Speaking of Carl and Shanks, these two cousins had quite the history. One played a deadly game of survival in the Valley of Gods while the other was, quite literally, a lucky draw. Truly, a pair of ill-fated brothers.
Of course, Shanks had no memory of those events. All he knew was that he was picked up from that place.
Carl shrugged and said,
"Hey, how about coming back with me? You can meet Uncle Garling—well, your father."
Shanks was silent for a moment before responding,
"He probably knew about my existence all along, didn't he? Why has he never come looking for me all these years?"
"That's something you'll have to ask him yourself."
"No, I want him to tell me in person!"
"..."
Carl was speechless for a moment before sighing.
"Alright, alright. On that front, you're just like Uncle Garling—stubborn as hell!"
As he spoke, Carl reached into his coat. Instantly, Benn Beckman and the others tensed up. Despite standing right in front of Carl, Shanks remained calm, showing no reaction.
The dark mist that had shrouded Carl earlier had dissipated, and Shanks's Observation Haki didn't sense any danger.
Besides, after confirming that Carl was indeed his cousin, Shanks had dropped any guard against him.
Under the watchful eyes of Benn Beckman and the others, Carl pulled out a pack of cigarettes, took one, and offered another to Shanks.
Shanks hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.
"I don't smoke…"
"This is a special supply for the Fleet Admiral. You can't buy these anywhere. Give it a try."
Hesitant, Shanks took the cigarette and put it to his lips. Carl smiled faintly and snapped his fingers, a flame igniting at his fingertip, almost singeing Shanks's hair.
Shanks instinctively stepped back, and when he saw Carl's mischievous smirk, he gave him a slightly resentful glare.
Carl glanced at Benn Beckman and the others, who were still hovering nearby, and said,
"Tell your buddies to go do something else. Let's have a private chat."
Benn Beckman frowned and said in a low voice,
"You seem to misunderstand something. You're standing against the entire Red-Haired Pirates. Do you think this is Mary Geoise?"
Carl shrugged.
"Ah, right. I almost forgot—I came alone this time..."
As he spoke, his eyes narrowed slightly.
"But I don't mind taking a little extra effort."
"What!?"
Shanks raised his arm sharply, stopping Benn Beckman, and said in a grave tone,
"Enough, Benn Beckman. Go back to the cabin. No one can stop him. He could kill a few of us and still leave without a scratch."
Benn Beckman's expression changed. Just as he was about to speak, Yasopp, who had been lying on the ground for a while, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The ship's doctor, Hongo, rushed over to help him, but Carl warned,
"Careful now. If you don't want his ribs piercing his heart, you'd better be gentle."
Hongo checked Yasopp's injuries and looked up with a grim expression.
"Yasopp's bones are shattered. I need help moving him!"
Lucky Roux, Snake, and the rookie Rockstar immediately stepped forward. Together, they carefully lifted Yasopp and carried him into the cabin.
Shanks sighed and turned to Benn Beckman.
"You should go too. I'll join you shortly."
Benn Beckman stared into Shanks's eyes and said,
"Are you sure you'll come back to us?"
"I'm sure. You're my most important crewmates."
"If that's true, then you should avenge Yasopp!"
Shanks clenched his fists, struggling internally.
"Benn Beckman, please. I can't..."
"Shanks!"
"Hey, he told you to shut up. Didn't you hear him?"
Benn Beckman flinched as a red mark appeared on his arm, forcing him to stumble backward until he hit the railing.
Looking down, he saw a blood-red handprint on his arm. Shaken, he glanced up at Carl, who was standing in his previous spot, casually shaking off the dark aura that had enveloped his hand.
Gab and Limejuice moved to attack Carl, but Benn Beckman's shout stopped them.
"Stand down!"
Benn Beckman returned to Shanks's side, speaking in a low voice.
"We'll wait for you."
Then he motioned for Gab, Limejuice, and the others to follow him into the cabin.
As soon as they were inside, Limejuice turned to Benn Beckman.
"Why did you stop us earlier?"
Benn Beckman looked at the handprint on his arm and said in a grave tone,
"Shanks was right. If we fight the Celestial Dragons now, we'll lose many people. Damn it! That guy is a monster. No wonder Kaido died at his hands."
On the deck, only Carl and Shanks remained.
Carl walked over to the railing, and Shanks followed. Lighting a cigarette, Carl exhaled a puff of smoke, letting it drift away with the sea breeze.
"I've thought it over. Right now, you're not fit to return."
Shanks blinked in confusion, thinking Carl had wanted to persuade him to go back. This sudden change caught him off guard.
"Why?"
"Call me 'brother' when you speak to me. Otherwise, I might just take a few heads for fun. It's been a while since I brought a souvenir back to Mary Geoise."
"...Brother, what do you mean by that? Is it because I'm a pirate now?"
"No. Becoming a pirate isn't entirely your fault. Besides, it doesn't matter. The Figarland family does whatever it pleases."
"But Brother, you and I are different..."
"Of course we are. There's only one Fleet Admiral, but there's more than one Emperor."
"Huh?"
Shanks looked utterly bewildered as Carl's words left him more confused than ever.
Carl turned to him, smiling.
"I want you to become the Pirate King."
"What!?"
Shanks's eyes widened in disbelief. He stared at Carl, swallowing nervously.
"Brother, are you joking?"
"I don't have time for jokes. What's wrong? Do you think you're unworthy? Or do you think the title should go to that Luffy kid?"
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+255 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg