Jozu sat nearby, drinking heartily. "Pops! Should we go another round?"
Vista, seated close by, carefully wiped his twin swords. "Jozu. Stop making Pops drink so much. You know his health isn't in great condition, right?"
Whitebeard chuckled deeply. "Don't worry too much, Vista. I'm still a man in my prime. Don't try to kill me off so soon."
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed across the deck.
A figure with a pineapple-shaped hairstyle came rushing in, panic written all over his face.
Marco, the Vice Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Seeing his son's expression, Whitebeard's smile faded slightly. "Marco. What's wrong? Why are you so panicked?"
Marco quickly handed him a newspaper. "Pops. Big news. You have to read this."
Other members of the Whitebeard Pirates gathered around, curiosity flickering in their eyes.
Whitebeard took the newspaper, glancing down at the bold headline, his expression turning serious as he prepared to read.
---
BIG NEWS!! BIG NEWS!! BIG NEEEEWS!!
WORLDSHAKING DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE GRAND LINE!!
Citizens of the seas! Kings of kingdoms! Pirates with dreams too big for their ships! Lend me your ears and clutch your newspapers tight, because the balance of the world has just tilted and the tremor is coming from the GRAND LINE!
Yes! You heard that right! A NEW PIRATE CREW has officially been recognized by the World Government, and not just any crew!
No, no, no, this one is DANGEROUS, AUDACIOUS, and dripping with LEGENDARY BLOOD!
Their name?
THE RED-HAIRED PIRATES!! A CAPTAIN BORN FROM LEGEND
At the center of this storm stands their Captain
"RED-HAIRED" SHANKS
A name whispered in Marine corridors and cursed by officials who still wake up sweating at the thought of GOLD D. ROGER!
That's right! This red-haired menace is no ordinary upstart pirate, he is a REMNANT OF THE PIRATE KING'S CREW!
A boy who grew up on the decks of legends!
A child who watched history be written in blood and cannon fire!
A prodigy forged under the shadow of the greatest pirate who ever lived!
And now?
He has raised his own flag.
The World Government has responded accordingly, with a bounty that has left even veteran bounty hunters trembling!
BOUNTY: 300,000,000 BERRIES
Let me repeat that for the people in the back!
300 MILLION BERRIES!!
At just 17 YEARS OF AGE!!
The HIGHEST BOUNTY IN HISTORY EVER ISSUED TO A PIRATE THIS YOUNG!!
Unprecedented!
Unbelievable!
Utterly TERRIFYING!!
Is this caution?
Is this fear?
Or is this the World Government quietly admitting that the ERA AFTER ROGER has already begun?
Oh ho ho ho… this bird smells PANIC!
But wait! A captain is only as dangerous as the minds backing him!
Standing as the Red-Haired Pirates' First Mate and Second-in-Command is a name that makes even hardened Marines clench their teeth
BENN BECKMAN
Yes! That Benn Beckman!
The man who fought Charlotte Katakuri, the invincible Sweet Commander of Big Mom to a STANDSTILL!!
A man whose bullets are said to land before the trigger is pulled!
The World Government has acknowledged his threat with a bounty that places him squarely among the monsters of the sea:
BOUNTY: 218,000,000 BERRIES
Make no mistake, this is not the bounty of a follower.
This is the bounty of a GENERAL.
And then… there is him.
The name that has intelligence officers scrambling, Vice Admirals sweating, and veterans muttering "not again" under their breath.
GIOVANNI
Despite his age, despite his lack of notoriety, the World Government has taken the unprecedented step of assigning him a bounty meant not to punish, but to PREVENT.
Yes! This is a bounty designed to attract hunters before the monster fully awakens!
BOUNTY: 78,000,000 BERRIES
For a pirate still in his formative years, this number screams one thing:
POTENTIAL EMPEROR.
Sources claim he has already clashed blades with the infamous Dracula Mihawk and lived to tell the tale!
What will he become in two years? Three?
Even I, BIG NEWS MORGAN, get chills just thinking about it!
And these are only the CONFIRMED MEMBERS!
Reports also mention a veteran Grand Line pirate known as Building Snake, alongside other figures yet to be officially identified!
A former Roger Pirate.
A man who can match Katakuri.
A swordsman blooming into a calamity.
All under one flag.
All moving together.
All smiling as the world tightens its grip.
Is this the birth of the NEXT GREAT PIRATE ERA?
Are we witnessing the first steps of a crew destined to clash with Emperors… or become them?
One thing is certain!
The seas will never be calm again!
So grab your maps!
Sharpen your blades!
And keep your eyes on the horizon!
Because wherever the wind blows red
THE RED-HAIRED PIRATES ARE COMING!!
BIG NEWS!!
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