I am the Bandit King of the East Sea.

"Bucky, give me a hand, let's split up..."

“Okay.” Bucky nodded, took off his head, and let it float in the air and gradually fly away.

"...That's not what I meant."

Shanks kicked Bucky's headless body and walked alone into another direction in the forest, searching around.

Shortly after they left, amidst the crowd of people passed out drunk, Sieg stood up, his eyes glazed with intoxication.

"If you're in trouble, I'll help you. I live next door, and my surname is Wang."

"It's okay if you lose your hat. Just come to Uncle Wang, who's always happy to help others. I'll give you as many as you want."

Sig left the forest clearing step by step, his drunken eyes scanning his surroundings before he activated his Observation Haki.

His Observation Haki is inherited from Usoppka; it is a type that excels at long-range vision and detection, making it ideal for snipers.

In the dead of night, even in places where the eyes cannot see clearly, one can rely on keen perception through Observation Haki.

He soon found the two hats.

"Shanks was just as reckless as he was as a kid... Looks like I'll have to help Roger teach him a lesson... *hiccup*"

Sieg let out a burp and disappeared into the darkness.

Chapter 819 The Birth of the Black Flame Dragon

The night is already deep.

Saying goodbye to the snoring of the pirates behind them, Shanks and Buggy split up, each carrying a flashlight, and gradually walked into the forest ahead.

The snoring behind us gradually faded away, and only the rustling of insects could be heard among the trees. The forest was utterly tranquil.

Shanks, holding a flashlight, groped his way through the forest, his steps slightly unsteady.

He secretly drank some alcohol, which is why he lost his prized hat... To be honest, he's still a bit groggy. But for the sake of the hat, he has to keep going and keep searching.

After walking for more than ten minutes, he went deeper and deeper, and he could hear the rushing sound of water.

This is a stream in the woods, with the sound of water faintly audible.

But Shanks frowned slightly and turned to look in the direction of the stream.

He had already awakened Observation Haki, and although he was not yet proficient, he still had some ability to sense things in the darkness.

"There seems to be someone there? Could it be that guy from the Whitebeard Pirates who never sleeps?"

Shanks' expression turned serious.

He turned off his flashlight and tiptoed toward the sound of water.

When I reached the stream, I accidentally stepped on a tree branch and broke it with a soft "thud".

At this time.

The previously calm water surface suddenly became rippled, and a figure emerged directly from the water.

"A young pirate, huh?"

The man in the water spoke slowly, picking something up from the water with each hand:

"Did you drop the hat in my left hand or the hat in my right hand?"

Shanks was startled and took two steps back warily, staring intently at the person in the water before turning on his flashlight.

Upon seeing this, his eye twitched involuntarily.

Under the light of a flashlight, the man emerging from the water was holding a green top hat in both of his hands, a color that was so bright it made your heart race.

Neither of the hats is mine!

Shanks was a little angry, but at the same time, he became more wary and shone his flashlight into the man's face.

But the instant he saw the man's face clearly, it was as if a lightning bolt struck his heart. His hand trembled, and the flashlight fell to the ground, rolling several meters away.

"You...you are..."

Shanks gritted his teeth, a storm raging within him.

His flashlight had fallen, and he was in complete darkness. Only by relying on his Observation Haki could he vaguely sense the presence of the man in front of him.

At that moment, a man's lazy voice rang out in front of him.

"Young man, it's not very polite to shine a flashlight into someone's eyes."

"However, since you're so honest, I'll give you both of these hats."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man strode toward Shanks.

His steps were gentle, treading on the water's surface, creating ripples with each step.

"you--"

Shanks became wary and reached for the sword at his waist, but as soon as the sword was half-drawn, he was startled.

In that instant, an invisible, immense pressure suddenly arose from the man's body.

As he moved, the ripples on the water beneath his feet trembled into waves, and the entire stream shook.

Click, click.

Even the surrounding ground was constantly cracking and splitting.

"Conqueror's Haki? Who is this person?"

Shanks was still young, but he had seen a lot of things by sailing with Roger, and a layer of fine sweat immediately appeared on his forehead.

A person who can freely use Conqueror's Haki is definitely not weak.

Under this immense pressure, although he did not lose consciousness directly, he was unable to break free and could only watch helplessly as the man in the darkness walked towards him on the water.

then.

He reached out his hand to Shanks.

He simply pressed those two ghastly green hats onto Shanks' head.

"Take it off quickly, take it off quickly..."

Shanks struggled, grabbing the hat in his hand and trying to throw it away.

But when he held the hat in his hand, he felt a familiar touch.

He brought the hat to his eyes and took a closer look.

Shanks then noticed that the two hats had somehow transformed into Roger's straw hat and Captain America's hat...

"hehe..."

A man's low laughter reached her ears as he stepped into the darkness.

"Young man, since this is an important hat that someone has entrusted to you, you'd better wear it properly!"

"If you ran into someone else, you'd lose your hat..."

The man chuckled softly and walked away.

The immense pressure from before vanished without a trace.

"and many more..."

Shanks quickly picked up the flashlight that had fallen to the ground and shone it in the direction of the man.

Under the lamplight, the man's silhouette could be vaguely seen, along with... that familiar head of red hair.

The man's figure gradually disappeared into the darkness.

Shanks stood there, stunned, recalling the fleeting glimpse of the man's face he had first seen with a flashlight.

He vaguely remembered...

He was a handsome man in his thirties, with familiar red hair, a fine stubble on his chin, and three scars above his left eye...

Just like himself after he grew up.

"Am I drunk and hallucinating?"

Shanks stared at the two hats in his hands, speechless for a moment.

..........

Along the coast.

The pirate ship, anchored at its rest, was completely silent.

Cracks began to appear on the giant white egg on the deck.

The cracks are getting bigger and more numerous.

Finally, pitch-black flames seeped from the cracks in the giant egg, enveloping the entire egg.

As the dark flames gradually disappeared, only fragments of the white, spotted giant egg remained.

A pair of golden vertical pupils lit up in the night, like burning golden flames.

Within the flames, a slender and majestic young dragon spread its wings and soared into the sky.

.........

Day two.

Sig was awakened by the noise.

"Mr. Rayleigh, the eggs on the ship are gone! Only a few eggshells are left!"

"Hmm? Don't panic, tell Roger about this!"

"But Captain Roger... he was chatting with Whitebeard and Kozuki Oden... wait, why is he kneeling down in front of Whitebeard?"

"He's our captain! How can he kneel before our enemy!"

"Sigh...that's just how he is." Rayleigh's voice was filled with helplessness.

Sig woke up from the noise and opened his eyes to find the pirates making a ruckus.

He got up and looked over. In the distance, Roger was kneeling before Whitebeard, and several people seemed to be having a heated discussion, their faces flushed.