As Beckman and Yasopp discussed the newspaper, Shanks returned from the port, carrying a crate of wine with him.
Seeing the two reading, he grinned and said, "You guys are really boring. Here, want to try some fine wine from my hometown?"
Yasopp glanced at Shanks and sighed, "Captain, do you always have to recommend your hometown's wine? We're sick of drinking that stuff. And honestly, it's not even good."
Shanks had a habit of hyping up West Blue's wine to anyone he met.
But to be frank, West Blue's wine wasn't great. If anything, it was an acquired taste.
Yet, for some reason, Shanks absolutely loved it.
That was why the Red Hair Pirates often made stops in the West Blue just so Shanks could stock up on more of his favorite drink.
"You people have no taste," Shanks teased. "West Blue wine is the romance of men! That slight bitterness with a touch of sweetness, it's just like life."
Beckman took a slow drag of his cigarette before handing the newspaper to Shanks.
"Speaking of life, Captain, take a look at this."
Shanks raised an eyebrow, confused by Beckman's tone.
Setting the crate of wine down by his feet, he took the newspaper and gave it a casual glance.
A moment later, his expression darkened.
Then, after a brief silence, his gloom turned into helplessness.
Finally, he let out a bitter smile.
"So? How's the 'wine of life' taste now?" Beckman quipped, his sarcasm cutting deep.
Shanks' eye twitched. His teeth ached just looking at the article.
"Congratulations, Beckman," Shanks muttered. "For the first time ever, you've made me consider quitting drinking."
Then, with an exasperated sigh, he folded the newspaper and sat down on the wine crate.
Beckman exhaled a plume of smoke. "Any thoughts?"
Shanks was silent for a moment before muttering, "No thoughts."
Then, after a short pause, he added, "But this really feels like a complete defeat... it's frustrating."
"Bitterness mixed with a hint of regret?" Yasopp chuckled.
Shanks shot him a glare, shaking the newspaper in annoyance.
"Yasopp, your kid's in this mess too. Shouldn't you be more concerned instead of teasing me?"
Yasopp sighed and leaned back. "Five years in prison isn't so bad. What else can I do? He made his choice when he went out to sea. A real pirate should be prepared for something like this."
"Am I supposed to storm Impel Down and break him out?" Yasopp scoffed.
"Not to mention, his sentence could get reduced over time."
Shanks nodded.
Although he had entrusted his straw hat to Luffy, he never expected this outcome.
He had planned to meet Luffy out at sea someday.
But fate had taken an unexpected turn.
Back then, he didn't know Luffy was Garp's grandson.
Now, in hindsight, it made perfect sense.
Of course, Garp would personally drag Luffy to Impel Down without a second thought.
And just like Yasopp said, what was he supposed to do? Break into Impel Down?
Even though Shanks tried to rationalize it, the whole thing still left him feeling...
Defeated.
Like placing a bet on a dark horse, only for that horse to trip and fall before the race even started.
It made Shanks incredibly uncomfortable.
After a long silence, Shanks suddenly muttered,
"I feel kind of demoralized."
Beckman raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Shanks let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"It feels like I failed at life."
He started listing things off.
"I was on Roger's ship, but I never made it to Laugh Tale."
"I wanted to start a crew with Buggy, but he ditched me immediately."
"I became a pirate, but I've always felt like an outsider."
"The other three Emperors just had a reunion, and I wasn't invited."
"The Marines are about to make a huge move in the New World, but they don't even seem to care about me."
"Two years ago, I had this grand idea to show up at Mariejois and negotiate with the Celestial Dragons to stop the war."
"And what happened?"
Shanks sighed.
"And now? After years of waiting, I finally found a kid who reminded me of Captain Roger."
"I gave him my hat. Put my hopes in him."
"And what does he do? He lasts two months before getting thrown into Impel Down, by his own grandfather, no less."
Shanks took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
His life seemed perfect on the surface, but now he realized...
It was full of regrets.
He shook his head and muttered,
"West Blue wine. A West Blue man.
Hah… this is just sad."
Beckman hadn't expected Shanks to suddenly have a full-blown existential crisis.
What was this?
A mid-life crisis for a Yonko?!
"Captain, don't be like that. Get your energy back!" Beckman urged.
Shanks suddenly clapped his hands on his thighs and made a declaration.
"I've decided—starting today, I'm taking things easy!"
"No more getting involved in anything!
Let the Red Hair Pirates roam freely on the sea!
The New World war? Not my problem!"
"The end of the Great Pirate Era?
Not my concern!"
Beckman and Yasopp were completely dumbfounded.
"Captain… isn't that exactly how we've always been?"
Shanks, completely ignoring their comments, suddenly brightened up.
"By the way, have you guys heard about this amazing West Blue dish?"
And just like that, he was back to normal.
Beckman and Yasopp stared at him in silence.
Something felt off.
Like he just pulled a fast one on them... but they couldn't quite figure out how.
---
Meanwhile, across the world, a new generation of pirates had entered the Grand Line.
These newcomers were wild, ruthless, and chaotic.
Unlike the pirates of previous years, they ignored all rules.
They attacked Marine bases, looted government offices, and even hunted down fellow pirates.
Because of their reckless brutality, they had earned the nickname:
"The Worst Generation."
Many believed they represented the final, desperate surge of the Great Pirate Era.
However, no matter how "evil" they were, they were still just rookies.
To figures like Claudius, they were nothing more than children playing pirates.
---
At Marine Headquarters in the New World, Gion walked alongside Borsalino toward a secret research facility.
Today marked the first field test of a new war weapon.
As they walked, Gion suddenly asked, "Have you heard about the 'Worst Generation'?"
Kizaru blinked in confusion.
After a moment, he lazily smacked his lips.
"Oh… you mean those new rookies?"
"I heard they're real troublemakers. No respect for authority. Attacking Marine bases, looting countries... even hunting down fellow pirates?"
Gion smirked. "That's right. Just recently, a kid named Eustass Kid took out an entire Beast Pirates fleet."
Kizaru pouted. "Hoh… how interesting. You planning to clean them up?"
Gion shook her head. "No need. These kinds of people make great pawns in the New World."
Kizaru chuckled. "Fair enough."
To them, the "Worst Generation" were nothing but small fish.
And small fish always got eaten first.
(To be continued.)
***
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