One Piece: The Avengers

"Alright, it's a deal!" Shanks and Shanter sealed the promise with a firm clap of their hands.

"But, you're not planning on becoming a pirate, are you?" Shanks suddenly sounded a little regretful.

"Who knows?" Perhaps still processing Shanks' stories, Shanter gave an unexpected answer.

"Oh, really?" Shanks' eyes lit up with excitement. "Shanter, you might even carry out our captain's last wish!"

"Not interested."

"Do you know? What the captain entrusted to me wasn't just a straw hat—it was also the One Piece. Don't you want it?" Shanks uncharacteristically tempted Shanter.

"Haha, of course, I want it!" Shanter laughed heartily. "But compared to the elusive One Piece, I cherish what I have now much more." As he spoke, Shanter glanced toward the door.

"Besides, does the One Piece even exist? For someone like Roger, who neither stole nor robbed and only relied on adventure, it's impossible to have amassed such a fortune." Shanter was skeptical of the treasure's existence.

"Haha!" Shanks laughed awkwardly, clearly unwilling to answer Shanter's question.

"But why do you want to entrust the new era to me? I think your talent is no less than mine. In fact, you're much stronger than me now!"

"Because you are Foster D. Shanter. I have high hopes for you." Shanks deliberately emphasized the "D."

"Because of the 'D,' huh?" Shanter was still puzzled. "What exactly did you see on Laugh Tale?"

"The final piece of the Poneglyphs and the majestic remnants of an ancient kingdom," Shanks replied. "But you should see it for yourself."

"So because of the 'D,' you can't become the Pirate King?"

"I don't have such grand ambitions. I just want to roam around with my crewmates," Shanks laughed. "Besides, our captain handed me the key to unlocking this era." As he spoke, he adjusted his straw hat.

"The key?"

"Yes, I'm merely a link in the chain of inheriting this will, not its final culmination."

"Alright, let's leave it at that for now. But could you mark the locations of the Poneglyphs for me first?" Shanter handed Shanks a world map, redirecting the conversation.

"No problem!" Shanks quickly completed the task.

"Wait, what's this? On the sea? Or under it?" Shanter pointed to a location in the Grand Line without an island.

"Oh, that's Skypiea."

"Huh? Skypiea?"

"Yes, Skypiea. You can reach it from Mock Town by riding the upward current. Of course, we took another, relatively safer route."

"Really? What's that supposed to mean? Could you explain it in detail?"

"Fine, I'll write it down for you."

After a long while, Shanks tossed his pen aside, exhaled deeply, and handed the now heavily annotated map back to Shanter.

Shanter carefully stored the map. After all, his navigation for the next several years—or even decades—would depend on it.

"Shanks, I have one more favor to ask of you!"

"Go ahead!"

"Teach me Haki!"

Seeing Shanks' surprised expression, Shanter continued, "I already know the three types of Haki, but aside from Armament Haki, my mastery of Conqueror's Haki and Observation Haki is quite limited. You were essentially Roger's apprentice, so you must know a lot. I understand this might be asking too much, and if you refuse, I won't insist. You've already helped me more than I can repay."

"How is that asking too much?" Shanks laughed heartily. "I'll teach you."

For the next three months, Shanter focused on learning Haki techniques from Shanks.

When it came to Armament Haki, there wasn't much Shanks could teach. Shanter's ability to freely shape and manipulate his Haki was something only a handful across the seas could achieve. Even Shanks was amazed.

However, with Conqueror's Haki, Shanter's skills paled in comparison. The Roger Pirates boasted two exceptional users of Conqueror's Haki, with Roger himself being the pinnacle of mastery. Comparing Shanter to Roger or Rayleigh was nothing short of a pipe dream.

As for Observation Haki, Shanter was a complete novice. He couldn't predict attacks, hear voices, or sense others' presence. He couldn't even perform basic external detection.

Still, Shanks proved to be a patient teacher despite his carefree demeanor.

Shanter wasn't dull, either. He absorbed Shanks' lessons, discarding the extraneous and keeping the essential.

Shanks even offered to teach Shanter swordsmanship, but Shanter had left his Fukaga Ichimonji on the Twister Pirates' ship. Without the time or inclination to learn swordsmanship, he focused entirely on refining his Haki.

A master shows the way, but cultivation depends on the individual. How much Shanter could comprehend from Shanks' teachings depended on himself. Moreover, while Shanks was strong, he wasn't yet at the level where he could clash with Whitebeard. His role was to pass down the knowledge and experience of Roger and Rayleigh to Shanter.

"Shanter, that's all I can teach you," Shanks said, patting Shanter on the shoulder.

"Thank you!" Shanter bowed deeply, sincerely expressing his gratitude.

"If you want to leave, now's the time. There's an island nearby with a Poneglyph."

"Thank you for taking care of us these past days." Robin also bowed to Shanks.

"When we reach the island, we'll part ways. Shanks, we'll buy a new ship and continue our journey. Hopefully, we'll meet again."

Previously, Robin had taken not only a Devil Fruit but also treasures worth tens of millions of Berries from the Twister Pirates. It was more than enough to buy a new ship.

"Shanks—" Just as Shanter and Robin were about to bid farewell, a distant voice rang out.

"This is trouble," Shanks sighed with a wry smile. "Why is he here?"

"An enemy?" Shanter asked. "If so, I can repay you a little." His left hand instinctively moved to adjust imaginary glasses.

"Not an enemy, but a rival." Shanks grasped his sword, his usual playful demeanor vanishing. "Stay out of this. This is between him and me."

A small boat resembling a Western coffin swiftly approached. From it, a man in his mid-twenties leapt onto the deck.

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