The New World, the territory of the Red Hair Pirates.
Unlike the usual chaotic atmosphere of pirate islands, this place is like a city of perpetual celebration. Lively music drifts from every tavern, pirates raise their glasses, put their arms around the island's residents, and sing at the top of their lungs.
"Hey, Yasopp, another drink!" A pirate laughed and raised his glass as Yasopp walked towards him.
"I need to speak with the boss." Yasopp waved his hand, continuing on his way.
He strode through the noisy crowd, passing Raki Ru, who was frantically gnawing on a huge meaty leg. The man gave him a mumbled greeting, and he nodded to a few officers who were arm wrestling before finally reaching the edge of a cliff on one side of the island.
Red-Haired Shanks leaned against a rock, gazing at the boundless sea, while his first mate, Ben Beckman, sat beside him polishing his spear.
"Boss." Yasopp strode over.
Shanks didn't turn around, but simply gave a lazy reply.
Yasopp approached Shanks and said calmly, " The Hachinosu Island is gone."
Beckman paused in his wiping of the gun barrel.
Shanks finally turned his head, the languid look on his face fading, replaced by a hint of surprise. "When did this happen?"
"Just a few hours ago," Yasopp walked up to the two men, pulled a stack of photos from his pocket, and casually tossed them on the ground, " Akira led his training ship and suddenly appeared in Rocky Port, wiping out Ochoku along with hundreds of thousands of pirates on the island."
Before Shanks could react, he immediately bent down, picked up one of the photos, and couldn't help but grin widely. "Hey, look! This is my son, Usopp."
The photo is set against the backdrop of the chaotic battlefield of Hachinosu Island. Usopp looks rather disheveled, his face covered in dust and his expression terrified, yet he still grips his slingshot tightly, aiming it at the enemy ahead. That courage, born of fear but never wavering, is precisely captured by the camera.
Shanks, seeing the genuine pride on Yasopp's face, picked up a photograph and looked at it, then smiled and said, "If I remember correctly, Usopp has always idolized you, and even started the Usopp Pirates in Syrup Village."
As he spoke, Shanks handed the photo to Yasopp, his tone slightly teasing, "Now his dream has changed. Not only has he become a Marine, but he's also here in the New World for an internship with the Navy Marshal. Aren't you... jealous?"
Yasopp shook his head, his smile fading, a hint of guilt in his voice. " Usopp idolizes me because of his mother, Banchina. If Banchina hadn't always spoken well of me to him, he probably would only hate me, this bastard father who abandoned his wife and children for his dreams."
He paused, looked up into the distance, a hint of relief in his eyes. "So, seeing him appreciated by the Navy Marshal, I'm happy for him. After all... in the future, there might really be no place for pirates like us."
The smile in Shanks' eyes vanished completely, and he silently picked up another photograph from the ground.
The main subject of the photo is Luffy wearing Straw Hat.
In the photo, Luffy Awakening Conqueror's Haki. His eyes no longer hold any of the carefree attitude he once had; instead, they possess a sharp and unwavering will, and a quality called justice is quietly taking shape within Luffy.
Shanks's expression became complicated.
The reason he led his team to steal the Gum-Gum Fruit from CP0 back then wasn't because it was a Paramecia fruit. Rather, it was because he knew the true power contained within that fruit, and that whoever ate the Gum-Gum Fruit Awakening become Sun God Nika, and the archenemy of that being in the Holy Land of Flower Chamber.
Therefore, he entrusted his Straw Hat to Luffy, hoping that Luffy would become the one to lead a new era.
But he never expected that before Luffy could even set sail, he would be taken back to Marine Headquarters by Akira, the Navy Marshal who rose to power through a coup, along with Ace and the others.
Now, she's even personally bringing him here for an internship at New World.
With Akira looming over him, the probability of Luffy Awakening as the Sun God Nika is practically zero.
Of course, Shanks doesn't rule out another possibility— Akira knows the secret of the Gum-Gum Fruit.
He kept Luffy by his side, perhaps to deal with the one in the Flower Chamber. Because Akira's ideals are inherently in conflict with Imu's existence. When Akira's reforms touch the foundation of the World Government, when Akira completely parted ways with that one, an unprecedented upheaval will inevitably sweep the world.
At that time, Akira will likely use some means to forcibly Awakening Luffy and Luffy a tool for Akira to deal with Imu.
Regardless of the outcome, Luffy, at his age, is caught between two powerful figures standing at the pinnacle of the world, and as their guide, he bears some responsibility.
After a brief silence, Shanks turned to Beckman and asked, "The connection with the Revolutionary Army failed?"
Beckman nodded, placed the cleaned rifle on his lap, and then stubbed out his cigarette.
" Dragon's answer was simple: he had an agreement with Akira. During the agreed period, no matter what happened in the world, the Revolutionary Army would not get involved."
"Moreover, they're very busy right now, busy governing the countries they've liberated." Beckman's tone was calm, but what he said made the atmosphere even more tense. "Because Crocodile's policies in Wano Country have been highly effective and fruitful, the Revolutionary Army is fully replicating the ' Wano Country Model.'"
He looked up at Shanks and continued, "According to the latest intelligence I have, almost all of Crocodile's policies in Wano Country originated from a red book that Akira gave him back then."
A single red book turned a former Shichibukai into a model mayor?
A single red book led the Revolutionary Army to abandon its own ideals and instead learn the Navy Marshal's governance methods.
Shanks slowly exhaled, inexplicably feeling a slight ache in his teeth.
Beckman continued, "The impact of that book far exceeded our expectations. The first thing Dragon did upon returning to Revolutionary Army Headquarters after obtaining a copy was to reorganize the entire army."
"Based on that red book, he put forward the so-called 'Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention'."
"The Three Main Rules of Discipline and the Eight Points for Attention?" Shanks asked in astonishment.
"That's right." Beckman nodded. "Simply put, the Revolutionary Army must obey orders, not take a single needle or thread from the people, and all spoils must be handed over. Also, be careful to speak politely, be fair in buying and selling, return borrowed items, compensate for damaged items, do not hit or curse people, do not damage crops, do not harass women, and do not mistreat prisoners..."
With each comment Beckman made, Yasopp's eye twitched, and Shanks ' languid expression vanished completely.
These rules sound simple and plain, yet they are terrifying and send chills down your spine.
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