“LET THE BANQUET BEGIN!!” Shanks raised his wooden cup high, only to hiss sharply when the movement tugged at the bruises and swelling on his face.
“You bastards hit way too hard!
Do any of you even see me as your captain?!” “Come on Gavin, eat more!
We’ll be counting on you in fights from now on.” Bonk Punch completely ignored Shanks’s complaint, snatched the captain’s roasted meat, and stuffed it into Gavin’s hands.
Monster grabbed Shanks’s personal wooden cup as well and placed it beside Gavin’s foot like he was offering treasure.
“Squeak, squeak, squeak~” “Thanks.” Gavin accepted it with a smile, took a bite of the golden, oil-dripping roast meat, and spoke.
“This is pretty good.
But Shanks, are you sure no one needs to steer the ship?” Shanks did not care that his food and wine had been stolen.
He simply poured himself another cup and waved casually.
“Don’t worry about it.
Before Rayleigh left, he gave me that thing.
This isn’t an ordinary pirate ship.” “All it needs is a small adjustment in direction, and it’ll take us to the place we’re meant to go.
Snake…” Shanks stomped on the deck a few times with his right foot, then looked at Building Snake with a grin.
“She’s a good ship, right?” Snake nodded firmly.
“She really is.
Gavin, have you ever heard of a Klabautermann?” “A Klabautermann?” Gavin looked down at the ship beneath his feet in surprise.
“I’ve heard of them.
They’re supposed to be ship spirits that only appear on vessels deeply loved by their crews.” Snake tore off a piece of roasted meat and chewed it while pointing at Shanks.
“Our captain used to be a member of the Pirate King’s crew.
As for this ship’s spirit, I heard it was a gift from the Pirate King’s vice-captain, the famous Dark King Rayleigh.” “It’s not a complete Klabautermann.” Shanks swallowed his food, clinked cups with Gavin, and drained his drink in one go.
“Ahhh, that hits the spot!” “It’s more like a small blessing from the Oro Jackson.
Actually, Rayleigh originally planned to give it to Buggy.” “But that guy threw a tantrum and refused it, so I gladly accepted instead!” Gavin deliberately put on a shocked expression.
“EHHH?!” “Shanks was actually on the Pirate King’s crew?!” Shanks shook his head with a smile.
“Well, it’s not really something worth bragging about.
I want to make my own name on the sea through my own strength.” “I don’t want people bringing me up and only saying I was one of Gol D.
Roger’s crew.
That’d be way too embarrassing.” Glug, glug— Shanks filled his cup again and had just been about to propose another toast when several cannonballs suddenly landed in the sea not far from the Red Force, exploding across the water.
“Enemies, huh?” Gavin set down his cup and stopped the others from getting up, then walked toward the bow.
“Consider this my greeting gift for joining the crew.
I’ll handle these pirates.
Who knows?
Maybe they’re worth some money too.” Shanks also held the other three back.
“Leave it to Gavin.
He’ll be your vice-captain after all!
If his strength doesn’t earn your approval, he won’t be sitting in that position for long.” Only then did the three men and one monkey settle back down obediently.
No matter how much they usually fooled around with Shanks, at critical moments, the captain was still the captain.
“Shanks…” Hongo drank half a cup of wine, thick foam still clinging to his lips.
“Didn’t we already see the vice-captain’s strength earlier?” “It’s not enough.
I only got a rough look at that slash from a distance.
This is for everyone’s sake, because we’re going to have plenty of fights in the future.
If we don’t understand what our crewmates can do, things can get messy.” Shanks waved toward Snake.
“Bring the ship closer.
I want you to see Gavin’s strength with your own eyes.” …
As the two ships drew closer, that familiar kind of shouting came from the enemy deck again.
“You pieces of trash!
I’m Ripper Zack, with a bounty of three-point-eight million Berries!
Surrender quietly, kneel down, and kiss my feet, and I might just be generous enough to take you in as my subordinates!” “Captain Zack, aren’t you being way too merciful?” “Exactly!
If you’re willing to kiss Boss Zack’s ass, then we, the Ripper Pirates, will agree to let you join!
Hahaha!!” Zack burst into loud laughter at his men’s shouting, his dirty dreadlocks bouncing with the movement.
“That’s right!
Just kiss my ass, and I’ll let you join!” “Your ass?” Gavin could not be bothered to wait for the two ships to close enough for a boarding fight.
A savage smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as the cloth wrapped around Nozarashi unraveled, revealing the jagged blade beneath.
“That sword…” As a swordsman who used Two Sword Style, Snake naturally understood a blade’s shape and structure.
“Shanks, you saw it too, right?
That sword is already dull.
It doesn’t look like the huge cleaver we saw earlier.” “Keep watching.” Shanks set down his cup, his attention fixed on Gavin as he leapt from the Red Force.
“Gavin’s swordsmanship is strange.
It gives me the feeling that it was born purely for slaughter.
That’s also why I stopped you from stepping in earlier.” “I want to get a proper look at his swordsmanship.” At the same time, Gavin poured spiritual power into his legs and used Shunpo to launch himself through the air, rapidly swinging the katana in his hand.
‘Continuous Basic Attacks!’ The bullets and cannonballs flying toward him were chopped apart by his blade and fell harmlessly to both sides.
“You arrogant bastard!
You actually dare to rush onto the Ripper Pirates’ ship alone?!
Boys, butcher him!” “Charge!!” “For Boss Zack!
Kill this guy!” Gavin landed on the deck, and with a sway of his body, he vanished.
The A+ agility granted by Nozarashi, along with the original owner’s memories of killing and battle, was no joke.
At least during this month-long Zanpakutō trial, his speed was far beyond what trash pirates from East Blue could follow.
Golden flashes of steel swept through the crowd, sending broken bodies flying.
Arms, heads, and surging waves of blood scattered across the deck.
A one-sided massacre began.
Gavin wore an expression of pure enjoyment, and he did not even bother dodging the enemy’s attacks.
He simply let them land on his body and bloom into bursts of blood.
…
“GAVIN!” Hongo stood up nervously and grabbed the wooden club by his foot, ready to rush over.
“Hongo, calm down!” Shanks snapped.
“Gavin’s fine.
He’s enjoying the fight, Don’t interrupt him!” …
“Come on, pirates!
Let’s kill each other!” Under the influence of Kenpachi’s memories and Battle Frenzy, Gavin tore straight through the crowd and reached the other end of the Ripper Pirates’ ship.
With a flick of his blade, thick blood flew from the edge and painted a glaring half-arc across the deck.
“Ripper Zack, I’ll let you cut me once first.
Otherwise, this fight won’t be any fun.” Zack froze.
But when he saw that Gavin did not seem to be joking, he grinned viciously and swung the huge cleaver in his hand.
“Then die!!” The blade barely sank into Gavin’s shoulder before it was trapped by bone and flesh strengthened with spiritual power.
“What….
that’s all the strength you’ve got?” Disappointment flashed through Gavin’s eyes.
His left hand moved up and clamped tightly around the enemy’s right hand, the one gripping the blade.
At the same time, he raised his right hand high, and Nozarashi, glinting with a crimson sheen, came crashing down.
“I’ll show you what a real slash looks like.” ‘Basic Attack!’ Pfft—!
“N-No way… Why would East Blue have someone like…” Zack’s eyes gradually dulled.
His wound sprayed blood and organs as he toppled backward, still filled with bitter disbelief.
With Nozarashi resting on his shoulder, Gavin tilted his head and looked at the remaining pirates, who were backing away in terror.
“Boring.
But since you’re worth three-point-eight million Berries, I might as well send them along to keep you company.” Spiritual power surged rapidly into the Zanpakutō.
Once it reached a certain limit, golden spiritual pressure erupted again, tearing through the darkness of the night.
Not far away, Shanks narrowed his eyes as he watched.
“So it really is Conqueror’s Haki.
But Gavin’s Haki feels… kind of strange.” Gavin leapt high into the air with Zack’s corpse, gripping Nozarashi tightly in his right hand before swinging it down with brutal force.
‘Serious Basic Attack!’