Makino's Bar.
"Luffy, Luffy..."
Uta called out Luffy's name and anxiously rushed into the tavern.
Shanks had suddenly announced he was leaving today, so she had come specifically to say goodbye to Luffy.
But her gaze swept every corner of the tavern, yet she couldn't find Luffy anywhere.
"Oh dear! It's Uta! Luffy said he went to practice his new abilities this morning, so he's not at the tavern."
"Thank you, Miss Makino."
Upon hearing this, Uta thanked Makino and was about to go look for Luffy.
For the past three months, she had spent almost every day with Luffy, so she naturally knew where he usually trained.
However, just as Uta was about to leave, the tavern's door was pushed open once more.
Immediately after, a group of arrogant men swaggered in.
Seeing the newcomers, Uta's anger surged, and she frowned.
The newcomers were none other than Higuma's group of mountain bandits, who had insulted Shanks last time.
Higuma's gaze swept across the empty tavern, and he immediately showed a disdainful and contemptuous expression, saying scornfully,
"It seems those foolish pirates aren't here today!"
The subordinates following behind him also burst into laughter upon hearing this.
"Hahahaha! Those good-for-nothings must be afraid of us and don't dare to show up here anymore."
"That's right! Did you see the faces of those pirates before? They were splashed with sake all over and didn't even dare to say a word. Those guys are really useless."
"Hmph! Pirates are good-for-nothings at best, only good at showing off. How can they compare to us mountain bandits?"
"Wahahahaha... good-for-nothings..."
Listening to the mountain bandits' insults towards Shanks, Uta's fists clenched tighter and tighter, and her anger was completely ignited.
"Shut up! You're not allowed to insult Shanks and them!"
Uta's sudden outburst interrupted the mountain bandits' mockery and laughter.
Higuma, who was leading them, immediately frowned, his eyes glinting fiercely as he looked at Uta.
"Oh?! Are you, a little brat, going to stand up for those good-for-nothing pirates?"
"Those pirates are truly good-for-nothings! They're even less courageous than a little brat."
"Hahahaha!"
Hearing Higuma once again mock and insult Shanks, Uta became even more enraged, clenching her teeth, and ignoring Makino's dissuasion, she said angrily,
"Shanks and them are not good-for-nothings! Mountain bandits of your caliber, Shanks could deal with them with just a flick of his finger."
Upon hearing this, Higuma's smile instantly vanished, his eyes filled with rage, and he said furiously,
"What did you say, brat?!"
"You actually dare to look down on us mountain bandits."
"I, the great mountain bandit with a bounty of 8 million Berries, have already cut down 56 guys like those pirates."
"To this day, no one who has angered me has ever survived."
"You... have angered me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Higuma reached for his waist, placing his hand on his sword.
Although Uta knew she was no match for him, she showed no fear when she saw the other party drawing his weapon.
These mountain bandits had insulted Shanks so much that she simply couldn't ignore it.
"Uta, you're here after all?!"
Just as the two sides were in a tense standoff, a familiar voice suddenly came from outside the door.
"Shanks!!!"
Uta exclaimed in surprise.
With Shanks here, they would definitely be able to teach these mountain bandits a good lesson this time.
The mountain bandits naturally also heard the voice behind them.
The group filed out, confronting Shanks and his crew.
Higuma, with a look of disdain, looked contemptuously at Shanks and the others, scoffing,
"Heh heh! What? Are you good-for-nothings here to die?"
Shanks completely ignored Higuma and instead looked at Uta, who had come out of the tavern, pulling Luffy in front of him, and said with a smile,
"Uta, we've found Luffy for you."
"If you have anything to say goodbye, go tell Luffy now."
"Alright, hurry up!"
"There's no time, a Marine ship is about to arrive."
Uta looked at Luffy with a complicated expression, then at the disdainful mountain bandits, but still forced herself to suppress her anger, wanting to say a proper goodbye to Luffy in this last chance.
"Who said you can leave?!"
At this moment, Higuma suddenly drew his long sword, blocking Uta's path.
"This brat has already angered me."
"To this day, no one who has angered me has ever survived."
"If you want to help her, all of you will die here today."
As Higuma's words fell, all the mountain bandits simultaneously pulled out their weapons, each one full of confidence, with playful expressions, looking at the "foolish" pirates opposite them.
At this moment, Shanks slowly stepped forward and said to Higuma,
"I'm sorry, my daughter has more important things to do right now, so please let her go!"
Seeing Shanks humbly pleading with him, Higuma became even more arrogant.
"Hahahaha! Brothers, did you see that? Is this what a pirate is like?"
"They're simply true good-for-nothings!"
Behind Higuma, his subordinates also burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! Pirates are such good-for-nothing existences. Faced with a strong opponent, they don't even have the will to resist."
"Pirates, such good-for-nothing existences, are just a bunch of guys who only know how to show off. When it comes to a real fight, they become complete wastes."
"Hahaha..."
Facing the mountain bandits' sarcasm, ridicule, and various insults, Uta's anger was once again ignited.
However, she didn't look at the mountain bandits, but instead looked furiously at Shanks, who had remained calm, and questioned loudly,
"Why, Shanks? Why don't you fight back?"
"Mountain bandits of this caliber, you could deal with them with just a flick of your finger, couldn't you?!"
"Why do you keep tolerating them?"
"They've already gone too far, why do you still let them humiliate you?"
Uta questioned Shanks loudly, tears involuntarily rolling down from the corners of her eyes.
Shanks still kept his Straw Hat low, his expression unchanged, and said calmly,
"Because... we have no reason to make a move."
"Reason?!"
Uta let out a soft exclamation.
Shanks looked up at Uta, gave a bright smile, and continued,
"These mountain bandits are different from our Red Hair Pirates. They are a group of people without beliefs or dreams."
"We, the Red Hair Pirates, have no reason to make a move against such people."
"If we were to fight them just because we were splashed with sake and humiliated, then our Red Hair Pirates would become the same caliber as these guys."
"Uta, you are also a member of our Red Hair Pirates. For such people, you also have no reason to make a move."
As Shanks finished speaking, Uta was stunned.
She simply couldn't understand the reason Shanks had given.
As for Higuma, he was completely enraged by Shanks' words.
He gripped his sword and swung it down at Shanks.
"You bastard, you actually said we're not worthy of you making a move."
"Then you can just die!"
Seeing the large sword swinging down at Shanks, Uta immediately cried out in alarm.
"Shanks!!!"
Clang!
Accompanied by a crisp sound of metal clashing, Higuma's sword was repelled by Shanks' body.
Pirates of this level, of course, couldn't harm him.
But even so, it still made Uta incredibly angry.
"You, what's going on?!"
Higuma was incredibly shocked. He hadn't expected to not cut through Shanks' body, but instead, it made his arm numb.
Higuma, not believing it, prepared to swing at Shanks again.
Seeing Shanks still remaining unperturbed, Uta could no longer hold back.
Tears flowed like a spring from her eyes, she let out a loud roar towards the sky, then suddenly turned her head and looked at Luffy, who had been observing.
"Hey! Luffy, you weren't just saying that, were you?!"
Luffy was stunned, not reacting for a moment.
"What did you say?"
Uta cried out loudly.
"You said you wanted me to join your pirate crew, that wasn't just an empty promise, was it?!"
Upon hearing this, Luffy nodded and said,
"En! I'm serious."
"Then help me! Help me beat up these mountain bandits, and I'll join your pirate crew."
"But, you are Shank..."
Luffy was cut off by the angry Uta before he could finish his sentence.
"From now on, I am no longer a member of the Red Hair Pirates."
"I am different from them. Faced with such people, I simply cannot stand by and do nothing."
"I cannot go against the will of the Red Hair Pirates, so I will leave the Red Hair Pirates."
Uta, with tears streaming down her face, loudly declared to everyone present.
Upon hearing this, Luffy's expression immediately became serious, and he said in a deep voice,
"Is that so! I understand."
After speaking, he clenched his fists.