Enel's initial bravado faded quickly upon realizing that his opponent was none other than one of the Four Emperors, standing alongside Whitebeard. This wasn't a joke.
This was a Four Emperor! Their strength was no laughing matter!
With the experience of nearly being taken down by Whitebeard fresh in his mind, Enel couldn't help but feel a slight fear toward the Four Emperors.
Now that he thought about it, it actually made sense that this red-haired man had been able to slash through his thunder dragon so easily…
Even so, Enel stubbornly brought up Takumi's name. "So what if you're a Four Emperor? Our captain is someone even Whitebeard gives face to!"
Kaku groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why can't you just keep your mouth shut for once…"
Shanks and his crew, on the other hand, were a bit taken aback.
"Eh?" Shanks raised an eyebrow. "Whitebeard doesn't give me face, yet he gives some to Takumi? Hahahaha, looks like Takumi's really made a name for himself."
"Huh?" Enel blinked in confusion, suddenly recalling that Shanks had mentioned earlier that they knew Takumi. Skeptical, he asked, "You guys really know Takumi?"
"Of course," Shanks waved his hand. "I've known him since he was ten years old. I even tried to recruit him for my crew back then, but he turned me down. Hahaha, can you believe that?"
Hearing this, Shanks' crew broke into laughter, quickly turning the moment into a cheerful conversation.
"Captain, maybe your charm just wasn't strong enough!"
"Yeah, maybe if you were a curvy beauty, Takumi might have said yes! Hahaha!"
"Speaking of beauties... Captain, when are we heading to Amazon Lily? I hear their queen is quite the looker."
"You know Amazon Lily is surrounded by the Calm Belt. If the Sea Kings eat you on the way, it'll be a hassle for us to come and rescue you."
"Haha, you're right. Never mind then!"
Shanks wasn't bothered by his crew's teasing. Instead, he stroked his chin and glanced between Enel and Kaku before focusing on Kaku. "From what I know of Takumi, he's not someone who enjoys being around too many people. It surprised me enough that he took on one crew member, but now he has two?"
Yasopp laughed, "Haha, seeing that kid reminds me of my son, Usopp. Do you guys want to hear about him again?"
His comment was met with a chorus of groans from the crew.
"Come on, Yasopp, our ears are going numb from hearing about him."
"Yasopp, if you miss your son that much, why don't you ask the captain for leave and go visit him?"
Shanks chimed in, "Yeah, if you really want to, after we're done here, we can take a trip to the East Blue."
Yasopp waved his hand dismissively, "No, no, not yet. I chose the life of a free pirate, and I can't go back just yet. I've already failed as a father, and if I lose sight of my dreams, then what's left of my life? Hahaha!"
It was clear that Shanks and his crew had already dismissed Enel and Kaku from their conversation entirely.
From the moment Shanks mentioned that he had known Takumi since he was ten years old, Enel and Kaku had been completely shocked.
It was already astonishing enough that Takumi was drinking buddies with Whitebeard, but now it turned out he also knew another of the Four Emperors?
And from the way Shanks was talking, it seemed like his relationship with Takumi was quite friendly…
"Hey," Enel couldn't help but interrupt. "Shanks, right?"
Shanks cheerfully raised his right hand in greeting. "That's me."
Enel's lips twitched as he asked, "What exactly is your relationship with Takumi? I've been with him for a while now, and he's never mentioned you."
"Eh? He hasn't mentioned me at all?" Shanks pretended to be heartbroken. "That brat… Does knowing me embarrass him? He didn't even bring me up? No way, I'm definitely going to make him drink three cups as punishment when I see him!"
Enel: "..."
Kaku couldn't help but smile wryly.
"I don't believe this guy," Enel grumbled, gripping his golden staff tightly. "Long-nose, you hold them off, I'm going to find Takumi and confirm this."
Kaku: "?"
Before Kaku could respond, Enel had already transformed into lightning and zipped away, leaving Kaku standing there alone, dumbfounded.
Kaku's expression shifted through various emotions, silently cursing Enel under his breath.
"Huh? He just left? He sure moves fast," Shanks said with a grin, returning to his usual carefree demeanor. "Alright, boys, let's head to Mihawk's castle!"
"Hell yeah!" Shanks' crew cheered in unison.
Kaku wasn't sure what to do.
He was well aware of his own strength, and being tasked with stopping Shanks and his crew was like a death sentence…
That idiot Enel really left him in a bad spot…
"Uh… I… I have something to say," Kaku stammered, stepping in front of Shanks and his crew, though his nerves were obvious.
Though Kaku knew Shanks wouldn't have any reason to lie, Enel had left him to stall them, so he couldn't just stand by and do nothing…
"We can talk at Mihawk's place," Shanks said with a relaxed smile, casually brushing past Kaku.
Yasopp clapped Kaku on the shoulder as he passed, grinning. "Kid, I've got a good feeling about you, haha."
With that, Yasopp strolled leisurely behind Shanks and the rest of the crew, all heading toward Takumi's castle.
As for Kaku, aside from that one sentence, he didn't say another word.
Watching Shanks and his crew walk away, Kaku muttered to himself, "I tried to stop them, but I failed... Yep, that's how it went."
Meanwhile, Enel returned to the castle in seconds, appearing in Takumi's room.
"Hey, Captain, a Four Emperor just arrived, and they say they know you. You should come take a look!" Enel shouted, trying to rouse Takumi from his sleep.
Takumi frowned, turning over in bed and facing away from Enel. His tone was clearly irritated. "Get out."
"Huh?" Enel's lips twitched. "Didn't you hear me? A Four Emperor is here! A Four Emperor! Just like Whitebeard! He's strong enough to easily cut down my thunder dragon!"
"If you say one more word, I'll cut you down myself."
"Uh… if you don't go, Long-Nose is going to get killed by them…"
"I'll deal with you first if you don't shut up."
Enel: "..."
"Fine…" Enel sighed in defeat. Using his Observation Haki, he sensed that Shanks and his crew were already making their way toward the castle, with Kaku trailing behind them…
"Long-Nose really is useless," Enel muttered under his breath. He left the room and dragged a chair over to sit outside Takumi's door, crossing his legs and waiting for Shanks and his crew to arrive.
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