The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp

Sabaody Archipelago, Shakky's Rip-Off Bar, Midnight

At the bar, the amber liquor swayed gently in the light. The wind from outside blew through the crack in the door, making the wind chime hanging at the entrance tinkle softly. Shakky skillfully wiped a glass, occasionally glancing at the door. Rayleigh sat quietly beside her, his silver hair coated in a soft glow by the light, the whiskey in his hand untouched for a long time. His gaze was calm, as if he were waiting for something.

Just then—

"Creek—"

The wooden door of the bar was slowly pushed open. The night wind instantly poured in, bringing with it a salty, fishy smell. A tall man stood at the door, his black cape lifted by the wind, the empty sleeve of his left arm swaying gently.

Rayleigh's gaze sharpened. "...So it's true." His voice was low as he stared at the empty sleeve.

"Yo, Mr. Rayleigh, Sis Shakky." Shanks strode in, his smile as relaxed as ever, but his eyes held a weariness and an unspeakable emotion. He sat down at the bar and took the drink Shakky handed him, downing it in one gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"It's so late at night. What are you doing in the East Blue instead of running wild in the New World? And you even lost an arm," Shakky's tone was teasing, but her gaze was as sharp as a blade.

Shanks put down his glass, his eyes half-closed, his smile ambiguous. "I just... made a decision."

Rayleigh frowned. "In a place like the East Blue, with your strength, no one should be able to hurt you. What exactly happened?"

Shanks shrugged with a smile, his tone light. "I'm getting old. My reactions are a little slow."

"Don't play games with me," Rayleigh's gaze did not relax.

Shanks smiled without speaking, just gently swirling his glass. His gaze suddenly became distant. The bar fell into a brief silence.

Shanks suddenly spoke, "Mr. Rayleigh, do you know why I often go to the East Blue?"

Rayleigh raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it because it's quiet there?"

Shanks shook his head, his face gradually turning grave. "It's a 'feeling'."

"A feeling?"

"Mm," Shanks's fingertip gently tapped the side of the glass. "I always used to feel that I could meet certain people there."

Rayleigh's gaze sharpened. "Certain people?"

Shanks nodded, his voice low. "But strangely, that feeling suddenly disappeared in recent years."

Hearing this, Rayleigh's brow furrowed deeply. As a fellow Conqueror's Haki user with powerful Observation Haki, Rayleigh knew all too well that the feelings of the strong were usually accurate.

Shanks continued, "The 'new era' Captain Roger talked about is coming soon, but I feel like there's an invisible giant hand secretly stirring up the era the captain opened with his life."

Shakky put down her glass, her eyes sharp. "Are you saying someone is deliberately interfering?"

Shanks didn't answer directly, but his gaze became even deeper. "Until recently, when I returned to the East Blue, that feeling came back."

"In the East Blue, I met a little kid."

"He's the complete opposite of the captain when he was young."

Rayleigh's expression changed slightly, his brow slowly furrowing. "What's so special about him being different?"

"But he has the same resilience as the captain, he's very kind, and he never forgets to care for and protect others even when he's in danger. His gaze and smile, that quality of never backing down in the face of oppression, it reminds me of that legend..." Shanks sighed and leaned back in his chair, saying softly, "So, I made a bet."

"With your arm?" Shakky raised an eyebrow lightly. "You're the type of person who would bet an arm on a little kid?"

Shanks shook his head. "Not 'bet,' but 'get out of'."

A brief silence fell at the bar. Shakky leaned against the bar, a playful smile on her lips. "So that kid you're talking about, is he the 'one you're waiting for'?"

Hearing this, Shanks finally laughed. The smile was like a ray of light on the sea, gently stirring some kind of tenderness deep in his heart. "Who knows? I don't know why I chose him either," he said. "It's like a fated guidance."

"Just like when Captain Roger stood in front of me back then. He didn't say anything, but it felt like he could ignite the entire sea."

Rayleigh stared at him for a long time, then slowly raised his glass. "To Roger's will."

Shanks clinked his glass with his, and the two exchanged a smile. "To the new era."

The clinking of the glasses, as crisp as the sound of swords, echoed in this sleepless little bar in the dead of night.

Sartsuroso Kingdom, Dawn

A thin mist lingered. The morning sun shone through the clouds onto the sea, making the entire coastal kingdom look like a dream. At the top of the clock tower, Roy stood with his hands behind his back, letting the morning breeze blow his military cap and cape. From this high altitude, the entire city looked almost unrealistically peaceful.

"My Observation Haki is covering the entire island. There's nothing unusual."

"No remnants of a battle, no fluctuations of Haki, even the disputes among the common people are pitifully few."

He narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the market, the streets, the castle, and the port. "Did Shanks really lose his arm here? This place is so quiet it's creepy."

Port Tavern, Morning

Pushing the door open, the smell of wine and wood rushed to greet him. The owner was a middle-aged man in his late forties, skillfully wiping a glass. Roy showed him a folded photo and placed it on the bar.

"The Red-Haired Pirates? No impression," he said, his eye twitching, but he quickly smiled. "But I remember this person. He came to buy wine with a few people before. He was very generous, ordered a whole cabinet of aged wine."

Roy's brow furrowed slightly. He gently pushed a few gold coins over. "Did they do anything special?"

"Special?" The owner thought for a moment, holding the gold coins. "Sang, drank, paid generously. They left at noon and didn't even leave an empty bottle."

"Just... that simple?"

"It's rare to see such well-behaved 'pirates' these days."

Royal Palace, Archives

The floor was paved with white marble. The kingdom's registrars were quietly looking through the files. Roy, in his Marine uniform, attracted quite a bit of attention, but after he showed his Rear Admiral's medal, everyone became respectful.

"The entry record for the Red-Haired Pirates you mentioned is here." The officer on duty opened a thick registration book. "Not only did they all register with their real names, but their declared list of supplies was completely compliant."

"If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known they were pirates. They actually registered so properly."

Roy glanced at it: Wine, navigation medicine, repair materials, dry food... Roy's brow furrowed slightly, his fingertip tapping the table.

Dusk, the coastline, the last rays of the setting sun colored the sky red, and the waves gently lapped at the reefs.

Roy stood at the old pier where the Red-Haired Pirates had once docked. His Observation Haki quietly spread out, meticulously searching every inch of the land. "No bloodstains, no sword energy, not even a trace of residual Conqueror's Haki..." He sighed softly and sat back on top of the clock tower in the center of the city, looking at the stars that were beginning to light up in the distance.

"All the clues indicate that this was a completely ordinary resupply."

"No struggle, no conspiracy, not even a commotion worth remembering."

"So..." He rubbed his chin, a self-deprecating smile suddenly appearing in his eyes. "Shanks, did you really just choose the quietest place in the world to do the most resolute thing?"

The setting sun brought the sound of laughter from a distant tavern. Roy's figure gradually disappeared in the afterglow.

A moment after Roy left, Sartsuroso Kingdom, at the foot of the suburban mountains.

The setting sun slanted down, the mountain path winding down. A small figure was walking quickly on the stone steps. He was round and slightly plump, but his steps were surprisingly light. An eight-year-old boy, wearing a faded coarse cloth shirt, his eyes shining with an unconcealable excitement and curiosity. He was carrying a full basket of fruit, still mumbling to himself, "I said I'd leave after picking that one, but then I saw a redder one...."

He looked up at the already dark mountain path, smiled wryly, and hefted the heavy basket. "Mom's going to nag me to death when I get back."

It was his first time on the mountain. He stood alone at the top of the slope, looking at the lively crowd and ships in the distance, his smile as pure and shining as a dewdrop in the morning sun. No one knew that a heavy echo of fate was quietly sleeping within him.

-------

Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!

Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA

I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (111 Chapter)

Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (220 Chapter)

Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (220 Chapter)

MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (90 Chapter)

BLEACH: Blade of Purification (100 Chapter)

Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (260 Chapter)

My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (98 Chapter)

The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (100 Chapter)

Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(57 Chapter)

Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (100 Chapter)

Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (100 Chapter)

Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (70 Chapter)

Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (40 Chapter)

Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (61 Chapter)

My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (60 Chapter)

Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (30 Chapter)

Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (32 Chapter)

If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.