The Straw Hat Bet on the New Era!

The morning sunlight slanted into the woods of Mount Colubo, making the dew glitter like shattered diamonds.

Kahn sat bare-chested atop the highest boulder, his chest rising and falling slowly.

He was breathing.

With every expansion of his lungs, he greedily seized what little warmth lingered in the air.

That unlucky bastard Higuma had already been dragged like a dead pig by the village militia and tossed into a deep pit in the back mountain. By now, even his bones had probably dissolved.

The bandit king who claimed to have killed fifty-six people never understood, even in death, what kind of iron plate he had kicked.

That idiot Luffy was still practicing his "Gum-Gum Pistol" by the stream at the foot of the mountain. His arm flailed around like a boneless ribbonfish, often smacking straight into his own forehead.

Ace and Sabo were sparring nearby, the clash of their pipes crisp and powerful.

Those two boys had become more diligent.

Last night's crushing defeat had probably made them realize that the so-called "strongest brats in the East Blue" were not worth a damn before real desperadoes.

That was good.

Pain was the best catalyst.

Kahn turned over, letting the heat spread evenly across his back.

He could feel that golden energy slowly flowing through his spine, like a giant dragon awakening.

In a few years, he would probably really be able to tear this sea in half with his bare hands.

Footsteps came from below the boulder.

Casual footsteps.

Accompanied by a faint scent of alcohol.

Kahn knew who it was without turning around.

Shanks wore that faded white shirt, Griffin hanging at his waist, and looked up at him with a cheerful smile.

"Nice view up there, isn't it?"

Shanks plopped down onto the grass and casually pulled up a blade of grass to hold between his teeth.

"Not bad."

Kahn opened his eyes and leaped down from the boulder.

He made no sound when he landed. Even the tips of the grass did not bend.

That control over gravity made the gleam in Shanks's eyes grow sharper.

The Red-Haired Pirates had already spent a week in Foosha Village.

Over the past week, they had replenished their water and meat supplies, and even repaired the tavern that Kahn had smashed halfway through.

Kahn knew that these free-spirited people were about to set sail again.

The New World was their battlefield.

"You're leaving?"

Kahn brushed the dust off his hands, his tone as flat as if he were asking a neighbor whether he had eaten.

"Yeah. We've stayed here too long. The old friends over there are probably starting to miss me."

Shanks took a newspaper from his coat. It contained the latest bounty notices.

Kahn's name was not on them yet.

"You really don't plan to come with me?"

Shanks extended the invitation again, a rare seriousness in his eyes.

"I've seen plenty of monsters. In the New World, every person called a legend is so strong they barely seem human."

"But you're different, Kahn."

Shanks paused, as if searching for the right words.

"You don't feel like something this sea could have produced."

Kahn laughed silently.

That was true.

This sea produced pirates, while he was the sun's favored child.

"I told you, I get seasick."

Kahn pointed toward the Red Force docked by the shore in the distance.

"A little wooden board like that can't carry my will."

That was the truth.

Once Kahn fully awakened, his flying speed would surpass lightning. To him, the sea would be nothing more than a bathtub.

Shanks sighed and shook his head.

"What a shame. Ben Beckman even bet me that someone with your personality would definitely go turn the New World upside down."

"I'll go."

Kahn stared at the horizon, his gaze profound.

"But not now, and not as your subordinate."

"The day I set sail, I'll make the whole world fall silent and listen to me."

Such boundless arrogance coming from the mouth of an eight-year-old somehow made Shanks feel that it was real.

"Hahahaha! Now that's ambition!"

Shanks laughed and slapped Kahn on the shoulder.

He discovered that the instant his Armament Haki touched Kahn's skin, he actually felt as though he had been burned.

This kid's physique was simply absurd.

Afternoon came.

Foosha Village's harbor was packed with people.

Makino stood behind the bar, her eyes red as she held a bag of freshly baked bread.

The village chief's beard trembled with anger, yet he could not bring himself to say anything truly harsh to drive them away.

After all, aside from drinking and making a racket, these pirates had not done anything bad. They had even helped the village deal with a nest of bandits.

Luffy stood at the very front, looking like he was about to jump straight into the sea.

"Shanks! Take me with you! Please!"

"I've really gotten stronger! Look at my muscles!"

Luffy strained to flex biceps that barely existed, his little face turning bright red.

Shanks stood on the deck with his hands on his hips.

"No."

The same old answer.

"Luffy, you're just a rubber brat right now. You can't even stir up a single wave out at sea."

Yasopp egged him on from the side.

"That's right, little Luffy. Come talk to us once you've grown as tall as Kahn."

At the mention of Kahn, Luffy's spirits dipped slightly, but they quickly blazed even hotter.

"I'll surpass him!"

"I'll definitely become stronger, then find a group of companions who won't lose to any of you!"

"I'll find the world's greatest One Piece!"

"I'm going to become..."

Luffy took a deep breath and shouted that vow which would follow him throughout his life at the sea.

"King of the Pirates!"

The harbor fell silent.

The villagers were all stunned.

They thought the child had probably been scared stupid by the bandits.

Only the Red-Haired Pirates did not laugh.

The teasing look on Shanks's face gradually disappeared, replaced by solemnity.

He glanced at Kahn, who stood beneath the shadow of a large tree on the shore.

Kahn stood with his arms crossed, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, as if he were watching a famous play that had already been rehearsed.

Over the past week, Shanks had observed the two brothers countless times.

Kahn was like a peerless divine weapon already forged, his edge fully exposed and beyond question.

No matter how one looked at it, Kahn seemed more like the "child of prophecy" who could overturn the world.

He was powerful, calm, and possessed the wisdom to see through everything.

So long as Kahn wished it, he could easily tear apart any rule of this era.

Yet Shanks always felt that something was missing.

It was an instinct.

The same kind of purity he had seen in Captain Roger, the kind that could draw everyone together.

That unreasonable romance.

Kahn was too perfect, so perfect that he resembled a cold, lifeless statue of a god.

Gods did not need companions.

But Luffy...

This snot-nosed, stupid, crybaby brat had the exact same light shining in his eyes as their captain had back then.

Shanks crossed the gangplank and returned to shore.

He walked over to Luffy.

Luffy had not yet recovered from his shout, his chest heaving violently.

"This hat is the most important thing I own."

Shanks slowly removed the Straw Hat from his head.

It was slightly yellowed from wear, yet exceptionally well preserved.

In the sea breeze, Shanks gently placed it on Luffy's little head.

Luffy froze.

The wide brim covered his eyes, leaving only his mouth hanging open in surprise.

"Now, I entrust it to you."

Shanks lowered the brim, his voice gentle yet full of strength.

"When you become a great pirate someday, return it to me."