"Swallow's Shadow: Drum's Hunt"

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The sun shone brightly.

The vast ocean was calm and peaceful.

High above the sea, a massive cloud shaped like a panda's face raced through the sky.

"Hmm, so in a town near Drum Kingdom called Bakuena, a lunatic claiming to be the king of Drum Kingdom caused chaos by destroying the town and was arrested by the Marines?"

After leaving Ruluka Island and bidding farewell to Dr. Henzo and his team, Shaka wasted no time and continued his journey towards the Calm Belt.

Flipping through the latest issue of the World Economy News that he had just bought from a news bird, he muttered, "A Swallow-Swallow Fruit user, huh?"

His eyes landed on a picture of a criminal being restrained by two Marines. The man was fat and bulky, with an enormous mouth and a cylindrical iron jaw.

Shaka raised an eyebrow, took a sip of red wine, and smirked. "Back then, I searched all over Drum Kingdom for this Devil Fruit for half a month and found nothing… But now, it looks like I can finally capture this guy and use the Swallow-Swallow Fruit's ability to create a special memory alloy. With that, I can forge the ultimate weapon and battle suit!"

"My old Zen staff was destroyed in a fight with those guys, so I need to craft a new one with even stronger material."

Fifty years ago, he had turned Drum Kingdom upside down alongside White Dragon in search of this treasure.

Unfortunately, he never found the priceless Paramecia-type Swallow-Swallow Fruit. He didn't even come across the Zoan-type Human-Human Fruit.

If he had, Tony Tony Chopper from the Straw Hat Pirates wouldn't have gotten his hands on it.

Thanks to his exceptional intellect, his innate Observation Haki, and the Buddha form granted by his Mythical Zoan fruit, Shaka had absorbed the memories of many famous scholars and scientists.

Even the young genius scientist Dr. Vegapunk and his mentor, Dr. Tsukimi—Shaka had read their minds and acquired knowledge about laser beams, bioengineering, and other cutting-edge technologies that remained unmatched even in this era.

Although he pursued science purely out of curiosity and never dedicated much time to it, his expertise in multiple scientific fields was remarkable.

Even White Dragon, who had copied the Weapon-Weapon Fruit, had only mastered its abilities thanks to Shaka's patient guidance.

If he could harness the Swallow-Swallow Fruit's power to create the ideal memory alloy, crafting state-of-the-art weapons and armor that could freely shift forms—far superior to Germa 66's technology—would be a piece of cake.

Shaka rummaged through his travel bag and pulled out a few Log Pose compasses, each labeled with the names of various islands in the Grand Line.

These were permanent Log Poses he had collected during his travels across the first half of the Grand Line.

"There's no Log Pose for Bakuena Town, but I do have one for Drum Kingdom, which is nearby. I can head there first and buy a permanent Log Pose for Bakuena Town before making my way over."

After some searching, he finally found a Log Pose labeled Drum Kingdom.

It pointed towards the 9 o'clock direction.

"Xiao Bai, change course!" Shaka tossed the Log Pose in his hand and gave an order to White Dragon.

"Chirp chirp…"

Confirming the direction, the giant panda-like creature let out a cheerful cry and swiftly changed course, soaring towards its new destination.

Shaka chuckled. "Perfect, I can meet an old friend while I'm at it."

Knowing that Fire Blossom, Geltz, and his other past flames were safe put his mind at ease. He didn't feel the need to rush to see them immediately.

For now, securing the Swallow-Swallow Fruit was his priority.

Even though he doubted he could directly steal its power, as long as White Dragon could copy its ability, that would be enough for him.

The Next Morning

"Whooosh—"

The freezing wind blew.

After traveling through the night, White Dragon arrived at Drum Kingdom early in the morning, carrying Shaka and the massive golden sphere.

As he gazed upon the snow-covered land, Shaka sighed nostalgically, "This place hasn't changed one bit."

To him, it had only been a year or two since his last visit.

But for the people of Drum Kingdom, it had been over fifty years since this rogue monk had last set foot here.

Looking at the towering mountain in the distance, which resembled a giant iron barrel, Shaka instructed, "Xiao Bai, take us straight to the highest castle."

"Woooo…" White Dragon let out a cry of acknowledgment.

In no time, they arrived at the royal palace of Drum Kingdom.

"Well, well, if it isn't a rare guest."

A slender yet agile woman with silver hair, wrinkles on her face, and stylish sunglasses adjusted her shades as she looked at the arrivals.

She seemed genuinely surprised to see a man and a panda-like creature land before her.

"It's been a long time, Dr. Kureha." Shaka greeted her with a smile.

He had met her over fifty years ago.

The two of them had gotten along quite well, even exchanging medical knowledge.

"Did you undergo the Immortality Surgery or find the legendary Pure Gold?" Dr. Kureha squinted at him, filled with curiosity. "Fifty years have passed, yet you haven't aged a day…"

She took pride in her own anti-aging techniques, but seeing Shaka look exactly as he had fifty years ago was baffling.

"Over the past decades, I never heard any news about you. It was as if you had vanished from the world. That doesn't seem like something the infamous 'King of Hell' would do."

She took a swig from her bottle and leaned against the wall, gesturing for Shaka to step inside.

"Come on now, don't mock me like that. 'King of Hell' is just a title people use out of respect… I'm just a rule-breaking monk who loves women and ignores religious doctrines," Shaka replied casually.

He had always found Dr. Kureha fascinating.

When they first met, she had already been over eighty years old but looked like she was in her late thirties or early forties.

Now, over a century old, she had aged a little but still looked no older than seventy or eighty. Her skin was as smooth as that of a woman in her forties.

If word got out, nobles and royalty worldwide would flock to her, desperate to learn her secrets to longevity and eternal youth.

Of course, Shaka had already asked her about it long ago.

He had even gone to great lengths to gather rare medicinal ingredients—including the legendary dragon bones of the Millennial Dragon and fruit from the Treasure Tree Adam—to brew a special elixir for beauty and longevity, which he gifted to Fire Blossom and the others.

"A monk who killed a Celestial Dragon and lived to tell the tale… You're the first I've ever seen." Dr. Kureha shook her head in disbelief.

Shaka's infamy had once shaken the world.

Even the World Government had been enraged and ordered the Marines to hunt him down at any cost.

Rumor had it that the Holy Knights had been sent after him as well.

"I stayed young because I was trapped in the Rainbow Mist of Ruluka Island, inside a strange sea region called Apis Concerto."

Shaka explained without hesitation, giving a brief overview of Apis Concerto.

"That place exists in a separate dimension, completely isolated from the outside world. Time flows differently there—I was only inside for a year, but when I came out, decades had passed in the real world…"

"....."