Gryphon

On the luxurious ship, Amira and Amina worked together to carry a wooden table onto the deck and spread a tablecloth over it.

Shanks reached out and ran his hand over the tablecloth.

"You sure know how to enjoy yourself."

Charlos spoke up. "This was made from the fur of an exotic Snow Wolf."

Charlos nodded.

Nearby, Nico Robin's eyes widened. She lightly nudged Rukia with her elbow.

"Rukia, did you hear that?"

Rukia turned back blankly.

"Hear what?"

"That tablecloth was woven from the fur of an exotic Snow Wolf."

Rukia looked puzzled.

"What's an exotic Snow Wolf?"

Nico Robin explained in a low voice.

"They're a species on the verge of extinction. Supposedly, there are no more than eight hundred left in the entire world."

Rukia tilted her head.

"Ah, eight hundred? Isn't that quite a lot?"

Nico Robin sighed helplessly.

Shanks slowly sat down in a chair and lightly sniffed the air.

"Oh, there's a smoky wood fragrance. Did you light incense?"

Charlos shook his head.

"It's coming from your chair."

Shanks waved his hand, no longer in the mood to keep chatting about it.

"Ah, I'm not in the mood to listen to you explain things. Hurry, hurry, bring out the good food and drinks."

Charlos looked toward Rukia.

"Go to the third level below deck and bring out the alcohol there."

Rukia puffed out her cheeks.

"Always ordering me around. Hmph. Nico Robin, let's go together."

Nico Robin froze for a moment.

"Huh? Those barrels are huge."

Watching this, Shanks stood up.

"Ah, why don't I help you two, little girl?"

Rukia whipped around and glared at Shanks.

"What do you mean, little girl? You don't look much older than us."

At that moment, Amina came over and hung a night lamp on the railing of the deck.

Shanks looked up.

"It's so bright."

Amina said, "It's made from a pearl produced in Dragon Palace. It can glow on its own, and it even attracts fish."

Shanks raised an eyebrow.

"And you hung it here in the middle of the night?"

Amina smiled faintly.

"Hehe, don't the CP0 people like spying on others? Let it deal with them."

Shanks burst out laughing.

"You really don't treat those guys like human beings, do you?"

Amina walked over to Charlos, tied a napkin around his neck, and then stood behind him.

Shanks looked at Amina and asked, "Is she Amira's twin?"

Charlos nodded.

"Yes. She's the younger sister. The one we met today was the older sister."

Shanks suddenly understood.

"Wow, you really know how to play."

Charlos frowned.

"Don't talk nonsense. I haven't done anything."

Shanks burst out laughing.

"Even if you wanted to, you couldn't. Hahaha!"

Charlos's voice carried a hint of irritation.

"That's going too far."

At that moment, Nico Robin and Rukia returned to the deck together, carrying a jar of fine liquor.

Shanks acted as if they were old acquaintances. He casually picked up a bottle and pried off the cork. The clear fragrance of alcohol instantly spread through the air.

He took a light sniff, and his eyes lit up.

"Mmm, that smells great. Where did you get this wine? It doesn't taste like wine from the Holy Land."

Charlos said calmly, "It isn't. It was sent by the royal family of the Velocia Kingdom. That region produces a great deal of wine, and this batch is the freshest premium vintage."

"Oh?"

Shanks immediately raised the bottle and took a large gulp, savoring the flavor carefully.

"It's slightly sweet at first, with a hint of clean bitterness in the finish. This is definitely fine wine."

Nearby, Rukia held another bottle up to her nose and sniffed it, looking puzzled.

"Wasn't alcohol supposed to be spicy?"

Shanks smiled at her. "Not all alcohol is the same, little girl."

Rukia immediately widened her eyes and said earnestly, "I'll say it again: you're only a few years older than me at most!"

Charlos spoke up.

"Shanks, could you stop bullying the cleaner on my ship?"

Shanks's gaze swept over Charlos before settling on Rukia.

"Cleaner?"

Rukia put her hands on her hips and looked at Charlos indignantly.

"Hey, weren't you saying I was a crew member? When did I become a cleaner?"

Charlos said calmly, "Were we?"

"That's right."

"Oh, then you're working part-time as a cleaner now."

Rukia began to protest. "Hey, hey, hey!"

Shanks quickly raised a hand to stop them.

"It's not nice to order children around."

Charlos looked at Shanks.

Shanks instantly shut his mouth, then scratched his head.

"Ah, I forgot. You don't seem that old either."

Charlos said calmly, "If you really want to put it that way, you seem to be the oldest one here."

Shanks scratched his cheek, looking confused.

"Huh, really?"

Nearby, Amira came over and quietly placed dish after dish on the table.

Shanks bent over and leaned close to the plates, sniffing hard.

"Wow, that smells great! Freshly hunted Sea King?"

Charlos nodded.

"That's right. There's no need to be so particular on a ship. How could that much fresh food be specially delivered to this vessel?"

Shanks replied, "I know."

He picked up a knife, cut off a piece of meat, and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly.

"Mmm, this tastes a little like Banana Crocodile meat."

Rukia leaned over, her face full of curiosity.

"Banana Crocodile? What's that? It sounds so strange."

"But Banana Crocodile meat paired with this wine is really delicious."

Charlos looked at Shanks seriously.

"It's not bad. But can you really leave this kind of life behind?"

Shanks bit off another large piece of meat and looked up at Charlos.

"Why couldn't I? You should know about my past, right? I grew up aboard Roger's ship."

He paused.

"I don't have habits as extravagant as yours."

Charlos nodded.

Charlos raised a hand and looked toward Amina.

"Go call over the dancers from yesterday."

Amina was slightly taken aback.

"What happened?"

"I already dismissed them yesterday."

"What?"

Amina apologized softly. "I'm sorry."

Charlos waved his hand casually.

"Enough, enough. If they've been dismissed, then so be it."

Shanks lightly tapped his fork against his plate and looked at Charlos.

"Hey, why do you always want to hire people to dance for entertainment while you eat?"

"Because you're here. With an honored guest visiting, it should be livelier."

"But I don't want to watch."

"All right, if you don't want to watch, forget it. Are you going back to the Holy Land now?"

Shanks nodded.

"Yeah, that's what I'm planning."

Charlos asked curiously, "What are you going back to the Holy Land for?"

Shanks said, "I'm having someone build a large ship for me."

Charlos froze for a moment.

"I thought you planned to roam the seas and build one yourself?"

Shanks let out a scoff.

"You've got to be kidding."

Charlos continued asking, "Once the ship is finished, will you set sail?"

Shanks shook his head.

"No. I'll first set out to find my companions. Once the ship is finished, I'll go back and collect it."

Charlos looked at Shanks.

"That's a good choice. Are you staying on my ship tonight?"

Shanks readily agreed.

"Of course."

Charlos continued, "Where do you usually stay, then?"

Shanks spread his hands.

"The sky is my blanket, the ground is my bed. Wherever I go, I lie down there."

Charlos couldn't help sighing.

"You've got some nerve."

Shanks grinned, showing his teeth.

"We're pirates. We have to possess a spirit of freedom."

Charlos shook his head.

"That's too much freedom. Aren't you afraid someone will capture you in the middle of the night?"

Shanks raised the wineglass in front of him and drained it in one gulp.

"If some fool really comes to capture me, my Gryphon will teach him how to behave."

Charlos raised an eyebrow.

"Gryphon? Is that your sword?"

Shanks reached out and patted the long sword leaning against the chair beside him.

"That's right."