Shanks and his crew were originally in the civilian district in the city center, purchasing daily supplies to take back to the New World, when they suddenly felt a powerful burst of Conqueror's Haki.
Immediately afterward, they saw a large number of routed Kingdom Army soldiers running chaotically through the city, and heard the news that the Goa Kingdom had been overthrown.
Shanks and his companions initially assumed that some powerful faction from the open seas had come to the Goa Kingdom to start a war. But as they walked closer and looked properly, Shanks, Ben Beckman, Yasopp, Lucky Roux, and the rest of the captains and crew members were completely dumbfounded by the ragged figure before them.
"Isn't that the hero Garp? Hahahaha—"
Shanks was the first to burst into roaring laughter, doubling over and laughing so hard that tears streamed down his face.
The rest of the crew couldn't keep a straightorphic expression either, with Lucky Roux, the bulky heavy man, even rolling around on the ground.
It was all because Garp currently had nothing on him except a single tattered piece of cloth worn like a loincloth, dangling across his chest and back, leaving both of his massive buttocks completely exposed to the air. With his hair and thick beard puffed up like an explosion, he looked utterly wretched.
Catching sight of Shanks and his crew, Garp instantly felt his anger flare up.
He leaped through the air, his fists coated in Armament Haki!
"Damn you, Shanks! Does what happened here have anything to do with you? Take my iron fist! And stay away from my grandson!"
Faced with the raging Garp, Shanks and his crew clearly had no appetite for a fight and quickly scattered in all directions.
Garp slammed a heavy punch down onto the ground, missing completely.
The violent force, akin to the strength of a giant deity, poured out onto the earth, causing the ground to instantly fracture in all directions and building after building to tilt.
They knew Garp's combat power very well; while they weren't cowards, there was no need to pick a fight with a furious, unhinged old man.
However, as he fled, Shanks cast a sharp glance behind Garp at the group of red-eyed people clad in matching dark-gray trench coats, as well as a handsome youth among them wearing a black suit.
His Majesty Lynn gazed at the departing Garp and Shanks's crew.
At his side, Uchiha Fugaku said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, how can we tolerate such unruly behavior from these people? Whether it's that old man or that gang from just now, with just a little planning, my Uchiha Clan is confident we can subdue them!"
"Send two people to monitor that group from earlier, and try to avoid a fight. If they spot you, invite them to the Royal Palace for a visit tomorrow," Lynn said calmly.
"Invite that bunch from just now? They look like a bunch of street ruffians; why does Your Majesty hold them in such high regard?" Fugaku asked respectfully, yet with a hint of puzzlement.
"That group is one of the future Emperor-level pirate crews—the Red Hair Pirates. If a kingdom wishes to grow strong and prosperous, diplomacy is indispensable," Lynn said gravely.
At these words, Fugaku's expression froze slightly, and the other Uchiha clansmen wore looks of profound shock.
A pirate crew that would become one of the Four Emperors?!
Over the past half year, they had been operating secretly in the East Blue, accumulating wealth for His Majesty, and naturally had gathered a massive amount of intelligence regarding this world.
A pirate crew that could claim the title of Emperor was the absolute apex of power in the pirate world.
And yet, that very bunch had just been chased everywhere by the hero Garp? They looked nothing like it at all. Besides, their leader seemed to be a disabled man with only one arm!
Without further ado, Lynn turned and walked back toward the palace, followed in silence by the Uchiha Imperial Guard.
Fugaku turned his head to look at his son, Uchiha Itachi, and Uchiha Shisui, giving the order: "You two, go monitor the Red Hair crew. Remember His Majesty's instructions."
"Understood."
"Understood."
The two of them instantly transformed into blurred afterimages and vanished.
***
Evening.
In Makino's tavern in Foosha Village.
The Red Hair Pirates had been pursued all the way by the enraged Garp, but they had finally shaken him off and returned. They were drinking heavily, eating meat, and bursting into continuous laughter.
"Captain Shanks, why didn't you dare to have a go at Garp? I heard you've been hunted down by him ever since you were a kid, is that true? Hahahaha—" Lucky Roux roared with laughter as he bit into a giant, meaty pork knuckle, drawing hearty chuckles from many of the other crew members.
They all knew their captain's past—how he had started out as an apprentice on the ship of Gol D. Roger, the King of the Pirates, while Garp, the Hero of the Marines, had spent his entire life hunting down the Roger Pirates since his youth.
"Hahahaha—It's been so long since it was this thrilling! Old man Garp's crazy streak is still just like it was back in the day, hahahahaha—" Shanks finished off a large mug of beer with a gulp and laughed heartily, feeling refreshed.
Behind the counter, a gentle and graceful woman poured another drink for Shanks from a wine bottle.
"I must say, Garp is Luffy's grandfather. If you just told him that you saved Luffy and even lost an arm in the process, maybe he wouldn't target you anymore," Makino said.
"Hahahaha—there's no need for that. Speaking of which, Makino, do you know about the young king of the Sypher Kingdom? He seems to have taken over the Goa Kingdom; when we went into the city today, the nobles were all fleeing for their lives," Shanks asked.
Hearing this, Makino looked like a devoted fan hearing someone talk about her idol. Heart-shaped glints appeared in her eyes as she cupped her face in her hands and said in a thoroughly intoxicated tone:
"Of course I know him! He's a very handsome young king who has worked hard all by himself to manage a weak country, leading his citizens to fend off pirates and outlaws, and even working the fields alongside the people. He's simply the sun of the common folk!"
"For him to become our king... Long live! Long live! Ten thousand years!"
Hearing Makino's enthusiastic account, Shanks and his crew all wore looks of sheer disbelief!
A country's king actually farming the land alongside ordinary citizens?
Are you kidding me?
They had sailed the seas for the better part of their lives, and they had never heard of such a bizarre thing!
"You don't believe me? I actually have a collection of his pamphlets right here."
Makino pulled a thin, palm-sized booklet out from under the counter.
Emblazoned across the cover were a few bold characters:
[Produced by Sypher Kingdom: King Lynn Promotional Pamphlet]
This was a pamphlet Lynn had produced over the past six months to boost the kingdom's reputation, distributing it through the Uchiha Clan. He had researched quite a few similar promotional methods, though most had yielded minimal results.
Little did he know, however, that thanks to his exceptional good looks and noble character, he had won over a multitude of female fans like Makino among the common folk in neighboring kingdoms.
Curious, Shanks and his crew flipped through the contents of the booklet.
When they saw the images of Lynn working in the fields with farmers, sharing meals with them, and fighting side by side against pirates, they couldn't help but feel a deep sense of admiration for this young king.
With a youth like this as king, this filthy, dark world finally had some hope.
Suddenly, a drop of thick, greasy sauce dripped from the fatty pork knuckle in Lucky Roux's hand, landing squarely on the head of Lynn's picture in the pamphlet.
"Hey! Lucky Roux, you've gone too far!"
Makino instantly flared up in anger, snatched the booklet right out of Shanks's hands, and began carefully wiping it clean with her apron.
Lucky Roux scratched his head with an awkward expression.
His utter lack of skill in dealing with women drew a roar of uproarious laughter from Shanks and the rest of the crew.
Suddenly, the laughter of the powerful figures—Shanks, Ben Beckman, Yasopp, and the others—came to an abrupt halt.
As if by agreement, their gazes all snapped toward the tavern entrance, where two backlit figures had just appeared.
The two silhouettes were shrouded in darkness, and their two pairs of blood-red eyes emitted an eerie aura.
Itachi and Shisui had been tailing them in secret all along, but upon seeing His Majesty's pamphlet being defiled, the two of them couldn't hold back anymore and decided to reveal themselves.
"Who are you?" Shanks asked, his eyes sweeping over their Sharingan eyes as the scene from High Town flashed back into his mind. It seemed that Garp had been forced into retreat earlier by this very group of red-eyed freaks.
"We are the Imperial Guards of His Majesty Lynn of the Sypher Kingdom, secretly monitoring the powerful individuals active in this country. At the same time, anyone who insults His Majesty will pay a corresponding price," Uchiha Itachi said coldly.
Hearing the words of the two kids before them, Shanks and his crew all turned serious.
These two kids had actually trailed them the entire way?
Had they started following them all the way from the noble district?
Makino, on the other hand, reacted quite differently.
Seeing that the two exceptionally handsome, striking young lads claimed to be her idol's imperial guards, her favorable impression of them instantly skyrocketed.
"Oh~ Hehehe, and how do you plan on making me pay a price?"
The bulky Lucky Roux lowered the pork knuckle in his hand, pulled out a pistol, and aimed it right at the speaking Itachi.