The onlookers could not see the final scene of the battle between Alucard and Shanks. Zephyr walked over to the young pirates who had quit the Red-Hair Pirates and questioned them about something that had been perplexing him:
It was the matter of Shanks attacking Arderay.
Initially, he had thought that Shanks had simply gotten too full of himself after taking down one of Kaido's islands and arrogantly ran off to attack Alucard.
But after today's battle, he had a new understanding of Shanks and the Red-Hair Pirates as a whole. While he didn't want to admit it, they were indeed a very powerful pirate crew, and with Beckman, a first mate of unbelievable wisdom, they couldn't have committed such a foolish act.
Under Zephyr's immense pressure, the group of newcomers, whose bounties barely topped 100 million Berries, didn't dare resist and obediently recounted the situation involving Shanks and Luffy.
Upon hearing the true reason, many members of the Immortal Pirates fell silent. So there was this underlying truth.
"You think the Red-Hair is crazy, right?"
"Looks like it. Trading his entire pirate crew for a little brat from the East Blue."
"I went with Alucard-sama to the East Blue to catch that kid. He was a simpleton... didn't seem like much."
"On the contrary, I admire him a bit. Why go to such lengths for a kid you aren't even related to by blood?"
The crew members of the Immortal Pirates debated among themselves. Most voiced disdain, contempt, and mockery, but a small minority expressed approval and admiration.
"It's over."
Hancock suddenly spoke. "No one can defeat the Master. If he had fled, perhaps he would have had a chance, but unfortunately, since Shirahoshi is here, escape is also impossible."
"..."
Some of Shanks's loyalists in the Red-Hair Pirates were about to protest, but Hancock shut them down with a single glare.
Although Zephyr didn't say anything, the mere fact that he sat down and gave up fighting already conveyed his meaning: the outcome was decided.
"Monkey D. Luffy... The new generation chosen by the Red-Hair. Will he become the next Red- Hair, or even the next Roger?" Zephyr muttered to himself. Suddenly, a familiar old face flashed through his mind. "Monkey... D. Monkey... D. Wait, could it be..."
On the Red-Hair Pirates' side, most of the members had lost their ability to fight and were too weak to continue.
The extremely small remaining number of officers still had stamina, but they had no heart left for the fight, quietly waiting for the result of the battle between the Captains.
"I was interrupted earlier, and while I really want to say it, maybe it's better left unsaid."
At that moment, Stragus walked over to Yassop and spoke, his eyes glancing at him. "I heard you abandoned your wife and child to follow Shanks. As a family member, you are scum— though we all are, of course. But as a pirate, you also became one of the catalysts for the Red- Hair Pirates' downfall. Your life is an utter failure."
"You bastard, say that clearly!" Yassop was enraged. It was true he abandoned his wife and child, but to be mocked by an enemy for it still made him burst with shame and anger.
Stragus sneered and pulled a palm-sized piece of paper from his pocket, tossing it toward Yassop.
Yassop was shocked to see the white paper drift toward him without any wind. After catching it, he felt a familiar aura: a Vivre Card.
Connecting this to Stragus's earlier words during their fight—"Do you think you escaped Arderay based on your own strength?"—Yassop instantly understood everything.
The fact that the Immortal Pirates were able to find his crew so easily... was because of him.
Beckman, seeing the scene, walked over and spoke softly. "I foresaw this when you returned a month ago and reported it to the Captain, but... he said..."
"'We are brothers! How could I abandon him over such a small thing! No worries, let's have a party!'"
Beckman relayed Shanks's exact reply to Yassop, causing the gunman to sink to his knees in shame, weeping uncontrollably. "My fault! It's all, all my fault!!"
Years ago, he left his village, abandoning his wife and child, with the words, "The Pirate Flag is calling me." Today, his pirate crew's ruin was largely due to his own actions. Yassop was a failure as both a father and a pirate.
In the blood pool space, under the watchful gaze of countless blood-red pupils, Alucard abandoned his weapons and lunged toward Shanks, shouting, "Red-Haired Shanks! Your greatest undoing! Is placing everything on the shoulders of a single brat!"
Shanks's expression froze for a moment, but it was immediately followed by absolute resolve. "I have never regretted anything I have done!"
While he said that aloud, Shanks inwardly regretted one thing: dragging his comrades into this.
The violent impact created by the collision between the finger-sword and the slender saber caused the space at the point of contact to twist, gradually expanding.
Alucard increased his output, actually causing Shanks's Haki-coated sword to twist and contort into a lump of scrap metal. At the same time, blood began to spurt from Alucard's hand like a fountain.
"Gahhhhh!"
Alucard roared. His finger-sword completely twisted Shanks's saber into scrap, and the finger- sword plunged into Shanks's heart.
Pugh!
Alucard's finger-sword pierced Shanks's heart and emerged from his back. Blood spilled from Shanks's mouth, dripping onto Alucard's arm.
"I have acknowledged two men: Whitebeard, and now you. As for Roger, my connection with him was too shallow, and he died before I had the chance," Alucard said, his arm still impaling Shanks's heart.
"Cough, cough,"
Shanks coughed twice, spraying blood that stained Alucard's black attire. He forced a smile. "In that case, I am truly honored, aren't I?"
"But I have two regrets. One is not fighting Whitebeard at his absolute peak, and the other is not fighting you at your peak."
Alucard withdrew his arm, his expression one of deep regret. "One was ten years too late, and the other was ten years too early. The lives of great men are truly fragile."
Shanks fell to the ground. With a sideways glance, his eyes looked up at Alucard. "Perhaps so. But... I still say the same thing. I never regretted what I did... And you... are the same way?"
Alucard closed his eyes and chuckled. "Heh heh. Not at all." "Heh heh. That's truly enviable..."
Shanks mustered his last bit of strength to touch his head, remembering the straw hat. "It was passed on properly. That's enough..."
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