Chapter 154 – Red-Haired’s Thoughts
Somewhere in a small coastal town...
The Red Hair Pirates were enjoying another round of drinks at a quiet tavern. Frankly, they’d been bored stiff lately. Besides training, they didn’t have much else to do—but for pirates, peaceful days like these were luxuries that never lasted long.
"It looks sea’s not gonna stay calm much longer," Shanks muttered, skimming through a stack of intel.
"New pirates, the Four Emperors, the Navy... all of them are on the move."
Ben Beckman leaned back, puffing on his cigarette. "Are you thinking of getting involved?"
Shanks gave a lopsided grin. "Of course. Some things you just can’t ignore. The Navy disappearing? That’s not something we can let happen."
"Heh," Ben chuckled dryly. "Intervening, huh? Last time, Whitebeard didn’t even listen when you warned him about Blackbeard. You think he’ll listen now?"
Shanks laughed aloud, the memory still fresh. "Yeah... Old Man Whitebeard’s a stubborn bastard. I told him not to chase after Blackbeard, said the guy was dangerous. He didn’t listen at all."
He sighed, resting the intel on the table.
"No point in talking sense to him. He’ll do what he wants anyway. But I’m not here to make things worse. Without the Navy, this sea’ll fall into chaos. The Four Emperors alone aren’t enough to keep it in check."
"Exactly," Beckman agreed, flicking ash into a tray. "And even if they could, would they? Big Mom’s obsessed with her Totto Land dream, Kaido’s out here hoarding Zoan-type Devil Fruits like a maniac, and Whitebeard? He just wants to protect his family."
Shanks shook his head. "Yeah... sometimes I wonder how these guys even became Emperors in the first place."
He took a long sip from his wine flask, eyes darkening in thought.
"If things keep going the way they are, the other Emperors might end up joining the fray, too. That’s just gonna be a bigger mess."
"So your plan... is to start with the Dragon Hunter Pirates?" Beckman asked.
"The kid who used to help out at Makino’s bar, huh? Hard to believe he’s turned into one of the most talked-about pirates on the seas."
"Time flies, doesn’t it?" Shanks replied, smiling faintly.
It was true—he’d been keeping an eye on Ryuunosuke and his crew, the Dragon Hunters.
They weren’t the type to cause trouble for no reason. Trouble always seemed to find them.
But every time, they fought back with force, precision, and guts.
Even the Navy’s Admirals hadn’t managed to take them down. And of course, the Navy wasn’t about to go down with some so-called allies just to stop a rising pirate crew.
Shanks respected them for that.
They weren’t reckless fools—they were smart, brave, and resourceful.
They fought with intent.
"They won’t listen to you, though," Beckman pointed out, his voice calm. "You know that, right?"
Shanks sighed again. "Yeah... Ryuunosuke used to be such a quiet kid. Now look at him."
He smiled wryly. "Still, it’s worth a shot. First, I’ll reach out. According to intel, they’ll be passing through soon."
He raised the wine flask again.
"No need to chase them all over the sea when we’re already camped out on the only route from Sabaody to Impel Down."
Ben Beckman gave a slow nod, understanding Shanks’ intent.
He didn’t say more—both of them knew what was at stake.
For now, the Navy couldn’t afford to vanish.
Meanwhile, aboard the Dragon Hunter Pirates’ ship...
Ryuunosuke and his crew had just caught sight of an island on the horizon.
"That island ahead—is that our destination?" Najenda asked, checking the nautical chart. "It’s not on the record pointer... or the map."
Ryuunosuke chuckled. "Don’t bother marking it. That island moves."
Najenda blinked in surprise. "A moving island?"
He nodded. "It’s actually alive."
Her eyes widened as she looked toward the floating landmass. A living island? That explained why it wasn’t charted—such islands could drift into different climate zones of the Grand Line.
Settling down on a place like that would be impossible. Seasons dictated survival out here.
"This thing—it’s a giant plant," Ryuunosuke added with a grin.
Indeed, they had arrived at the domain of the infamous Stomach Baron.
"A living island..." Najenda muttered. "Don’t let Chrollo hear that. He’ll probably want to stuff it into his collection."
Najenda laughed, though the wonder in her voice hadn’t faded.
After all they’d seen on their journey, this still managed to surprise them.
"Let’s go. There’s food here—plenty of it. And someone I need to meet."
"You guys gather supplies. I’ll find him."
Ryuunosuke scanned the island, his Observation Haki expanding outward. It had reached an advanced level now, bordering on awakening.
According to his system, he was close to unlocking special abilities—like Fujitora’s ability to sense morality or Katakuri’s future sight.
For now, though, it gave him a wide range of perception.
As they landed on the island, Najenda couldn’t help but gape at the scenery.
Chunks of meat grew on trees. Perfectly marbled, cooked-looking meat.
The trees even bore fruits overflowing with energy—one could probably feed an entire village.
"Is this... heaven?" Akame whispered, nearly drooling.
Ryuunosuke smirked. "Go ahead. Knock yourselves out."
He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.
If Luffy saw this place, he’d probably go feral and eat the whole damn island... wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to eat Chopper again.
"Alright," Ryuunosuke said, his voice firm now. "You guys gather supplies. I’ve already found him."
He turned his gaze toward the jungle ahead.
Somewhere in the dense forest was the man who had once trained Usopp—the Botanist Master, Heracles.
And Ryuunosuke was here for more than just food.
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