One Piece: The Archangel's Guide

Chapter 27: The Parting Banquet

Sea Calendar 1510, the waters near Foosha Village, East Blue.

"This is the Goa Kingdom. We'll be resting here for a while," Shanks said calmly from the rigging, his eyes on the coastal village in the distance.

"Resting?" Louis looked at Shanks thoughtfully. The purpose is to bring the Nika Fruit here, right?

Shanks's original plan was probably to give it to Roger's son, hoping he could obtain the power of Nika. In the end, the fruit was accidentally eaten by Garp's grandson, Monkey D. Luffy. Of course, it was also possible that in his interactions with Luffy, Shanks felt he was more likely to awaken the form that hadn't appeared in eight hundred years. At least, Louis believed that Ace's heart held a slight darkness due to his parentage; he wasn't pure enough. Giving the Nika Fruit to him might not lead to an awakening.

In any case, it was inevitable that the Red Hair Pirates would be staying here for a considerable amount of time. And Louis had no intention of staying. Neither training nor passing the time here was suitable for him.

After some thought, Louis looked at Yelena beside him and said in a low voice, "Yelena, let's get off the ship here."

"Okay," Yelena replied decisively upon hearing his words. Although she had stayed on this ship for a long time, she always remembered that she and Louis were not truly Shanks's crewmates. Therefore, she had no reason to hesitate. Wherever Louis went, she would go.

At the small port of Foosha Village, Louis informed Shanks, who was busy teasing a child, of his and Yelena's decision to leave.

"What?" Shanks was very surprised to hear this. "Louis and Yelena are getting off the ship?"

Shanks's subconscious words caused quite a stir on the deck.

"Louis and Yelena are... leaving?"

"Has time really passed so quickly?"

"Before we knew it, it's already time for you to leave?"

Uta, who was walking along the railing with her arms outstretched, froze. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind, and for a moment, her body became as chaotic as her heart, and she fell from the railing. Fortunately, she was caught securely by Beckman, who was always watching her, and placed gently on the deck.

"Uta, are you okay?"

Uta didn't seem to hear Beckman's voice. She stared blankly at Louis and Yelena, who were surrounded by the crew. She subconsciously raised her hand towards them, opening her mouth as if to ask them to stay. But a sentence from Louis floated into her mind.

"We are ultimately just passersby. We have different beliefs and goals. There will always come a time when we part."

After a long moment, Uta lowered her head. In the end, she didn't ask them to stay. She had figured it out. Louis and Yelena were indeed not members of the Red Hair Pirates. Their parting was destined to happen.

Behind her, Beckman felt very relieved seeing Uta restrain her urge to ask them to stay.

"..."

"It's too soon. Yelena still needs to be observed for a while!" Hongo frowned. He walked forward and explained to the two that Yelena's condition needed another check-up in a month.

Yelena frowned at his words. She actually felt that her body had fully recovered, and the pain from before had disappeared.

Louis pondered for a moment before asking, "A month? Then we'll just wander the nearby seas for a while and come back for another check-up in a month."

Shanks had a flash of insight, seeming to realize the truth. "I see. You don't want to stay on this island, so you've chosen to leave ahead of time?"

"More or less."

Hearing this, Shanks didn't say anything more. Over the years, he had come to understand. He seemed to have been too short-sighted back then. Making Louis stay was also a form of influence on him. In essence, it was no different from his worry about Louis being influenced by the New World.

(This is a patch for a reader who thought Shanks's actions were also influencing Louis. I wonder if he's still reading.)

Fortunately, Louis had not been influenced by him, which made Shanks very relieved and gratified. Therefore, Shanks wouldn't ask them to stay, because they were, after all, just passersby.

Then, he turned to face the crew, clapped his hands, and announced loudly, "In that case, let's have a grand banquet before we part!"

The crew was taken aback, looking at each other. Soon, the deck was once again filled with cheers. "YEAH!"

Although Yelena was already quite familiar with the Red Hair Pirates' banquet tradition, she still found this particular banquet baffling. "We'll see each other again in a month. Is it really necessary to hold a banquet..."

To this, Lucky Roux took a bite of his large shank of meat and said with a grin, "That's a different matter. That will be another banquet!"

Yelena: "???"

Night, in a tavern in Foosha Village.

Louis, Yelena, and the entire Red Hair crew were gathered together, holding a banquet in the tavern. At a round table, Shanks raised his cup and clinked it against Louis's tea.

"Louis, after Yelena's check-up, will you head straight for the Grand Line?"

To this, Louis said calmly, "I think I'll check out the Four Seas first. Once I enter the Grand Line, a series of problems will follow one after another. I probably won't have much time to see the world then."

Moreover, Louis realized he had been swept up by the allure of the sea back then and had been a bit rash. It wasn't just Louis who needed to grow; his people on the sky island also needed time. Confronting the World Government too early would do more harm than good. Also, since he was already in this world, Louis wanted to try and recruit some partners, or perhaps find suitable allies for the future. The powerful Oni race, the similarly tragically fated Buccaneer race, the hidden powerhouses in the non-affiliated nations of the Four Seas—all were worth seeking out.

Hearing this, Shanks seemed to think of something. He gave a subtle glance at Uta, a thoughtful look on his face. "In the Four Seas, you say?"

He thought about how he and his crew would also soon be entering the Grand Line, delving into the most dangerous sea in the world. And with his current strength, he couldn't guarantee he could protect Uta. He then looked at Beckman, who was sipping his drink, and the two exchanged a look.

On the other side, a drunken Lucky Roux, Yasopp, and the others had started teasing a little brat who had wandered in at some point. During their play, the little black-haired boy would occasionally turn his head to look at the wings on Louis's back, his face full of puzzlement.

Noticing his gaze, Louis also turned to meet it, looking thoughtfully at the young straw-hatted Luffy.

Beside him, Yelena reached out and stroked the hair of a somewhat bewildered Uta, gently comforting her. "What's wrong, Uta?"

"There's no need to be sad. One always has to experience many partings in life. This parting will only make you and I look forward to our next meeting even more."

Uta looked up, her purple eyes revealed, her gaze shifting back and forth between Louis, Yelena, and Shanks and his crew.

Louis turned to look at Uta, who was radiating an aura of sadness, and for a moment, he too was silent.