Extremely Untrustworthy Individual

Hearing this, expressions of shock and realization instantly appeared on the five old men's faces. Once they came to their senses, violent auras erupted from all five of them at once. Like raging tsunamis, those auras instantly submerged the tiny Den Den Mushi. The poor creature did not even have room to struggle before it lost consciousness.

Saint Nusjuro shouted furiously, "We were fooled! They're in cahoots! That whole act was just to scam us out of our money!"

At that moment, the atmosphere in the Five Elders' conference room seemed to be shrouded in frost.

The oppressive mood in the conference room stood in stark contrast to the liveliness elsewhere.

At that warm banquet, the Red-Haired Pirates and Allen's group sat gathered together. The table was piled high with sumptuous food, and everyone was happily devouring meat, enjoying this rare moment of joy.

Shanks, thoroughly drunk, staggered toward Allen, his eyes carrying a mixture of gratitude and delight.

Seeing this, everyone else stopped what they were doing, curious to hear what Shanks had to say.

Shanks threw one arm around Allen's shoulders, raised a bottle with the other, and took a huge gulp. Then he laughed loudly. "Little brother, thanks to you, we've got money to throw a banquet! Hahaha~"

Allen replied with a chuckle, "The World Government is probably so furious they're about to cough up blood."

As soon as those words were spoken, the Red-Haired Pirates could not help but burst into laughter. Their hearty laughter echoed freely through the air.

Shanks turned to the others and said, "Keep the music going! Keep dancing!"

The Red-Haired Pirates immediately replied energetically, "Yes, Boss!"

However, government agents secretly recorded the entire banquet.

After this incident, Allen was mercilessly placed on the five old men's blacklist and branded an extremely untrustworthy individual.

A new year marked a new beginning, and everything was filled with hope and uncertainty.

After happily celebrating the New Year, the Red-Haired Pirates, Allen, and the others set out on a new voyage, carrying their hopes for the future.

When Shanks led his men back to the New World, the gears of fate began to turn. They happened to encounter the BIG MOM Pirates.

When enemies met, the atmosphere instantly became tense, as though the air itself were filled with Gunpowder Smoke.

Long-legged Smoothie looked at the aggressively approaching Red-Haired Pirates, and a bad feeling rose in her heart. She hurriedly said to the person beside her, "Eldest brother, we're in serious trouble this time. Shanks himself is on that ship."

Candy Minister Perospero sighed helplessly. "You don't need to tell me. I can see that."

At that moment, Shanks's behavior aboard his ship was baffling. Like a complete fool, he waved and called out to the BIG MOM Pirates. With how enthusiastic he looked, anyone unaware of the situation might have thought the two sides were on excellent terms.

But in the next second, Shanks's expression changed instantly, turning vicious as he shouted, "You dare steal our territory? Lackeys, give them a proper beating!"

Facing such a formidable enemy, Long-legged Smoothie immediately drew her massive sword and stabbed one of her own lackeys without hesitation, then activated her Devil Fruit Ability.

The stabbed lackey had all the moisture in his body instantly drained away, turning into a shriveled, desiccated corpse.

After stabbing seven or eight people in succession, Smoothie herself underwent a noticeable transformation. Her body swelled to over twenty meters tall, and her legs alone were more than ten meters long. She truly lived up to the name Long-legged.

When she then planted one foot on the bow, the ship rocked violently and nearly sank to the Seabed.

At that moment, Smoothie raised her sword and began charging power. She knew that the enemy was Shanks, a Sea Emperor just like Mother. She had to go all out in this battle and hit the Red-Haired Pirates with something vicious.

Perospero was not idle either. He used his candy scepter to activate his ability toward the Sea surface.

Once the candy ability touched the Sea surface, it spread rapidly like fast-growing Vines. In just a few seconds, it had restrained the Rodolfo. His objective was clear: to let his younger sister attack more effectively.

As time passed, the purple glow on Smoothie's massive sword grew increasingly dazzling. At last, the charge was complete.

With a furious roar, Smoothie gripped her massive sword and slashed down hard at the Red-Haired Pirates.

With a BOOM~, an enormous purple slash shot out from Smoothie's sword.

The Sea surface in the slash's path was carved open by a bottomless fissure, and Seawater surged wildly into it. The sight was utterly terrifying.

Yet as they watched the menacing attack approach, the Red-Haired Pirates' officers remained exceptionally calm. Not only did they show no fear, they even had the leisure to gather around and play rock-paper-scissors, with whoever lost going up.

After two rounds, Shanks stared at his right hand with a regretful expression. "Why did I throw scissors?"

He was clearly blaming his loss on his own right hand.

One of the crewmen joked, "Boss, you're not trying to cheat, are you?"

Having his thoughts exposed, Shanks said somewhat guiltily, "How could I be?"

With no other choice, Shanks drew his sword and moved to the bow to meet the attack.

Using his intact right hand, Shanks drew Griffin and swung a red slash forward.

The slash instantly transformed into a griffin, black lightning Wrapped around its body as it charged majestically toward the purple slash.

Amid unceasing RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE~ sounds, the red griffin, like a savage beast, swallowed the purple slash almost instantly.

As the clawing, snarling griffin drew ever closer, Perospero immediately used his candy ability to create multiple layers of barriers around the ship.

However, the seemingly sturdy barriers were still shattered by the griffin, producing a Crunch crunch sound.

Seeing this, the two Sweet Commanders joined forces and launched an attack.

With another BOOM~, Shanks's slash, already mostly depleted, was finally stopped by the two of them. However, the lingering force of Conqueror's Haki instantly knocked the lackeys aboard unconscious.

At Shanks's command, the Rodolfo began firing continuously. Cannonballs flew toward the enemy ship like meteors, with only one goal: sink it.

The BANG BANG BANG~ of cannon fire rang out without end. After being bombarded for a while, only the two Sweet Commanders remained alive among the BIG MOM Pirates.

However, ninety percent of them had been drained into mummies by Smoothie. She had done so to restore herself, while the number actually killed by the enemy could be counted on one hand.

Perospero and Smoothie exchanged glances, both wearing helpless, bitter smiles.

Just as Shanks was about to use Divine Avoidance to finish the two off, Big Mom had not yet arrived, but her furious roar already came from afar. "Shanks, you brat!"

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Shanks had no choice but to abandon the idea. After all, attacking before the other side's captain arrived was indeed somewhat dishonorable.