Chapter 86: Shanks’ Headache

In the West Blue, near the Kano Country, on an uncharted stretch of sea,

a massive and imposing pirate ship sailed steadily across the waves.

Not only was the vessel enormous, but its decorations were uniquely striking, like a colossal beast roaming the ocean.

A conspicuous black flag fluttered above the ship.

Upon it was a skull emblem, and beneath the skull’s left eye were three deep claw marks.

It was the symbol of Red-Haired Shanks—

one of the Four Emperors.

As the ship cut through the waves, seawater crashed against its sturdy hull with deep, rhythmic thuds.

Sunlight streamed through gaps in the clouds, warming the sea, while a gentle breeze swept across the deck again and again.

At that moment, Shanks stood on the deck holding the latest newspaper. His brows were tightly furrowed, and a look of frustration covered his face.

His eyes repeatedly scanned the report as he pondered a troublesome matter.

"Sigh... can’t those two just stay quiet for once?" Shanks muttered helplessly. "Things only settled down for a few days, and now they’ve caused another huge mess."

"And Kaido actually wants to pay that much money just to get beaten up?"

Shanks glanced toward the distant iceberg, his irritation deepening.

He knew this incident could trigger a chain reaction of problems. As one of the Four Emperors, he couldn’t simply ignore it.

Otherwise, the plans he had spent years arranging might all fall apart.

The balance between the Four Emperors couldn’t be broken.

At least, not now.

Just then, Lucky Roux walked over while chewing on a giant drumstick. Curious, he leaned over to take a look.

"Boss, what’s going on?" Lucky Roux asked casually between bites.

But when he saw the contents of the article—especially the report that Kaido had openly challenged Whitebeard with a bounty of 30 billion Berries —his eyes nearly popped out.

A mouthful of chicken almost sprayed from his mouth.

"You’re kidding me!"

Lucky Roux shouted in disbelief, pointing at the headline with a trembling finger.

"Do you know how much booze we could buy with that kind of money?!"

Hearing that, Yasopp burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! Looks like someone really has too much money and nowhere to spend it."

As he spoke, he slung his sniper rifle onto his back and tightened his winter coat against the cold.

"But seriously," Yasopp continued, "shouldn’t we go take a look too? We can’t just let those guys do whatever they want."

Before Shanks could answer, Benn Beckman lowered the revolver he had just finished cleaning and turned toward the crew.

His gaze was calm and steady.

"It’s not that simple."

"Even for a pirate crew like Kaido’s, pulling out 30 billion Berries would hurt."

"And now he’s using Morgans to publicly declare war on Whitebeard before the entire world."

"Who knows what he’s really planning?"

Beckman’s voice was low, but every word carried weight.

His eyes swept across everyone present before finally settling on Shanks.

Shanks listened quietly, his brows still slightly knit in thought.

Taking a slow breath, Beckman continued,

"We should stay out of this and watch how things develop. There’s no need to jump into the middle of it."

There was a note of warning in his tone.

Sometimes, remaining still was wiser than acting rashly.

After saying that, Beckman pointed toward the massive iceberg ahead.

It wasn’t merely an iceberg.

It was an entire frozen continent.

Under the sunlight, the endless ice glittered brilliantly, resembling a mountain of treasure.

A faint smile appeared on Beckman’s face, and his tone relaxed.

"Besides, we’ve finally arrived."

"The treasure hidden there is enough to keep us drinking for quite a while."

Yasopp nodded in agreement with a smug grin.

"Hahaha! Those guys from the Happo Navy guarded that treasure for hundreds of years and still couldn’t open it."

"And in the end, it fell right into our hands."

"Don’t worry. I already scouted the area carefully. There aren’t any suspicious ships nearby."

Shanks nodded slightly.

A thoughtful look remained in his eyes.

"Kaido may have a terrible temper, but he’s not stupid."

"For him to throw around 30 billion Berries and openly challenge Whitebeard, something must have happened."

"Something that gave him this much confidence."

After saying that, Shanks picked up a bottle of sake and took a long swig before bursting into laughter.

"Let them make trouble if they want."

"The Marines aren’t going to sit back and watch two Emperors go to war without doing anything."

"Our priority right now is getting our hands on that treasure."

"Then we’ll throw a grand banquet and buy the finest liquor we can find to celebrate!"

"Oh yeah! A banquet! More booze!"

Lucky Roux shouted excitedly, his face overflowing with joy as he took two savage bites out of his drumstick.

"I’ve been craving Binks’ Brew for ages," Beckman said with a chuckle, his eyes shining with anticipation.

For someone with few desires, there was nothing more satisfying than a good drink.

"Hahaha, Shanks," Yasopp teased, "it should be about time you went to visit Uta again, right?"

He knew that despite Shanks’ usual carefree attitude, the mention of his daughter always softened him.

At the sound of her name, a trace of warmth appeared in Shanks’ eyes.

Memories surfaced one after another, replaying in his mind.

The days they had spent together had long become precious treasures.

"Yeah..."

"I didn’t realize time had passed so quickly."

Shanks sighed.

Then he drained the remaining liquor from the bottle in one gulp, as if using the drink to express the complicated emotions in his heart.

There was nostalgia for the past.

And hope for the future.

"I wonder if she still hates me."

Shanks spoke softly.

Even if he could go back and make the choice again, he knew he would do the same thing.

Still, deep down, he worried whether his daughter would ever forgive him.

Yasopp stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder with a smile.

"Come on. What grudge can last forever between a father and daughter?"

"It’s been so long."

"I’m sure Uta wants to see you too."

He believed that family bonds were stronger than anything else.

No matter how many storms they endured, they would eventually overcome every misunderstanding.

"...I hope so."

Shanks replied quietly.

A faint light flickered in his eyes.

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