One Piece: Starting with Sign-in Naruto Character Cards

Although the two were joking and laughing casually, the people opposite them didn't find it so lighthearted.

After hearing what was said, Shanks's brain began racing.

It was obvious now—this man in front of him definitely knew him from the past.

Suddenly, a name popped into his mind.

"Douglas Bullet?" Shanks asked tentatively.

"Haha, so you do remember me. That makes things easy," Bullet smirked. "Leave the ship and go. Since you were part of Roger's crew, I'll let you off this time."

The moment those arrogant words came out, Shanks's expression darkened instantly.

The surrounding Red-Haired Pirates also looked visibly angry.

Unlike Shanks, Douglas Bullet was just a vague name to most of them—someone from an era long gone.

"Douglas Bullet... the one who used to sail with Roger back in the day?" Benn Beckman asked in surprise.

He was old enough to remember fragments of the past, and their dialogue had jogged some memories.

"Tsk, looks like you lot really are out of the loop. Didn't get today's paper?" Rikuya Kazama added with a mocking tone.

In the pirate world, there was a unique delivery system: News Coo, seagulls that flew newspapers to ships at sea.

Because many spent months or years at sea, the World Economic News Agency, led by Morgans, trained these birds to deliver the latest news directly to pirate ships.

And just as Rikuya finished his sentence, a News Coo flew down from the sky.

It landed on the deck, dropped off a newspaper, and waited.

Lucky Roo stepped forward and tossed a few Berries into the basket hanging from the bird's chest.

Satisfied, the News Coo took off again.

Lucky Roo picked up the paper and handed it to Shanks.

Though it had been a few days since Rikuya and Bullet's escape, their story had only been fully exposed yesterday.

People on land had already read about it, but those at sea had to wait for today's edition.

Shanks opened the paper—and saw their faces on the front page.

After reading the article, Shanks couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.

"Douglas Bullet... You actually escaped from Level 6 of Impel Down? And even defeated all of its guards?" he said loudly, his voice carrying across the entire ship.

Everyone around him heard.

And when they realized that these two unknown men had broken out of the legendary undersea prison, fear began to spread among the crew.

"Mr. Douglas Bullet, I respect you deeply," Shanks said seriously. "But asking me to hand over this ship? That's impossible.

"This ship doesn't just carry my dream—it carries the hopes of the entire Red-Haired Pirates. So no... we can't let you take it."

Douglas Bullet might be his senior and former comrade, but that didn't mean Shanks would bow down to him.

His current strength had reached a point where surrendering the Red Force was completely out of the question.

"My dream?" Rikuya suddenly cut in with a sly smile. "Or should I bring up your secret dealings with the Five Elders, right here in front of your crew?

"If we go that far, I doubt the pirate world will have room for you anymore."

That one line made the entire deck fall silent.

Rikuya hadn't just name-dropped Shanks—he also mentioned the Five Elders.

The Five Elders (Gorosei) were the five old men who sat atop the world's hierarchy—the true power behind the World Government. Even Fleet Admiral Kong was beneath them in authority.

Now that Rikuya had linked Shanks with the Five Elders, it sent a wave of shock and confusion through everyone present.

Even Shanks was sweating bullets.

In his life, Rikuya was only the second person to make him feel genuine fear.

The first... had already been publicly executed by the Navy due to an incurable illness.

"Mr. Rikuya... who are you really?" Shanks asked, trying to steer the conversation away. "With strength and insight like yours, why target me? What do you really want?"

"I told you. Just leave the ship behind. As for why I came after you... sorry, pure coincidence," Rikuya shrugged.

"Let's do this," Shanks said unexpectedly. "Let this matter go for today. I'll help you get a brand new warship instead."

Even his own crew looked at him in shock.

They'd been sailing these seas for years and had never seen Shanks ask someone for leniency.

Yet now, he was actually pleading with a random young pirate?

"Hah," Rikuya sneered. "What, you ate the Face-Face Fruit or something? Think your 'face' can solve everything?"

"You want face? Go earn it!"

In a world ruled by the law of the jungle, talking about "face" was laughable—and Rikuya rejected Shanks's offer on the spot.

---

10% Discount Voucher

FF92E

Active until the 17th.

Please subscribe at patreon.com/dzeref887 and get access to over 500 chapters.