With that brief interlude over, the group returned to the main matter at hand and lined up in front of Mandrell.
He had originally thought Olga came prepared, fully aware of what this place was about before deciding to get involved.
But reality told him otherwise. Olga had clearly been assimilated by Kaido to some extent, picking up a few of his habits along the way. From that perspective, it had actually been the right choice for him to come along.
"Listen up. Although it's called a 'festival' and looks like a celebration, its true nature is still a pirate black market.
Fighting, robbery, abduction—there are no taboos on this island.
Under normal circumstances, pirates won't deliberately start conflicts here. Ruining a trading venue isn't good for anyone.
But there are always exceptions. So none of you are to let your guard down. You will stay within our line of sight at all times. Understood?"
"Yesss~"
"Got it~"
"My friend, you're really strict with the kids, huh?"
Mandrell received the expected replies, except one unfamiliar voice slipped in among them. Before he could react, several figures appeared by the ship's rail.
"Red Hair? Why are you here?"
The uninvited guest was none other than Shanks.
And Shanks didn't treat himself like an outsider at all. He casually turned to the nearby pirates and made a request.
"Obviously I'm here for the festival. Hey, you guys over there, mind hauling our boat up? Much appreciated."
"Don't start ordering people around on my ship! What is a loser like you even doing here anyway?"
"Huh? Didn't I say? I'm here for the festival. We go way back, no need to be so distant, right?"
Shanks scratched his head in feigned confusion. If not for his immense reputation, no one would guess that this goofy middle-aged man was actually one of the Four Emperors.
Seeing that no one on the ship moved to help him, thanks to Olga's presence, Shanks didn't complain. He simply grabbed a rope from the deck and, like roping cattle, hauled the boat he'd arrived in up onto the deck himself.
"Where should I secure it? Are you all just going to keep watching?"
"Boss…"
"Go help him settle the boat."
"Yes!"
With Olga's order, the crew finally helped Shanks take care of the boat.
"Where's your own ship?"
"Didn't bring it. The Red Force is too conspicuous. If I'd sailed it here, Uta would've spotted me immediately."
"Figures. The only one who could make you show up is Uta."
No matter how others perceived Shanks, Olga simply couldn't feel his intimidation. Psychologically, she had an innate advantage when facing him.
Besides, it was obvious he wasn't here to fight, so she had nothing to worry about.
Ever since Whitebeard's death, the remaining Emperors of the New World, with the Beasts Pirates as the link, had formed a relatively stable balance.
"Since it's Uta's performance, I had to come if I had the chance. And honestly, I've got a bad feeling about this festival. I don't remember Captain Roger ever leaving behind a treasure like this."
It was only natural for Shanks to know Uta's whereabouts. Even without being told, Uta would inform him of her future plans. When he heard she'd been invited to perform at this festival, he immediately set out for the island.
To avoid causing a stir, he deliberately used a small boat. And after spotting his "old acquaintance" Olga, he boarded her ship without hesitation.
Shanks cared a great deal about face. According to the world's metaphysical theory, failing to give him face might result in misfortune somewhere down the line.
Yet in informal settings, he cared nothing for it at all. He could even shamelessly act thick-skinned. Despite Olga's visible displeasure, he still followed the Shadow Fox ship into the festival venue, and even tried poaching someone right in front of them.
"Mandrell, ever consider switching jobs and working with me? I think we'd have plenty to talk about."
"You should discuss that with Governor-General Kaido. If he agrees, I won't object."
"Yeah… I'll pass. Kaido's a troublesome guy."
By then, they had followed the island's waterways and reached its central region.
The island itself was unusual, divided by sea currents into three fan-shaped sections, with numerous entrances leading toward the central area.
At that moment, the festival's host picked up his microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen! There's a reason the festival is being held here after twenty long years! Just as the Great Pirate Era was about to begin, the Pirate King, Gold Roger, discovered this island and buried an immensely valuable treasure here!
He also left behind these words: 'In the deep and towering darkness lies our answer!' This is the challenge issued by the Pirate King himself! Everyone, let us unravel this mystery and search for that legendary treasure!
And even if you're not interested in treasure, that's fine! This time, we've invited the world's number one diva—Miss Uta!
And joining her is her partner, Miss Ann!
You can also choose to enjoy the one-of-a-kind singing voice!"
A massive stage rose at the center of the island. Buena Festa had prepared thoroughly in this regard, successfully stirring up the atmosphere.
Countless pirate ships had already poured into the waterways, beginning their competition for the so-called secret treasure. Yet the Shadow Fox ship did not move. Instead, it quietly docked in the harbor using stealth.
At first, Olga had wanted to join in the treasure hunt for fun, but now she seemed to have found something even more entertaining.
Shanks had no objections. He had come to watch the performance in the first place. With the show yet to begin, he had somehow turned into a walking Q&A machine.
"Hey, Red-Haired Uncle, I heard you used to be a crew member of the Pirate King."
"Yep. Back then, I was one of Captain Roger's apprentices."
"Then what treasure did the Pirate King leave here? Isn't the One Piece on Laugh Tale? Since you were his apprentice, did you go to the final island? What's there?"
"Unfortunately, I never went to Laugh Tale. Due to certain circumstances, I didn't accompany Captain Roger to Laugh Tale.
As for this treasure, I don't recall anything about it."
Shanks truly had no memory of Roger leaving anything on this island. At least before he left the ship, he had never heard of such a thing.
"So that guy might be lying? Trying to lure more pirates to this island?"
Mandrell and the children were concerned about different things. From Shanks' answer, it was highly likely that Buena Festa's words were filled with falsehoods.
Roger had long since died; there was no way for the world to verify whether he had ever done such a thing.
Even if Buena Festa was merely using Roger's name for exaggerated promotion, there was no evidence to prove it was a lie.
The real question was, what exactly did Buena Festa intend to do by gathering so many pirates here?
"Maybe. I don't know what he's planning either. But that guy… he'd better not get any funny ideas."
Shanks' tone didn't change, but his right hand rested on the hilt of Gryphon. At that moment, Maylo looked toward the distant sea.
"Dad, there's something under the water."
Thanks to her bloodline and ability, Maylo's perception of sea currents was far sharper than that of ordinary humans. She had already sensed something unusual.
No sooner had she spoken than the calm sea suddenly began to churn violently, eventually converging into a powerful current that shot skyward.
"A Knock Up Stream?!"
A Knock Up Stream alone wouldn't have shocked Mandrell. It wasn't some unique phenomenon; many locations along the Grand Line experienced periodic eruptions of them.
What left him incredulous was that within that massive current was an island wrapped in a bubble. It looked as though, for all this time, the island had been resting on the seabed in that very state.
Only now, as the Knock Up Stream unleashed its force, was the island thrust back into open air.
The island's sudden appearance interrupted the concert that had just begun. At the same time, the pirates found their new target and charged toward the freshly emerged island.
The height of a Knock Up Stream varied, but a powerful one is enough to send an island up to the Skypiea tens of thousands of meters above. Even from far away, the upheaval caused by the sea current was clearly visible.
Above the clouds, Kaido, still drunk, finally stopped his reckless "drunken drifting" maneuvers and entered a steadier flight.
But the abruptly rising sea current caught his attention. When he sensed several powerful auras in that direction, Kaido seemed to form a new plan, steering Amazon Lily away from its original course.
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