Rayleigh ended up joining them for the meal as well, and it left a thoroughly favorable impression on the White Silver Pirates. So even a living legend could be this down-to-earth.
After they finished eating, Shirakawa and his crew took their leave. Though Shakky had absolutely fleeced Shirakawa on the bill—while they weren't short on funds by any means, it still put a noticeable dent in their operating budget.
"Captain, did you already know Mr. Rayleigh was here?" Jora asked once they were outside.
"That's right."
"So you deliberately brought us here? To introduce us to your first mate?"
"Of course not. It was Taeyeon who suggested coming to this island, not me." Shirakawa spread his hands with practiced innocence.
"Still, getting to meet the Dark King Rayleigh—just that alone made the trip worth it."
The crew of the Pirate King could practically be called idols to the vast majority of pirates out on the sea. Someone on the level of the Dark King Rayleigh, in particular, was the kind of figure you might only encounter once in a lifetime.
And so, on the Sabaody Archipelago, the White Silver Pirates spent three peaceful days.
During that time, no Marines came to bother them. After all, Marine HQ had issued a direct order: no one was to engage the White Silver Pirates.
Even if they were to act, it would require meticulous planning and the deployment of an Admiral-level combatant from HQ.
Sengoku, now serving as Fleet Admiral, naturally couldn't just up and throw himself into the field at a moment's notice. He needed to hold down the fort at Marine HQ at all times.
So for this reappearance of the White Silver Pirates, Sengoku decided to turn a blind eye. He did, however, reissue Shirakawa's wanted poster.
Just like that, the great pirate Shirakawa—bounty of one billion—reentered the public eye.
"Setting sail again, are we, Shirakawa?"
On some island somewhere along the Grand Line, a red-haired young man wearing a straw hat studied the freshly printed wanted poster in his hands, a spark of keen interest lighting up his voice.
"I hope we meet again in the New World. And when we do—you'd better not disappoint me."
That man was none other than Red-Haired Shanks, one of the most talked-about rookie pirates of the past two years. Since first setting out to sea, he hadn't suffered a single defeat.
And he commanded a crew of outstanding sailors, every last one of them an elite with formidable strength to match.
"Captain, we're about to set sail. If you don't hurry up, we're leaving you behind."
A voice suddenly reached Shanks' ears. The words carried a playful edge, but underneath it, a clear current of respect for their captain.
"Coming!"
Shanks called back, then rose to his feet and headed toward his ship.
A look of quiet hope settled across his face—hope for whatever the future held.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere at Marine HQ was growing tense.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, sir—bad news!" A colonel came barreling into Sengoku's office in a state of near-panic.
"What is it, barging in like this? You're supposed to be a Marine of HQ. Have some decorum!"
"My apologies, Fleet Admiral." The colonel snapped to attention with a textbook salute at Sengoku's reprimand.
"Speak. What happened?"
"Reporting, sir—Admiral Akainu has left Marine HQ. He's heading for the Sabaody Archipelago."
"What?" Sengoku's eyes went wide. Why would Akainu go to Sabaody? There had to be a reason.
"Why is he going to the Sabaody Archipelago?"
"I heard Admiral Akainu intends to apprehend the White Silver Pirates again."
"What?" At first, Sengoku hadn't immediately connected the dots.
The White Silver Pirates had resurfaced, yes, but very few people even knew about them anymore. Five years had passed, and the public had largely forgotten.
"Damn it! How dare he act without authorization! Get Kizaru in here—now!"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
Sengoku let out a long, heavy breath. If Akainu was going in alone, the odds were grim. Five years ago, Akainu could only handle Crocam on his own. Charging in like this now—how was that any different from a death wish?
"You called for me, Fleet Admiral?"
Just then, Admiral Kizaru strolled in at his usual languid pace, his tone equally unhurried, as though nothing in the world had anything to do with him.
"Get to the Sabaody Archipelago immediately. Stop that fool Akainu."
"Sounds like such a hassle~" Kizaru drawled, and by the look on his face, he clearly wasn't keen on going.
"That's an order."
Sengoku said it through clenched teeth. How was it that this generation's three Admirals were so impossible to manage?
Back in his day, they'd been far more obedient—always following Fleet Admiral Kong's orders to the letter. Well, except for that idiot Garp. But then again, Garp was only a Vice Admiral, so he wasn't bound by nearly as many rules and regulations as an Admiral would be.
But Akainu could hardly compare himself to Garp. He didn't have anything close to Garp's strength.
"Fine, fine," Kizaru said, dragging the words out with supreme reluctance.
After Kizaru left, Sengoku still felt uneasy. He sent someone to fetch Garp as well.
"What's this about, Sengoku? I was just about to come ask you for some leave, and you call me over—minds in sync, aren't we? Ha ha ha!"
"In sync, my ass!" Sengoku swore outright. In front of this old comrade-in-arms, there was no image to maintain.
Not that he had much of one left—this old bastard had thoroughly demolished whatever he'd had.
"You're heading to the Sabaody Archipelago. Right now. You make sure Akainu and Kizaru come back in one piece."
"What? I'm not going." The moment he heard the word *mission*, Garp's eyes went wide.
"No, you *are* going. Those two cannot afford a single misstep."
"It's two Admirals we're talking about. What's there to worry about?" Clearly, Garp had no idea why Akainu was heading to Sabaody.
"Their opponent this time is the White Silver Pirates. I have a bad feeling about this."
Sengoku's voice was heavy with worry.
"The White Silver Pirates, hm? Alright then. I'll go."
The moment he heard it was the White Silver Pirates, Garp agreed without another word. He wanted to see for himself what kind of changes five years could bring to that young man.
After all, when he'd first learned that Shirakawa was still alive, it had taken him a long while to process. He never imagined Shirakawa could have survived an encounter with Sengoku.
"Then get moving. Don't let anything happen to those two."
"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know."
Garp turned around and waved a dismissive hand.
Even with that carefree attitude, once Garp gave his word, Sengoku felt a great deal more at ease. Without question, Garp was the strongest person in Sengoku's mind.
"My, my. What's going on? One after another, they're all heading out."
Aokiji, who had since moved to a different office, happened to witness all three setting out to sea in quick succession.
"Word is Admiral Akainu set sail without authorization to capture the White Silver Pirates. Admiral Kizaru and Vice Admiral Garp were sent by Fleet Admiral Sengoku to back him up."
"The White Silver Pirates, huh…"
Aokiji murmured the name under his breath. He'd never directly faced the White Silver Pirates in battle.
But he had fought Shirakawa. And that fight had been the first time Aokiji was ever seriously wounded—the first, and to this day, the only time.
/-\
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