Shun watched the endless sea roll past their ship's bow, the wind tugging at his coat like a whisper from distant lands.
Behind him, Douglas Bullet stood silent, his massive arms folded, his eyes narrowing as the conversation from before hung heavily in the air.
"So... it's really him?" Bullet's voice rumbled, tinged with faint disbelief.
Shun remained composed, offering no clarification.
But Bullet's gaze sharpened, locking onto Shun's face with the precision of a predator sensing something elusive.
"You knew about my fight with Crocodile," Bullet said quietly, but with the simmering undertone of accusation.
"Yeah, so?" Shun replied calmly.
"Captain Shun," Bullet's tone hardened, reverting briefly to the formality they used in Impel Down, "I've no issue admitting I crossed blades with Crocodile before I was locked up. That much you could've guessed—after all, I once fought anyone who crossed my path in the Grand Line."
He paused, his stare darkening.
"But how do you know the details of what happened to me after I left Roger's crew? How do you know I fought Crocodile specifically?"
The air seemed to still.
Shun exhaled slowly.
It was a fair question. One he had no intention of answering truthfully.
The truth—that he came from a different world, that his knowledge came from a story, an anime from his past life—would sound like madness to men like Bullet.
These were men who believed only in strength and scars, not in tales of other worlds.
So, Shun smiled faintly, masking the lie in shadows.
"You'll understand in time."
Bullet stared at him, frowning.
But he didn't press further.
Men like Bullet feared the unknown more than they feared death.
And at this moment, Shun embodied something Bullet couldn't understand.
Perhaps that was more terrifying than his fists.
"...Fine," Bullet finally said, his tone begrudgingly respectful.
Shun noticed it—the first true seed of reverence forming in the war-hardened pirate's gaze.
Fear... born not from strength alone, but from the unknown.
Shun let the silence linger, letting the weight of his mystery sink deep into Bullet's mind.
"Where to next?" Bullet finally asked.
Shun turned his gaze toward the horizon.
"Alabasta."
"Alabasta?" Bullet echoed.
"Yeah. It's time we visit Crocodile."
Bullet sneered.
"You want to fight him again?"
"Of course. And after I beat him down, I'll ask if he wants to join us. If not, I'll leave a vacancy in the Shichibukai."
Bullet's sneer turned to a scowl.
"You want to be a lapdog of the World Government?"
Shun laughed softly.
"No. You misunderstand.The title is meaningless. But having it would grant us freedom to move across the seas unchallenged.In the New World, pirate crews move with fleets—dozens of ships.We can't do that alone."
Bullet's glare lingered, but he didn't argue.
Though he despised the idea, even he understood the tactical advantage.
"Besides," Shun added, his tone sharpening, "there's no law that says the Shichibukai can't stab the Government in the back when it suits them."
That made Bullet smirk.
"Fair enough."
He leaned against the rail, his eyes distant.
"Crocodile... Logia-type, right?"
Shun nodded.
"In the world of Devil Fruits, Logias are rare and dangerous.They can turn their bodies into elements—sand, in his case—making them intangible.Only Haki or special methods can harm them."
"Hmph. Logias are overrated," Bullet scoffed.
"I don't care if he's sand, smoke, or lightning. I'll break him the same way I break anyone."
Shun grinned.
"Good. Then when we get there, I'll let you have the first shot."
Two days passed.
The warship, bearing the stolen insignia of the Navy, sliced through the waves toward the Grand Line.
Shun stood at the helm, eyes narrowed as a distant silhouette appeared on the horizon.
Douglas Bullet spotted it first.
"A ship. A big one."
Shun adjusted his spyglass.
His lips curled upward in faint amusement.
"Looks like we've stumbled onto an old friend."
Bullet frowned.
"My friend?"
"Red-Haired Shanks," Shun said.
Bullet froze.
"Shanks... the brat from Roger's crew?"
Shun nodded.
"Yeah. The boy you probably don't even remember. But now? He's one of the most dangerous men in the New World."
Bullet's expression twisted into something between disdain and curiosity.
"Him? That scrawny kid with the straw hat? He's still alive?"
"More than alive. He's carved a path straight to the top. And from what I remember, he's poised to become one of the world's emperors."
Bullet spat into the sea.
"Pathetic.The New World must be weaker than I thought if a brat like him rules."
"Perhaps," Shun agreed calmly." Or perhaps he grew stronger than you'd expect."
Bullet scowled but said nothing.
Shun's eyes flickered.
In truth, he knew Shanks was different from the others.
He ruled not with brute force alone, but with charisma, with will, with alliances.
A pirate king of the new era.
But that would be a conversation for another day.
For now, they would pass each other in silence.
Or... perhaps fate would not be so kind.
As they approached, the Red Force's distinct crimson hull gleamed in the afternoon sun, its towering sails marked by the crossed sabers of the Red-Haired Pirates.
The crew was already gathering at the deck, clearly aware of the approaching warship.
And Shanks... would no doubt be watching.
Shun watched them impassively, weighing his options.
"Should we intercept them?" Bullet asked, eager for battle.
Shun shook his head.
"Not yet.Our prey is in Alabasta. Shanks is not the goal—for now."
Bullet grunted but didn't argue.
They passed the Red Force at a distance, the two ships glaring at each other like wolves in the dark.
Neither made a move.
But the message was clear.
The new era's monsters had crossed paths.
And the sea would not forget.
Far away, in the halls of the World Government, the news of their voyage already stirred chaos.
The Navy prepared.
The Shichibukai watched with wary eyes.
And Morgans, perched atop the world like a vulture, sharpened his pen for the next headline.
"A New Monster Targets Alabasta... The Pirate King's Ghost Marches Again!"
The world trembled.
And Shun smiled.
Everything was proceeding as he planned.