Where had Shane gone?
Had the Celestial Dragons wiped him out with their national treasure?
Impossible!
People weren't fools. Once the truth came out, they knew that Garp and Shane had been destroyed in exactly that way before.
Since Shane and Garp hadn't died the first time, it was even less likely the second time.
Perhaps he was recuperating somewhere in the world again.
Then, whenever Imu showed himself, Shane would march up and give him a great big slap!
But now...
People hadn't received any news about Shane.
Neither side mentioned him in the papers, as though he ought to vanish and it didn't matter whether he still existed in this world.
War had already broken out anyway. Could they really stop just because of Shane alone?
Still, as their strongest fighter, Shane always gave those who joined him a sense of security.
"What do you think Shane is cooking up this time?"
"Tsk, tsk. He must be somewhere preparing some grand plan. Look at the old news!"
Someone took out all the old newspapers about Shane.
One even bore his handwritten signature.
That was what the Hot Air Balloon News Agency claimed, anyway. There had only been a hundred thousand copies worldwide at the time, and their price had since soared.
"Holy crap, you have his autograph! This came out after he became Pirate King, right? You always called him scum, but you've been secretly collecting autographed newspapers!"
"What do you know? You know Aokiji? He used to come to my tavern for food all the time. I never said anything because I didn't want to put Kuzan in an awkward position, but now I'm coming clean!"
Whoosh!
The tavern owner slapped the table.
This was the port of a small island that had come under the Sorbet