Uchiha Puppet Master, Starting from One Piece.

"Because he looks happy."

Mihawk said in a calm voice, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself: "He was happy to see you."

Bai Yu glanced at Mihawk.

"how about you?"

Mihawk did not answer.

He simply turned around, stepped over the gunwale, and boarded Shanks' ship, his movements as casual as if he were walking up the steps of his own home.

Bai Yu smiled, then turned to look at the others on the deck.

"Let's go, let's go for a drink."

Rangiku was the first to raise her hand, her eyes shining like two stars.

"Let's go, let's go, I can't wait!"

Robin closed the book in his hand and nodded with a smile.

“I would also like to hear about what has happened during this time.”

Violet didn't speak, but quietly walked to Bai Yu's side and stood to his right.

Artoria stood still, her brows slightly furrowed.

Her gaze swept across Shanks' ship before returning to Bai Yu.

"That person..."

She paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully: "He gives off a dangerous vibe."

Bai Yu nodded.

"He is known as the world's greatest swordsman and one of the most powerful pirates in the world, so of course he is dangerous."

"Do not."

Artoria shook her head, her golden hair swaying in the wind: "I'm not talking about his strength, I'm talking about his... nature. Of course, what's more dangerous than him is that seemingly optimistic one-armed man."

Artoria looked into Bai Yu's eyes and said, word by word, "That's the aura of a king. It's not the domineering power built up by strength, but a natural, innate aura of sitting on the throne and looking down on all living beings. That one-armed man has the mindset of a king."

Bai Yu remained silent for a second.

Then he laughed.

“You’re right. He’s the captain of the Red-Haired Pirates, one of the men on this sea who are closest to becoming the Pirate King.”

"He was a king who yearned for freedom."

Artoria remained silent.

She watched Shanks's retreating figure, the man in the open shirt, laughing with a sake bottle in his hand. He looked like an ordinary, carefree pirate, not at all like a powerful figure standing at the top of the world.

But Artoria knew that the more someone was like that, the more terrifying they were.

"Let's go."

Bai Yu reached out his hand.

Artoria looked at his hand, hesitated for a second, and then placed her hand on it.

Kanna's eyes, however, looked around curiously before finally settling on Shanks.

"That red-haired uncle is drinking again."

"It's my older brother."

Unohana Retsu corrected her, her voice as gentle as if she were soothing a child to sleep.

"But he looks really big."

"You can't call him 'uncle,' you have to call him 'brother.'"

"why?"

"Because...it's polite."

"Oh."

Kanna nodded as if she understood, then turned to Shanks and called out, "Red-haired brother!"

Shanks was drinking when he heard this and almost choked.

He put down the wine jug, turned his head, looked at Kanna, and showed an expression of being so moved that he was almost in tears.

"Finally, someone calls me 'brother'!"

"But you're still coughing."

"...That's because the alcohol was too strong."

"You were coughing when you said 'older brother' instead of 'older uncle' earlier."

Shanks' smile froze again.

First mate Ben Beckman leaned against the mast, a cigarette dangling from his lips, smoke rising slowly from the corner of his mouth. He wore a lazy smile and looked like a middle-aged man who had no interest in anything, but his eyes were bright, as bright as blades gleaming in the dark.

"Captain, it's so nice that such a cute child calls you brother."

"Shut up, Beckman."

Shanks said irritably, then took another swig of his drink.

Lucky Roux sat on a barrel on the deck, gnawing on a huge leg of meat with grease all over his face. He was round and looked like a kind cook, but two pistols hung from his waist, their handles polished to a shine.

"This little girl is really interesting. Should we keep her on our ship?"

"No."

Kanna refused decisively.

Lucky Roux paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, the sound of which shook the deck.

"That's decisive! That's got character!"

Yessop stood beside the mast at the bow of the ship, holding a slingshot and adjusting the sight. His hair was black and tied in a small braid, and he wore a quiet, observer's smile.

His gaze swept over everyone on the Dawnbreaker, finally settling on Bai Yu, where he stared at him for a long time.

Then he turned to look at Shanks and nodded slightly.

Shanks saw his movement but said nothing, only his smile deepened.

The banquet began.

The Red-Haired Pirates brought out dozens of jars of sake and piled them in the center of the deck like a small mountain. The seals were broken, and the rich aroma of sake immediately filled the air, mixed with the smell of the sea breeze, salty and fishy with a mellow sweetness.

The meat was also brought up.

Whole roasted pigs, lambs, and chickens are piled on huge plates, their fat glistening in the sunlight and emitting an enticing aroma.

There were also some strange ingredients, such as the meat of giant sea monsters, cut into thick chunks and roasted until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. When cut open, the juices would flow down the cut and drip onto the deck, making a sizzling sound.

The music started playing.

A crew member wearing a beret took out a guitar, sat in a corner of the deck, and began to play a light and cheerful tune, the melody simple and cheerful, like sunlight dancing on the sea.

Another crew member took out a violin and joined in the performance. The music was melodious and gentle, as if telling a story from a distant place.

Some people even took out hand drums and started playing rhythms. The drumbeats were dense and powerful, like the sound of a heartbeat.

In an instant, the entire deck transformed into a floating tavern, or rather, a mobile carnival.

Bai Yu found a spot by the ship's railing, sat down, and held a glass of wine in his hand.

Shanks sat opposite him, legs crossed, a flask beside him, a satisfied smile on his face, as if he had finally been waiting for an old friend to visit.

Mihawk sat a little further away, leaning against a mast, holding a glass of red wine in his hand. The glass was a stemmed glass, crystal clear, reflecting a dark red light in the sunlight.

He drinks in a way that is different from everyone else's.

He doesn't force himself to drink, doesn't drink excessively, and doesn't engage in drinking contests.

He drank it slowly, sip by sip, as if savoring something that needed to be appreciated with his heart.

But his gaze never left the crew of Dawn.

More accurately, she never left Unohana Retsu.

Retsu Unohana sat next to Shiraha, holding Kanna in her arms. Kanna had already eaten a lot of grilled meat and juice, and was now starting to feel sleepy, her head drooping little by little like a chick pecking at rice.

Unohana Retsu gently patted her back, humming an unknown song with an ancient and melodious tune, like fallen leaves drifting in the wind.

Her demeanor was quiet and composed, not at all like someone being stared at by the world's greatest swordsman.

But Bai Yu knew, she knew.

Bai Yu took a sip of his drink and then looked at Shanks.

"Where did you go after we parted ways last time?"

Shanks thought for a moment, then tapped the lid of the flask with his finger, making a tinkling sound.

"I went to many places, took a trip to the New World, snatched a good item, went to the East China Sea, saw some old friends, and then came back."

"East China Sea?"

Bai Yu raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, the East China Sea."

When Shanks said this, his tone was as calm as if he were stating something obvious, but his eyes became deeper, as if he were recalling something.

"I met a little devil in the East China Sea."

"Kid?"

"Yeah, a very stubborn kid. I even gave him the captain's straw hat."

As Shanks finished speaking, his voice became very soft, as if he were talking to himself.

Bai Yu did not ask any further questions.

The silence lasted for a few seconds, then Shanks patted his face, making a crisp sound, and the gloom on his face vanished, replaced by that bright smile again.

"Let's not talk about this anymore! Let's drink!"