"Hahaha... I won again, I won again!"
In a casino in Alabasta, a young man with short red hair wearing a straw hat was gleefully pulling a pile of chips toward himself.
This seemingly harmless, sunny, and even somewhat foolish young man was none other than the captain of the "Red-Haired Pirates," "Red-Haired" Shanks.
Standing beside him was a tall man with a black ponytail who looked like an artist. This was the vice-captain of the "Red-Haired Pirates," Ben Beckman.
Beckman was thirteen years older than Shanks, and in terms of strength, he surpassed Shanks at this time.
Yet, this young man with short red hair had successfully won Beckman over and brought him onto his pirate ship.
Beckman, with a cigarette in his mouth, warned, "Hey, Shanks, that's enough."
"Don't worry. Let me play a bit more."
Shanks' eyes were glued to the gambling table, completely ignoring Beckman.
Beckman didn't get angry. In his eyes, Shanks was like a child still in his playful and mischievous phase. "But we've been spotted. Aren't you afraid you'll cause trouble if you keep playing?"
"Hey, it's just Buggy. I know him. It's no big deal... Go! Go!"
As the gamble concluded with Shanks' shout, unsurprisingly, Shanks won again.
"Beckman, did you see that? Just a few more wins, and we'll never be short on funds for our voyages!"
Beckman smiled and shook his head without saying a word.
The dealer in front of Shanks looked helpless.
This red-haired man had announced his pirate identity from the start, so the casino didn't dare to kick them out.
Not far from Beckman sat a man with short, dirty blond wavy hair and a scruffy beard. With his casually worn shirt, he looked like a vagrant.
But in fact, he was the sniper of the "Red-Haired Pirates," the top marksman Yasopp, capable of hitting an ant's antenna from a hundred feet without harming the rest of the ant.
"Vice-captain, should I teach that red-nosed man a lesson?"
Yasopp casually asked while cleaning his beloved gun.
Beckman stopped him. "Since Shanks hasn't said anything, we shouldn't act on our own."
The captain is the authority of a pirate crew.
Without the captain's permission, crew members generally shouldn't act independently.
Shanks might not have realised this yet, but Beckman was already starting to uphold Shanks' authority.
Bang!
Clang!
The sound of a door being kicked open echoed through the casino.
Everyone looked toward the entrance to see a large, plump man with short, spiky purple hair swaggering into the casino.
Behind him was a burly man with short black hair, carrying a surfboard on his back, looking honest and straightforward.
"Peasants! Make way for me! I am the king... the son of the king of the Drum Kingdom's Iron Barrel Kingdom, Wapol!
In other words, I am the prince of the Iron Barrel Kingdom. When you see me, you should kneel immediately!"
The people in the casino looked at Wapol as if they were looking at an idiot.
The man behind Wapol advised, "Prince Wapol, please mind your words and actions."
But Wapol didn't care. "Dalton? Why do you talk so much?
If it weren't for your decent strength, I wouldn't have brought you along."
Wapol glanced around the casino and finally fixed his gaze on Shanks. "You with the red hair, you've got a unique look. I don't like you. Get lost. I want your seat!"
Shanks' eyes were covered by his straw hat, making it impossible to see his expression.
Yasopp's hand naturally rested on his gun, but Beckman stopped him and shook his head lightly.
You're insulting a pirate!
The dealer in the casino was already terrified.
Pirates don't care if you're an actual prince or not. Offend a pirate, and you're in trouble.
The scene fell into an eerie silence for a moment...
"Hahaha..."
Instead of getting angry, Shanks burst into laughter after being scolded by Wapol. "If you like this seat so much, I'll let you have it!"
Yasopp frowned, looking slightly surprised.
Beckman, however, smiled calmly.
"You're smart, redhead."
Shanks' compromise put Wapol in a good mood.
Wapol's attention quickly shifted from Shanks. "That old fool Cobra dared to speak ill of me to my father. When I become king, I'll go against him! I'll even take revenge on his daughter!"
Dalton explained, "Prince Wapol, that wasn't an insult. He was advising you to mature..."
"Why do you talk so much? Does this prince need your advice?"
Clang!
The door was kicked open again from the outside.
Everyone looked toward the sound to see a group of navy soldiers swiftly and orderly entering the casino.
A navy officer with a big red nose stood at the forefront. "I am Ensign 'Thousand-Lie' Buggy from Navy Headquarters. In the name of justice, I am here to arrest the members of the 'Red-Haired Pirates.' Everyone else, leave immediately!"
"Pfft..."
Shanks, who had just taken a sip of beer at the bar, spat it out upon hearing Buggy's declaration of justice.
"Buggy? Navy? Ensign? What the hell???"
"Shanks, didn't you say you knew him?"
"I know Clown Buggy... but what's with this Navy Ensign Buggy?"
At some point, Wapol had crawled under a table, but no one paid attention to him now.
In the eyes of everyone, the navy soldiers raised their rifles, aiming at the three members of the "Red-Haired Pirates." Buggy, arms crossed, wearing the navy's justice coat, walked step by step toward Shanks.
"Pirate 'Red-Haired' Shanks! You... are under arrest!"
Shanks' mouth twitched, his smile stiffening. "Buggy, stop joking around. Is this your latest prank?"
Buggy took out a pair of handcuffs from his pocket, his usually comical face now showing a rare serious expression. "Will you come quietly, or do I have to help you?
You only have three people, but I have dozens of trained Navy soldiers. This time, you have no escape!"