On the pirate island of Hachinosu, Koby had gambled Garp away in the New World, turning him into a bargaining chip!
Meanwhile, in the waters of Wano Country...
One vessel was an ordinary single-masted speedboat. At its bow stood a tall, straight-backed man in a gray cloak, a sword with its blade wrapped in white cloth hanging at his waist.
The other was the Red Force, renowned across the Four Blues, flying its simple yet imposing flag.
At its bow stood a one-armed man in a black cloak, his remaining right hand resting on the famed sword at his waist, his red hair stirring gently in the sea breeze.
The speedboat and the Red Force faced each other silently across several hundred meters of open water.
Gern crouched at the bow, one hand braced on his knee while the other rubbed hard at his brow in utter exasperation.
"I knew it..." Gern forced the words through his teeth, making no attempt to hide his frustration.
"That lazy bastard Kizaru, slacking off all day... I knew I couldn't count on him!
He couldn't even stop you. What good is his Glint-Glint Fruit? He might as well rename it the 'Slacker-Slacker Fruit'!"
Gern's complaints scattered in the sea breeze, but his gaze remained fixed on the figure at the bow of the Red Force.
"Red Hair... Shanks."
At the bow of the Red Force, Shanks lowered his eyes slightly, calmly looking down at the man on the speedboat below.
Compared to when Gern had beaten him unconscious years ago, Shanks now looked more mature.
His black cloak stripped away some of his pirate swagger, lending him the aloof mystery of a king or a night watchman.
"It was only a guess..." Shanks began, his voice quiet yet carrying clearly across the water.