"So what are you trying to do here, Uncle Michael?" Luffy leaned in close to Michael's ear and whispered, "These people aren't ordinary civilians, you know..."
"If they're not civilians, then who is?" Michael shook his head. "It's just a small favor. Don't forget, we're pirates now, but at our core, we're still the Angel Alliance."
"Yeah, yeah, you're right."
"Honestly, I don't know what goes on in that head of yours every day." Michael raised an eyebrow at Luffy.
"Go wrap things up."
Luffy nodded and immediately bounced toward a nearby sailing ship in the distance.
It was the ship of the Einstein Pirates—they had taken advantage of the situation to sneak away unnoticed.
What Michael meant by "wrapping things up" was something the SWORD Classified Special Forces had loved doing back in the day...
Sinking ships.
And since most members of the SWORD Classified Special Forces had once been instructors at the youth training division, this fine tradition had been passed down to its members.
Watching Luffy leave, Michael turned back.
A faint, soft glow began to emanate from his hands.
This was the Holy Light, suppressed to its limits.
Dim, yet warm.
Kaya immediately felt her physical condition rapidly improve upon touching Michael's hand.
"Your illness isn't actually incurable... It's mainly because you were born frail, making it seem like you were on death's doorstep. To a ship's doctor, who specializes in treating external injuries, diagnosing it as terminal isn't entirely wrong..." Michael said with a smile.
"As you grow older and your physique strengthens, the illness will gradually fade. But since you've met me, you won't have to endure the long recovery process."
With that, Michael released her hands.
He stood up under Kaya's astonished gaze.
The mask obscuring his face only added to his mystique.
"Golden Thief? Why does that sound so familiar?"
Usopp rubbed his chin, muttering to himself, only to be interrupted by Uta.
"Of course it sounds familiar! Isn't that the infamous pirate who got a 350 million Beri bounty right after setting sail not too long ago?! The one who ransacked Alabasta's royal palace or something..."
"Ohhh! The one with a crew full of old guys!"
"By the way, you're Usopp, Yassop's son, right?" Michael turned to Usopp and Uta.
"And you must be Red Hair's daughter, Uta? It's been a long time. I can't believe you've grown so much... You used to hug me when you were little—no, wait, I mean, I used to hug you when you were little..."
"You mean to say, when I was little, you held me?" Uta's lips twitched.
"Yeah, yeah, that's what I meant." Though his face was hidden behind the mask, Michael's voice was full of amusement.
'Although...'
'Back when I was holding you, I also took the opportunity to threaten your dad a bit.'
Coercing and enticing Red Hair into becoming a Warlord... that was one of Michael's favorite episodes.
"Then why haven't I heard my dad mention someone like you... 'Golden Thief'? And if you knew my dad that early, why did you only set sail now? What were you before going to sea?"
Uta fired off questions one after another, her nearly perfect girl's voice tinged with suspicion.
"Don't think too much about it... my identity is a secret for now."
With that, Michael waved at Luffy, who had just returned after sinking the ship using Moon Walk.
"We should head back."
"No problem, but I noticed the ship's side has a hole from cannon fire and it's leaking now."
"...Never mind, let's see this through to the end. Connect this ship to ours and take them directly to Water Seven for repairs."
Turning back, he spread his hands toward the three teenagers.
"Looks like we'll be spending more time together."
...
East Blue, Syrup Village.
"Hey! Shanks! Where have you hidden my son and Kaya!?"
Yassop, having just returned from a long trip, stormed through half the island and barged into the Red Hair Pirates' camp.
"Yassop, let's talk calmly," Shanks said with a smile as he watched the furious Yassop charging toward him.
"They just went out to sea to have some fun."
"You're really something! Didn't you notice your daughter's gone too?"
"Ah, of course I noticed," Shanks shrugged. "Kids will spread their wings sooner or later."
Seeing Shanks' completely unfazed expression, Yassop finally sighed.
Unlike the original story, the Red Hair Pirates hadn't settled in Foosha Village this time.
Instead, they came to Syrup Village in the East Blue—Yassop and Usopp's hometown.
This was also the root reason why Uta ended up hanging out with Usopp and Kaya.
"You reckless captain, always letting them run wild... Uta and that brat Usopp are one thing, but you know Kaya's condition!"
"Hahaha, Yassop, the sea is where miracles happen... maybe going to sea will even cure Kaya's illness? Don't forget, there are people like Michael in this world!"
"Michael... how long has he been missing? Can he really return? And if he does, what about us? We never joined the Angel Alliance."
"Michael isn't that unreasonable, you know."
"I get it, we're fine, but you—with your Celestial Dragon blood and being the strongest pirate alive—if Michael really wants to settle scores with you, it's not impossible..." Yassop went on for a while, but Shanks remained indifferent. Eventually, Yassop turned to leave.
"Whatever, I'm done with you... I'm going home to cook! My wife was recently elected as the Women's Federation chairwoman for several nearby villages and keeps having meetings... I don't want her coming home to an empty stomach."
Shanks lazily waved at Yassop's retreating figure.
Then he turned around and took out the wanted poster of the Old Geezers Pirates.
"Michael, oh Michael... I never expected you to have returned already..."
"Not only did you not announce it, but you secretly took these old-timers and became pirates?"
"What exactly are you planning?"
Shanks was extremely curious now.
When he first saw the wanted poster of the Old Geezers Pirates, he had found them familiar.
After all, he had seen these old-timers quite often...
But why would the "Marine Hero," "Former Marine Fleet Admiral," and "Former Marine Admiral" take to the seas as pirates?
No matter how he thought about it, it was utterly absurd.
Then, a sudden possibility occurred to him.
Before this, something even more absurd must have happened...
Like the return of a certain angel who was both skilled and enthusiastic about stirring up trouble.
"Golden Thief? The naming sense here is truly... something else."