"Take a look at this."
Shamrock took it and glanced over, immediately shocked:
"Shanks' matter has already spread?"
"Yes! It has spread! I, a dignified Five Elder, suddenly became the father of a pirate! What a disgrace!"
Saint Garling grew increasingly furious, kicked the nearby stone pillar into pieces, and gritted his teeth:
"When that kid returned to the Holy Land years ago, I was momentarily soft-hearted and didn't personally end him. And now look at it! He has become the global laughingstock of our Figarland family!"
Originally, I thought the Pentagram Emblem bestowed by the master would be enough to restrain Shanks, making him not dare to leave the Divine Knight Order.
But who could have imagined.
That kid severed his entire arm just to regain his freedom; talk about guts!
"I understand what you mean, sir."
Shamrock's eyes flashed with cold intent, "I'll take my men to bring back Morgans right away; we can't let this kind of public opinion spread any further!"
"Morgans is now on the territory of the Endgame."
Saint Garling squinted at him:
"If I remember correctly, last time facing Shano, you abandoned your subordinates and fled back to the Holy Land; do you really have the courage to face him again?"
At Shano's place?
Shamrock's eye twitched, and the fierce decisiveness disappeared instantly, replaced by a look of hesitation and difficulty.
Expected this reaction!
Saint Garling snorted coldly.
Sure enough, both of my sons inherited the inferior bloodline of that lowly woman from Divine Valley!
One, instead of properly serving as a Divine Knight, returned to continue being a pirate;
The other, after a trip to the Lower Realm, was beaten by pirates into cowardice, leaving him with a psychological shadow.
Two useless beings!
"Since you already know, coming to me, do you want..." Shamrock tried to ask.
"Public opinion can no longer be salvaged; what's the use of catching a mere bird?"
Saint Garling sneered, "It's better to solve the problem directly from the root!"
Shamrock's pupils shrank: "You mean..."
"That renegade Shanks, betraying the family, should have paid the price long ago! Previously, I turned a blind eye only because his identity wasn't exposed!"
Saint Garling wore no expression, "And now, with the situation developing to this extent, he must be erased from this world."
"I understand, I'll..."
"No, you're insufficient alone."
Saint Garling interrupted coldly, "Though that renegade insists on being a pirate, he is indeed stronger than you, and this time I will personally act, bringing you and the six most elite knights of the Divine Knight Order."
"Then, find an excuse to contact him, arrange a solo meeting; his crew can be troublesome, it's safest to catch him alone, if we're to clean up the family, we must ensure absolute fail-safety!"
Shamrock heard the words, his eyes flashed with complex emotions.
Although he and Shanks had long become strangers, with no emotions involved, they were still connected by blood.
But soon, this shred of hesitation was replaced by reverence for his father.
"Yes, sir."
He bowed respectfully, "Please rest assured, I'll immediately arrange the manpower."
Saint Garling nodded in satisfaction. After Shamrock left, he stood alone in the center of the empty courtyard, gazing at the gradually darkening sky.
"My choice is right."
Saint Garling murmured softly.
Will there be reluctance in killing his own son?
Unknown, maybe a little.
But, irrelevant!
Just like the time in Divine Valley when he killed that woman with a sword, his heart barely stirred.
After all, whether public or private, Shanks must be eliminated!
Humiliation aside,
On the other hand, he also saw.
This kid has always secretly been involved in the rebellion against the World Government, but it's merely a group of pirates, rabble, insignificant.
And now, finally, with a reliable leader, he has bet everything on Shano!
Otherwise, last year he wouldn't have gone to Black Stone City to meet Shano specifically, nor repeatedly led his crew attempting to rescue Shano!
"Given this, why not settle everything personally."
Saint Garling's gaze coldly sharpened:
"First deal with Shanks, the family's disgrace, then cut off the Endgame's major support, and concentrate all efforts on confronting Shano!"
......
Meanwhile, in East Sea, Windmill Village.
Machino covered her face, sobbing with her shoulders trembling, tears seeping through her fingers, dampening the newspaper below.
"How could this happen..." She choked, "How could it happen, sobs, Shanks turned out to be a Heavenly Celestial Dragon..."
The tavern patrons, mostly local villagers, sighed in lament.
"Not only Heavenly Celestial Dragon, heard he's also the son of the World Government's leader."
"Truly elite second-generation official, even regular Heavenly Celestial Dragons must behave meekly before him."
"Couldn't have imagined, when he stayed a year in our Windmill Village, I thought he was a good young man, even helped match him with Machino..."
"Good, my foot! Probably pretending to woo her, hmph, what Heavenly Celestial Dragon ever regards mortals as anything!"
"Hush! Shut up, you idiots, bringing this up; don't you see how sad Machino is crying?" An older villager glared immediately.
In the past.
In these remote rural areas, people thought of the Heavenly Celestial Dragons as high-ranking figures far away, descendants of the gods.
Absolutely untouchable.
The understanding really wasn't much.
Now it's different.
After newspapers repeatedly exposed their atrocities, everyone knows the ruthless deeds of Heavenly Celestial Dragons, and mentions of them only bring physiological disgust and repulsion.
In the corner, a straw-hat-wearing boy suddenly stood up, his fist clad in Seastone shackles slammed hard on the table.
"What a joke!"
Luffy grabbed the newspaper, tore it to shreds, angrily shouted, "Shanks can't be trash like that! The newspaper is spouting nonsense!"
He worked in the diner on the shopping street for months, listening to countless patrons' discussions, he's no longer ignorant of the outside world!
He knows exactly what kind of scum the Heavenly Celestial Dragons are!
But how could that make sense...
Finally having a break, finally returning to visit family and relax for a few days, yet upon arriving, without even warming the seat, he encountered such a dreadful piece of news!
"Luffy..."
Machino lifted her tearful eyes, gazing at the little brother who grew up in the tavern.
"The newspaper states clearly, with photos as evidence."
Beside, a villager sighed, "It's undeniable, Shanks indeed is a Heavenly Celestial Dragon."
"So what!"
Luffy tore off his straw hat, clutched it tight, eyes ablaze with anger:
"Shanks is Shanks! He saved my life; he's the best person in the world! I don't care if he's a Heavenly Celestial Dragon or a Pirate King!"
Suddenly, the tavern fell silent.
Everyone stared at the usually carefree kid, now showcasing unprecedented determination.
"But Luffy."
Machino wiped her tears, her voice still choked with sobs, "If he truly is a Heavenly Celestial Dragon, then perhaps everything in Windmill Village was a performance..."
"Impossible!"
Luffy broke in decisively, "Shanks' promise to me was genuine! He said he'd watch me sail, watch me become the Pirate King! This straw hat is proof!"
He clung tightly to the slightly worn straw hat, as if it were his most treasured possession.
"Besides, to save me, he sacrificed an arm to the Sea Beast! Really think about it, who performs to such lengths!"
Luffy's voice resonated in the tavern, leaving everyone silent.
Machino watched him, her tears slowly stopping.
Exactly, the villagers all knew this.
The man who, to save Luffy, faced the ferocious Sea Beast, willfully sacrificing an arm, how could he be such a deceitful Heavenly Celestial Dragon?
"No impossible! To old man, that Red-Hair brat is acting, Luffy!"
At that moment, the tavern's slatted door swung open, and a particularly tall figure entered.
This familiar loud voice drew everyone's gaze; many customers suddenly showed surprise:
"Hey?! Mr. Garp!"