In a clearing not far away, a one-armed, red-haired man strode toward them, his hand resting on the saber at his waist.
Shanks!
Behind him, the officers of the Red Hair Pirates stood in a line, radiating an imposing presence.
Unlike Shanks, whose steps remained unhurried, his officers showed varying degrees of wariness and fear in their eyes as they faced Ross, their muscles secretly tensing.
"Shanks, long time no see. I wouldn't call this stringing him along. It's an elder's expectations for the next generation."
The smile on Ross's lips never faded. Even the way he turned was impeccably graceful.
Before the two powerful men could continue exchanging pleasantries, however, a roar filled with boundless venom and fury suddenly rang out:
"Yasopp!! You scumbag! How dare you show your face here!!!"
Enemies saw red the moment they met.
Before Luffy could rush excitedly toward Shanks, Usopp, who had been hiding behind the others on trembling legs, seemed to become a different person altogether.
He shoved Zoro out of his way and strode forward.
His eyes were bloodshot, their rims so red they seemed ready to bleed. Veins bulged across his forehead as he stared fixedly at Yasopp behind Shanks.
All Usopp felt toward Yasopp was hatred that ran bone-deep.
If he hadn't wanted to see Yasopp abandoned by everyone and suffering a fate worse than death with his own eyes, he would have killed his own father long ago.
This was a beast who had abandoned him and his mother for freedom, living carefree out at sea, then later even tried to kill his own son and daughter-in-law.
He was pure scum. Every extra breath he took polluted the world!
Still, Usopp's efforts hadn't been wasted.
Usopp had noticed.
Although Yasopp now stood only half a step behind Shanks,