Inside the reception hall of the Temple of the Sun.
When Shanks arrived here alone and saw Dragon waiting there as well, the Emperor of the New World and top powerhouse of the high seas felt utterly awkward in that moment.
Fortunately, Dragon spoke up with great initiative and warmth.
"Hello, Red-Haired Shanks. This is our first time meeting, isn't it? Thank you so much for looking after Luffy back when he was a child!"
To be honest, Shanks was somewhat unsure whether Dragon was being sincere. Although his Observation Haki was powerful enough to block the Observation Haki of others, that did not mean he could probe the emotions of the man before him—a man who was not much weaker than Garp and was virtually on par with Shanks himself.
Moreover, doing so would also be somewhat discourteous and offensive.
Fortunately, Dragon spoke with considerate and guilt-ridden expression.
"Because of my status, after Luffy was born I could only hand him over to old man Garp to raise. Therefore, he never experienced paternal love. It was you, Shanks, who guided him onto the correct path."
Only then did Shanks become convinced that Dragon was truly grateful to him, so he replied politely.
"No, that was a path Luffy chose for himself. In fact, it was rather Luffy who made me understand many things."
Seeing this, a gentle smile appeared on Dragon's face.
"As expected, compared to an irresponsible father like me, you understand Luffy much better than I do. Thank you!"
Only then did the two of them look at each other and smile.
Right at that moment, however, Dragon suddenly asked a question.
"Shanks, how strong do you think Captain Ye Mu actually is right now?"
This question startled Shanks.
To tell the truth, discussing this topic in