The next morning, Gavin, who had stayed up all night training, was not particularly sleepy.
After a brief rest, he put Nozarashi away and started searching for the barbell he used for morning strength training.
Cawww~~ A seagull suddenly landed on the rail not far away and tilted its head at him.
“Hm?
A News Coo.” Gavin set down the single-sided barbell he had just assembled, dug a one-hundred-Berry coin out of the pocket of the clothes beside him, and exchanged it for a newspaper.
[Is This the Corruption of the Human Soul, or the Decay of Modern Morality?
A Shocking Scandal Rocks the BIG MOM Pirates!!] [Marine Laboratory Explodes—AGAIN!
Can the People Still Trust the Marines?] [The Untold History Between Rising Marine Star Borsalino and Charlotte Linlin…] ‘Hm?’ Gavin’s eyes lit up, and he quickly flipped to the third page of the newspaper.
“Tch, Morgans really is a clickbait monster.
It was a chance encounter.
What’s this ‘untold history’ nonsense?” As he complained, several brand-new bounty posters slipped out from between the pages.
“New bounties?” “Ohoho, this is something!
The World Government and the Marines sure move fast.
Hey, Shanks!” Gavin flipped through the bounty posters and shouted, “Our bounties are out!
You really are some kind of connected insider, aren’t you?!” Bang!
The door was kicked straight off its hinges, and four men plus one monkey rushed over to Gavin’s side, craning their necks to look at the posters.
[Red-Haired Shanks — Bounty: 230,000,000 Berries — ONLY ALIVE] [Sword Demon Hickman D.
Gavin — Bounty: 50,000,000 Berries — ONLY ALIVE] [Red Hair Pirates Combatant Bonk Punch — Bounty: 3,000,000 Berries — ONLY ALIVE] [Pet Monster the Monkey — Bounty: 100 Berries — ONLY ALIVE] [Red Hair Pirates Navigator Building Snake — Bounty: 2,500,000 Berries — ONLY ALIVE] [Red Hair Pirates Ship Doctor Hongo — Bounty: 1,200,000 Berries — ONLY ALIVE] “Tch, this is seriously annoying.
Why is Shanks’s bounty so high?” Bonk Punch frowned at the posters.
“Gavin, did they make a mistake somewhere?
Why is my bounty so low?” Monster nodded wildly, snatched his own bounty poster, threw it on the ground, and stomped all over it with his monkey feet.
“Squeak!” Hongo rubbed his chin, though his voice clearly lacked confidence.
“I can understand the vice-captain, but as for the captain… could it be because he used to be part of the Pirate King’s crew?” Gavin did not explain Shanks’s true identity.
But judging from Shanks’s constipated expression, Gavin could guess a little of the truth.
Perhaps when Roger spoke with Shanks before disbanding the crew, he had already mentioned Shanks’s real background.
Still, it was also thanks to Shanks that the entire Red Hair Pirates crew had been marked ONLY ALIVE instead of DEAD OR ALIVE.
“Maybe.
But I didn’t expect Gavin’s bounty to be this much lower than mine.
That really is strange.” Shanks picked up his own poster and Gavin’s, rubbing his chin as a trace of irritation flashed through his eyes.
“Damn it, why did they make my face look so childish?
Gavin looks so cool in his picture!” Between the two bounty posters, Gavin’s photo was indeed far better than Shanks’s.
If someone had to compare them, Shanks’s photo right now was about on the same level as Luffy’s first thirty-million-Berry bounty poster from the future.
Same straw hat, same goofy grin.
The only difference was the hair color.
“Damn it…” Shanks crumpled Gavin’s bounty poster into a ball, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it like a lunatic.
“Those bastard Marines made me look so stupid!!” Gavin did not care at all.
In fact, he picked up his barbell and moved a little farther away.
“You guys should probably keep your distance too.
Stupidity is contagious.
Be careful, or you’ll turn into Shanks Number Two.” Bonk Punch and the others instinctively backed away.
Even Monster made the same move.
“Hey!” Shanks rolled up his sleeves and walked toward Gavin with a dissatisfied look.
“Damn it, Gavin, are you trying to start a fight first thing in the morning?!” Gavin set down the barbell, drew Nozarashi, and grinned.
“That works for me.
We still missed one round of practical training yesterday, so we can make it up before morning exercise.
Come on, Shanks!
Give me a pleasant start to the day!” Gavin swung with a ‘Basic Attack’.
“You bastard, I’m the captain here!” Shanks drew his sword to meet him, an excited smile spreading across his face as his still-immature Conqueror’s Haki flared in the next instant.
“A captain is meant to be used as a sparring partner, you bastard!” Gavin also released his spiritual pressure, pulled his forehead back slightly, and then slammed forward.
Bang!
Their foreheads crashed together, and at the same moment, Conqueror’s Haki and spiritual pressure collided as well.
Black-red lightning clashed and scraped against a golden skull, while the waves around the ship spread outward in every direction.
The two quickly backed away, then swung their weapons at each other’s vitals without the slightest hint of their usual friendship.
“Let your captain teach you proper pirate manners!” Shanks forcibly stopped his retreat, stepped forward, and brought his sword down with both hands gripping the hilt.
Gavin held Nozarashi in one hand and slashed horizontally, the huge force directly knocking Shanks back.
Gavin would never waste a good opening.
He coated his legs with spiritual power and moved.
Shunpo!
With a sharp whoosh, he vanished.
“That weird footwork of yours really is a pain!” A red glimmer flashed through Shanks’s eyes as he swung Gryphon upward from below, clashing with Nozarashi as it fell from above.
Skrrrrr— An ear-piercing grinding sound rang out.
Bonk Punch scratched his head, then turned and left.
“Come on, lets get out of here.
Let those two fight and we’ll go train somewhere else.” …
By the time the sky had fully brightened, warm morning sunlight spilled over the sea.
On the ship flying a black skull flag, the sound of heavy swings kept cutting through the air.
“Ten thousand barbell swings complete.
Rest for a bit, then continue.” Gavin and Shanks threw their barbells down at the same time and sat off to the side to rest.
“Your body really is ridiculous.
Don’t you ever get tired?” Shanks took the cup Monster handed over and drank several mouthfuls before passing it over.
Gavin did not mind.
He took the cup and drank the remaining fresh water in one go.
“I do get tired.
Of course I get tired.
But if I don’t hurry up and get stronger now, then when enemies come knocking later, I’ll be the one bleeding in the end.” As the two chatted, a shout suddenly came from the lookout platform.
“Shanks!
I see the island you were looking for!
Weird, why are there so many warships?” “Warships?” Shanks frowned and stood up, catching the telescope Snake threw over.
“They really are warships!
Three of them too.
Gavin, get up and get to work.
Looks like before we pick up the sniper and leave, we’ll have to clear out these annoying Marines first.” “Monster, go find Bonk.” Gavin put the monkey down from his arms, stood up with Nozarashi in hand, and snatched the telescope with his left.
“Marine 77th Branch?” “Shanks, looks like I got exposed when I exchanged those bounties earlier.
Next time, remember to remind me to disguise myself.” “Three warships.
You take one, I take one, and the last goes to them.
How about that?” Shanks nodded and excitedly gripped his sword hilt.
“That’s what I was thinking too.
The captain gets first pick, so the middle one is mine.
I can feel someone strong on it!” Gavin did not mind.
As long as he cleared out the small fry quickly enough, he could openly go to the middle ship later and steal the kill.
“Bonk, Snake, Hongo, I’ll leave the warship on the right to you.
Try not to die, this isn’t a game.” The three answered in unison.
“We know!
Just don’t let us surpass you, Vice-Captain!” Shanks drew his sword from its sheath and swung it hard.
“Snake, bring the ship closer!!” …
At the same time, on the Marine warship.
“Report, Commodore Thompson!” “The enemy ship is approaching us.
Should we open fire?” Thompson, who had been wiping his sword, froze.
“Approaching us?
One pirate ship is actively approaching three Marine warships?” “I remember that Red Hair Pirates crew only has… five people, right?” “Five people and they dare charge at the Marines?
Pirates these days really are something.
Ever since the Pirate King appeared, have they all completely lost their minds?” Thompson sneered as he stood up and raised the brand-new katana in his hand.
“Pass down my order.
Have the three warships form a horizontal line facing the enemy.
Open fire!” “Yes, Commodore!” The messenger saluted and withdrew, then roared into a Den Den Mushi.
“Commodore’s orders!
Line up the warships and open fire with everything we’ve got!
Make sure those pirates are eliminated!” Boom, boom, boom— Dozens of cannonballs arced through the air.
Shanks and Gavin stood on opposite sides of the bow, their eyes fixed on the trajectories of the incoming shells.
“Gavin, you still don’t know how to use Haki, right?” “After this fight, I’ll teach you how to train it.
This is the secret recipe Captain Roger taught me back then.” “Haki is what surpasses all!”