The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

"Shanks? It's you, kid. What, getting ready to head back to the New World?" As he spoke, Rayleigh's gaze habitually swept over Shanks' entire body.

When the hand landed on the empty left sleeve, his brows furrowed involuntarily.

With Shanks' current strength and swordsmanship, any opponent who could take away one of his arms must be no ordinary person.

Rayleigh almost instinctively thought of that possibility, and asked in a serious tone, "Your arm... what happened? Did Hawkeye cut it off?"

He had heard more or less that Shanks was chased quite badly by the world's greatest swordsman in the New World two years ago, and could even be said to have had to make a strategic retreat.

Upon hearing Rayleigh's question, Shanks instinctively covered his severed arm with his right hand, a slightly complicated smile on his face, and shook his head: "It's not Mihawk."

Just as he was about to explain, Xia Qi, who was behind the bar, already had a cigarette in her mouth and began skillfully rummaging through the information drawer under the bar, muttering to herself as she did so.

"A powerful figure who could make Shanks lose an arm... Are there any such people in the New World recently?"

I haven't heard anything about him fighting to the death with any of the Four Emperors or Admirals lately! It seems we need to strengthen our intelligence network..."

Seeing Rayleigh and Shakky's stance, Shanks was momentarily stunned, and a few beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

We can't just tell them the truth... we can't just tell them the whole truth.

I am Shanks, the mighty Red-Haired, a candidate for one of the Four Emperors, a top-tier user of Haki, a Devil Fruit user, and a great swordsman...

In the most remote windmill village in the East China Sea, someone jumped into the sea to save a little devil.

Then it got bitten off its arm by a near-shore king that could kill anyone in an instant and wasn't even the biggest in size.

After saying that, what about Shanks' reputation? How will he ever face anyone in the New World again? He'll probably become the laughingstock of all the top powerhouses!

Thus, in a flash, Shanks' wit (or rather, his pride as a man) prevailed.

His expression quickly hardened, becoming incredibly serious, and he spoke slowly in a tone filled with a sense of destiny.

“Mr. Rayleigh, Sister Shaki... I met a boy in the East China Sea.”

"He said...the same thing Captain Roger said back then."

“So…” He paused, his gaze seemingly piercing through the bar walls, looking towards the distant future, his voice firm and powerful as he spoke.

"I've staked this arm on the 'New Era'!!!"

These words instantly elevated the brand's sophistication! It raised the bar by more than one level!

Upon hearing this, Rayleigh and Shakky froze on the spot, their faces showing shock and emotion.

Their gazes changed completely as they looked at Shanks' empty sleeves.

It was no longer about exploration and doubt, but rather filled with reflection, emotion, and even a touch of respect.

"Like Roger..." Rayleigh murmured to himself, as if recalling something, and his gaze towards Shanks became gratified.

"I see... You saw that kind of 'future'..."

“Gambling a future with one arm…” Shakky stopped searching for information, took a deep drag of her cigarette, and slowly exhaled: “Shanks, you really dare to do that.”

Seeing that he had successfully used his "strategic vision" and "passion" to control the situation and perfectly save face, Shanks secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Luffy, my reputation depends on you..." Shanks muttered to himself.

Then, with that same expression still on his face, he picked up the glass that Rayleigh had pushed towards him and took a big gulp.

He then smoothly changed the subject, swirling the wine in his glass, and said, "Mr. Rayleigh, this time when I went to the Four Seas, I made a special detour to the South China Sea for the first time."

"I also went to that place... 'Ruins of Fallen Gods'."

Upon hearing the name, Rayleigh paused slightly in his hand holding the wine glass, and even Shakky, who was wiping the glass next to him, slowed down her movements.

“I saw it…” Shanks’ voice carried a hint of unspoken heaviness: “Captain Roger’s sword, ‘Ace,’ is still stuck in the very center of that restricted area.”

“I tried to get closer and retrieve ‘Ace’… but I failed.”

Shanks shook his head dejectedly, his expression turning to helplessness and apprehension: "That area has completely become a no-man's land."

It wasn't just the extremely harsh weather and ocean currents; even more terrifying was the shattered spatial flow... which formed an invisible domain that repelled anything that approached it.

Even with my domineering presence, I cannot force my way into the core area.

Rayleigh listened quietly, his expression gradually darkening.

He took off his glasses and slowly wiped them with the corner of his clothes for a long time before slowly speaking, "Shanks... let 'Ace' stay where it belongs."

"The battle between Gern and Roger in the South China Sea back then... no one knows exactly what happened, but..."

That 'Ruins of Fallen Gods' is a permanent scar left by that battle.

As an extension of Captain Roger's will, 'Ace' in a sense...

It has become part of that forbidden zone, a witness and monument to that legendary battle.

Rayleigh put his glasses back on and looked at Shanks. "For now, leaving 'Ace' there might be the best outcome."

"Let it and Roger... sleep together with that battlefield."

"Is that so..." Just as Shanks relaxed and was about to take a sip of wine to calm his nerves and chat casually...

A familiar voice, tinged with a hint of mockery, sent chills down his spine, suddenly emanating from the direction of the bar's entrance.

"Huh? Isn't that the famous 'Man Who Destroyed Nations', Red-Haired Shanks?!"

Gern was already standing in the bar, acting as if he knew everyone, with a playful smile on his face.

She walked straight to Shanks' side, even reaching out and unceremoniously pinching and tugging at his empty sleeve.

"Tsk tsk tsk..." Gern clicked his tongue, his tone full of teasing, "What? You've gotten so sloppy after a year?"

He came all the way to the first half of the Grand Line to show off, and ended up getting his hand chopped off?

As he spoke, Gern touched his chin with feigned confusion, “But if I remember correctly, Mihawk has been staying in the New World without moving recently, hasn’t he?”

"He didn't do it? Then your mistake... seems rather inexplicable."

"It's you!!" Shanks' pupils contracted sharply and his heart skipped a beat as he saw Gern suddenly appear!

He clearly arranged for key personnel to stand guard outside the bar and prevent anyone from approaching!

How could this guy walk in so silently and swagger in without any sound from outside? That can only mean...

Shanks instantly felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, and almost reflexively wanted to jump up from his seat to check on his companions outside.

However, as soon as he moved, a large hand pressed down heavily, forcefully shoving his body back into the seat, causing the wooden bar stool to creak under the weight!

"Don't worry." Gern smiled slightly and said in a relaxed tone, "None of your men are dead."

He said it so casually, but to Shanks it was like a thunderclap!

He didn't die?

"What do you mean you're not dead?!" Shanks was both shocked and furious. He clenched his fist tightly with his one arm, and a powerful burst of Conqueror's Haki was about to erupt in his subconscious.

"What?" Gern's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes instantly sharpened, and his voice turned colder. "Are you sure you want to fight me now?"

He leaned slightly closer to Shanks' ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, with a hint of cold amusement, "Heh, or should we say..."

"You...have you gotten used to fighting with only one arm? Shanks."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shanks' body stiffened abruptly, the domineering aura that was about to erupt was forcibly suppressed, and his face turned extremely ugly.

Gern was right; he had only recently lost his left arm, which was still relatively short for a top-tier expert.

This is not just about losing an arm; it's about completely disrupting balance, power generation, and combat rhythm!

"Damn it, if only I had both hands!"

Rayleigh, who was watching all this, couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He shook his head slightly at Shanks, his eyes filled with a reminder and a hint of helplessness.

As a former top swordsman, he knew all too well that losing an arm would be fatal for a swordsman of Shanks' caliber.

Shanks right now probably can't even unleash half of his full power.

Provoking Gern under these circumstances would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.

Besides, even if you hadn't lost your hand, you still couldn't beat Gern! What are you complaining about?!

What a proud guy!

Chapter 368 The Veteran's Passion

Just when the atmosphere reached its peak, Xia Qi was the first to react.

She immediately switched back to her "I'm your sister-in-law" persona, swaying her hips as she stepped forward with a charming smile, breaking the silent standoff, and casually pushing a freshly poured glass of wine towards Gern.

"Little Guern, I thought you would go straight back to G-10 after accompanying our Toritoma back to Amazon Lily!"

"I didn't expect you'd have the leisure to wander back to my little bar." She exhaled a smoke ring, half-jokingly complaining.

"However, my little shop can't withstand the turmoil of big shots like you. If you want to fight, go fight outside."

Facing Shakky, Gern politely accepted the glass, his coldness dissipating and replaced by his usual nonchalant smile. He then echoed Shakky's words...

"If Shanks can run away from the New World to the Four Seas for a vacation, why can't I, Gern? Ha."

After saying that, he took a sip of the wine, and um... it still had that cheap, spicy taste.

But thinking about it, it makes sense; a bar that tries to rip you off probably can't have good drinks.

So Guern silently moved his glass away, his gaze returning to Shanks, whose face was ashen, and deliberately brought up the old topic again: "Hey, Shanks, don't interrupt."

You still haven't told me which powerful person broke your arm? My curiosity is practically bursting!

Shanks, getting a headache from Gern's relentless pestering, coughed and tried to pull out his usual high-sounding rhetoric to get away with it, his face serious as he said...

I bet him on 'the future'...

"Stop! That's enough!" Gern didn't give him a chance to finish, raising his hand to interrupt, his face clearly showing his disdain.

"Don't give me that 'future' or 'new era' nonsense! Get to the point!"

As he spoke, Gern gave him an expression that said, "I saw right through you."

"I heard that before you lost your hand, your last leg of the journey took you to the East China Sea."

And what a coincidence, he was just wandering around near Windmill Village, the hometown of Lieutenant General Garp! "Gern deliberately dragged out his words, his eyes full of mockery.

"Could it be... that you're trying to kidnap someone's precious grandson to become a pirate?"

As a result, he was caught red-handed by Garp, who, in a fit of rage, broke your arm with one punch!

How could Gurn not know the truth about Shanks losing his arm? Of course he knew!

But what could be more interesting than distorting the facts to people's faces, watching them be embarrassed, especially watching someone as proud as Shanks make a fool of himself?

as predicted!

"Pfft, cough cough!!" Rayleigh, who had just picked up his wine glass, spat out a mouthful of wine and coughed violently upon hearing this "speculation".

Xia Qi, who had been leisurely smoking, suddenly widened her beautiful eyes, and almost dropped her cigarette!

Their gazes instantly focused on Shanks, like spotlights, their eyes filled with shock and a sense of...

An expression of sudden realization: "Oh, I see! That explains it!"

Garp?! If it were Garp, in a fit of rage, for his own grandson...

Breaking Shanks' arm with a single punch...that's just too reasonable! It makes perfect sense!

Rayleigh and Shakky personally experienced the Rocks era and witnessed just how terrifying Garp at his peak was!

Back in the day, anyone who hadn't withstood Garp's "Descent from the Sea" attack couldn't call themselves a strong fighter!

Now that Garp's son has become Dragon, the world's number one criminal and a member of the Revolutionary Army, what if his only remaining grandson gets kidnapped by pirates?

In his rage, the old man was so furious that they would believe he could kill Shanks on the spot, let alone break an arm!

For a moment, Rayleigh and Shakky looked at Shanks with sympathy, understanding, and even a hint of "you deserve it, kid."

Shanks watched as the situation rapidly deteriorated, especially seeing Rayleigh and Shakky completely believing it.

The look in his eyes even started to conjure up a scenario, he opened his mouth but felt utterly speechless, his face turned bright red, and he almost couldn't catch his breath.

"Forget it, forget it. It's more dignified to be interrupted by Garp than to be bitten off by a Sea King!"

On the other side, Guern enjoyed Shanks' extremely embarrassed expression and took another sip of his drink with a sense of satisfaction.

"Hmm, this wine is not bad... Ugh, cheap... Why did I drink it again?"

...............