The bar was livelier than usual.
Shanks kept trying to get Jake drunk, while Monet headed to the kitchen to help Makino prepare some chilled beer.
"I told you, I don't drink, you damn Red Hair!"
Jake's face was slightly flushed at this point.
Ever since he entered the tavern, Shanks had been using every trick in the book to coax him into drinking no less than five massive mugs of beer—each one holding over a liter.
And every time, it was a chug.
For someone like Jake, who wasn't much of a drinker, this was already a considerable challenge.
"Hahaha! Sixth mug! Drink this sixth one, and you'll be an honorary vice-captain on our crew! Even if you quit the Marines someday, come to me and I'll give you the highest treatment!"
Beckman, hearing his captain's increasingly absurd promises, sighed helplessly.
The man was clearly drunk.
But he didn't plan to intervene.
After all, more often than not, the bonds between men were forged in the clinking of glasses.
Building a good relationship with the rising star of the Marines—someone whose future seemed boundless—wasn't a bad thing at all.
And from his own observations, Jake seemed like someone worth befriending.
He wasn't quite the same as the rumors suggested.
As the seventh mug of beer went down, Jake looked at Shanks, let out a satisfied burp and then said.
"Alright, alright, I really can't drink any more. If this keeps up, we won't even get to the real business. I came here today because there's something I wanted to discuss with you."
Hearing this, Shanks stopped pouring Jake another drink and instead asked him with curiosity.
"For the famous Rear Admiral Jake to come seek me out personally—it must be something big. And since you've been so generous with the drinks, as long as it's not too outrageous, I won't refuse."
At this, Jake smiled faintly at Shanks and said.
"A while back, you guys must have taken that 'Gomu Gomu no Mi' from a World Government ship, right?"
The moment the words "Gomu Gomu no Mi" left his lips, Shanks' expression instantly turned serious.
He took a sip of his drink, his voice lowering, all traces of his earlier cheerfulness gone.
"So you came here to reclaim that fruit? If that's the case, I can offer you another one in exchange. After all, the Gomu Gomu no Mi isn't exactly rare, right?"
Jake shook his head, his gaze carrying a deeper meaning as he replied.
"If that fruit really were just a Paramecia-type, it'd be one thing. But clearly, everyone's misunderstood it all along. There's no such thing as a 'rubber fruit.' That thing… it's actually a Zoan, isn't it? A Mythical Zoan..."
At this, Shanks' eyes sharpened instantly.
The aura radiating from him was downright terrifying as he stared at Jake.
"Oh~ It seems Rear Admiral Jake is far more knowledgeable than I imagined. So then, may I ask—what exactly is your purpose in coming to me?"
Hearing this, Jake didn't beat around the bush any longer.
He looked straight at Shanks and said.
"I won't interfere much with the fruit. You can proceed with your original plans. The reason I mentioned that fruit was just to show you that my intelligence network is no less extensive than yours. What I truly want is future cooperation with you."
"Cooperation?! Between the Marines and a Pirate?! The future head of the Marines working with a scum like me?"
Seeing Shanks' stunned expression, Jake merely smiled and said.
"Is this really so hard to understand? To be frank, it's not just you. I've already been collaborating with Whitebeard on numerous projects since a year ago. You participated in that battle between Whitebeard and Kaido recently, didn't you?
Didn't you notice Whitebeard's physical condition has improved significantly compared to before?"
At this, an excited grin appeared on Shanks' face.
"Are you saying you're the one who treated Whitebeard's condition?"
"More or less. While I can't claim to have completely cured his ailments, with continued treatment, restoring Whitebeard to his prime isn't impossible. Our collaboration has been quite satisfactory for me."
Hearing this, Shanks took a big gulp of alcohol before asking Jake.
"Can you tell me what projects you've been working on with Whitebeard?"
"I can, but until you commit to cooperating with me, I can't reveal too much. Let me give you a general idea: some high-value cases involving the Sea Train, pirate eradication in certain regions, the disappearance of World Government ships in specific areas - that's about it. Anything more would require internal clearance."
"That old man Whitebeard's been keeping strange secrets from us after all. But if you've really healed him, this era can continue progressing steadily. Rather than others fighting for dominance, I'd much prefer Whitebeard to remain in his position."
Jake remained silent, simply observing Shanks with calm composure.
Understanding Jake's unspoken message, Shanks was about to respond when a foul odor suddenly wafted from behind them.
Jake finally spoke again.
"We can postpone our cooperation discussion. Luffy wet his pants - might have even soiled them. You promised Makino you'd help change drunk Luffy's clothes. I'll step out first and return after you're done."
With that, Jake walked out of the bar, followed closely by Beckman.
To Shanks' despair, the rest of the crew also began filing out after Jake, as if he were their actual captain.
"Damn it! You traitorous bastards! Is there no loyalty left among you?!"
Beckman waved his hand dismissively.
"Sorry, Captain. When faced with Luffy's dirty pants, we'll temporarily set aside our loyalty. We'll resume our allegiance after you've changed little Luffy's clothes."
"Hey! Beckman! You're the first mate! It's your duty to—"
Before Shanks could finish speaking, Beckman's figure had already vanished.
And when he was about to call for the others, the tavern was already empty.