A/N: For all those who were complaining about the MC name change, honestly just drop the novel bro. I know why I changed the name and I even stated its for a future plot.
If a name change bothers you that much, then I'm not the author for you because I do whatever it is I like with my novels whenever I like. Granted it's always to improve the enjoyment of the novel.
Anyway ENJOY THE CHAPTER
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The burly man, whose name was Chuchu shifted nervously on his feet.
"Uh… Mr. Shanks."
Shanks, Giovanni, and Benn Beckman had already begun heading in different directions along the dock, each with their own task in mind. At Chuchu's voice, all three stopped and turned back toward him.
Shanks tilted his head. "Huh? Is there something else?"
Chuchu swallowed hard, wiping his palms against his trousers before clearing his throat. "Mr. Shanks… please promise me you won't get mad."
Shanks raised an eyebrow, his expression easygoing but carrying just enough edge to make the man stiffen. "Well," Shanks said casually, "that depends."
Chuchu hesitated, then blurted it out. "There might or might not be someone on your ship."
Shanks blinked once. "Huh?" He leaned back slightly, confusion clear on his face. "Why would someone be on my ship?" His eyes narrowed just a little. "Don't tell me you had a whole party on my ship and now there are remnants of your party left scattered all over it. Because if that's the case, I'll kill you. Because you should have waited for me to arrive before starting."
Chuchu's face went pale. He waved his hands frantically. "N-no! That's not what happened at all, Mr. Shanks!"
He took a breath, steadying himself before continuing. "You see, the thing is… a man came here looking for you. A man carrying a very large and imposing sword." Chuchu's voice shook slightly as the memory resurfaced. "When we told him you weren't here, he said he'd just wait for you. On the ship."
Shanks stared at him.
"Trust me, Mr. Shanks," Chuchu added quickly, "we tried to stop him. Really, we did. But he was just too strong. He beat us up so badly we couldn't even slow him down."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Benn Beckman let out a low chuckle. He adjusted the strap of his pistol and started walking away. "Good luck, Shanks."
Shanks let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's alright, Chuchu. I know who that man is." He clicked his tongue. "What a pain."
Chuchu's eyes widened. "Y-you do?" He leaned forward anxiously. "Mr. Shanks, please be careful. That man seems very strong."
"I know," Shanks replied simply.
Giovanni had been watching the exchange in silence, his arms loosely at his sides. The moment Chuchu mentioned a very large and imposing sword, a name surfaced in his mind immediately.
Dracula Mihawk.
There was no way, no way that Mihawk would be camping out in the East Blue this early. This was more than twenty years before canon. And yet… Giovanni couldn't dismiss the thought entirely. The description fit too well. A lone man. An absurdly large blade. Strength overwhelming enough to crush an entire dock crew without effort.
Giovanni exhaled through his nose, eyes narrowing toward the ship in the distance.
"I wonder," he said aloud, "who has the guts to confidently stroll into such an imposing pirate ship."
A grin tugged at his lips. He drew his saber, the metal giving off a clean, sharp sound as it left the sheath. "Seems like we need to teach someone a lesson before we even go onto the Grand Line."
Before he could take a step forward, a hand landed firmly on his shoulder.
Giovanni froze.
Shanks stood beside him now, his expression uncharacteristically serious, almost weary.
"I'm sorry, Gio," Shanks said quietly, "but this one is beyond you."
Giovanni frowned, turning his head to look at him. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
Shanks didn't answer immediately. He let his hand drop, eyes shifting toward the ship where their uninvited guest waited. After a moment, he sighed.
"Before we go onto the ship," Shanks said, "there's something you need to understand. More about the Grand Line… and the New World."
Giovanni turned fully toward him, curiosity replacing his confusion. "The Grand Line and the New World?"
Shanks nodded. "Yeah." He took a breath, choosing his words carefully. "Within the Grand Line and the New World, there exist what are known as the Three Great Powers."
Giovanni's brow furrowed. "Three Great Powers?"
"Yes," Shanks said. "Those being the Navy Admirals, the Three Emperors, and the recently added Warlords."
The sea lapped quietly against the dock as the weight of Shanks' words settled in the air, an unspoken warning hanging between them, just before they stepped onto the ship and faced whoever was waiting.
Giovanni folded his arms loosely, eyes fixed on Shanks. "Okay," he said, tone serious now. "I'm listening."
Shanks nodded and began walking slowly toward the ship, Giovanni falling into step beside him. "Alright. Starting with the Navy Admirals," Shanks said. "They're the Marines' most powerful fighting force. When a pirate becomes too dangerous to ignore, they send an Admiral."
Giovanni's lips curled upward, interest clear. "So that's their peak, huh?" he said. "So If we beat these so-called Admirals, then no one can threaten us, right?"
Shanks didn't answer immediately. He paused mid-step, staring out toward the sea as if weighing his words. Then he exhaled lightly. "Not exactly."
Giovanni glanced at him, surprised.
"Because above the Admirals," Shanks continued, "are the Three Emperors." He looked back at Giovanni, expression serious now. "The strongest beings in the entire world."
Giovanni straightened slightly.
"Edward Newgate," Shanks said, "also known as Whitebeard. The World's Strongest Man."
He raised a finger. "Charlotte Linlin, known as Big Mom."
Another finger. "And Kaido. The World's Strongest Creature."
Giovanni let out a low whistle. "And these Emperors," he asked, "they're stronger than the Admirals?"
Shanks laughed quietly, shaking his head. "To say the gap is abnormally large would be an understatement." His voice softened slightly as memory crept in. "When I was still on Captain Roger's crew, we clashed with Whitebeard all the time. And man… that pirate is powerful."
Shanks smiled wryly. "Gio, even I don't see myself surpassing him. Not anytime soon, at least."
Giovanni's eyes gleamed, excitement mixing with disbelief. "That powerful, huh?" He frowned slightly. "But if the Navy's strongest are the Admirals, how does it make sense for all the Emperors to be stronger than them?"
Shanks shrugged. "Don't ask me. Ask the Navy." He chuckled. "All I know is this, every current Emperor? I don't see them being beaten. Harming Big Mom or Kaido alone is already near impossible. Even Captain Roger didn't want to face that monster Big Mom head-on."
Giovanni blinked. "Roger ran away from her?"
Shanks snorted. "Let's not go that far." He waved a hand dismissively. "Captain Roger just didn't see a reason to fight her at the time as even he wouldn't have come out unscathed. That's not the same as losing."
Giovanni nodded slowly. "I see." He paused, then asked, "What about the third power then? The Warlords."
Shanks smiled slightly. "Ah, yes. That one's important." He turned more serious. "The Warlord system was only introduced this year. Right now, there are only three of them."
Giovanni's brow furrowed as he listened.
"They're pirates," Shanks explained, "who are given special privileges by the World Government. In exchange for cooperation, they're allowed to commit piracy without consequences."
Giovanni's eyes widened. "Seriously!?" he blurted out. "That's real?"
"It's very real," Shanks replied. "I don't see the point of it myself." He shrugged. "But I think the government's trying to scare off potential pirates. Showing they've got monsters on a leash, so to speak. And make no mistake, the Warlords are no slouches."
Giovanni let out a slow breath. "I see. It does make sense… to a degree." He tilted his head. "So why are you telling me all this?"
Shanks's smile widened slightly. "I told you there are three known Warlords, right?" He held up a finger. "The first is Sir Crocodile."
Another finger. "The second Gecko Moria."
Then he paused, his grin sharpening. "And the third…"
Giovanni leaned forward unconsciously.
"…Is Dracula Mihawk. The man who is currently on our ship as we speak."
Giovanni froze. "Huh!?" His head snapped toward the ship. "A Warlord is on our ship!?"
Shanks nodded casually. "Yep."
"Why?" Giovanni demanded. "Didn't you say these guys operate in the Grand Line? What's someone like that doing in the East Blue?"
Shanks chuckled. "Well," he said, eyes lifting toward the ship, "me and that certain Warlord have history. So he must've come specifically looking for me."
As if summoned by the words themselves, footsteps echoed from the deck above.
A presence settled over the dock which was heavy, sharp and unmistakable.
A calm, deep voice cut through the air.
"And I shouldn't have to go around looking for you, Red-Haired."
The figure stepped into view near the entrance of the ship. "Did we not have an agreement?"
Shanks looked up, his expression instantly brightening.
"Nice to see you again," he said with a grin. "Mihawk."