Super Card System - Chapter 487

Chapter 487: Shanks’ Killing Intent

The alliance banquet between the Dragon Hunter Pirates and the Red-Haired Pirates began amidst Ian’s bewildered expression!

Perhaps this is the true pirate style – finding any excuse to throw a party, where everyone eats large chunks of meat and drinks copious amounts of alcohol, getting thoroughly intoxicated and living in a drunken stupor.

In that regard, Ian might not be considered a proper pirate yet; he doesn’t have the habit of throwing parties on a whim.

Shanks seemed to be in high spirits, with his arm around Ian’s shoulder, introducing the Red-Haired Pirates’ crew members to him. Every time he introduced someone, they clinked glasses with Ian, and they all downed their drinks in one go, forcing Ian to consume quite a bit of alcohol as well.

However, this allowed Ian to get acquainted with many of the Red-Haired Pirates, such as their vice-captain, Benn Beckman, the chubby shipwright Lucky Roux, and, in addition, Usopp’s father, the sniper of the Red-Haired Pirates, Yasopp.

Lucky Roux kept praising Ian’s pirate crew’s chef, Matthew, because this chubby guy was a big foodie. When Ian talked to Yasopp, he learned that Yasopp’s son, Usopp, had also set sail as a pirate with Luffy. Moreover, when Yasopp found out that Ian had saved Usopp’s life on Skypiea, he felt even more warmly toward Ian.

The arrival of the Red-Haired Pirates had put the entire St. Poplar on edge. However, nobody had anticipated that instead of setting foot on the island, the Red-Haired Pirates would throw a party right at the harbor with the Shichibukai. The laughter and commotion emanating from their ships left the residents of the island and the local pirates dumbfounded.

Naturally, this situation was reported to the Marines. The world government’s chief strategist, Sengoku, was probably experiencing another headache. Ever since Ian became one of the Seven Warlords, his influence had been steadily increasing. First, he had connections with the Whitebeard Pirates, and now he was on good terms with the Red-Haired Pirates. Besides, he could even gather most of the Shichibukai to help him single-handedly.

This kind of rise in power and influence left people astounded.

With this, it would be difficult for the Marines to deal with any issues without involving Ian in the future…

The banquet continued well into the late hours of the night. As many people succumbed to intoxication and dozed off on the deck of the Ark Maxim, Ian was still engaged in a drinking competition with Shanks.

Shanks’ capacity for alcohol seemed bottomless. After drinking for so long, Ian’s head was throbbing, yet Shanks appeared surprisingly sober.

Robin and Reiju had long succumbed to the effects of alcohol and retired to their cabin to rest. Matthew and Doroni, on the other hand, were sprawled out and snoring loudly alongside the Red-Haired Pirates. As for Enel… this time, he had been introduced to Shanks’ potent liquor from the West Blue. Accustomed to drinking only the alcohol produced on Skypiea, he had been thoroughly intoxicated long ago.

It wasn’t until this point that Shanks broached a serious topic with Ian. His eyes were somewhat unfocused, but his speech remained coherent. He said, “Honestly, Ian, I’m truly surprised that you and Ace managed to capture that guy, Teach…”

Although Ian was somewhat tipsy as well, his mind was still sharp. Upon hearing this, he shook his head and replied, “That guy is cunning and powerful. He’s already acquired the powers of the Dark-Dark Fruit. Ace and I nearly fell victim to his scheme when he sucked us into a black hole he created. Fortunately, my abilities had an advantage over his, allowing us to escape.”

“But, I must say, you guys were reckless!” Shanks’ expression turned serious as he continued, “Have you considered the consequences if you and Ace had failed? Ace, if captured by Teach, would have prompted Whitebeard to launch an all-out rescue mission. As for you… With your status as one of the Seven Warlords, Teach would likely have taken you out and assumed your position. The Marines and the World Government would have approved, and your friends would have sought vengeance for you. Whitebeard’s crew would have joined the fray, and the other Seven Warlords, like my friend Mihawk, might have turned against the Marines. Even Uncle Rayleigh might have been forced to intervene. Two lives, and the entire world could have been dragged into a colossal war!”

Upon hearing Shanks’ words, Ian was genuinely surprised. To be honest, he hadn’t considered this aspect at all initially. He had only thought about Ace going out to sea and the possibility of another war erupting at Marineford if Ace were to be captured. But he had never thought that he himself might become a catalyst for such a situation.

As Shanks analyzed it this way, Ian began to mull it over. He suddenly realized that he could indeed trigger a Marineford-level conflict. First and foremost, he had set sail to help Ace. If something were to happen to him, Whitebeard would undoubtedly mount a rescue mission, just as he did for Ace. Furthermore, Hawkeye, a fellow Seven Warlord, was his uncle, Jinbe was his friend, and he even owed a debt of gratitude to Boa Hancock. These three individuals might very well turn against the Marines on his behalf.

Shanks had considered these relationships when making his remarks.

However, Shanks might not be aware of Ian’s hidden identity as a Revolutionary Army cadre. Nobody could say for sure whether the Revolutionary Army would be motivated to rescue him. If they did, the situation would become even more chaotic. Without going into details, people like Kuma and Sabo would certainly appear. At that point, the Marines would be facing enemies from all sides.

As Ian contemplated this, he suddenly felt a rush of excitement. He couldn’t believe that he had become such a significant figure, with every action he took capable of causing a massive impact on the world.

“It seems like you’ve come to understand,” Shanks said, looking at Ian’s expression and smiling faintly. “You need to realize that everything you do from now on isn’t just about you; it affects many others. So, before taking any action in the future, it’s best to be cautious.”

Ian nodded in agreement and replied, “I understand, Shanks!”

“Teach has already been captured and taken back by the Whitebeard Pirates,” Shanks continued. “Honestly, while I’m relieved in a way, for some reason, I have a bad feeling about it. Let’s hope nothing significant happens!”

“I’ve also had a nagging feeling that something isn’t right,” Ian replied with a furrowed brow. “But I can’t quite put my finger on it. Blackbeard’s crew was being escorted by Ace, Marco, and others from the Whitebeard Pirates. I doubt Teach can escape midway. Ace and I had a confrontation with Teach back in Alabasta, so we’re somewhat familiar with his abilities. He should be cautious…”

Shanks waved his hand dismissively. “As you said, I’m not worried about Teach escaping en route. I’m more concerned about Whitebeard himself…”

“What do you mean?” Ian asked, perplexed.

“It seems you still don’t quite grasp Whitebeard’s personality,” Shanks sighed. “Although he preaches that killing a comrade is a grave sin, I believe… given Whitebeard’s nature, he might not be able to bring himself to kill Teach after seeing him.”

Hearing this, Ian furrowed. With Shanks’ reminder, he realized there might indeed be a possibility. Even though he wasn’t a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, Whitebeard had spared his life due to appreciation and recognizing of his potential. While he had disciplined Ian, he hadn’t ordered his execution, despite the gravity of Ian’s assassination attempt, which had left Teach in a life-threatening state.

Facing Teach, who had been his son for decades, could Whitebeard truly bring himself to harm him?

Shanks continued, “Teach is an ambitious man with considerable restraint. If he exploits Whitebeard’s personality weaknesses and pleads for mercy, there’s a chance Whitebeard might spare him…”

“Are you concerned he might manipulate Whitebeard’s weaknesses to escape?” Ian asked. “But even if he does escape, what can he possibly do? Is he going to continue being a pirate?”

Shanks shook his head and replied, “I don’t know for sure. Speculation won’t help us much here. Teach is a dangerous man. If possible, I hope you can use your influence to contact Whitebeard. Even if Whitebeard doesn’t kill Teach, it would be best to persuade him to keep Teach imprisoned rather than resorting to any exile or other punishments.”

“Alright, I’ll try to get in touch with Ace and have him convey the message,” Ian shrugged. “As for the outcome, it will depend on Whitebeard.”

With that topic about Blackbeard concluded, the two moved on to discuss other matters. Shanks even inquired about the events that transpired when Ian was at Mary Geoise.

As they chatted, Ian suddenly remembered something and asked Shanks, “By the way, Shanks, you’re from the West Blue, right?”

“Yes,” Shanks nodded. “Why do you ask?”

“Do you remember the events in the West Blue from 20 years ago?” Ian inquired eagerly. “Have you ever heard of Ban Banrol, a place located within the territory of the Ilusia Kingdom?”

Ian’s sudden mention of this matter stemmed from his recollection of the letter his master, Koshiro, had given him. Being from the West Blue, Ian had seen it mentioned in the letter. Initially, upon meeting Robin, Ian had contemplated asking her about it. After all, Robin was a few years older than him and should have been old enough to have memories of that time. However, when he did ask, he realized that Robin had very little recollection of the West Blue. At the time, she had been on the run and focused solely on evading capture, making it unlikely that she had paid much attention to events beyond her immediate surroundings. Consequently, she couldn’t provide any substantial information.

Shanks, on the other hand, was different. He, too, hailed from the West Blue, and he was considerably older than Ian. When the events of 20 years ago unfolded, Shanks would have been in his late teens, so there was a chance he might possess some clues.

However, what took Ian by surprise was Shanks’ reaction. The once-smiling countenance turned dark and menacing the moment Ian mentioned Ban Banrol. An aura of chilling hostility radiated from him, startling Enel, and some of the Red-Haired Pirates woke from their slumber.

Shanks fixed his intense gaze on Ian and asked in a low, foreboding tone, “Why did you bring up that place? What do you intend to do?”