"Pirate King, you say? You look so weak. How do you plan to become the Pirate King?"
"What?! I'm super strong! My punches are as fast as bullets, and my body is as hard as iron! I'll definitely become the greatest pirate ever!"
Thud!
"Ow! That hurt! What did you do that for?"
"You're not as tough as you claim. You're just bragging."
"Jerk!" Luffy clutched his head and shouted indignantly.
"Believe whatever you want," Ryu said dismissively.
Bang!
"Ouch!" Luffy rubbed his hand, wincing in pain. It felt like he'd punched a block of cold, unyielding steel.
"What are you? How can your body be this hard? How did you even do that?"
Ryu sighed inwardly, deciding to end this childish exchange. "I'm Ikano D. Ryu. If you train properly, your body will get stronger too. Clearly, you haven't had much professional training. Now, go back to eating—I don't have time to talk to kids."
"Tch! You're a kid too!" Luffy pouted, crossing his arms.
From the corner of the tavern, Shanks had been quietly observing their interaction with great interest. He found it amusing but also intriguing. Eventually, he stepped closer.
[Random Quest Triggered: Shank's Test – Engage in combat with any member of the Red-Haired Pirates for a random reward.]
"Interesting kid. You seem pretty strong," Shanks remarked casually from behind Ryu.
"You seem pretty strong too," Ryu replied, glancing at the Western-style sword hanging at Shanks' side. "Are you a swordsman?"
"Yes, I am."
"Then… would you spar with me?"
If he was going to fight someone from the Red-Haired Pirates, it might as well be the strongest among them. Losing to Shanks wouldn't make much difference anyway, and perhaps fighting a powerful opponent would yield better rewards.
"Hahahaha! This kid wants to challenge the captain!" Yasopp burst into uncontrollable laughter.
The entire tavern erupted in cheers and jeers, leaving Ryu momentarily overwhelmed by the absurdity of the situation. Despite the mockery, Shanks regarded Ryu seriously—he could tell the boy wasn't joking around.
"Let's take this outside. I'll be careful not to hurt you," Shanks said calmly.
"Mm." Ryu nodded without hesitation. Even if he got injured, he could recover easily enough—after all, he could always drink more blood. Still, avoiding injury altogether was preferable.
With that, the tavern fell silent.
"The captain actually accepted the duel!"
"It's unexpected, but it's exactly something the captain would do."
"Look! That pirate is going to duel Master Ryu!"
"Go, Master Ryu! You can do it!"
"Ryu!"
"Ryu!"
...
The chorus of encouragement echoed in Ryu's ears, making him cringe internally. Sure, he was far stronger than an average person, but compared to Shanks? There was no contest. As he faced the stern-looking Shanks, Ryu took a deep breath. His Power Level was only 300, while Shanks likely exceeded 100,000.
This was akin to 300 Spartans facing 100,000 Athenians. He needed to summon every ounce of determination he possessed.
Soon, they arrived at an open square.
"This space should suffice. Does it work for you?" Shanks asked politely.
"Yes, it's fine."
"Hey, hey, Captain! You're really going through with this?!" Lucky Roo exclaimed in disbelief.
In the next moment, as if on cue, both fighters charged toward each other simultaneously. The instant Shanks drew his sword, Ryu sensed something—a premonition of danger.
At the point of contact, Ryu twisted his body slightly to the left, narrowly dodging Shanks' strike. Without missing a beat, Ryu countered with a thrust aimed at Shanks' chest.
Unfortunately, the disparity in skill was overwhelming. Shanks reacted instantly, raising his blade to parry the attack.
Anticipating Shanks' movement, Ryu shifted his aim mid-strike, targeting the pirate captain's thigh instead. But Shanks moved with impossible speed, altering his defensive stance inhumanly quickly to block the blow.
When their swords clashed, Ryu felt an immense force reverberate through his arm. His ordinary longsword clattered to the ground, and he stared down at his trembling hands. In that moment, he realized the true extent of the gap between them. He didn't even have the courage to pick up his weapon anymore.
Lucky Roux: "Wait… Did that kid just dodge the captain's attack and counter? Could it be—"
Ben Beckman: "No mistake. That's exactly what it is."
Shanks: "Haki! He's already awakened Observation's Haki at such a young age! Kid, you're a genius!"
Ryu looked up at Shanks, his eyes filled with resolve. After taking a few seconds to compose himself, he finally calmed down.
Being defeated so swiftly didn't embarrass him—it excited him.
After all, the system reward for completing the quest seemed promising.
[Congratulations, Host!
You successfully engaged in combat with Shanks of the Red-Haired Pirates and earned his astonishment.
Reward: Skill – Peak Mastery.]
Peak Mastery, huh? Sounds promising. I wonder what it does.
Picking up his fallen sword and sheathing it, Ryu declared firmly, "This time, I lost. But next time, I will defeat you."
"Haha! Kid, I'm not that easy to beat!"
"I'll do it," Ryu responded with unwavering conviction.
[New Quest Triggered: Defeat Shanks.
Time limit: None.
Rewards depend on completion time.]
Meanwhile, Ryu's crew members stood nearby, their jaws practically dragging on the floor. Their invincible master—their idol—had been defeated so effortlessly.
"Don't worry, Master Ryu! Next time, you'll definitely win against him!"
Amidst the flood of consoling voices, Ryu wanted nothing more than to sink into the ground. His pride couldn't handle this level of public embarrassment. He'd need to get used to scenes like this in the future.
Shanks walked over to Ryu, patting him lightly on the shoulder. "The party isn't over yet, kid. Let's head back inside."
"Alright."
Back at Makino's Tavern:
"Kid, your name's Ryu, right? I'm Shanks. Cheers!" Shanks raised a mug of beer enthusiastically.
"My full name is Ikano D. Ryu, but Ryu works too."
"Hahaha! Don't be so stiff, kid. Parties are supposed to be fun! Hey, everyone! Let's sing a song!"
Before Ryu could react, a lively tune began playing throughout the tavern. Instantly, he recognized it—the beloved pirate anthem, Binks' Sake .
"Yo-ho-ho-ho → Yo-ho-ho-ho ↑
Yo-ho-ho-ho → Yo-ho-ho-ho ↑
...
Here's to Binks' brew, sailing free wherever we go~
..."
As the upbeat melody filled the air, the tavern transformed into a scene of pure revelry.
Laughter and singing echoed off the walls, creating an infectious atmosphere of joy.
Midway through the festivities, Ryu joined Shanks and the others in a drinking contest—though Ryu substituted juice for alcohol.