The banquet hall of the Hachinosu Palace is brightly lit today.
A huge long table stretched from one end of the hall to the other, and it was laden with delicacies from land and sea.
The top chefs on Hachinosu started preparing early in the morning, serving up a continuous stream of delicacies from the deep sea, specialties from Sky Island, and famous dishes from Four Blues.
There was plenty of wine— Bullet brought out his private stash of the finest spirits.
The core members of the two pirate crews sat around a long table, their roles clearly defined yet their interactions harmonious.
On Roy Pirates' side, there were twenty or thirty people, including Bullet, Hawk Eyes, Tesoro, Crocodile, Kuma, Kyros, Moria, Yamato, Enel, Enel, Pea, the Hancock Sisters, Savi Law... all sitting densely together.
On the Red Hair Pirates' side, Beckman, Yasopp, Lucky Roux, Rem Limejuice, Monster, Benk Punch, and Rockstar were all present.
The moment their glasses clinked, the atmosphere instantly became electric.
"Hahaha! Red Hair! I heard your Lucky Roux has a huge appetite? Come on, let's have a go!"
Jesus Burgess was the first to jump up, pointing at Lucky Roux on the Red Hair Pirates' side, his eyes practically burning with fighting spirit.
Raki Lu raised his head from behind the meat bone, glanced at Jesus Burgess's calf-like physique, and laughed until his eyes disappeared:
Are you sure?
The two hit it off immediately and each ordered three tables of meat.
Roast pork, roast beef, fried fish, stewed seafood—the whole table of dishes was devoured in no time.
Raki Lu ate with practiced ease, not fast but never stopping, piling meat bones onto the table one after another.
Jesus Burgess ate voraciously, picking up the whole roasted pig and gnawing on it, the bones crunching loudly.
The people around stopped drinking and all gathered around to cheer the two on.
In the end, the two of them swept the plates of meat off the three tables, leaving Jesus Burgess lying on the ground rubbing his belly and groaning, while Raki Lu was still gnawing on his fourth meat bone with relish.
No one knew who won, but the two looked at each other and burst into laughter at the same time, thus beginning a deep "friendship based on food."
Yasopp and Van Augur, holding wine glasses, huddled in a corner discussing sniping.
The two men spoke softly, but occasionally a few words would slip out—ballistic correction, wind speed calculation, Armament Haki application, ultra-long-range sniping—
The snipers nearby listened with their eyes shining, wishing they could pull out their notebooks and take notes on the spot.
The two snipers shared very similar values and found themselves getting along extremely well.
Near the head of the table, Roy and Shanks sat side by side.
Roy swirled his wine glass as Shanks recounted his experiences in the New World over the past three years.
From storming Golden Lion's territory to battling Whitebeard, and then taking on both Big Mom and Kaido—
Shanks spoke with great enthusiasm, occasionally slapping his thigh and cursing the old man, then praising his comrade.
Roy smiled, holding his wine glass, and nodded occasionally.
At the next table, Hawk Eyes and Shanks clinked glasses and, unusually, spoke:
"Have you come up with a new trick lately?"
Shanks laughed, "You can see through anything, Mihawk!"
"When can we have another match?!"
"Anytime!"
The two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.
After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere had reached its most lively point.
The banquet hall was noisy; some people were drinking contests, some were bragging, some were talking about swordsmanship, and some were talking about sniping.
The officers of the two pirate crews had long since become one, so there was no longer any distinction between them.
Just then, Shanks put down his glass.
His movement to stand up was subtle, but the moment he regained his composure, the entire banquet hall fell silent.
That silence wasn't due to any Haki he displayed, but rather because everyone sensed it at the same moment.
This man has something important to say.
Shanks stood before the long table, facing everyone's gaze.
Then he turned around and looked at Roy was in the main seat.
The alcohol had completely worn off from his eyes, replaced by a pure, undisguised fervor.
Roy.
His voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear him clearly.
Three years ago, in the Sabaody Archipelago, we didn't get a proper fight.
Roy put down his glass.
"In the past three years, I have traveled all over the New World, fought Golden Lion, Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido."
I've encountered all sorts of powerful individuals and learned all sorts of things.
Shanks gripped the Gryphon at his waist, its sheath gleaming faintly with gold under the lamplight.
"But I've always wanted to fight you. From the past to now, I want to know just how strong you are now, the one who was recognized and highly praised by Captain Roger back then."
I also want to know, between my pirate crew and your Hachinosu, who is stronger?
He drew the Gryphon, and the moment the blade was drawn, a dark red arc of Conqueror's Haki flickered across its surface for a fleeting instant.
The lights in the entire hall flickered for a moment.
The main hall was completely silent.
You could hear a pin drop.
Shanks held Gryphon horizontally in front of him, gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, and bowed his head solemnly to Roy.
" Roy —I, Red-Haired Shanks, on behalf of the Red Hair Pirates, challenge you and the Roy Pirates."
He raised his head, his eyes burning with a fighting spirit that seemed to pierce the ceiling.
"Fight a fair and square battle."
One-on-one duels between cadres, plus our ultimate showdown.
Are you going to answer or not?
Everyone held their breath.
Bullet put down his glass, a glint of excitement in his eyes.
Lightning crackled around Tesoro, and a grin spread across his face.
Beckman slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, Yasopp of his sniper rifle.
Everyone looked at Roy, waiting for his answer.
Roy looked at Shanks —at the fighting spirit in his eyes, at his slightly trembling hand gripping his sword, at the undisguised desire on his face.
This man waited three years, not for a chance to catch up with old friends, but for an opponent who would give him his all.
Roy picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp.
The sound of a wine glass slamming on the table was like the beating of a war drum.
"Good!"
Roy stood up.
"Tomorrow morning, at the central training ground on Hachinosu."
The Roy Pirates versus the Red Hair Pirates —a fair and square fight!
Shanks grinned broadly.
A deafening cheer erupted in the main hall.
Bullet clashed his fists together, and the aftershocks of his Conqueror's Haki made the wine glasses clink.
Tesoro had already floated into the air, lightning crackling between his fingers.
Yamato shouldered the spiked club, his eyes gleaming.
Hancock clenched her fists, her fighting spirit burning within her.
Beckman watched the group of enthusiastic guys and silently took a drag of his cigarette.
The showdown between the New World's top pirate crews has been decided.
The following morning, at the central training ground of Hachinosu.
This massive training arena was personally designed and supervised by Bullet three years ago; the entire site was carved from a single block of natural volcanic rock.
With a diameter of nearly two kilometers, the ground is paved with specially made Seastone and other mixed materials.
It can withstand the impact of battles at the Admiral level. The stands around the training ground extend upwards in a stepped pattern.
It was already packed with people.