The Red Hair Pirates had been lying low for quite some time, but now they had flipped their fortunes around, rising straight to the rank of one of the Four Emperors in the New World. It was a signifit milestone, fulfilling the small goal they had set for themselves when they first set sail from the East Blue.

  But even after reag the top, Shanks and his crew returo their usual id-back ways, arguably even more rexed than Whitebeard's crew. They had no i in expanding their influence or ruling over territory. At this point, they might as well rebrand themselves as the Red-Haired Travel Group.

  They roamed freely across the New World, looting when they needed funds and drinking when they had enough.

  As luck would have it, they had just pulled off a big job retly, hijag a treasure-den ship and making a hefty profit. Now, they were celebrating with drinks in hand, fully indulging themselves.

  Their current revelry took p Versailles' infamous Pleasure Street.

  Inside a private VIP lounge, far more vish than the one Lensa had been in before, the Red Hair Pirates enjoyed a special show reserved for only the most distinguished guests. Eveh alone wasn't enough to grary to this level of luxury.

  "Have you guys heard? There's a Logia-type Devil Fruit on this isnd," Yasopp remarked, tossing a fruit in his hand.

  Shanks sat fortably with two stunning women at his side, and most of the crew were simirly eained, even Lucky.

  Only Yasopp remained uninvolved with the women. His heart still beloo his te wife, though the guilt of abandoning her for so many years weighed heavily on him. He hadn't even dared to visit her grave.

  Be took a sip from his gss and smirked. "What, you ied? Thinking about being a Devil Fruit user?"

  "What would I do with one of these as a sniper? Besides, Shanks, you're not pnning on going after it, are you?" Yasopp scoffed.

  Shanks ughed heartily. "Hah! Not ied. Uhat Devil Fruit just drops out of the sky and nds in my hands for free, I'm not buying it. I'd rather use the money for another round of drinks!"

  "Captain, you must be dreaming. What are the odds of a Devil Fruit just falling from the sky and rolling into your p?" Lucky chuckled.

  The moment those words left his mouth, a loud crash echoed from below. The floor suddenly caved in, shattering into pieces as a bloodied man was sent flying upward, clutg a small box in his arms.

  The abrupt intrusio Shanks and his crew stunned.

  What the hell?

  One mihey were drinking and singing, and the , someone had crashed through the floor? Most people kicked down doors, this guy smashed his way in from below!

  The man who had burst into their room was her than Lensa.

  Just moments ago, he had been preparing to leave Pleasure Street, eagerly waiting for Eo arrive so he could hand over the Dark-Dark Fruit.

  But as soon as he stepped outside, he ran into trouble—two men blog his path.

  One of them, he reized—Marco, the First Division ander of the Whitebeard Pirates. The other, however, was unfamiliar.

  In truth, Teach had spent years aboard Whitebeard's ship without ever drawing much attention to himself. He had no bounty, stayed in the background, and deliberately avoided the spotlight. This recisely why he had never bee the Sed Division ander, accepting that position would have pced him on the radar.

  As a result, most people didn't know who he was.

  Lensa hadn't inteo start a fight, but the unknown man had immediately demahat he hand over the Devil Fruit.

  That pissed him off.

  This Dark-Dark Fruit was meant to deceive Enel! He had already arranged everything, if he lost the fruit now, Enel would kill him!

  Besides, they were standing in the middle of Happy Street, this pce was uhe trol of one of the biggest names in the underworld, the infamous Queen of the Bck Market, Stussy. Even Whitebeard's crew wouldn't cause trouble here without thinking twice.

  So, Lensa had refused Teach's demand, determio hold his ground. I'm not leaving. I'll wait here for Enel. If you have a problem, take it up with him! Let's see if you dare make a move here!

  But he had severely uimated Teach's desperation for the Dark-Dark Fruit.

  Teach had been willing to kill his owe, Thatch, for this fruit. He had been willing to betray Whitebeard himself.

  Did Lensa really think Teach would hesitate now?

  Teach didn't care where they were. He didn't care about the underworld's rules or Stussy's influence. If he had to fight, he would.

  Lensa had some skills, but he was nowhere each's level. Within seds, Teach had beaten him half to death a him flying through the floht into Shanks' party.

  Lensa coughed up a mouthful of blood, his vision blurred, and he lost all strength in his arms. The box he had been clutg slipped from his grasp as he passed out.

  The lid popped open.

  A strange-looking fruit rolled out onto the floor.

  The Dark-Dark Fruit.

  Shanks blinked in surprise, then slowly turo Lucky.

  "Well, would you look at that? It really did e out of the ground…"

  Lucky bent doicked up the fruit, but before he could react, a shadow loomed over them.

  Teach had arrived, stepping out of the hole in the floor.

  "Zehahahahaha! Hand over that guy from before!" Teach demanded.

  Then, his ughter abruptly stopped.

  He froze.

  Shanks froze too.

  The others might not have reized Teach, but Shanks did.

  He khis man.

  And as soon as he saw him, the scar on the er of his eye started to burn.

  Long before Shanks had risen to the rank of Emperor, he had fought Tea battle. It was Teach who had left him with that scar.

  Their history ran deep.

  Back when Shanks and Buggy had been apprentices er's ship, Teach had been a fresh recruit under Whitebeard. They had crossed paths and cshed many times over the years.

  They were old rivals.

  "Teach…" Shanks murmured, his voice dark and heavy.

  Teach hesitated for a moment but quickly posed himself, a smirk creeping onto his face.

  "What are you doing here?" Shanks asked coldly.

  "Don't get the wrong idea," Teach replied. "I'm not here to cause you trouble. After all, you're a big shot now, one of the Four Emperors! Zehahahaha! That's pretty impressive. I'm just here as an old friend," he said, his eyes log onto the Dark-Dark Fruit in Laki-Lu's hand.

  "So how about this, you hand over that Devil Fruit, and I'll leave. No need for any unpleasantness."

  Under normal circumstances, name-dropping Whitebeard would be enough to deter most people. But Shanks wasn't just anyone.

  He was an Emperor too.

  And more than that—he had a score to settle with Teach.

  "Hahahaha! You've got guts, Teach. But this fruit is in our hands now, which means it belongs to the Red Hair Pirates! You want it? Do you really think I'd just give it to you?" Shanks ughed, his tone ced with defiance.

  Teach's smile faltered, his expression darkening.

  Marco hadn't made it upstairs yet, he had insisted on taking the stairs like a civilized man.

  If Marco arrived now, he would defiry to prevent a fight between Tead the Red Hair Pirates over a Devil Fruit.

  A direct frontatioween two Emperor-level crews could have catastrophisequences.

  But Teach didn't care.

  He was willing to risk everything for the Dark-Dark Fruit.

  His expression shifted, a sinister grin spreading across his face.

  "Zehahahaha! Shanks, if that's how you want to py it—!"

  Before he could finish, he lunged.

  His massive frame moved with surprising speed, his arm coated in Armament Haki as he reached for the Dark-Dark Fruit.

  A gunsh out.

  Yasopp fired a shot straight into Teach's chest.

  But Teach barely flinched.

  He had pnned for this.

  Blood spattered from the wound, but he pushed forward, r—

  "That fruit belongs to Whitebeard's crew!"

  Shanks was already moving, his bde fshing as he swung at Teach's outstretched arm.

  Teach had expected to take a bullet.

  But losing an arm?

  That was a different story.

  His expression twisted, and instead of grabbing the fruit—

  He shed out with a powerful kick aimed straight at Shanks!