Sometimes, people shouldn't be deceived by appearances. A person's outward demeanor doesn't always reflect who they truly are.
Most of the time, it takes a while to see someone's real nature.
Take Shanks, for example. Despite his mature and dependable exterior, he was, in reality, a complete goofball.
Just like now.
Shanks grabbed a large mug of beer and began chugging it down with loud gulps, while his crewmates cheered him on enthusiastically.
"Ahhh!" Shanks exhaled in satisfaction after finishing his drink. He grinned widely and declared, "Drinking with friends is the best! Come on, drink, drink, drink! Tonight, we feast!"
With that, he poured a drink for Mihawk, laughing heartily. "Here, have a drink with me!"
Mihawk turned his head slightly and remarked, "You're not still drunk from before, are you?"
"Don't worry about it," Shanks said with enthusiasm. "This is a celebration! Come on, bottoms up!"
Mihawk gave him a glance but said nothing. Instead, he silently downed his drink.
"That's the spirit! Drink up, everyone!" Shanks called out excitedly. "Let's party!"
"But Captain, didn't you say earlier that drinking too much made you feel unwell?"
"You fool! How can we not drink on such a happy occasion?"
"But it's the middle of the day…"
"Who cares? Drink up!"
Kaguya had known from the original story that Shanks was a bit of a clown, but she hadn't expected him to be this ridiculous.
She had thought he would make things difficult for her. Instead, he was trying to rope her into a drinking contest.
The problem? She couldn't handle alcohol.
Kaguya was famously a lightweight—just one drink and she'd be out cold. If she let these rowdy drunkards force her into drinking, who knew what might happen?
Compared to alcohol, she much preferred the banquet's food.
The dishes on the ship were mostly hearty, meat-heavy meals, prepared in a rough yet satisfying manner—true pirate cuisine. Large chunks of meat, plenty of grease, and endless mugs of ale were the defining characteristics of this era's pirate life.
To her surprise, however, the ship's cook was unexpectedly skilled. The heavy, meaty dishes were actually quite delicious.
Of course, it also helped that she had been eating nothing but fish for days and was desperate for a change.
"Hey, have a drink! A party isn't a party without alcohol!" Shanks grinned, shoving a bottle toward her.
"I'll pass," Kaguya declined politely. "I don't drink."
"You don't drink?" Shanks looked genuinely disappointed. "That's a shame! It's such good stuff."
Seeing that she was serious, Shanks didn't press the issue.
Just then, something occurred to Kaguya. "By the way, earlier, you guys mentioned 'five hundred million.' What was that about?"
Shanks paused slightly, then asked in surprise, "You don't know?"
"Know what?" Kaguya asked, puzzled.
"You've been given a five-hundred-million-Berry bounty," Shanks said. "Your wanted poster is already out. It even made the newspapers."
"Newspapers?" Kaguya said in surprise. "There are newspapers out at sea?"
"Of course," Shanks pointed toward the sky. "News Coo comes by from time to time. You really didn't know?"
News Coo?
Kaguya blinked in confusion.
It seemed there really were such birds—ones that wore little hats and carried bags.
Kaguya's expression grew slightly awkward. Is she having Alzheimer's? Sometimes she even forgot to use her abilities too.
After eating nothing but fish for so long, she had started hunting birds to diversify her meals. And now that she thought about it, she might have caught a few of those newspaper birds before.
Clearing her throat, she firmly denied, "I don't like reading newspapers."
"Oh, I see," Shanks nodded, taking her words at face value. "Since the Ohara incident, you've been given a five-hundred-million-Berry bounty by the World Government. Quite impressive, honestly."
Impressive?
What was there to admire about that?
Kaguya couldn't understand why pirates were so enthusiastic about bounties. The higher the number, the happier they seemed.
Was it supposed to be proof of strength?
Or were they all just naturally masochistic?
Still, the fact that her bounty was so high right from the start showed just how seriously the World Government was taking her. As far as she recalled, no one had ever started off with such an enormous sum.
Clearly, the Navy's humiliating defeat had embarrassed the World Government to the point of irrationality.
"Hey, hey, are you really that strong?" Shanks leaned in, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Did you actually defeat five vice admirals like the rumors say?"
"No, they exaggerated," Kaguya said nonchalantly, taking a bite of her food.
"Is that so?" Shanks looked genuinely disappointed.
"Yeah," Kaguya stood up, brushing off her hands. "Anyway, I'm full now. Thanks for the meal."
"Guests are always welcome on my ship," Shanks said with a big grin. "No need to be so formal."
But before he could finish his sentence, an overwhelming sense of danger flooded his instincts. His eyes sharpened, and he swiftly leapt backward.
A blindingly fast slash tore through the air, slicing the dining table clean in half.
Food and drinks scattered across the deck in an instant.
The crew members, initially caught off guard, immediately grabbed their weapons and surrounded Kaguya, their faces filled with rage.
"What's the meaning of this?!"
"So you weren't here with good intentions!"
"We welcomed you, and this is how you repay us?!"
"Despicable! Shameful!"
It was clear who had attacked—Kaguya.
She stood there, gripping her translucent jade-like sword, a playful smile on her lips. "Since you all treated me so well, it's only fair that I return the favor, don't you think?"
Shanks pressed his hand against his sword's hilt, his expression grave, while Mihawk had already unsheathed his blade, fully prepared for battle.
"Why are you doing this?" Shanks asked coldly. "Were we not hospitable enough?"
"Oh, not at all," Kaguya shook her head, still smiling. "Your hospitality was wonderful—especially that roasted pirate meat. I quite enjoyed it."
"Then why attack us?" Shanks' gaze turned razor-sharp. "What do you gain from this?"
"Didn't I already tell you?" Kaguya gently ran her fingers along her sword's sheath, her lips curling into a smirk.
"I'm just returning the favor for your warm hospitality."
As soon as she finished speaking, her thumb flicked her sword's hilt. In an instant, the blade shot free, its shimmering edge gleaming like flowing water. At the same time, she kicked off the deck, launching herself forward with blinding speed, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
Clang!
A sharp metallic clash echoed as Kaguya's blade struck Shanks' sword with thunderous force, sending dazzling sparks into the air.
Shanks felt a powerful shock travel up his arm, numbing it slightly. He was taken aback—despite her delicate appearance, her strength was astounding. Instantly, he discarded any underestimation he had.
Noticing Shanks' shifting thoughts, Kaguya chuckled softly. "You'd better go all out," she teased. "Otherwise, you might just die."
As soon as she finished speaking, Kaguya dashed forward with incredible speed. With a flick of her wrist, her blade whistled through the air, slamming into Shanks' sword with a crisp clang, knocking it aside.
Damn.
Shanks' eyes narrowed. He had momentarily let his guard down, and now his sword was forced away.
Seeing an opening, Kaguya closed in instantly. Her wrist twisted, and her sword, Liuli, shot straight for Shanks' heart.
Without hesitation, Shanks pushed off the deck, retreating at high speed.
However, Kaguya's sword followed him like a shadow, its tip unerringly aimed at his chest.
She's really trying to kill me.
The thought flashed through Shanks' mind as his heart pounded.
Just as Kaguya's blade was about to pierce his heart, another sword suddenly appeared, intercepting her attack.
Clang!
Sparks flew as Kaguya's blade collided with a pitch-black longsword that had appeared between her and Shanks.
The one who had intervened—was Mihawk.
Seizing the opportunity, Shanks swiftly retreated, putting distance between himself and Kaguya.
"Thanks, Mihawk," Shanks said in a low voice.
"Hmph. Worry about yourself first," Mihawk replied coldly.
"Has no one ever told you…" Kaguya's voice rang out like a silver bell, making both Shanks and Mihawk tense up. They hadn't even noticed when she had gotten behind them.
Both men turned sharply, swinging their blades to block her strike.
Clang!
At the last second, they barely managed to parry her attack.
Suddenly, Shanks planted his foot firmly on the deck and lunged forward. His sword, as swift as a swimming dragon, shot toward Kaguya's side, aiming for a weak spot near her ribs.
A perfect strike.
Yet, just as it was about to land, it sliced through nothing but air.
Kaguya smirked. At the last moment, she withdrew the force from her blade, shifted her footing, and effortlessly evaded the attack.
Now!
Mihawk's eyes sharpened.
She may have dodged Shanks' attack, but this was the perfect moment to strike—her momentum had just shifted, leaving her momentarily vulnerable.
Mihawk dashed forward, seizing the opportunity. His black blade gleamed as his eyes flashed coldly. In the blink of an eye, his arm tensed, and with devastating power, he swung his sword like a black lightning bolt, aiming to cleave her down.
But just then, Kaguya's lips curled into a sly smile. "Did you really think it would be that easy to defeat me?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Kaguya swung her arm, unleashing a razor-sharp arc of energy. With a resounding clang, Mihawk's black blade was knocked aside, and the sheer force of the attack sent Shanks skidding backward as well.
Both men struggled to their feet, breathing heavily, sweat dripping from their brows. Seeing Kaguya standing there completely unscathed, their pupils contracted.
She was strong.
Her attacks were swift and precise, each strike carrying immense power. Her movements were almost ghostly, leaving barely any openings for counterattacks.
"Not bad. This is finally getting interesting," Kaguya said with a smirk. She sheathed her blade and taunted, "But if this is all you've got, you might as well leave the Grand Line now. You'll just be walking to your deaths."
Hearing her provocation, Shanks clenched his teeth, gripping his sword tightly.
"What does a little girl like you know?" Yasopp suddenly stepped forward, raising his pistol and aiming it at Kaguya. "Die!"
"Stop!" Shanks shouted, but before he could finish, Yasopp had already pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three bullets tore through the air, aimed precisely at Kaguya's vital points.
Kaguya scoffed. "Don't you know that guns are the most useless weapons in this world?"
With a casual flick of her sheath, she deflected all three bullets mid-air.
Turning to Shanks, she remarked, "Is this the best sharpshooter on your ship? Seems a bit lacking."
Before she could finish speaking, her instincts flared. Her eyes sharpened as she spun around, blade at the ready.
Clang! Clang!
Sparks erupted as her blade clashed against an unexpected counterattack.
"Didn't think you had that kind of skill," Kaguya admitted, looking at Yasopp with newfound curiosity.
Yasopp smirked. "Guess you spoke too soon."
The bullets she had deflected had ricocheted off the ship's chains, bouncing back toward her. Whether by sheer calculation or a stroke of genius, Yasopp had orchestrated a perfect rebound.
For an ordinary opponent, it might have been lethal.
But then again, Kaguya was no ordinary opponent.
"Yasopp, step aside," Shanks ordered, gripping his sword tightly. "This fight is between us."
"Shanks, you can't be serious—"
"Are you disobeying your captain?" Shanks asked firmly.
Yasopp hesitated for a moment before reluctantly lowering his gun. "Understood, Captain."
"That goes for the rest of you," Shanks declared, his gaze sweeping across his crew. "This fight is ours alone. No one interferes."
The crew exchanged uneasy glances but ultimately nodded. "Aye, Captain."
Kaguya smiled slightly. She had to admit—Shanks had sharp instincts. He had already figured out what was happening.
Well, since he understood, there was no need for her to keep holding back.
With a casual flick, she spun her blade in an elegant arc before pointing it at Shanks.
"Are you ready, Captain Shanks?" she asked, smirking.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven