New World, a certain winter island.
Benn Beckman placed a piece of intelligence on the wine table in front of Red-Haired Shanks. He frowned tightly and said:
"Boss, the matter of the Pirate Expo has been causing a stir in the pirate world recently. What do you think?"
Hearing this, Red-Haired Shanks had no choice but to put down the large sea bowl filled with wine in his hand. He picked up the intelligence report in front of him and read it roughly.
"Captain Roger's one piece...? What an interesting rumor."
Benn Beckman was afraid that his Captain had missed some of the intelligence above, so he quickly added:
"It is said that Blackbeard Teach and Donquixote Doflamingo are also involved. What should we do?"
"Teach..."
Red Hair's action of picking up the wine bowl again paused slightly. A hint of solemnity appeared in his eyes, and his tone seemed somewhat inexplicable.
Swish-!
A crimson light flashed, and a spatial door suddenly opened.
Wearing a black suit, holding a butcher knife in his right hand, and carrying a jar of wine in his left, Sephiroth stepped out from the spatial door and walked up to Red-Haired Shanks.
Seeing this scene, Yasopp, Lucky Roo, and others who were drinking and chatting not far away immediately gathered around. Although they knew that Sephiroth had a friendship with their Boss, one was a Fleet Admiral and the other was a Four Emperors. In terms of stance, they were opposing existences, so it was only natural for them to be on guard.
Compared to the full alertness of his subordinates, Red-Haired Shanks appeared very calm and composed. He smiled and greeted the silver-haired young man in front of him:
"Yo! Isn't this Sephiroth? Why did you suddenly come to find me?"
"To drink with you and also discuss some matters."
As he spoke, Sephiroth placed the wine jar, which was about one meter tall, on the wine table and opened its seal.
Red-Haired Shanks stood up, brought his nose close to the opening of the jar, sniffed, and exclaimed:
"Hmm, a rare good wine!"
"Actually, I quit drinking after that time I drank with you six years ago. I haven't touched a drop since."
"Ah! Why!?" Red-Haired Shanks said, looking surprised.
"Something happened back then, and I felt that drinking ruined things, so I quit." Sephiroth casually picked up two wine bowls from the table, lifted the wine jar, and slowly poured the clear wine into them.
"Then why are you saying you want to drink with me now...?"
"Because the matter I'm going to discuss with you today is very important, so no matter the outcome, I think I should bring a jar of good wine."
"Oh!? What are you going to talk to me about?" Red-Haired Shanks raised his hand and picked up the wine bowl on the table, but he didn't drink. His tone was full of curiosity.
Hearing this, Sephiroth didn't rush to answer. He first picked up the other bowl of wine and, with a few "Gulp! Gulp!", finished drinking it completely before speaking:
"Shanks, if possible, I don't want to become your enemy. Therefore, could you name a price and give me the territory under your command?"
Hearing this, Red-Haired Shanks immediately put the wine bowl full of wine back on the table. His eyes were as sharp as blades, and he said with a serious expression:
"Sephiroth, my territory cannot be bought with money..."
"Of course I know that." Sephiroth's expression was calm. He picked up the wine jar himself and refilled a bowl of wine. "The Marine is already in Wano Country... Hmm! It should be called Inazuma Country now.
After all, it is still closed off, and you probably don't know that the country has changed its name. Now the Marine has established a military base in the heart of the New World, in Wano Country. In the near future, the Marine will establish another new base on the Red Line, at the original location of Reverse Mountain, and send heavy troops to guard it.
In other words, your Four Emperors Pirate Crew will face a situation of being attacked from both front and back. Therefore, I will be blunt. I will end this Great Pirate Era at all costs, and your Four Emperors Pirate Crew will be the first to face it."
Hearing these words, before Red-Haired Shanks could say anything, the other members of the Red Hair Pirates had already put their hands on their weapons and glared at Sephiroth with murderous eyes.
"So, if I don't sell you the territory under my command, we will only have to fight with swords and blades from now on?" Red-Haired Shanks said with a sigh.
"Yes! That's why I came to drink with you today. If we can reach an agreement, this is a celebration drink. If we can't..." Sephiroth didn't say the rest, but Red-Haired Shanks already understood. If the deal falls through, benevolence and righteousness will also cease to exist.
"This really is a difficult choice."
As he spoke, Red-Haired Shanks picked up the wine bowl on the table again, tilted his head back, and drank the wine in the bowl in one gulp. Finally, he let out a long puff of white mist from his mouth.
"What a rare good wine! Now I don't want to talk business, I just want to finish drinking the wine first, is that okay?"
"No problem."
After getting Sephiroth's reply, Red-Haired Shanks immediately stood up, picked up the wine jar, and refilled the wine bowls... Just like that, the two of them, in a tense atmosphere, drank the wine in front of them bowl after bowl, in silence.
After a long while, after pouring the last drop of wine from the wine jar into the wine bowl in front of him, Red-Haired Shanks looked at the half bowl of wine in the bowl and sighed:
"It seems it's time to make a choice..."
After speaking, he drank the last half bowl of wine, sipping it little by little.
After doing all this, Red-Haired Shanks looked at him with burning eyes and said seriously:
"Sephiroth, since you want my territory. Then let's have a fight! If you win, I will give you the territory, but if you lose, then you will leave your life behind..."
No matter how easygoing Red-Haired Shanks usually was, he was still a Four Emperors, so on some matters of principle, he absolutely could not be vague. If he were to just sell his territory to Sephiroth like this, not only would he lose all his prestige, but he would also let down those who trusted him.
But... Red-Haired Shanks also knew how dangerous this man in front of him was. If a full-scale war were to break out, both his crew and his territory would definitely suffer heavy losses in the future. Therefore, he proposed this compromise plan.
Sephiroth nodded and said calmly:
"In that case, let's have a fight!"
Seeing this, Red-Haired Shanks immediately gave the order to his crew to leave this island.
In the upcoming battle, he would directly face Sephiroth, an unfathomably powerful enemy. He needed to go all out, so he couldn't spare any attention for his crew. Soon, except for Benn Beckman who was still watching from the side, the other members of the Red Hair Pirates retreated to the ship and left the island.
"Since I learned that you defeated Hawkeye, I've always wanted to find an opportunity to compete with you."
Red-Haired Shanks placed his right hand on the hilt of the famous Saber Griffin. His eyes contained surging fighting spirit, and dark red lightning continuously erupted from his body. The pressure, heavy as a mountain, caused the surrounding ground to crack inch by inch.
Seeing this scene, Sephiroth was not to be outdone. He immediately unleashed his Conqueror's Haki and collided with the opponent's.
Boom-!
Two domineering and vast Conqueror's Haki continuously clashed and crushed, causing the sky and earth to change color.
The sky split open, clouds torn apart as if ripped by an unseen hand. The island trembled beneath their feet, the tremors spreading across the sea, churning the waters into chaotic waves. Two figures stood at the center of this maelstrom, their auras clashing like titans.
Then, in an instant, stillness gave way to blinding speed.
Both fighters cloaked themselves in Conqueror's Haki, their presences vanishing as they drew their sabers and lunged at each other. The air erupted with the clash of steel, sparks flying like scattered stars. The metallic ringing echoed endlessly.
Their movements blurred into afterimages, sabers flashing in a deadly dance of attack and defense. Dozens of strikes were exchanged in mere moments. Sephiroth, wielding twin blades, suddenly disengaged, putting distance between them.
He exhaled softly, a hint of admiration in his tone. "Red-Haired Shanks, you truly live up to your reputation. To rise to the rank of Four Emperors relying solely on Haki and swordsmanship—your strength is no joke. It seems I'll have to get serious if I want to win."
As he spoke, his body shifted, the power of the Vampire Fruit awakening within him. His aura surged, strength and speed multiplying.
Shanks gave a wry smile, his grip tightening on his saber. "Tsk. Your words are grating."
He couldn't deny it—Sephiroth matched him in Haki and swordsmanship. But the man was also a Devil Fruit user, and that unknown factor loomed large.
Sephiroth shrugged, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "What can I say? Haki and swordsmanship aren't my only tools. If you feel at a disadvantage, you could always hunt down a Devil Fruit of your own."
Shanks snorted. "No thanks. I'd rather not become a landlubber."
The next instant, they were at it again. But this time, Sephiroth's speed had skyrocketed, leaving Shanks struggling to keep up. Each strike was a blur, forcing the red-haired emperor into a defensive stance.
In a flash, Sephiroth's left blade parried Shanks' Griffin Saber with brutal force. His right blade hovered at Shanks' neck, a silent declaration of victory.
Almost simultaneously, Benn Beckman appeared at Sephiroth's side, his rifle aimed squarely at the man's forehead.
The tension was palpable.
Shanks chuckled dryly, sheathing his blade. "Ah, I lost. From now on, my territory is yours." He gestured for Benn to lower his weapon, easing the tension.
Sephiroth followed suit, sheathing his sabers. "The winner's been decided, but I won't take your territory without fair exchange. My earlier promise stands—name your conditions. As long as they're reasonable, I'll agree."
Shanks grinned, slinging an arm around Sephiroth's shoulder. "Is that so? Well, I won't hold back then. That wine you brought earlier—do you have more? Two jars won't cut it. I want twenty. Enough for my crew to drink their fill!"
"No problem, guaranteed to be enough!" Sephiroth smiled and nodded, his expression relaxed.