Chapter 52: Red Hair

For Fish-men, crossing the Calm Belt is much easier than it is for other races; their ability to sense fish schools allows them to avoid many dangers.

While it wasn't as simple or effective as the Navy's method of embedding Seastone into the hulls of their warships, it was sufficient to ensure safety.

The news of Chu Yang's imminent departure still caused quite a stir on the ship. After months of fighting side by side, most of the Fish-men on board had come to regard Chu Yang as a comrade.

Even the extremists led by Arlong did not continue to be confrontational with Chu Yang; beyond their awe of his strength, there was a sense of gratitude in their hearts.

Human hearts are made of flesh and blood.

Everyone knew deep down that without Chu Yang, many Fish-men on this ship would have perished under the relentless pursuit of the Navy.

Some did not say it aloud, but they held Chu Yang's kindness in their hearts.

A mysterious sense of melancholy began to spread across the ship.

Except for Arlong, every Fish-man wore a heavy expression.

"Everyone still likes you very much," Jinbe said, still unwilling to let go, hoping to persuade Chu Yang to stay.

"I will come back to see everyone within three years!" Chu Yang made a solemn promise. He knew that Tiger would meet his end in three years, and he intended to change that tragedy.

It took the Sun Pirates three days to cross the Calm Belt.

During this time, they encountered some sudden crises, but the overall risk remained under control.

Upon reaching the East Blue, Tiger took advantage of the moonlight to settle Chu Yang on a small island. Leaving behind a small boat, he hurriedly departed with the rest of his kin.

Chu Yang stayed on the coast for one night. Early the next morning, he inquired from the local residents about the specific direction of the Goa Kingdom and purchased an expensive nautical chart.

The small boat was filled with supplies left behind by Tiger and the others, saving Chu Yang the time of purchasing provisions. Once he had gathered the necessary information, he immediately set off for Foosha Village.

Navigating the four seas was essentially zero difficulty; aside from being careful around certain islands, the ocean was actually the safest place.

This was the exact opposite of the Grand Line.

Having learned many helmsmanship techniques from Jinbe, Chu Yang steered the small boat with ease. The vessel, only a few meters long, sped toward its destination, riding the wind.

After about another day, Chu Yang successfully found the only port town of the Goa Kingdom.

Foosha Village!

This place was a den of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. It was not only the hometown of the Navy Hero Garp, but also the hometown of the Revolutionary Army leader Dragon, and even the hometown of the future Pirate King.

It was the place where the son of the Pirate King Roger and the future second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army grew up, and where the Emperor Shanks had also left an arm.

Looking at the entire history of anime, was there any "beginner village" more legendary than this?

This group of people had single-handedly elevated the Goa Kingdom to a status it did not deserve!

Before even approaching the port, Chu Yang saw a massive pirate ship floating on the sea near the shore, its Jolly Roger fluttering in the wind.

The design of the pirate flag was very simple: a skull in the center with three red claw marks in its eye socket, with two crossed swords behind it.

"The Red Force!"

The moment he saw the flag, Chu Yang's heart jolted. Before coming here, he had worried he might miss the window of time when Shanks was staying in Foosha Village, but now all his concerns had vanished.

No other ships dared to approach the Red Force.

Chu Yang did not rashly steer his small boat toward it, but instead slowly pulled up to the shore nearby.

Chu Yang scanned the Red Force with his Observation Haki and found that only a few crew members were left on deck. He then headed straight for the only tavern in Foosha Village.

Foosha Village was not large. By casually asking the surrounding villagers, Chu Yang easily found the tavern run by Makino.

"Where did this kid come from? Coming out to drink at such a young age?"

"Kid, where are your parents? You can't go playing in a tavern all by yourself."

"There are pirates there! You're just a child, stay far away!"

Chu Yang tossed these well-meaning warnings to the back of his mind and plunged into the tavern occupied by the Red Hair Pirates, which was filled with laughter and joy.

That was just how the Red Hair Pirates were: a small feast every three days, a large feast every five days, and the rest of the time they were either fighting or on their way to a fight.

Fighting—Feast—Fighting—Feast...

An infinite loop.

This tradition was inherited from the ship of the Pirate King Roger, and later, Luffy's Straw Hat Pirates followed the same pattern, though almost every fight Luffy engaged in was a life-or-death struggle.

The tavern was filled with singing and dancing, the atmosphere was at its peak, and little Luffy was performing antics.

He had the pirates of the Red Hair crew laughing heartily.

Most people did not notice a youth walking in, except for the proprietress, Makino.

"Little one, have you come to the wrong place? This isn't a place for eating," Makino reminded him kindly. Although she felt these pirates were not bad people, she still hoped Chu Yang would leave quickly.

"Give me a glass of rum." Chu Yang sat composedly at the bar, his demeanor subtly revealing a maturity that transcended his age.

Makino froze for a moment, then shook her head firmly, her tone becoming uncharacteristically stern. "I'm sorry, I cannot serve rum to a child, even if it is the lowest proof."

Just then, a crew member noticed Chu Yang and immediately began to jeer, "Landlady, give him a drink and put it on my tab! A little man is still a man. As a man, how can he not drink?"

"How can you provide alcohol to a child?" Makino glared angrily at the pirate. "If you keep talking nonsense, none of you will get any alcohol today!"

The man had no choice but to sit down sullenly, drawing loud laughter from his companions!

If it were any other pirate crew, Makino's attitude would have been enough to cost them their lives, but in the Red Hair Pirates, it turned into a very amusing joke.

The laughter around them grew louder. Faced with their playful gazes, Chu Yang helplessly told a lie: "I am already an adult; I just fell ill in the past and haven't grown any taller."

It was a clumsy lie that most people wouldn't believe, but the simple-hearted Makino believed him.

"Really?" Makino gasped, covering her mouth, and then hurriedly apologized to Chu Yang. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken so hastily."

Chu Yang smiled. "If you can get my rum on the table quickly, I will forgive you."

"Please wait a moment." Makino turned to the cabinet behind her to find the liquor.

"Hey... kid, lying to adults isn't a good habit!"

A red-haired man with a prominent scar over his left eye suddenly leaned in close to Chu Yang. He put an arm around Chu Yang's shoulder and said, "I was curious about alcohol at your age too, so I understand. But you can't lie to people next time."

Chu Yang said nothing. He turned his face away in distaste, whether because he disliked the red-haired man's lecturing tone or because he was repulsed by the heavy smell of alcohol on him, it was hard to tell.