New World, Red-Haired Pirates' territory.
Unlike the usual filth of pirate islands, this place resembled an eternal festival city.
Joyful music floated from every tavern, pirates raising mugs while singing loudly with island residents, arms around each other's shoulders.
"Hey, Yasopp, another round!" A pirate laughed, raising his cup toward Yasopp as he approached.
"I need to talk to the captain," Yasopp waved him off without breaking stride.
He quickly navigated through the boisterous crowd, passing Lucky Roux who was gnawing on a massive meat leg and mumbled a greeting through full mouth.
Nodding at several officers engaged in arm wrestling, he finally reached the cliffside edge of the island.
Shanks was leaning against a rock, gazing at the endless sea, while Ben Beckman sat nearby cleaning his rifle.
"Captain," Yasopp approached quickly.
Shanks didn't turn, only responding with a lazy grunt.
Yasopp came to stand beside Shanks and spoke calmly.
"Hachinosu Island is gone."
Beckman paused in cleaning his rifle barrel.
Shanks finally turned his head, the laziness fading from his face replaced by surprise.
"When did this happen?"
"Just a few hours ago." Yasopp stepped before them, pulling a stack of photos from his coat and tossing them casually to the ground.
"Orion led a training ship that suddenly appeared at Rocky Port and wiped out Wang Zhi along with over a hundred thousand pirates on the island in one sweep."
Before Shanks could react, Yasopp immediately bent down to pick up one particular photo, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"Hey, look at this. That's my son, Usopp."
The photo showed the chaotic battlefield of Hachinosu Island in the background.
Usopp appeared quite disheveled, face smudged with dust and expression fearful, yet he still gripped his slingshot firmly, aimed at enemies ahead.
The courage born from fear yet refusing to retreat was perfectly captured by the camera.
Seeing the genuine pride on Yasopp's face, Shanks picked up another photo and smiled: "If I remember correctly, Usopp always saw you as his idol, even started his own Usopp Pirate Crew in Syrup Village."
Handing the photo back to Yasopp, Shanks continued with some amusement, "Now his dream has changed - not only did he become a Marine, but he's following the Fleet Admiral to the New World for training. You... not jealous?"
Yasopp shook his head, his smile fading as a hint of guilt entered his tone.
"The only reason Usopp worships me is because of his mother Banchina. If she hadn't always spoken well of me in front of him, he'd probably just hate me - the bastard father who abandoned his wife and child for his dreams."
He paused, looking out toward the distant sea, his eyes showing some relief.
"So seeing him recognized by the Fleet Admiral now... I'm happy for him. After all... there might not be any place left in this world for pirates like us."
The amusement completely vanished from Shanks' eyes as he silently picked up another photo from the ground.
The subject was Luffy wearing his straw hat.
In the photo, Luffy had awakened his Conqueror's Haki.
The eyes that Shanks remembered as always playful now held no trace of frivolity, replaced instead by a sharp, resolute will.
A quality called justice was quietly taking form within Luffy.
Shanks' expression grew complicated.
Back when he led his crew to seize the Gum-Gum Fruit from the Cipher Pol, it wasn't because it was a Paramecia-type fruit.
Rather, he knew the true power contained within that fruit—he knew that whoever ate the Gum-Gum Fruit would, upon awakening, become the Sun God Nika, the natural enemy of the being residing in the Holy Land's Flower Room.
That's why he entrusted the straw hat to Luffy, hoping he would become the one to lead the new era.
But he never expected that before Luffy could even set sail, Orion—the Marine Fleet Admiral who rose to power through a military coup—would bundle up Luffy along with Ace and others and take them directly back to Marine Headquarters.
Now, Orion was even personally bringing Luffy to the New World for training.
With Orion's overwhelming presence bearing down on him, the probability of Luffy awakening as the Sun God Nika was practically zero.
Of course, Shanks couldn't rule out another possibility—that Orion knew the secret of the Gum-Gum Fruit.
Keeping Luffy by his side might be to counter the being in the Flower Room.
Because Orion's ideology inherently conflicted with Imu's very existence.
When Orion's reforms touched the foundation of the World Government, when Orion and that being completely parted ways, an unprecedented turmoil would inevitably sweep across the world.
At that time, Orion would likely use some method to forcibly trigger Luffy's awakening, turning Luffy into a tool for Orion to deal with Imu.
Regardless of which outcome unfolded, with Luffy caught between two powerhouses standing at the world's pinnacle at such a young age, he as Luffy's guide bore some responsibility.
After a brief silence, Shanks turned to Beckman and asked, "The liaison with the Revolutionary Army failed?"
Beckman nodded, placed his cleaned rifle across his lap, and stubbed out his cigarette.
"Dragon's response was simple—he has an agreement with Orion. During the agreed period, no matter what happens in the world, the Revolutionary Army won't get involved."
"Moreover, they're very busy now, occupied with governing the countries they've liberated." Beckman's tone was calm, but his words made the atmosphere even heavier.
"Because the policies Crocodile implemented in Wano Country have been highly efficient and yielded remarkable results, the Revolutionary Army is comprehensively replicating the 'Wano Country Model'."
He looked up at Shanks and continued, "According to my latest intelligence, almost all the policies Crocodile implemented in Wano Country originated from a Book Orion gave him."
A single Book turned a former Warlord into a model mayor?
A single Book made the Revolutionary Army abandon their own ideology to study the Fleet Admiral's governance methods?
Shanks slowly exhaled, inexplicably feeling a sour taste in his mouth.
Beckman went on, "That book's influence far exceeds our imagination. After Dragon obtained a copy, the first thing he did upon returning to the Revolutionary Army headquarters was to reorganize the entire army."
"Based on that Book, he proposed what's called the 'Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention'."
"Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention?" Shanks was stunned.
"Correct." Beckman nodded. "Simply put, the Revolutionary Army must obey orders in all actions, not take a single needle or piece of thread from the masses, and turn in everything captured. Also, they must speak politely, pay fairly for what they buy, return everything borrowed, pay for anything damaged, not hit or swear at people, not damage crops, not take liberties with women, and not mistreat prisoners..."
With every rule Beckman stated, Yasopp's eye twitched, and the laziness completely vanished from Shanks' face.
These rules sounded simple and unadorned, yet were terrifying enough to make one's scalp tingle.
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