Beneath the armor of the sword-wielding knight was none other than the face of Shanks.
Shang Qi could not help but view the situation from the darkest possible perspective: perhaps Shanks was intentionally cultivating a Nika, only to capture him and drag him up to Holy Land Mary Geoise when he reunited with Monkey D. Luffy, using it to trade for monstrous merits.
Since Monkey D. Luffy's identity was tied to both the Marines and the Revolutionary Army, he was practically guaranteed a safe passage through the first half of the Grand House. Meanwhile, playing the dual roles of a God's Knights member and a Sea Emperor, Shanks could easily play Monkey D. Luffy in the palm of his hand, even driving his entire crew to ruin without them ever knowing why. And Monkey D. Luffy was just a simple-minded blockhead who would never suspect his own mentor, Shanks.
Chapter 146