The deserted island Xie Wen had mentioned could not accumulate magnetism. It was merely one of the many small islands that served as way stations on the Grand Line, and it was not too far from Karakuri Island. They encountered no terrible weather along the way, either, so the two ships soon arrived and docked.
"Ahahahaha! You must be 'Sapphire Star' Xie Wen. I've wanted to meet you for a long time!"
After everyone disembarked, Shanks, probably trying to ease the awkwardness, launched rather stiffly into some pleasantries. "I hear you know old Rayleigh, too. He used to be our Vice Captain!"
"Yes. Back in the East Blue, I killed a Fish-Man pirate who once saved his life, so he came looking for a fight with me at the Sabaody Archipelago. If Vice Admiral Garp hadn't arrived afterward, things probably would've ended pretty badly for me."
Xie Wen deliberately kept a straight face as he regarded Shanks coldly.
And he was not exactly lying. He had been much weaker then than he was now. Had they kept fighting, Rayleigh most likely would have given him a sound beating...
Well, even now, Xie Wen had no idea that he had actually been close to successfully wearing the old man out.
But whatever the situation had been back then, Xie Wen's words immediately made the atmosphere between the two sides even more awkward.
"...Ha, hahaha, is that so?"
Shanks struggled to keep smiling. After a few dry laughs, he really had no idea how to continue, so he could only keep shooting looks at Benn Beckman beside him, hoping he would step in and salvage the situation.
But even Beckman was at a loss now. Accidentally exposing Xie Wen's whereabouts earlier was one thing, but their hard-won attempt at finding common ground