As the News Coo flew across the seas, the news of the Red-Haired Shanks' death in battle against the other Yonko, Alucard, reached the remote East Blue village of Foosha Village.
When she saw the headline in the newspaper, Makino, who had been overjoyed by the safe return of the three brothers not long before, suddenly fainted. This sent the villagers into a panic, and they quickly rushed her to the village clinic.
Up on Mt. Colubo, the three brothers, Luffy, Ace, and Sabo, returned from a day of hunting to the Dadan Family's bandit den halfway up the mountain. Their expressions were as cheerful and optimistic as ever. Luffy, in particular, was grinning widely and shouting, "Hey! Dadan, we brought back a bear! Let's roast it for dinner!"
Dadan and her subordinates quickly scrambled to hide the day's newspaper. Some even threw it directly into the fireplace.
Dadan looked at the straw hat on Luffy's head, her expression a complex mix of emotions. She knew a little about the relationship between Luffy and Shanks from Garp.
How much pain will that little brat feel if he finds out?
Thinking of this, Dadan swiftly composed herself, forcing her usual fierce demeanor. She yelled, "Stay put, you brats! Don't you dare cause trouble, or you'll get another lesson like last time!"
Luffy, completely oblivious to the strange atmosphere, said with his typical carefree attitude, "It's fine! My arms can stretch even longer now! No matter what kind of opponent it is, I can knock them all down in one hit!"
Seeing Luffy's bravado, Dadan nearly failed to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. She quickly turned her head away, fiercely suppressing her emotions. Her heart ached as she thought, You damn brats, don't you dare think being a pirate is easy! It's a life where you face death at any moment!
Even someone as strong as Red-Haired Shanks had died in a pirate conflict. How long could the three brothers—Luffy, Ace, and Sabo—who had yet to witness the true cruelty of the pirate world, possibly last?
"Boss," Dogra, one of Dadan's short-statured subordinates, leaned in and whispered, "Vice Admiral Garp just called on the Den Den Mushi. He said we must do everything we can to prevent Luffy from finding out about this, otherwise..."
"Hmph! I'd do that even if he hadn't told me," Dadan said resolutely.
At that moment, Luffy raised his hands high and shouted to Ace and Sabo, "Alright! Before dinner, let's have another duel! Sabo, Ace!"
"Don't overdo it, Luffy."
"You spoil Luffy too much, Sabo. I'll be the one to teach this brat a lesson before we eat!"
The three brothers noisily walked out of the wooden shack, and a new round of sparring began. It was just like any other day, yet they were unaware of the earth-shattering changes happening in the New World.
Dadan pulled out the newspaper she had hidden behind her back. On the front page, the photo showed not only the deceased Shanks but also the man who killed him: Alucard.
"Alucard... the man Luffy will have to face someday."
Dadan placed the newspaper down, tossed it into the flames, and sighed, looking up at the sky. "Don't you dare lose, Luffy."
"Let me show you my new move! Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
Luffy's arm flew out more than ten meters, looking quite unsettling.
However, Ace effortlessly dodged Luffy's attack with a slight side-step and mocked him, "What's that? How could anyone ever hit a person with something like that?"
With that, Ace quickly closed the distance. Before Luffy could retract his arm, he used his water-steel pipe weapon to deliver a sharp strike, sending Luffy flying.
"Ace, that was too rough," Sabo sighed.
…
Three months later, in the New World.
The ruins of the Arderay Kingdom, located within Alucard's territory.
A group of pirates, led by Law, were undergoing Zephyr's hellish, island-circumference, weighted long-distance running training. They looked serious as they watched a pirate ship gradually approaching from the distance. When the ship was still several miles away, one of the sharp-eyed pirates suddenly shouted, "That flag! It's the Red-Haired Pirates' jolly roger! It's the Red-Haired Pirates!"
"Nani?!"
Law, who was carrying a sandbag weighing over 50 pounds, narrowed his eyes. He took two steps forward to get a better look. A few minutes later, he clearly saw the ship's flag. It was indeed the Red-Haired Pirates' jolly roger. However, the ship was not Shanks' personal flagship, the Red Force, but a common pirate warship.
"Could it be that Beckman wants revenge?" Law speculated.
The pirate ship bearing the Red-Haired Pirates' flag had already docked. Soon, a man with shoulder-length golden hair jumped down first, followed by several thousand people disembarking from the ship.
"Ivalis the Blond Swordsman, an executive of the Red-Haired Pirates."
A slightly older pirate standing to Law's right spoke the man's name. At this, everyone present immediately drew their swords, ready for a fight. "What is an executive of the Red-Haired Pirates doing here? Are they seeking revenge for their captain?"
Ivalis glanced around at the surrounding area, then raised his hands in a half-surrender gesture. "I've come to surrender. Where is your Captain?"
Surrender.
Hearing those two words, everyone was deeply stunned. Law, Bepo, and the others' eyes widened in disbelief as they stared blankly at Ivalis.
If it had been a mere nobody from the Red-Haired Pirates, it would have been one thing.
But Ivalis was a veteran executive and a main combatant. For someone like him to come and surrender to Alucard, the man who killed their captain... This...
A single thought arose in everyone's mind: Is this guy a spy?
Despite their suspicions, no battle broke out, as neither Ivalis nor the group he brought with him made a move, nor did they show any inclination to draw their weapons.
Before long, someone reported the situation.
…
Meanwhile, Scarlett and Hancock, currently being "favored" by Alucard, let out a mesmerizing moan in unison. Their bodies went limp, collapsing onto the coffin, too exhausted to even move a finger.
Even in this state, Hancock couldn't help but glare fiercely at Scarlett. This was supposed to be a matter between just her and Alucard, yet Scarlett had somehow managed to sneak in midway. If not for her relationship with Alucard, Hancock would have certainly turned Scarlett into stone and thrown her into the sea.
"Heh~"
Scarlett's mouth curved into a smirk. She was completely unafraid of the Pirate Empress's warning gaze. Since she also had a relationship with Alucard, she felt they were on equal footing.