One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 266 We Haven't Lost Yet

"How is Shanks doing?"

Seeing Hongo dragging his exhausted body out of the operating room, Beckman and the others rushed forward to ask him what was wrong.

"He's finally out of danger, but it seems like all the blood in the hospital's reserves have been taken. I can only give him a transfusion of my blood to keep his vital signs stable for now, but I can't restore his left hand."

Hongo shook his head regretfully, his face full of heaviness.

"Is there really no other way?" Beckman was clearly very anxious.

Shanks is a swordsman, and even if he is right-handed, losing an arm will inevitably affect his overall combat ability.

Even though the overall atmosphere of their pirate crew is cheerful, it cannot be ignored that this is the foundation laid by their strength.

Having a complete body would naturally be better than being able to enhance combat power.

"No, it's beyond repair. And it's not just the damage to Shanks' severed left arm; the blood vessels under his left shoulder—I don't know how to describe it—were not so much cut off as they were filled with something that caused them to burst... I... I don't know how to describe it either."

Hongo shook his head again.

"I know, you've done your best. Take a rest." Beckman took a drag of his cigarette and didn't say anything more.

Not only Shanks, but everyone in the Red-Haired Pirates had actually been in battle. Due to the effects of the drugs they had taken, they all had some injuries.

Furthermore, Hongo gave Shanks a blood transfusion and underwent a major and delicate surgery, so he must be very tired now.

Moreover, everyone was in a low mood at that moment.

This time, the Red-Haired Pirates were completely and utterly outmaneuvered.

Cursing the other party for being despicable is utterly pointless.

Beckman also had to deeply reflect on himself, realizing that he had been too careless.

Feeling that they were in a relatively peaceful paradise, they lowered their guard and let down their guard.

The lessons learned were filled with blood and tears.

They had never suffered such a loss in the New World.

If they had arrived any later, Shanks might have been...

That Svetra was not only powerful, but also skilled in scheming.

He arranged everything for himself and his group in a very clear and organized manner.

What's even more frightening is that she seems to know a great deal about her group.

The traps are almost all custom-made.

She had prepared everything long ago, just waiting for the pirate crew to take the bait.

Although he was previously delirious, he vaguely knew that the other party had probably imprisoned them in a prison inside the warship.

Therefore, the other party is the navy.

But it's strange. Since the other party is the Navy and their goal is to capture them, why did she release them so easily? Is this the Navy's style?

Beckman was a little confused.

why?

Although it's very likely not her real name, let's call her Svetlana for now.

Svetlan went through all this trouble just to wipe out their entire pirate crew.

And she was almost successful.

But why did they release them after achieving their goal?

Beckman could only try his best to put himself in Beckman's shoes.

Svetlana's understanding of them was surprisingly deep.

She knew what people liked, so she designed it specifically.

Similarly, she will also learn about Shanks.

In fact, she herself came to deal with Shanks.

Therefore, her understanding of Shanks must be very high.

Based on the timeline, Shanks should still be free to move around when he took down his crew, so it's because he hadn't taken down the captain yet and was wary of her.

It's quite possible that if she truly understood Shanks, she would know how much he cherished his comrades.

She wouldn't dare to deal with them rashly if Shanks wasn't under her control yet.

If you think about it this way, she is someone who dislikes losses very much and someone who strives to minimize casualties.

If they had a cold enough heart, enough courage, and the determination to take down Shanks no matter the cost, maybe their pirate crew really could...

Looking back now, the sudden appearance of several pirate crews with bounties exceeding 100 million must have been unexpected by Svetra.

Even if she is very powerful, the loss of manpower would be immeasurable if she had to deal with so many pirate crews by herself.

No matter how powerful she is, she can't be in two places at once.

She herself probably didn't want those pirates to damage this place.

So she took advantage of herself and others.

Therefore, the money they had was bait to lure them into a conflict with the pirate crew.

They actually thought of using pirates to attack other pirates instead of going in themselves.

It seems that the navy does not adhere to any traditions; it has a very personal style and its own ideas.

Just how much did Susvita know about their pirate crew?

Did she even know that even if she and the others were released, they wouldn't commit murder or arson, which is why she made this decision?

It was truly chilling. Beckman felt a cold sweat run down his spine.

Svetla understood their pirate crew too well, which is why she schemed against them step by step, and they only realized it after Svetla exposed herself.

However, unexpected factors almost ruined her plans.

Knowing that the plan could not be perfectly successful, in order to protect more people and prevent the naval branch from suffering too many losses, she used herself and others once.

In this situation, she attacked Shanks for some unknown reason.

Because this is the best time to act.

They were almost completely tied down and unable to provide support.

That would be the best opportunity for her to win over Shanks.

If his group had arrived any later, Shanks might have truly been in mortal danger.

The girl, who looked so young and had a gentle aura, was a monster in terms of strength, and Beckman could only feel that she was a headache.

But she's still a bit too young.

She disliked losses too much, was overly rational in this regard, and pursued idealistic choices too much, which ultimately led to her defeat.

Although Shanks lost an arm, his life was saved.

Although they had been captured, they had now completely escaped—or rather, they had been released. But no matter the outcome, they were free from their captivity.

In other words, their pirate crew did not fail and still has a chance to turn the tide.

So Svetlana did not win.

However, the uncertainty lies in what she will do next.

No, thinking about that now is pointless.

Beckman clenched his fist as he looked at Shanks, who was still unconscious.

Hey Shanks, you gotta hang in there!!

We haven't lost yet.