"Here's to a pleasant partnership~"
After several rounds of drinks, Shaya's gathering with Doflamingo and Crocodile finally came to an end.
According to the plan, Doflamingo and Crocodile would establish two companies before the end of the year. Doflamingo would handle arms resale, while Crocodile would oversee grains and staples...
Shaya had named both companies. The names were exceptionally plain and straightforward, making it obvious what they did at a glance...
For instance, Shaya named Doflamingo's company Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, or LMT for short.
As for Crocodile's company, Shaya rather liked the name Baroque. He also happened to enjoy the Baroque artistic style~ so he continued using the name Baroque...
Aside from that, Shaya had secretly planned three more food companies: Company A, responsible for planting and cultivating staples such as rapeseed, corn, wheat, and rice.
Company C, responsible for pressing oils from soybeans, peanuts, olives, and the like.
And Company D, responsible for manufacturing seasonings and controlling sea salt, cane sugar, pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and other goods.
Together with Baroque Works, which dabbled in many fields and controlled distribution channels, they formed ABCD: four "small" food companies.
They might still be small now, but Shaya believed they would grow very large in the future...
Moreover, Shaya was certain that these four small companies would bring a massive shock to the world in the near future! At that time, neither the World Government nor any other force would be able to ignore their influence on the world! After all, some sinister old bastard had once said, "Whoever controls food controls all humanity~"
After bidding farewell to Doflamingo and Crocodile, Shaya took Stussy and the other CP0 agents toward a tavern hidden in an alley in Loguetown~
According to his subordinates' intelligence, the person Shaya was looking for was currently drinking in that tavern~
"Click~"
When Shaya arrived before the tavern's entrance, he did not rush to push the door open...
Instead, he instinctively used his Observation Haki to probe the situation inside~
As Shaya released his Haki, he saw a youth whose appearance was nearly identical to his own, with short crimson hair blazing like flames and a straw hat perched atop his head...
And a man whose eyes were as sharp as eagles in the sky, with wild, spiky short hair and an aristocratic air emanating from his entire body.
These two were precisely the people Shaya had come to find.
"Hey, Mihawk! Come with me! Let's form a pirate crew and search for the legendary One Piece!"
At that moment, the red-haired youth was inviting Mihawk.
"I refuse!"
Upon hearing the red-haired youth's words, Mihawk did not hesitate in the slightest and directly rejected his invitation.
"Why?"
After hearing Mihawk's answer, the red-haired youth asked with a regretful expression.
"I'm already used to living alone..."
"Besides, I have no habit of placing myself beneath others."
After glancing at the red-haired youth beside him, Mihawk replied coldly.
If it were merely a simple partnership, perhaps Mihawk might have considered it...
But clearly, this red-haired youth beside him had ulterior motives~
What the other man sought was definitely not something as simple as cooperation!
Yeah, this red-haired brat was shameless. He wanted Mihawk's body...
Ahem...
The other man genuinely wanted to recruit him as a crew member...
Become someone else's crew member? What a joke...
He was a man who would claim the title of the world's greatest swordsman!
How could he possibly submit to someone else?!
To this, the future clown Buggy said, "Huh? Imperial Father! Are you abandoning me?"
Meanwhile.
"What do you mean, beneath someone else? We'd be companions! Equals..."
Upon hearing that, Red-haired immediately explained.
"Then I still refuse!"
"The only thing I seek is the sword in my hand..."
"I have absolutely no interest in becoming the Pirate King who conquers the seas, collecting the Road Poneglyphs, searching for Raftel, or finding the legendary Great Treasure, One Piece."
Mihawk once again firmly rejected the red-haired youth's invitation.
"Ah! That hurts..."
"You know, I only invited two people today!"
"And both attempts failed. What an awful start~"
"Sure enough, just as Captain Roger said, forming your own pirate crew isn't that simple! I never expected every crew member I had my eye on to reject me. What a long road ahead..."
As the red-haired youth spoke, he reached up and pressed down hard on the straw hat atop his head, speaking regretfully.
Then the red-haired youth shouted at the tavern owner, "Ah! I'm so pissed off! Old man, bring me another ten bottles of beer~"
"You little bastard, do you have any money?"
"That's why I hate pirates like you the most!"
After hearing Red-haired, the tavern owner's forehead bulged with veins. Though he cursed and complained about hating pirates, he still brought the red-haired youth a dozen beers.
"This is the last of it..."
After doing so, the tavern owner warned the red-haired youth.
"Thanks, old man~"
In response, the red-haired youth grinned, bit off a bottle cap with his teeth, and began drinking deeply.
"Jingle jingle..."
Just as the red-haired youth wore a regretful expression while actually using it as an excuse to drink himself silly!
The tavern doors suddenly rang with bells, drawing everyone's attention.
"Welco—"
Behind the tavern counter, the owner who had delivered beer to the red-haired youth was now wiping cups. Upon noticing customers entering his tavern, he instinctively glanced toward the entrance from the corner of his eye and began welcoming them.
However, before the tavern owner could finish speaking, the newcomers' attire shocked him rigid. His expression revealed a hint of tension and unease...
"Is that?!"
"H-Hey, this has to be a joke, right?"
"Why would the legendary World Nobles come here?"
"This isn't a joke. Those are Celestial Dragons, right?"
"Should we kneel immediately?"
At the same time, the tavern's customers were stunned upon seeing the newcomers' attire, their faces filled with fear.
"Clear the place~"
However, before these customers could think any further...
The CP0 agents had already strode into the tavern and tossed every customer inside, including the tavern owner, straight out through the front doors. Only the straw-hatted red-haired youth and the young Mihawk, with his hawk-like eyes and claim of becoming the world's greatest swordsman, were left behind.
At that moment, both Mihawk and the red-haired youth had already placed their hands on the weapons beside them.
"Give them some money and tell them to get lost."
Just as Mihawk and the red-haired youth grew tense...
The Celestial Dragon clad in Celestial Dragon attire coldly issued an order to the CP0 behind him, then strode toward Mihawk and the red-haired youth.
"I have long admired you both..."
"Marine Hunter Jora kohl Mihawk!"
"And my brother, one of the apprentice crew members aboard Pirate King Gol D. Roger's ship, 'Red-haired' Figarland Shanks..."
As Mihawk and the red-haired youth wondered why a Celestial Dragon had sought them out, Shaya, clad in Celestial Dragon attire, removed the cumbersome, reflective bubble helmet that was utterly obstructive indoors, revealing a face nearly identical to Shanks's.
"Ah..."
Shanks stared wide-eyed at Shaya's face and exclaimed in shock, "I actually have a brother?!"
"Shanks, so you're actually a Celestial Dragon?"
At that moment, Mihawk said thoughtfully.
Please keep reading, brothers~
Before you continue