Ding—ling…
As the crisp chime of the doorbell rang out,
the tavern doors slowly swung open.
A one-armed man stepped inside.
He had red hair, a well-built frame, and looked to be not yet forty.
A black cloak draped over his shoulders, as if he had just come from meeting someone important.
His remaining right hand rested casually on the hilt of the long sword at his waist,
radiating an unmistakable aura of dominance.
Raising his head at the sound, Rayleigh glanced over—and a smile naturally appeared on his face.
"Shanks. Long time no see."
"How did you find this place?"
The newcomer was none other than one of the Four Emperors—
Red-Haired Shanks.
A former member of the Roger Pirates.
Shanks smiled easily.
"Vice-Captain, it's been a while."
"Shakky said you might be staying here, so I came to try my luck."
As he spoke, he walked toward the bar.
But—
The moment his gaze landed on Lo Pan and his son,
his steps abruptly halted.
Demons…?!
And then—
There was also a man and a woman seated nearby, locked in debate.
The aura they occasionally leaked out made Shanks' heart tremble.
It had been many years since he last felt this kind of pressure.
As a Yonko, he had almost forgotten what fear felt like.
Just as he was about to ask questions—
Rayleigh stood up and pressed Shanks down onto a barstool.
"Don't ask about things you shouldn't."
"And don't even think about using Observation Haki to probe these people."
"Knowing too much won't do you any good right now."
This wasn't scolding—it was protection.
If Shanks' mindset were shaken here,
his growth—still in a crucial stage—might stall completely.
Shanks nodded silently.
"…Alright."
At that moment, Ron placed a bottle of wine in front of him.
"I heard you just fought Kaido."
"Try this—Golden Liquor. Smooth on entry, burns straight down."
"It might help with the fatigue. Just… it's a little pricey."
The liquor shimmered with a pure golden hue.
Even through the bottle, its rich aroma was unmistakable.
"Price isn't an issue," Shanks said calmly.
He twisted the cap and took a deep gulp.
Gulp—
The moment the liquor slid down his throat,
Shanks' eyes lit up.
Exactly as Ron said—
Smooth on entry, sharp down the throat, lingering fragrance between the teeth.
His breath carried floral notes, refreshing and warm.
There was even a faint sweetness on entry, layered with honeyed and fruity aromas.
More importantly—
A warm current spread throughout his body.
The exhaustion from battling Kaido vanished instantly.
Shanks couldn't help but praise it.
"This is excellent wine."
"Of course," Rayleigh chuckled.
"Otherwise, why do you think I spend every day here?"
Then his expression turned curious.
"Alright. Tell me."
"What's your real reason for coming?"
"Don't tell me it's just to see this old man—too fake."
Shanks didn't hide anything.
His sharp gaze slowly shifted to Ron.
"I came for him."
Earlier that morning, Shanks had met with the Five Elders.
From them, he learned what had happened over the past few days.
A Celestial Dragon killed.
The World Government handing over Sabaody Archipelago.
And even Imu planning to visit this tavern personally.
If these words hadn't come from the Five Elders themselves,
Shanks would've thought it was all nonsense.
It was simply too absurd.
Driven by curiosity, Shanks came alone.
Ron smiled lightly.
"I'm just a tavern owner."
The patrons' faces instantly darkened.
Bullshit.
Do you dare say that with a straight face?
"Just" my ass.
Rayleigh, however, immediately tensed.
Afraid Shanks might be here to cause trouble.
Shanks shook his head.
"No."
"These past few days, the sea has changed."
"The Navy's justice has grown more extreme."
"And pirates' freedom… more depraved."
"Doflamingo, for example. After visiting this tavern, his strength skyrocketed—and the title of Shichibukai was revoked."
"And Kaido was here yesterday too, wasn't he?"
"All signs point to this place."
Ron didn't deny it.
He smiled and pointed toward Morgana.
"Their strength has nothing to do with me."
"Ask her."
"If she's in a good mood, she might tell you everything."
Shanks followed Ron's finger.
A woman in a black sleeveless cheongsam,
beautiful beyond reason—almost unreal.
At that moment, Morgana looked at Shanks and frowned slightly.
"Do you want power too?"
"I can give you the same power Kaido received."
"Otherwise, the next time you meet him… your fate might be miserable."
Shanks' pupils shrank.
"What do you mean?"
Morgana smiled sweetly.
"Call me Queen."
"And spread the creed of Degeneracy and Freedom across this world."
"I'll tell you everything."
In that instant, Shanks understood.
So this is the root of the chaos.
If this ideology wasn't stopped, the sea would only descend further into madness.
"So it's you."
Shanks frowned, and Gryphon slowly slid from its sheath.
A flash of blade-light swept across the tavern.
Smack!
Rayleigh slapped Shanks' head hard.
"Are you insane?! Put that sword away!"
"Don't embarrass yourself here!"
The blow was heavy enough to make even Shanks stagger.
"Vice-Captain…?"
Shanks was completely stunned.
In his memory, no matter how much trouble he caused back on the ship,
Rayleigh had never hit him.
Well—except when interrupting certain "remedial lessons."
Rayleigh snorted.
"If you'd swung that sword just now, you wouldn't see tomorrow's sun."
"Sit down. This matter ends here."
Shanks immediately became alert and scanned the room.
Every gaze in the tavern was fixed on him—
Like they were looking at an idiot.
Even Homelander at the bar was radiating killing intent, ready to act at any moment.
Now would be the perfect time to pledge loyalty…
But to everyone's surprise—
Shanks stood up, then quietly sat back down and continued drinking.
Morgana didn't care.
She simply returned to watching her sister argue with Hades.
After all—
Why would anyone bother arguing with someone weaker than themselves?
"Don't blame me for hitting you," Rayleigh sighed.
"I know." Shanks grinned.
"Tell me about your daughter, Uta," Rayleigh said softly.
"You haven't talked about her in years."
Back then—
Shanks himself had been found in a treasure chest after the God Valley Incident.
Coincidentally, Uta had also been discovered in a chest.
Hearing her name, Shanks fell silent.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"When Uta was ten, I took her to Elegia to study singing."
"We were happy there."
"But somehow, she encountered a score containing the Key of the Demon."
"She didn't understand it… and sang the song."
"The demon was released."
"Even though we tried to stop it, the island was destroyed. All the residents were slaughtered."
"To spare Uta from the crime of destroying an island, I publicly took all the blame."
"And to keep her from discovering the truth… I left her in Elegia."
"So she could become a real singer…"
After finishing, Shanks took out a Broadcast Den Den Mushi.
A cheerful song echoed through the tavern.
Rayleigh quietly wiped at his eyes.
Getting old made stories like this unbearable.
The tavern fell silent, listening to the song.
Suddenly—
A wail broke the stillness.
"Old bastard!"
Demon Xiaolong cried.
"Look at his parenting—then look at you!"
"Sometimes I seriously wonder if I'm even your biological son, or if my mother cheated on you!"
To everyone's surprise, Lo Pan didn't get angry.
He smiled bitterly instead.
"If I've failed you as a father…"
"I'll change."
"Tell me what you want. I'll give it to you."
Demon Xiaolong cried while stretching out his hand.
"I want the Dog Talisman."
Lo Pan:
"!!!"
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