"Big Brother Kenshin?"
On a small island in the North Sea, Shanks had originally brought his crew to a small bar for supplies, but upon opening the bar door, he discovered a man silently drinking alone at a table.
His table was covered in empty bottles, suggesting he had been there for a while.
"You are..."
Hearing the voice, Kenshin belatedly raised his head, looking at the person as if trying hard to recognize them. Finally, his pupils suddenly shrank as he spoke the name.
"Shanks?!"
"It's me. I didn't expect we'd meet again here after so many years."
Shanks patted Beckman on the shoulder and said to him, "I've met an old friend. You guys drink up, I'll go over there."
Beckman, puffing on a cigarette, said, "Hmm, Himura Kenshin, I've heard that name before."
Shanks smiled and walked over to Kenshin's table, sitting down opposite him. "Brother Kenshin, have you really left Wano Country?"
Back when Shanks went to Wano Country, he was just a kid, but he still had some impressions of what happened there at the time.
Back then, he and Roger and the others lived with Kenshin and his master on the floating island for a considerable period, and he was quite familiar with Kenshin.
However, in the end, they weren't from Wano Country, and they left after temporarily resolving the Kozuki Oden situation.
Later, Shanks saw Kenshin once when Captain Roger was executed. At that time, Kenshin was wearing a bamboo hat, seemingly there to see Roger off in the rain.
But he never expected that Kenshin would really leave Wano Country and haven't returned since. And today, he actually met him in the North Sea.
Kenshin said with a self-deprecating tone, "Wano Country doesn't need samurai anymore. Without people like us, that country might be better off."
"Samurai... they're just troublemakers."
He downed a gulp of alcohol and quietly said, "I've decided to put down my sword; let the past... be the past."
"Put down..." Shanks was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "But, you still have a sword on you, don't you?"
He looked at the sword leaning against the table next to Kenshin. Kenshin looked over and couldn't help but smile. "This isn't a sword."
He picked up the sword and drew it from its sheath, placing it on the table.
The sword looked plain and simple, but after seeing it, Shanks couldn't help but exclaim, "This is... what kind of sword is this?!"
"I told you, it's not a sword." Kenshin said with a smile, "Does a sword look like this?"
Swords definitely don't look like this because, although it resembles one in appearance, this sword has no edge, or rather, the edge is facing the wrong direction.
Generally, the edge faces towards the enemy, but this sword's edge is facing inward, towards the wielder.
It's a reverse blade sword!
Kenshin continued, "This is a reverse blade sword. Uncle Hyougoro gave it to me. It suits me now."
Shanks couldn't help but say regretfully, "Your swordsmanship is so exquisite, it's such a waste to use a reverse blade sword like this."
"I didn't plan on fighting like a samurai anymore, either." Kenshin was relatively easygoing. He took another sip of alcohol and said, "Swords are weapons of violence. Swordsmen don't have happy endings."
"Alright, alright, it's not easy for us to see each other again, let's not talk about these things. Let's drink and eat meat!"
Shanks looked a little helpless, but quickly changed his mood.
He had originally wanted to invite Kenshin to join his pirate crew, but now it seemed impossible.
His gut told him that something must have happened in Wano Country after they left, otherwise Kenshin wouldn't be like this now.
Although Kenshin was already somewhat disheartened by the conflict with Kozuki Oden that nearly destroyed Wano Country when they had left, it wasn't to this extent.
What happened after they left?
Shanks originally wanted to ask, but Kenshin didn't seem like he would say.
He relaxed. Since Kenshin didn't want to talk about it, then they could just drink together. He would pretend nothing had happened, and it was just a long-overdue reunion between old friends.
Just as Shanks was shifting his mindset, he suddenly stopped because he felt a sharp aura coming from the side, an aura that was directly pressing towards him and Kenshin.
He couldn't help but look over and saw a hawk-eyed man sitting at a table in that direction, but not drinking, just watching them.
The man also wore a long sword, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's. His eyes were yellow and even had rare circular patterns.
Seeing his eyes, Shanks couldn't help but think of that woman, the woman Captain Roger cared so much about...
Makima!
Makima's eyes also had circular patterns, but more than this man.
"Dracule Mihawk."
Shanks slowly spoke his name.
"Your friend?" Kenshin asked.
Shanks gave a wry smile. "A swordsman. He might be here for you."
"Me?" Kenshin was stunned. He pointed at himself and said somewhat awkwardly, "He looks like he's not easy to deal with. Shanks, please help me out."
Shanks was a little helpless. He couldn't help but stand up and walk towards Hawkeye. "The famous Marine Hunter would actually come to a small place like this?"
Hawkeye looked at Shanks and couldn't help but say, "The famous Red-Haired Pirates of the New World have also come, haven't they?"
The Red-Haired Pirates?!
Hearing the conversation between the two, the people chatting and bragging in the bar were all surprised in an instant, and then turned into fear. They didn't know Shanks' character, they just thought that the famous great pirates of the New World were definitely not good people!
People ran out in a panic, even the owner was trembling.
Shanks couldn't help but say, "Okay, now there's no one else here. Can you tell me your purpose?"
"Purpose?" Hawkeye looked at Kenshin, who was still drinking, and said, "I originally wanted to challenge the legendary Battosai, but now it seems that there's no need for that challenge."
He was indeed here for Kenshin, but after hearing the conversation between Kenshin and Shanks, he couldn't help but be disappointed. He never expected the infamous Battosai to become like this.
After Wano Country established contact with the outside world, the story of Kenshin and Kozuki Oden naturally spread. For swordsmen like Hawkeye, Battosai, the swordsman who once fought alongside the Pirate King against devils, was simply the best challenge target.
It's a pity...
Hawkeye looked at Shanks again and couldn't help but say, "Red-Haired Shanks, how about your sword?"
Shanks smiled. "Since Big Brother Kenshin isn't fit to be your opponent, then I'll keep you company!"
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