Sabaody Archipelago.
"Will the captain be sent to Impel Down, or will he be executed?" Lucky Roux and the others were panicking. "We have to rescue him no matter what!"
They were willing to risk everything.
"Let's not rush. We should wait for more information. Just because Shanks was captured doesn't necessarily an he's in imdiate danger," Ben Beckman hesitated.
He was smart enough to have sensed sothing unusual from past conversations between Kuke and Shanks.
Shanks had a special status.
And it was connected to the World Governnt.
"So you're saying the captain might co back?" Yasopp and the others placed their trust in Beckman's judgnt.
As they anxiously waited—
A newspaper delivery bird flew over the Red-Haired Pirates' ship, dropping off the latest edition.
Everyone gathered around, eyes filled with expectation as they opened the newspaper.
The contents crushed their last hope.
Red-Haired Shanks had been captured. His execution was set for one month from now.
There was even a photograph—Shanks, bound in chains inside a Marine prison cell.
"Execution in one month… on the sa day Akainu takes office as Fleet Admiral. Damn it! He's going to use our captain as a stepping stone to cent his status!"
"I won't let the Marines get away with this!"
"They want to completely trample on our captain—turning him into a trophy for Akainu's glory!"
"Damn it!!!"
The usually carefree Red-Haired Pirates were enraged.
Furious, they cursed the Marines.
Seeing their captain humiliated like this was worse than death.
"The Marines are ruthless… First, they tried to completely crush Kuke, and now they're doing the sa thing to Shanks." Rayleigh clenched his fists.
He had watched Shanks grow up.
After twenty years of a peaceful, hidden life, even Rayleigh was now filled with anger.
"There's no miracle this ti." Beckman's tone was grim as he looked at his crewmates.
The execution date and location were set in stone.
This wasn't so bluff—the Marines ant business.
"We have to rescue the captain! We have to!"
"I don't care how strong the Marines are—I'm going to save the captain!"
"So what if it's Marine Headquarters? We'll just storm the place!"
The entire Red-Haired Pirates' ship burned with determination.
"You're planning to break into Marine Headquarters to rescue Shanks?" Rayleigh frowned at the enraged crew. "That's a suicide mission."
Even Shanks, their strongest mber, had been captured.
The Red-Haired Pirates had one of the highest average combat strengths among all pirate crews, with nurous powerful fighters.
But compared to Marine Headquarters, the gap was imnse.
If they had the strength to face the Marines head-on, they wouldn't have been forced to retreat earlier.
In Rayleigh's eyes, going to Marineford to rescue Shanks was no different from throwing their lives away.
"Rayleigh, so things are more important than life." Beckman knew the risks, but he couldn't just stand by and watch Shanks be executed. Even if they had to die, they would die before letting their captain be taken away.
"I'm not telling you not to go," Rayleigh said, understanding their resolve. "I'm just saying—don't waste your lives for nothing."
"Then what do you suggest? There's no way the Marines will give us any chance to sneak in and rescue him." Beckman shook his head.
"Ask for help," Rayleigh said after thinking for a mont. "There's only one person in this world who can pull off a rescue from Marine Headquarters—Kuke. Only the Sun and Moon Pirates can do it."
"If you can get their help, saving Shanks would be simple."
The Red-Haired Pirates fell into silence.
After a long pause, Beckman shook his head.
"Rayleigh… we have no connection to the Sun and Moon Pirates. We have no right to ask for their help, and they have no reason to assist us."
Rayleigh sighed.
That was true.
Strictly speaking, even he didn't have any real ties to the Sun and Moon Pirates.
They had only t.
And when it ca to "helping"—Rayleigh didn't feel like he had ever actually helped them. If anything, he had benefited from their reputation, enjoying a peaceful life because of the fear they commanded.
He wasn't in a position to ask for favors.
"Rayleigh, this doesn't concern you. Once we reach the next island, we won't involve you any further."
"Haha, that Shanks kid… I watched him grow up. He was part of the Roger Pirates. How could I just stand by and do nothing?" Rayleigh let out a hearty laugh. "I'm sure the other old-tirs feel the sa way."
"Don't be so quick to refuse. Shanks was our crewmate once."
Rayleigh didn't let them turn him away.
After a mont of thought, Beckman and the others finally accepted Rayleigh's support.
With the remaining Roger Pirates helping them—
Their chances of success would be much higher.
"Then I'll start gathering people. You all work on the rescue plan."
The Red-Haired Pirates got to work.
At that mont—
"Soone's coming," Yasopp said, looking toward the horizon. "It's the Straw Hat Pirates."
"The Straw Hats?"
Beckman and the others turned to see a pirate ship approaching.
There was no resentnt in their eyes.
Even though their battle with the Marines had started because of the Straw Hats—
It had been their choice.
They weren't going to bla Luffy and his crew.
"It's Shanks' ship! They made it out safely!"
Luffy shouted excitedly as he spotted the Red-Haired Pirates' ship. He jumped up and down on his own ship, bursting with joy.
"That's a Four Emperor crew for you! Even against three admirals, they still escaped!"
Zoro and Sanji let out sighs of relief.
The two ships quickly pulled alongside each other.
Luffy leaped onto the Red-Haired Pirates' ship.
"Shanks! Shanks! I knew the Marines couldn't stop you! It's , Luffy!" Luffy ran around the deck like a monkey, searching for Shanks.
But no matter where he looked—
Shanks was nowhere to be found.
His excitent turned into unease.
Zoro and Sanji, stepping aboard, imdiately sensed that sothing was wrong.
"Where's Shanks?"
Luffy turned to Beckman and the others, eyes full of anticipation.
Beckman handed him the newspaper.
After reading it—
"No… no way. Shanks promised he'd be waiting for . That was our deal! There's no way the Marines captured him! I don't accept this!" Luffy's voice shook.
Shanks was his hero.
His guiding light.
A man he admired more than anyone.
And today—
Shanks had been captured because he stayed behind to protect them.
"I have to save him. I have to!" Luffy gritted his teeth, determination burning in his eyes.
He turned to leave—ready to charge straight into Marine Headquarters.
"Luffy, calm down!" Lucky Roux grabbed Luffy by the collar, stopping him. "Leave this to us. You rookies aren't ready for this battle yet."
"I don't care! I'm saving Shanks myself! You won't stop !" Luffy roared.
Zoro and Sanji shared the sa determined look.
They owed Shanks their lives.
"We'll fight too!"
"You don't even know Haki. Are you planning to throw your lives away at Marine Headquarters?" Yasopp snapped.
"Haki? I can learn it!"
"Fine. If you can master Haki in a month, you can co with us," Yasopp challenged. "If you can't—stay out of our way."
And so—
The Straw Hats remained with the Red-Haired Pirates.
anwhile, Rayleigh pulled out a Transponder Snail and started making calls.
He contacted Scopper Gaban.
"Where are you now?" Gaban didn't hesitate—he set off imdiately.
Rayleigh reached out to every old comrade he could find.
Zoro and Sanji listened, their blood boiling with excitent.
The nas being ntioned—
They were all legends.
Forr mbers of the Roger Pirates.
Heroes they had only heard of in stories.
"I never thought I'd get the chance to fight alongside such legends," Zoro said, feeling an unstoppable surge of energy.
Usopp, who had been terrified monts ago—
Was now filled with confidence.
"With so many legends joining us, we're definitely taking down the Marines!"
But Rayleigh wasn't so naive.
His expression remained heavy.
He had no idea how many of them would make it back alive.
Or if any of them would.
"Maybe I should try contacting the Sun and Moon Pirates. Who knows? Kuke might be interested."
For once—
Beckman and the others didn't object.
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