Boss, what did you mean when you said, 'the navy didn't intend to kill us'?"
After escaping the navy's ambush, the three members of the Red-Haired Pirates quickly hid in an unnoticed corner.
Having fewer people definitely has its advantages.
Hearing Yasopp's question, Shanks explained with a smile, "You might not know this, but the navy doesn't usually execute captured pirates. They just imprison them in a deep-sea prison called Impel Down, so they never intended to kill us.
And besides, with Buggy there to guarantee it, they were even less likely to kill us."
Beckman bluntly added, "But being imprisoned in Impel Down is worse than death, right?"
Shanks didn't seem to mind. "If you're skilled, you can break out, like the Golden Lion did!"
Talking about the navy and pirates reminded Shanks of his old captain, Gol D. Roger, the man the world called the Pirate King.
Roger was the only man Shanks had ever admired, but it was also because of him that this chaotic era of the Great Pirate Era began.
Along the way, Shanks had met many pirates, but they were nothing like Captain Roger.
Burning, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities... Was this really what Captain Roger had wanted?
Unlike Luffy, who had a pure goal and dream, Shanks was more like a wandering knight, travelling the world and taking down evil pirates along the way.
He came to Alabasta not to go to the New World but simply to witness the excitement of Princess Vivi's centenary celebration.
"Buggy... Did you join the navy to clean up the mess Captain Roger left behind, understanding his true intentions?"
Leaning against the wall, Shanks looked up at the vast sky of Alabasta, lost in thought.
...
"Commander, I'm not lying to you. About five or six years ago, Shanks and I were evenly matched. I didn't expect him to become so powerful now."
The soldiers who Shanks' Conqueror's Haki had knocked out were brought back to the warship by Wagner for a temporary rest while Buggy stayed with Hailan.
"A year ago, you were already quite weak... Five years ago, I can't even imagine."
Hailan criticised Buggy bluntly, but Buggy didn't seem bothered at all.
"Has so much changed in just five or six years?"
Hailan recalled bits and pieces about Shanks:
From Shanks' support of Yasopp, Hailan realised Shanks' speed was not inferior to his own, and his achievements were mainly due to the resources of the navy headquarters and the teachings of Zephyr and Tsuru.
But five years ago, Shanks was supposedly evenly matched with Buggy, whom Hailan could have defeated when he was ten.
Did that mean Shanks' growth rate was faster than his own?
Moreover, Shanks had Conqueror's Haki. Although not as overwhelming as Dragon's, it seemed to reach straight to the soul, even unsettling Hailan's mind.
Who taught Shanks all this? Was it Beckman?
But Beckman seemed to be just the first mate of the Red-Haired Pirates.
If Shanks had no teacher, his potential was terrifying.
And he wore a straw hat... Wait!
The straw hat kid?
Could this guy be the main character of this anime world?
Hailan felt like he had discovered a big fish. "This is getting interesting..."
Wouldn't it be fun to recruit the kid who always shouts, 'I'm going to be the Pirate King' into the navy or imprison him in Impel Down?
"But all this needs careful planning. If he really is the main character of the original story, he won't be easy to deal with..."
Actually, when Hailan called back Wagner, who wanted to pursue the Red-Haired Pirates, it wasn't just for the navy's image but also because he felt pressured by the Red-Haired Pirates.
Beckman, not fully understanding Hailan's abilities, thought his trump card was a Devil Fruit.
But in truth, from their encounter, Hailan had realised that he wasn't a match for Beckman at this stage.
While Wagner could handle Yasopp, he couldn't deal with Shanks, even with Buggy and Cabaji.
The navy was at a disadvantage, being entirely suppressed.
When Shanks shouted "retreat," it was actually the navy that was retreating.
"This needs to be discussed with Sister Gion and we also need to bring Tina into this. Otherwise, we won't be able to catch the Red-Haired Pirates."
Hailan quickly drafted a plan in his mind. "Buggy, contact Kuro and tell him to come to the casino as soon as possible. I have a plan for him. And Mochi and his big lion mustn't reveal their identities for now."
In this world, running a casino is legal, so people weren't surprised to see Navy personnel in the casino.
"Understood!"
Buggy quickly left the casino.
Hailan closed his eyes to rest and pulled up his data panel in his mind.
Identity: Hailan
Perception: Lv6
Computation: Lv7
Skill Proficiency:
Finger Pistol: 100%Iron Body: 100%Paper Art: 100%Tempest Kick: 100%Moonwalk: 100%Shave: 100%Life Return: 28%Armament Haki: 1%
Recognition Value: 3984/5000
Particular Skill: Photographic Memory - Information obtained through careful observation or reading becomes a permanent memory. Note: Maintain focus while memorising. (Computation Lv7 reward skill)
Achievement: First Bloom of Talent - As the highest officer of the Loguetown Navy Base, you have received unanimous praise from most military and civilian personnel, initially demonstrating your excellent leadership abilities.
This achievement was attained during Hailan's time in the East Blue. The First Bloom of Talent achievement required 1000 recognition points. The next stage, requiring 5000 points, had not yet been met, so the achievement hadn't been updated.
But as Hailan mastered Finger Pistol, his perception had increased from Lv5 to Lv6.
For Hailan, it felt like his sensory abilities had become more sensitive.
But Zephyr told him he seemed to have awakened Observation Haki.
Hailan pondered, "Is this Observation Haki? Then what level is Beckman at? Lv8? Lv10? Or maybe Observation Haki is a combination of 'perception' and 'computation'?"
Hailan didn't know where his 1% Armament Haki came from, as he hadn't actively trained it.
But just like Life Return, Hailan had trained Finger Pistol and Life Return simultaneously. When Finger Pistol reached full proficiency, the system added Life Return, starting at 9%.
"Armament Haki is a latent energy inherent in every person."
Zephyr's teachings echoed in Hailan's ears.
Hailan chuckled to himself.
"This system feels less like a training system and more like an evaluation system. Get a perfect score and you're rewarded with a little red flower. Hmm... except Observation Haki is still a bit unclear..."