Under the gaze of hundreds of people, a red-haired man emerged from the forest with a long knife in his hand. He stepped over fallen trees and was the first to appear in the open. His figure was proportionate, he wore a straw hat on his head, and three scars were visible on his left eye. Short stubble on his face, a white shirt buttoned only halfway, a long black cloak, brown patterned trousers and flip-flops completed his image.
Despite his simple and even slightly sloppy appearance, his appearance conveyed freedom and fearlessness. At the same time, his impressive aura made everyone present look at him with awe.
"Redhaired… Shanks!!!" Sonic said, his face gloomy, and the words flew out of his mouth through clenched teeth.
It seemed that fate itself had brought this man here. Before them stood a former member of Roger's pirate crew, captain of the Red Cap pirate crew, one of the future Four Emperors of the New World– the legendary pirate Redhaired Shanks!
Sonic noticed that Shanks' left arm was still intact. He was only 26 years old and in his prime. Not long ago, he had fought the great swordsman Hawkeye the marine hunter Mihawk. Their battle had forced the world government to once again acknowledge the man's power. Even the legendary pirate Edward Newgate, known as Whitebeard, spoke of their fight years later as something unforgettable.
Behind Shanks, two more appeared. To his left stood a smiling fat man in small dark glasses, a green hat, a striped shirt and beige shorts. In his hands he held a huge piece of meat, devouring it with appetite. It was the cook of the Redhair pirates– Lucky Rou!
On the right was a man with yellow hair, who looked like a fish. He had a bandage on his head with the word "Yassop" written on it, and in his hands was a flintlock pistol. This was the crew's sniper - Pursuer Yassop!
Although there were only three of them, including the captain, the Redhaired pirates officially announced their presence.
On the beach next to the forest, hundreds of sailors and agents of the world government stood frozen with their mouths open. Fear gripped them, as if someone had squeezed their throats. No one uttered a sound. Only the sound of the waves and the cries of seagulls broke the silence, creating an atmosphere of unbearable tension.
"Well, well…" Shanks looked around at the hundreds of government employees in front of him, then slapped his forehead with his palm and said in frustration, "So many people… this is clearly a mistake!"
He clearly didn't expect to meet so many representatives of the world government on such a small island.
Yassop looked around sharply and noticed a huge ship that had run aground near the shore.
"A large ship flying the flag of a world government..." he said with a hint of suspicion. "Could these be CP agents? Are they here on a mission? Or have they come for us?"
- Who knows! - Lucky Rou, not paying attention to those around him, bit off a piece of meat and added casually: - But, captain, this is good news. Our ship was damaged in the storm, and there are few supplies left in the hold. We can steal something from them to make up for the losses.
Shanks laughed, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
- Ha-ha-ha, well, then there is no other way out! After all, we are pirates, and they are our enemies! - He raised his hand, as if announcing the beginning of the action. - So, dear ones, please - leave us all your things!
The government agents finally came to their senses and screamed in horror.
- Are you kidding?! Why is Redhaired Shanks here? Commander Who's who of CP9 didn't last a minute! It's over! Why are Team Red Cap on Whirlpool Island?!
As agents of CIPHER-POL, they knew exactly who Redhaired Shanks was. These monsters from the New World were always under the watchful eye of the world government. And Roger's former team member made everyone tremble.
"What decadent talk!" Sonic suddenly barked, his face contorted with rage. "They're just pirates! Don't stoop so low!"
- Big Scythe Weasel!!!
Before Sonic had finished speaking, he leapt into the air, raised his right hand high, and extended it like a blade, slashing downwards towards Shanks. The air that his fingers cut seemed to solidify, turning into a huge white blade of wind that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It resembled a sharp crescent moon, roaring and cutting through the space in front of it.
"Haha, not bad!" Shanks laughed loudly and slashed with his legendary sword, the Griffin, as if it was enveloped in an invisible powerful force.
**Ring!**
There was a loud sound, like metal colliding. The force of the impact created visible waves in the air. The huge blade of wind was cut in half by Shanks's blow. Sparks flew out and then a fierce whirlwind arose, causing the trees behind to hum with gusts of wind.
**Bolt!**
However, when the dust and smoke cleared, the two severed blades of wind did not disappear. Instead, they rushed past Shanks, slicing trees and rocks in their path, leaving chaos in their wake.
"... Is this some new six-step enhancement technique? Or a Devil Fruit ability?" Shanks muttered thoughtfully.
"This guy's not bad!" Yasopp and Lucky Rou noted in surprise. The latter slightly narrowed his eyes, noticing something strange in Sonic's movements.
- A blow that cannot be underestimated!
At this moment, Shanks smiled widely and asked loudly:
- State your name, agent!
As the strongest one standing at the top of the pyramid, he knew from this blow that the young agent before him was not like the other government agents, including the Zoan ability user he had thrown back earlier. At least in terms of strength, he was clearly superior to him.