Beckman blew out a smoke ring. "Captain, we're going with you. The two of you going alone is too risky. We may not be the strongest, but we can at least clear out the grunts."
Lucky Roux took a bite of his chicken leg and spoke with his mouth full. "Yeah. Mary Geoise of all places. How could we let you go alone?"
Yasopp wiped down his rifle and grinned. "I've never shot a Celestial Dragon before."
Shanks shook his head. His smile was still bright, but his eyes were unusually firm. "No. This time, you're staying behind."
"Why?!" The crew shouted in unison.
Shanks stood up and patted Beckman on the shoulder. "Because you have an even more important mission."
His gaze drifted into the distance. Rouge was in the kitchen with the children, busy cooking. Their laughter drifted over faintly.
"Protect them. I can't guarantee your safety."
Beckman was silent for a moment. Finally, he sighed. "...Understood."
Lucky Roux scratched his head. "Tch. Fine. No helping it."
Yasopp put away his gun and shrugged. "Alright. You're the captain."
Rhett watched this scene, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one will lay a finger on your captain."
"Then, everyone, let's have a banquet!" Shanks shouted to his crew.
Shanks noticed something. Ever since the conversation ended, Rhett's attitude toward Yasopp had become noticeably colder.
Whenever Yasopp tried to start a conversation, Rhett either ignored him completely or glanced at him with something close to contempt.
During the evening banquet, Yasopp tried to lighten the mood. "Speaking of which, my son Usopp should be all grown up by now. That kid must be—"
"BANG!"
Rhett suddenly slammed his cup down on the table. Blood-colored mist flickered around him. "Your son? You have a son?"
The entire room went silent. Shanks frowned. "Big Brother?"
Yasopp smiled awkwardly. "Yeah. I left the village when he was two. He should be a brave little—"
"Brave?" Rhett cut him off with a cold laugh. "What does a father who can't even go home know about his son being brave?"
Yasopp's expression changed. "I was chasing my dream! The pirate flag was calling me—"
"Nonsense!" Rhett stood up abruptly. His words were like poison. "Using dreams as an excuse to abandon your responsibilities makes you more disgusting than slave traders. At least they openly admit they're scum!"
Shanks quickly stepped between them. "Big Brother! Yasopp, he—"
"Little Shanks," Rhett's gaze was terrifyingly cold. "Do you know why I hate people like this?"
He pointed at Yasopp. "Seeing spineless cowards like this makes me sick. If he weren't your crewmate, I'd already be beating him. Actually, now that I think about it, I want to beat you too."
Yasopp clenched his fists. "I am not—"
"Not what?" Rhett smiled mockingly. "Are you going to tell me you've gone back home once since you went to sea? Seen your son? Know how tall he is? What he likes to eat? What he's afraid of?"
Yasopp was speechless.
"I'm sure you're very proud of yourself," Rhett continued, his words sharp as knives. "You think your son will definitely become a great warrior of the sea one day, don't you? Too bad, even if he does become one—"
He leaned close to Yasopp and said, word by word:
"What does that have to do with you?"
Shanks took a deep breath. "Big Brother, did you see something?"
Shanks knew his big brother Rhett well. He could see the future. There must have been something he saw that made him hate his crewmate so much.
The sea breeze carried a salty, humid scent between them. Rhett was silent for a moment. His expression was unusually serious as he looked at Shanks. "You knew he had a son, didn't you?"
Shanks was taken aback. "Usopp? But that's his—"
"—his family. The family he abandoned for his 'dream,'" Rhett said with a cold laugh. Blood mist coiled around his fingertips. "What a grand excuse."
Under the moonlight, Shanks saw something in Rhett's eyes that he had never seen before. It wasn't the look of an Emperor of the Sea. It was something more personal. An outrage.
Shanks knew that his big brother Rhett valued family above all else.
"I've seen that town. Syrup Village," Rhett said, his voice very calm.
"I've seen a child waiting by the shore every day for his father to come home. I've seen a wife lying on her sickbed still defending her husband."
"Have you ever seen a child hoping every single day that his father would come back and see the mother beside him? Hoping that his father would bring back a cure for her illness?"
Yasopp's voice trembled. "Is this true? Is Banchina sick?"
Rhett gave Yasopp a mocking look. He didn't answer.
"Big Brother, I..." Shanks looked at Rhett.
"You're an accomplice too." Rhett cut him off. His blood-red eyes stared straight at Shanks. "Pirate dreams? Hah. A coward who doesn't even have the courage to go home and take a look — he doesn't deserve to talk about dreams. Even our captain had the decency to entrust his family to me before he died."
"You're his captain. You knew he had a child and a wife. Why didn't you make him find a chance to go home and see them? You got yourself an excellent sniper. But you made a child grow up without a father. You made a wife lose her husband. You made a wife die without seeing her husband one last time. All for your damn dreams. You couldn't think of that? What kind of crew are you recruiting, Shanks?! You're the captain. You destroyed a family."
Shanks's face turned pale. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. The atmosphere at the banquet froze solid.
Yasopp was trembling all over. He suddenly dropped to his knees. "Banchina... is she... is she very sick?"
Rhett looked at him coldly. "Now you ask?"
Shanks took a deep breath. He walked over to Yasopp and helped him to his feet. "Yasopp. We'll set sail for Syrup Village tomorrow."
Yasopp's head shot up. His eyes were full of disbelief. "Captain... but what about Mary Geoise? I can go back alone."
"I swear." Rhett had had enough. He needed to teach them a lesson.
A blade of blood mist shot toward Shanks. Rhett couldn't discipline Shanks's crew. But he could discipline Shanks.
"To hell with Mary Geoise!" Shanks rarely cursed. He drew his sword and cut the blood blade in two. His eyes under the straw hat were firm as steel. "Family is more important than anything!"
He turned to Rhett and bowed deeply. "Big Brother, I'm sorry. I really don't deserve to be captain."
Rhett's expression finally softened a little. He sighed. "Little Shanks, do you remember what Captain Roger said to us before he left the ship?"
Shanks looked up. Tears glistened in his eyes. "He said... 'Don't forget the people who matter most in pursuit of your dreams.'"