Shanks was not an ordinary man, yet here he was… asleep. Was that even reasonable? He had told them there was another mission, and then just went to sleep. Was that really believable?
"Man… has he woken up yet? He's still asleep, dreaming out loud, saying that the One Piece is real."
Ben Beckman: "Hey, Shanks, is that true? Wake up, man. Tell us about this 'Uneven Land.'"
"Hoist the sails! A great adventure awaits us! Let's move forward. Tangled threads are waiting for someone to unravel them—and that someone is me. No one will take that treasure from me."
Shanks set out with his crew on a journey unlike any other. The first problem they faced was that the compass they had was nothing like the ordinary ones that anyone could use to track a path. The first thing they needed to do was visit the madman in the Grand Line. But who would dare go to him? He hated strangers. Still, Shanks had made up his mind—this adventure would be his next goal.
They sailed toward the Grand Line based on unreliable information that might have been false or misleading. Everyone wanted to eliminate Shanks's crew; his ship was extremely famous, and pirates were swarming after it.
After days of sailing, the crew finally arrived at the strange island where the madman lived. Shanks went down alone and entered the island. Despite its small size, it was extremely dangerous, filled with various deadly creatures.
"How can a human live in a place like this? You really are crazy… you've made me look crazy too in the eyes of my crew."
With great difficulty, Shanks reached a small hut with smoke rising from it. He stepped forward cautiously, his hand on his sword. Suddenly, he stopped and raised his hand.
"Is your other hand busy? Raise it too—or I'll cut it off."
"I'm sorry, sir… it's already gone, hahaha."
"Who are you? Why did you come here? Speak."
"I'm sorry, please forgive me. May I turn around? Maybe you'll recognize me from my face."
"So you don't know who I am? Leave before I split your head open with this axe."
"I'm sorry, sir. I came because I need your help. I'm Shanks… don't you recognize me? We've met before. Don't tell me you forgot."
"Shanks? Hahaha… I'm sorry, my friend. Forgive me. I can no longer see. I lost both my eyes when creatures attacked me in the dark."
"I'm sorry for what happened to you. So you can't see anymore… that's a problem. But how did you sense me? I didn't make a sound."
"You're standing in the heart of a spider's web, man."
"Alright… listen, I have news about a place called the 'Uneven Land.' It's said the true One Piece is all there. What do you know about it?"
"The Uneven Land… yes, yes. Only a few people know such things. How did you find out?"
"Just tell me what you know. I've decided to set out for it."
"You'll need many things to get there. The island doesn't appear on maps, Shanks. How do you plan to reach it? Did you know Whitebeard asked me about it just last week? Hahaha… it seems you'll meet him soon."
"No way! Hahaha… things are getting interesting. What did you tell him?"
"Listen, Shanks. You need a compass unlike any other."
"Do you mean this?"
"Now that's what I'm talking about. The important thing is—you have it. That means you possess the map, and the path is open before you. But you must activate it."
"How do I activate it? Tell me."
"The problem isn't how to activate it. The problem is that once you do, everyone will know your location—and they'll all come after you."
"How is that possible? Then what's the solution?"
"It's simple. Activate it for a short time, draw the map on paper, then turn it off. At least this way, you'll learn the path to the Uneven Land in separate stages."
"Can I draw the full map at once and then turn it off?"
"No. The compass reveals the map in many stages."
"How many parts are there?"
"No one knows. Some say 100, others say 10,000. No one knows for sure. Roger himself designed it, and it contains strange enchantments. Some say anyone who tries to cheat it will be cursed with no cure."
"So what should I do? How do I activate it?"
"There's a red button on the back. Press it seven times, and each time say 'The Uneven Land.' Then it will activate and show your location and your next destination. When you reach that place, activate it again, and it will reveal the next point. That's all. But remember—your position becomes exposed when you activate it."
"So that's the only way to reach the Uneven Land. But tell me, how will other pirates know my location instantly?"
"There are many ways. For example, Whitebeard and his crew have a compass like yours—but it's a fake. It's not as powerful as yours, but it can detect your compass anywhere, easily and very accurately. And you know Whitebeard's speed—he could reach you in the blink of an eye, especially since he'll already be close. The fake compass gives a location very near to the real one. Be careful, my friend. The news has spread—everyone knows about this now, and everyone is trying to reach the Uneven Land by any means."
"I knew the day we'd face Whitebeard was coming. That old man should retire soon—he's lived long enough."
"Hahaha… tell me, what will you do about the Akatsuki?"
"Are you crazy? Are they after the One Piece too?"
"That's what Whitebeard told me. They're here somewhere as well. No one knows their location. They're waiting for the right moment to appear."
With those words, Shanks left. In truth, he felt deeply frustrated. The treasure he thought only he knew about… everyone actually knew about it. But he was the only one who possessed the clear path. Still, he had to be careful of those moving in the shadows.
The crew set off on a long journey, one many pirates had attempted before. Now Shanks carried the torch, embodied in a compass that might lead him to the One Piece—a treasure no one had ever truly seen except an old man who died and left the world obsessed with it.
Everyone had been searching endlessly… until that moment when Roger stood on the execution platform and ignited a fire across the entire world. Everyone decided that the great treasure would be theirs.
But what is the One Piece, really? That is what Shanks will discover.
On the other side of the world, Itachi and the members of the Akatsuki sat atop a mountain, waiting for the right moment.
What were Itachi and his companions waiting for?
That is what we will find out in the next chapter… stay tuned.