After the battle's remaining fallout subsided, the Base Commander of the G5 Branch Base surveyed the waters where the Immortal Pirates and the Red-Haired Pirates had clashed. Though he failed to capture anyone from either side, he submitted crucial intelligence to his superiors.
The report stated that Shanks, Captain of the Red-Haired Pirates, had been killed, and Alucard had returned victorious.
When Kong received the news, he spoke with a tone of inevitability. "Of course. What a shame that a man who once sailed aboard Roger's ship didn't get to depart in as grand a fashion as Roger himself."
"However, we must deal with the Red-Haired Pirates as we once dealt with the Roger Pirates."
Kong slammed his hand on the desk, giving orders to his aide. "Assemble Sengoku, Tsuru, as well as Vice Admirals Kuzan and Issho. Also, summon Borsalino, who is currently stationed at the G2 Branch Base."
"Yes, sir!"
The aide saluted and quickly left the room. Kong sat back down in his office chair, stroking the armrest. "I will have to hand over my position soon enough."
…
On the way back to their home territory, Law, carrying his blade Kikoku, approached Zephyr. "Train... me."
"Oh, it's the 'Dark Circles Kid'," Zephyr glanced at Law. The moniker Urdaha had given him—"Dark Circles Kid"—was starting to catch on across the ship, and more people were using it. Law was helpless to object; after all, he was simply inferior to his crewmates in skill.
If you wanted to argue a point, you had to use your fists.
"What? Did that last battle rattle you? You're finally willing to accept instruction from... this former Government man?"
Zephyr's voice held a trace of mockery. Previously, due to Zephyr's former Marine status, Law, who harbored extreme aversion to the Government, had been highly reluctant to accept his training. Now that he was actively seeking out Zephyr, it felt like a bit of a slap in the face.
Law was momentarily speechless. Zephyr then slapped his own knee, stood up, and said, "First, we'll start with not relying on your Devil Fruit ability, followed by basic physical conditioning. Those two areas are your weakest."
Zephyr's sudden agreement surprised Law, but he quickly nodded, looking eager.
…
"Alucard-san, is it truly alright to leave the Red-Haired Pirates' remnants alone? If they join another Yonko's camp to oppose us..." Viola stood to the right and slightly behind Alucard's throne, voicing her concern.
"Then you should snipe them," Alucard chuckled. "With Poseidon's power, it shouldn't be difficult, should it?"
While he had let Beckman and the others off for the moment, it wasn't a pardon for life. Among pirates, anyone not under his command was an enemy.
"Well... let's observe the situation first."
Viola wasn't inherently aggressive. In all likelihood, Beckman and the crew would be delivering Shanks's remains to his hometown, and she had no interest in chasing them all the way to the West Blue.
"It's a shame the Yonko roster lost a capable individual. Does that leave only Blackbeard?"
Though he had no regrets, Alucard still felt a touch of disappointment.
"Master, what do we do next?" Hancock whispered softly in Alucard's ear, in a very intimate posture.
"We go back and have a good sleep. We'll wait a while for the next war and commotion. Though, we won't have to wait long."
Having reverted to his usual emotional state, Alucard expressed no further feeling about Shanks's death. What was past was past; no matter how much he dwelled on it, it was no longer relevant.
As Alucard spoke, the Immortal Pirates' dozen ships formally sailed into their home territory, and cheers erupted once more.
A few days later, on the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Major news! Major news!"
"The Red-Haired Pirates have collapsed! Their captain, Red-Haired Shanks, was killed by the Yonko Alucard... H-how is this possible?"
Many people knew about the battle months ago involving the Immortal, Red-Haired, and Beasts Pirates at Arderay, but they hadn't even had time to process that before Red Hair was already dead.
Didn't they say the Red-Haired Pirates were a formidable crew, second only to a Yonko? Wasn't their captain, Shanks, the world's most powerful Haki user, and his first mate, Beckman, the world's most brilliant mind?
How could such an invincible combination be utterly destroyed by the Immortal Pirates?
"Though Red-Haired Shanks is dead, First Mate Beckman remains. Casualties among the small fry were great, but the senior officers are still alive, according to the news."
Observing the casualties reported in the newspaper, one person analyzed, "The Red-Haired Pirates might not be finished. It's like when Jinbe took over as captain from Fisher Tiger; Beckman won't just resign himself to despair."
Inside a not-very-conspicuous bar.
"Hey, can you stop drinking for a while?"
Shakky said, wiping down glasses, as she spoke to Rayleigh, who was sitting at the bar, drinking heavily.
Clang. Clang.
Rayleigh didn't answer, instead knocking twice on the countertop with his cup to signal his meaning.
"Hoooh~"
Shakky exhaled a puff of smoke and refilled Rayleigh's cup, lighting another cigarette. "And then what? Are you going to avenge your beloved crewmate and kill Alucard?"
"Heh heh,"
Rayleigh let out a light laugh, as if he had heard something unbelievable. He looked up, his eyes closed, but the tear tracks were still visible on his cheekbones. "Shanks was a great guy, but he wasn't anything special."
"That's just how it is for pirates. They're things that can die at any time."
Rayleigh's words expressed his position: he had no intention of avenging Shanks. It was the same reason he simply shed tears when Roger Pirates crewmates were hunted down or executed in the past.
Standing up, he picked up his coat and said, "I think I'll go out for a while."
"Where to?"
This time, Shakky could tell it was different from his usual several-month excursions.
"I'm going to ask Beckman and the others what the final, unusual circumstance was before Shanks died."
Rayleigh felt the attack on Arderay was far from normal. Shanks wasn't a fool, especially with the 'greatest mind' Beckman advising him.
Given that, what was the reason that compelled them to do it?
Rayleigh wanted to at least find out that much.
Just as Rayleigh was about to leave, Shakky spoke up to stop him. "Wait. Leave your Vivre Card and take your weapon."