"Suika Meow, can you share a bit more of your sake with me? Just one sip, just one sip!"
"What suika Meow'?! You should call her Lady Suika! Lady Suika, please be kind! Give me a sip of sake!"
"Me too! Me too!"
"It over... After drinking Lady Suika sake, I can't drink any other alcohol anymore..."
"If the Boss can't get Suika Meow to join our pirate crew, should we defect to Sherwin?"
"...That a great idea!"
Just as Sherwin had expected, Suika Meow had single-handedly taken down the entire Red Hair Pirates, including Shanks.
However, what he hadn't anticipated was that by the time they woke up the next day, at least a third of the crew members were eagerly hovering around Suika Meow, all just to get a single sip of Ibuki Sake.
"Sherwin, I think what you said yesterday actually made quite a lot of sense..."
Shanks ignored his group of subordinates who were clamoring about defecting and instead found Sherwin, throwing his single arm around Sherwin shoulder.
"What?"
Unable to react in time, Sherwin looked confused. He had said so much yesterday that he wasn't sure which part Shanks was referring to.
"Ahem, about teaching you Divine Departure and Observation Killing..." Shanks deliberately avoided eye contact with Sherwin and said sheepishly,
"They are, after all, Captain Roger ultimate techniques, so... shouldn't your payment be increased a little?"
"...You want Ibuki Sake, don't you?"
Sherwin stared speechlessly at Shanks for a while, watching until the other man looked embarrassed and restless, before rolling his eyes and asking with certainty.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Shanks nodded his head rapidly and pointed at the nearby Red Hair Pirates who were making a fuss, explaining—or rather, covering up—with great conviction, "It not that I want to drink it myself, you know! Look at them if I don't ask you for some Ibuki Sake, my crew is going to run away!"
If I didn't know what the situation was like over on Whitebeard side, I might have actually believed that.
Sherwin rolled his eyes speechlessly again, but he didn't expose the excuse.
After all, he had been prepared to trade with Shanks from the very beginning. Furthermore, for Suika Meow, who possessed the powers of the Density Fruit, it was impossible for the sake in her gourd to ever run dry...
Just as Sherwin predicted, after reaching a deal with Sherwin, Shanks intended to pocket most of the Ibuki Sake for himself, planning to take out only two or three barrels to appease his subordinates.
However, unlike the Whitebeard Pirates, which was a one-man show, the hierarchy of the Red-Haired Pirates was not that distinct. Thus, Shank "conspiracy" to hog most of the Ibuki sake had barely begun before it was discovered by several executives, led by Beckman.
The final result was naturally that even the portion that should have belonged to Shanks was completely carved up by the members of the Red-Haired Pirates in a total reversal of the natural order.
"Don't look at me our deal is already over."
Facing Shank eager gaze, Sherwin decisively placed his hands in front of him, making a large X.
Even though Ibuki sake was no different from water to the Hunter group, that didn't stop him from kicking a man while he was down and enjoying Shank misfortune.
Of course, Sherwin eventually "surreptitiously" stuffed a bottle of Ibuki sake to Shanks after all...
Huamei still needed his guidance, didn't she?
Sherwin, who had mastered various workplace skills, understood this bit of worldly wisdom when necessary.
Sure enough, after receiving an "extra" bottle of Ibuki sake from Sherwin, Shanks immediately beamed with joy and proactively brought up the matter of guidance.
"Didn't you want me to teach Huamei Divine Departure and Observation Killing? There no time like the present, let start now! Also, you and the others can follow along and listen. Even without Conqueror Haki, some of the techniques involved are still very useful."
And so, Shanks was quickly surrounded by Sherwin and a group of Felynes, while the members of the Red-Haired Pirates were completely uninterested, taking the Ibuki sake they had just acquired to start a second banquet...
Well, this operation was very pirate-like indeed.
"Come, let me first see your level of mastery over Conqueror Haki."
Because Sherwin had already mentioned to Shanks that Huamei had tinkered with the usage of Conqueror Haki on her own, he didn't start imparting experience directly. Instead, he drew Gryphon from his waist, intending to first see Huamei foundation.
Actually, that not quite right—following the habits of the Pirate World, even if he didn't know all that, this lesson would likely have started with "having a fight first" anyway.
While Sherwin was lost in thought, the great Huamei had already stood before Shanks. Knowing her strength was inferior to her opponent, Huamei didn't waste words and directly used her strongest attack.
Mink Mode: On!
Link Time: On!
Observation Killing: On!
The small tabby Felyne, her body entwined with both black and blue lightning simultaneously, flickered in motion and appeared on Shank left side—the side where he had lost his arm.
"Bale: A Sprig of Plum Blossom Meow!"
Clang—!
Shanks appeared to block Huamei strike with ease, but the expression on his face was filled with astonishment.
"Did Mr. Rayleigh really not give you any pointers?" Shanks couldn't help but question after swinging his blade to push Huamei back. "Leaving the attack aside for a moment, this Observation Killing feels even more practiced than when I use it, hey!"
"I get it... you also used that technique of Sherwin to hide your voice, right?"
Despite looking unreliable most of the time, an Emperor was an Emperor after all. Without waiting for Huamei to explain, Shanks realized what was happening.
Then, he said to Huamei, "Now, try attacking me using only the Observation Killing techniques of Conqueror Haki."
Huamei nodded, deactivated her spirit possession state, and once again raised the Azure Sea in her hands...
"Rain: Scattered Plum Blossoms Meow!"
Huamei figure flickered and circled around Shanks, the small sword in her hand like a relentless downpour, thrusting toward Shanks from every conceivable angle.
Shanks, however, used one foot as an axis, parrying all of Huamei Meow attacks without shifting his position at all. For a moment, the "clanging" sounds of colliding blades merged into a single, continuous note.
Judging by the sheer momentum alone, this was even more intense than the previous exchange between Sherwin and Shanks. Even the members of the Red Hair Pirates, who were holding a banquet nearby, were drawn over by the commotion.
And then...
They were once again thoroughly demoralized by Sherwin Felynes.
Quite a few of them realized that even without considering the two Logia Felynes, they still couldn't defeat the small tabby cat before them—whose bounty was actually near the bottom of the entire Felyne Investigation Team.
While this was partly because the World Government didn't understand Huamei Meow true strength, these pirates clearly weren't considering such details.
"These Felynes aren't nearly as harmless as they look on the surface..."
Benn Beckman exhaled a smoke ring and muttered with a face full of emotion, "Speaking of which, several rookies who joined recently, along with some of the old-timers, have gradually grown slack since the Captain became one of the Four Emperors. It looks like I'll have to tighten their springs a bit."
The members of the Red Hair Pirates had no idea their first mate was contemplating cranking up the intensity of their training. Once they recovered from the shock of the Felyne prowess, they began to cheer and jeer from the sidelines, just as they had the day before.
"Little Huamei! Go for it!"
"Give this captain a good lesson for trying to keep our fine wine for himself!"
"Chief! Don't you dare hurt Miss Huamei! What if Sherwin stops giving us wine in the future?!"
"Right, right, right! Captain, go easy! Don't hurt little sister Huamei!"
Shanks: "..."