Chapter 273

Beckman, with his gray hair slicked back, smoked a cigar as he squatted beside the water scooter parked at the shore, looking deeply interested.

Laki and Jesus Boy stayed on the pirate ship's deck, not disturbing their captain's conversation with that man.

Shanks and Luo En sat on the rocks, breathing the sea breeze and drinking wine.

Word after word.

"I didn't expect you to come alone."

"Didn't you have Hawk-Eye deliver the message?"

"Then aren't you worried we might turn against you?"

"No matter. Whether one-on-one or one against many, I don't care."

Shanks felt a slight tremor inside him at the powerful confidence and aura hidden in Luo En's casual words.

To speak such words to a Four Emperor faction…

Has his confidence in his own strength reached this level?

"Nice water scooter."

Shanks, with three scars across his face, glanced at the water scooter and smiled at Luo En: "Where did you get it?"

"That thing wasn't gotten from anywhere."

Luo En lifted his wine saucer, took a sip, and said: "I made it myself."

Shanks blinked in mild surprise: "You made it yourself? Do you even understand machinery?"

Luo En smiled but did not answer his question.

Shanks did not press further.

"How's Luffy now?"

"With Lei Li—he's probably learning Haki."

"Is that so… If it's Mr. Lei Li, he'll surely teach him well."

Shanks nodded.

He took a sip of wine and looked at Luo En: "You've met Hawk-Eye already, right? That fight—who won?"

"I did."

"So… that guy has finally been pulled off the throne of swordsmen…"

Shanks drank again and sighed.

Then.

He looked earnestly at Luo En before him: "I've fought Hawk-Eye many times—I know his strength well. To defeat that man in swordsmanship… honestly, it exceeds my imagination."

"At only twenty, you've reached the peak of all three forms of Haki, and your swordsmanship surpasses even the strongest living great swordsman. Even in the era of countless heroes twenty years ago, no such existence existed. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed such a monster existed in this world…"

"Calling someone a monster to their face…"

Luo En picked up his cup, poured himself another drink, raised his head, and met Shanks's red eyes with his own deep blue gaze: "Isn't that a bit rude?"

Shanks lifted his saucer, drained it in one gulp, held up the empty saucer to Luo En, and grinned: "How's that?"

Luo En said nothing more.

He took a sip of wine and spoke to the One of the Four Emperors, Shanks, before him: "Actually, I came here to meet you not just to keep our appointment—I also have some things I need to ask you."

"What things?"

"What is your relationship with the World Government?"

Shanks's brow tightened slightly.

"Why ask that?"

Luo En gazed at him calmly.

Shanks set down his saucer, his expression growing serious: "It seems you know quite a bit."

"I just happened to learn a few things."

Shanks stared deeply at Luo En:

"You really are an unfathomable man."

After taking a sip of wine, he raised his eyes to Luo En and said:

"I do have connections with the Five Elders."

Luo En narrowed his eyes.

Then.

Shanks told Luo En a secret unknown to the world.

It was the story of what happened after the Luo Jie Pirates reached the legendary island, Laugh Tale.

This story contained the truth deliberately hidden across the Grand Line.

That truth was tied to the legendary D一族 and to the Empty Century eight hundred years ago.

When the Luo Jie Pirates arrived at Laugh Tale,

they discovered the island was the ruins of the D Kingdom recorded on the Poneglyphs!

There, they learned all the truths hidden across the seas!

237, the Hidden Truth, Shanks's Purpose

Eight hundred years ago,

the entire sea was ruled by a great empire that controlled the three ancient weapons.

Then, in a certain year,

a miraculous fruit suddenly appeared across the seas—those who ate it gained abilities beyond normal humans, but were cursed by the ocean, forever forbidden from touching seawater.

This fruit was called the Devil Fruit.

As the number of Devil Fruit users in the world increased,

some ambitious kings no longer wished to be ruled by the great empire.

Thus, twenty kings recruited Devil Fruit users, gathered together, and schemed to steal control of the three ancient weapons from the great empire.

Then, on a certain day, they collectively rebelled!

With a vast number of Devil Fruit users, they launched a world war that overturned the seas against the great empire!

The great empire, having lost the three ancient weapons, was utterly defeated; some descendants escaped, but most were eradicated on this island of Laugh Tale.

Afterward,

the twenty kings who had stolen everything from the great empire established the World Government and called themselves the Creators.

Within a hundred years of the World Government's founding, they went to great lengths to erase all traces of the great empire—including any evidence of its existence—from the seas.

Only the stone steles inscribed with the Void Century, which could not be destroyed, and the descendants carrying the bloodline of the great empire remained in the world.

This was the Blank Century.

"After learning everything, Captain Luo Jie, suffering from a terminal illness, had little time left."

"On a certain day, he handed me both that straw hat and this sword, and instructed me to find someone bearing the D. lineage, give them the straw hat, and ensure that one day they reach Laugh Tale and reveal all the truth."

"So you found Monkey D. Luffy, the grandson of Karp, who bears the D. name—and gave up an arm to lead him onto the path of piracy?"

Shanks nodded silently.

"Then what's your relationship with the World Government?"

Shanks took a sip of wine: "It was a deal."

"A deal?"

"Yes." Shanks gave a slight nod: "I gave the World Government the Red Line that Captain Luo Jie obtained on Fish-Man Island."

Luo En blinked in surprise, puzzled: "Why?"

"The World Government fears pirates reaching Laugh Tale. To reach Laugh Tale, one must collect all four Red Lines and be able to read the historical texts," Shanks drank again, then looked up at Luo En and said:

"Do you think it's easier to eliminate the three Sea Emperors—or to secure one Red Line, ensuring no one can ever collect all the markers to reach Laugh Tale, and then eliminate every scholar capable of reading the historical texts?"

"To prevent war between the government and the pirates."

Luo En frowned slightly: "So this is why you gave the Red Line to the World Government?"

"Exactly." Shanks nodded: "In my view, the timing was far from right. The pirates were fractured, scheming against each other; if war broke out, they would stand no chance against the World Government and the Navy."

"Later, I became the fourth Sea Emperor. To the Five Elders, I was the perfect ally to balance the seas—for having surrendered a Red Line and prevented a great war. So they began courting me."

Here, Shanks smiled at Luo En: "Whether you believe it or not, this is the truth."

Luo En took a sip of wine, fell silent for a moment, then looked at him and said:

"So why did you come to me today?"