Ace handed the large bottle of liquor to Shanks. Shanks reached out, pulled out the cork, and took a hearty swig.
"Ah, such nostalgia! The taste of distant memories!"
Shanks tossed the bottle into the air, and his crewmates caught it with laughter, passing it around one by one.
"Makino's sake... truly unforgettable! Hahaha!"
"You know I visited Foosha Village? Ah..."
Shanks glanced at Wright, as if recalling something.
"You... you're from Foosha Village? I heard you were Wright's disciple from his hometown. I didn't expect you to be from there too."
"Well... strictly speaking, I was fostered near Mt. Colubo, raised by bandits."
Ace scratched his nose, a bit embarrassed. Those bandits... he couldn't help but miss them a little.
"Haha... how interesting. Speaking of bandits, that reminds me of an amusing fellow..."
Shanks cast an awkward glance at his empty left sleeve.
"Hey, you idiot Shanks, what's there to be embarrassed about..."
Wright snickered, "That bandit... smashed a bottle on this idiot's head and said, 'I've taken down 56 guys like you!'..."
"Pfft—hahaha! That's killing me! Mmmph..."
"Bastard! How do you know that so clearly?!"
Shanks leaped up, covering Wright's smug mouth, but Ace was already dumbfounded, and the crew burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Wahaha!"
"Captain, you were really pathetic back then!"
"Shut up, you bastards!"
The louder Shanks yelled, the more outrageously the crew laughed. Eventually, even Shanks joined in.
"Hahahaha! No matter what, it really was a fun time!"
"Ugh..."
Ace wiped the sweat off his brow. No wonder Red-Haired Shanks got along so well with Luffy... they're exactly the same kind of goofball!
Shanks gradually calmed down, shaking his head with a sigh.
"Ah, youth... Those days in the East Blue were truly pleasant. If only Wright hadn't gone to Marine Headquarters, we wouldn't have gone more than ten years without meeting again."
"Hmph, you idiot... you came back missing an arm, I really can't believe you..."
Wright gave Shanks a disdainful look.
"Even if you slipped up, didn't you think of coming to me to reattach your arm? Now it's too late!"
"Heh... I bet my arm on the new era."
"Hmph, the first time I saw that brat, I knew it was your doing... That straw hat, you really dared to dream big!"
"Oh? You've seen Luffy?"
Shanks' interest was piqued, and the crew leaned in.
"He's the one to ask—he knows better than I do."
Wright nudged his chin towards Ace, who scratched his head under the curious gazes.
"Yeah... my main reason for meeting Captain Shanks is to thank you on behalf of my little brother. He always says you're his savior, constantly talking about you..."
"Your brother?"
"That's Luffy."
"..."
Shouldn't that have been mentioned at the start?!
"Luffy's... so he has a brother! Hahaha! That's great! Tell me everything about Luffy..."
Shanks paused abruptly. The crew froze, then all turned their heads toward Wright.
"Oi! Wright! You brought Luffy's brother into the Marines—don't tell me you're planning to take Luffy into the Marines too!"
The thought made Shanks clutch his head in pain. From Wright's earlier words, he'd already met Luffy... meaning Luffy might have received his guidance too!
That silver-tongued devil could convince anyone!
"Tch, Luffy's grandfather is Garp, and even he couldn't stop him from becoming a pirate. Who am I to change his mind?"
Wright rubbed his nose, a little helpless.
"You left, and Garp showed up right after. He wanted to break your legs for slipping away, searched the entire East Blue... countless small-time pirates suffered because of you."
Shanks' face turned complicated.
What?! Luffy's grandfather is that Hero Garp?!
Monkey D... how did I not notice back then?!
And breaking legs...?
Wright smirked at Shanks' increasingly tangled expression, feeling utterly refreshed.
"Ace, tell this idiot about Luffy. Whether Garp could break his legs now is another matter entirely!"
Ace suppressed his awkwardness and began recounting Luffy's story—their relationship, their promise. Shanks and his crew listened intently.
"I see... Luffy was also raised by bandits. Vice Admiral Garp, you're really something..."
Shanks chuckled, though a hint of secret joy flickered in his eyes.
With Luffy's stubbornness, trying to mold him into a Marine? Heh!
So, it was a blessing that Luffy was Garp's grandson after all?
But that meant... this sworn brother of Luffy, trained by both Garp and Wright—no wonder he was so strong at such a young age...
Hmm... and he carried the "D" name!
"That straw hat... Luffy still has it?"
Learning Ace hadn't seen Luffy in over a year, Shanks started calculating.
"You're three years older... so Luffy's departure is coming soon?"
"Yeah... about a year or so. He treats that hat like his life, says he'll become Pirate King and return it to you."
"Heh... idiot, what's more important than life?"
Beckman patted his captain's shoulder.
"Oi, Captain, instead of discussing Luffy's journey with two Marines, shouldn't you worry about whether they'll catch him?"
"Ah!"
Shanks was dumbfounded. Facing him were a Marine Admiral and the strongest rookie Marine Major. Ace alone could probably capture Luffy—after all, before gaining his Devil Fruit powers, Luffy had never beaten him!
"Oi, oi, this is cheating!"
"Hey!"
Wright narrowed his eyes with a smirk.
"Shanks, how about we make a deal?"
"A deal?"
Shanks sighed, "So that's your real reason for coming?"
"Well, sort of. It was a spur-of-the-moment idea. Originally, I hadn't planned on it."
Wright stroked his chin, locking eyes with Shanks.
"Ace and I won't pursue Luffy, nor interfere with his adventure."
"But to become Pirate King, Luffy will face many challenges. I won't meddle with what other Marines do."
"In return, I need you to turn a blind eye to the Marines' recent actions in the New World for the next month."
"I have my own goals, Shanks—so does Ace. To achieve them, I must strengthen the Marines by any means... even if it means a Pirate King rising."
Wright stared into Shanks' increasingly serious eyes.
"Perhaps... cooperation between us isn't impossible."
"At the right time."
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