Red-Haired Pirates Turned to Stone! Was This Really an Eight-Year-Old? He Was a Humanoid Beast!

Shanks waved a hand.

The pirate crew members immediately cheered and scattered to find seats.

The previously quiet tavern instantly became incredibly noisy.

Just then.

The tavern door was pushed open again.

This time, four kids walked in.

Kahn, walking at the front, was already over six feet tall.

Though he was only eight years old, his statue-like muscles and steady presence made him look exactly like an adult.

He had Luffy, who was drooling, tucked under one arm.

Ace and Sabo followed behind him.

The pirates in the tavern fell quiet for a moment.

More than a dozen pairs of eyes turned toward Kahn in unison.

Benn Beckman exhaled a ring of smoke.

The right hand that had held guns for years twitched slightly beneath the table.

His instincts told him something.

The kid leading them was extremely dangerous.

Shanks turned his head as well.

His gaze passed over Kahn and landed on the five-year-old tucked beneath his arm.

For some reason.

The sight of that snot-nosed kid suddenly filled Shanks with an incredibly strange sense of familiarity.

It was an inexplicable pull of fate.

Kahn ignored the pirates' scrutiny.

He strode over to the bar.

Then tossed Luffy onto a nearby stool.

"Makino, the usual."

"Ten plates of grilled meat."

Kahn tapped the counter.

When Makino saw the boys, she was completely relieved.

Over the past five years, Kahn's standing in this village had become even more influential than the mayor's.

Everyone knew that the boy could kill a Sea King with one punch.

"Of course, it'll be ready soon."

Makino smiled and turned toward the kitchen to prepare the food.

Shanks rested his chin on his hand and watched Kahn with great interest.

"Hey, little brother."

"You've built yourself quite a physique."

Shanks took the initiative to strike up a conversation, his tone frivolous.

Kahn tilted his head and sized up the future Four Emperor.

Shanks still had both arms.

That left arm had not yet been used to bet on the new era.

"Not bad."

"I just trained a little."

Kahn's reply was utterly perfunctory.

He had no particular interest in the Red-Haired Pirates right now.

After all, the story had only just begun.

He did not want to reveal all his strength too early.

Ace, however, was having none of it.

He had never liked pirates much, especially pirates who looked so carefree and unserious.

He walked up to Shanks.

Crossed his arms over his chest.

And stared at Shanks with an intensely provocative gaze.

"Hey, redhead."

"You're pirates too?"

Shanks paused, then laughed.

"Yeah."

"I'm Shanks, captain of this pirate crew."

Ace snorted.

"Pirates are all trash who do nothing but rob civilians."

"If you know what's good for you, get out of this village."

The instant Ace spoke.

The air throughout the tavern froze.

Lucky Roux stopped chewing his meat.

Yasopp's fingers moved to the grip of his gun.

Anyone who dared speak to their captain like that.

On these seas, was either a madman or already dead.

Yet Shanks did not get angry.

Instead, he laughed even louder.

"Hahahaha!"

"Interesting kid."

"What's your name?"

Shanks raised his glass and asked with great interest.

Ace lifted his chin.

"Portgas D. Ace."

"The man who'll become the strongest man on the sea!"

Portgas.

At the sound of that surname, Shanks's eyes flickered.

Of course he knew what that surname represented.

It was the surname of the woman Captain Roger had loved most.

Shanks's gaze moved back and forth between Ace and Kahn.

At last, he understood why these two kids had appeared in such a remote little village.

That old man Garp had hidden them deeply indeed.

But Shanks had no intention of exposing them.

He turned to look at Luffy, who was sitting beside them picking his nose.

"What about you?"

"Little guy, do you want to become the strongest man too?"

Shanks reached out and poked Luffy's cheek with one finger.

Luffy flicked away a booger.

Then seriously shook his head.

"I don't want to be the strongest man."

"I want to eat meat."

Luffy's answer was simple and direct.

It made the Red-Haired Pirates burst into laughter.

This kid was too funny.

Kahn sat nearby and watched the scene unfold.

The wheels of history had begun to turn.

The meeting between Shanks and Luffy.

The inheritance of the Straw Hat.

Everything was proceeding step by step.

But Kahn had no intention of merely standing by.

His very existence was a massive variable.

The grilled meat was served.

Kahn picked up his knife and fork and began devouring it.

The meat really did taste good. Makino's cooking was getting better and better.

Shanks's eyelids twitched as he watched Kahn eat.

This was not eating. It was like filling a bottomless pit with dirt.

In less than a minute, all ten plates of grilled meat were empty.

Kahn wiped his mouth.

Kahn put down his knife and fork.

The stack of plates was taller than Luffy himself.

Makino had just finished wiping a glass when she turned and saw the sight, smiling helplessly.

Every pirate in the tavern stopped what they were doing.

Lucky Roux even forgot to chew the meat on the bone in his mouth.

This Red-Haired Pirates combatant was an absolute glutton.

Yet even he admitted that he could not stuff ten plates of grilled meat into his stomach in a minute, bones and all.

"Hey, hey, you've got to be kidding." Yasopp rubbed his eyes.

"Is this kid's stomach a bottomless pit?"

Shanks froze for half a second before bursting into laughter.

He slapped the bar hard.

"Hahahaha!"

"That's incredible!"

"That appetite is even more terrifying than Lucky Roux's!"

Shanks turned to Kahn, who was wiping his mouth, his eyes full of admiration.

On the seas, being able to eat often meant having powerful physical capabilities.

Benn Beckman clenched his cigar between his teeth and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

The first mate, said to possess the greatest intelligence in the East Blue, had a profound gaze.

He was not looking at that stack of empty plates.

He was looking at Kahn's outrageously defined muscles and his utterly calm breathing.

After consuming so much high-calorie food, the kid's stomach had not made the slightest sound of digestion.

It was as if the grilled meat had simply vanished into thin air.

This was definitely no ordinary wild child from some village.

Kahn naturally knew that the Red-Haired Pirates were watching him.

But he could not be bothered to explain.

Kryptonians' digestive systems could not be judged by common sense.

The instant food entered his stomach, it was broken down into the purest energy.

"Makino."

"Another ten plates."

Kahn pushed the plates forward, his tone calm.

Ace covered his face beside him.

He felt that going out with Kahn was truly embarrassing.

Sabo, meanwhile, was used to it. He took several gold coins from his pocket, preparing to pay for Kahn.

By then, Luffy had finally finished the small piece of grilled meat in front of him.

He let out a satisfied burp.

His belly was round like a ball.

Luffy jumped down from the stool and curiously moved closer to Shanks.

He looked up at the Western-style sword hanging at Shanks's waist.

The famous blade, Griffin.

"Mister, are you really pirates?" Luffy asked, blinking his large eyes.

Shanks looked down at the little runt.

"Mister?"

Shanks stroked his chin.

"Am I really that old?"

"I'm the captain. You can call me Shanks."

Luffy picked his nose.

"Oh, Shanks."

"What do pirates do?"

"Do they go around stealing meat to eat every day?"

Shanks was amused by Luffy's bizarre train of thought.

He picked up his cup and took a large gulp of ale.

"Stealing meat?"

"That's what the most pathetic pirates do."

Shanks slammed his cup down on the bar, his eyes lighting up.

"Real pirates sail for freedom."

"The sea is so vast, with countless islands and endless wonders to see."

"We sail through storms and battle enormous Sea Kings."

"We search for the legendary One Piece."

There was an irresistible magic in Shanks's words.

It was the romance he had inherited from Roger.

Luffy's eyes gradually lit up.

Like stars being kindled in the night sky.

He climbed straight onto the bar and sat cross-legged in front of Shanks.

"What is the One Piece?"

"Are Sea Kings bigger than the one Brother Kahn brought back?"

Like a little machine with endless questions, Luffy fired them off in rapid succession.

Shanks did not find it bothersome.

He seemed to naturally like kids with such pure hearts.

"The One Piece? That's the greatest thing in the world."

"As for Sea Kings..."

Shanks deliberately drew out his words.

"The Sea Kings of the Grand Line can swallow an entire island in one bite."

"We once ran into a whole group of them in the Calm Belt."

"They were so huge, they stretched on like mountain ranges."

Luffy's mouth fell open, and he even forgot to wipe away his drool.

He turned to look at Kahn.

The Sea Kings Kahn usually brought back were only about the size of small hills.

So there were even bigger ones out there.

Yasopp also leaned over and began bragging to Luffy about his marksmanship.

"See this gun in my hand?"

"Even from a hundred meters away, I can shoot off an ant's antenna with a single shot."

The deadshot sniper wore a smug expression.

Luffy cried out in amazement.

"That's amazing!"

"Then can you hit the Sun in the sky?"

Yasopp choked on his words.

This kid's thoughts jumped around far too quickly.

Kahn sat nearby, silently cutting into the freshly served roast meat.

He found it amusing.

Shoot the Sun?

If Yasopp really fired at the Sun, this Kryptonian who charged himself with sunlight would be the first to crush Yasopp's skull.

Ace scoffed at the pirates' boasting.

He folded his arms and let out a cold snort.

"Anyone can brag."

"Why don't you go take down a Marine Admiral, then?"