Sothing about it was… unnatural.
The colossal trench that split the sea floor hadn't been filled by seawater. Not because it wasn't connected to the ocean—but because sothing unseen held the tide at bay. As if the ocean itself refused to touch that void.
A scar the sea rejected.
On the deck of the Red-Haired Pirates' ship, silence gripped every crewmber. Faces pale, eyes wide, no one spoke.
No one but one boy.
"Sugoi! Sugoi!" the child shouted, leaning eagerly over the railing, completely unaware of the sheer absurdity of what he had just witnessed.
Luffy, young and wide-eyed, turned toward Shanks, his voice full of innocent wonder.
"Hey, Shanks! What did you just say back there?"
Shanks smiled gently, shaking his head. The boy had no clue what kind of power had just been unleashed in front of him.
Over the past few days, Shanks had been teaching him the values of freedom, adventure, and what it ant to be a pirate—not just in na, but in spirit.
And now… he'd made his decision.
He no longer intended to take Luffy with him.
Not because of fear. Shanks had never feared anyone, not even death.
But because…
Luffy was still too young.
A re six or seven years old. Too bright, too wild, too unshaped for what lay ahead.
The path they were about to take led to the New World—the most dangerous stretch of sea on the planet, where monsters road and death ca in silence.
His crew had already prepared their hearts for the risks. They knew what it ant to sail beyond the Grand Line's midpoint.
But Luffy?
He was still just a kid.
With that, Shanks quietly removed the Straw Hat from his head—the one he cherished more than anything.
He bent down and placed it carefully on Luffy's head.
"This hat… is my treasure," he said, voice soft. "I'm entrusting it to you. One day, when we et again… and you've beco a great pirate… return it to , okay?"
Luffy froze, eyes wide, both hands clutching the hat tightly.
Then—
Shanks looked up, his voice rising across the ocean winds.
"If you want to take Luffy… you'll have to beat his captain first!"
"Vice Admiral Seiryu! Co down here—let's settle this man-to-man!"
— — —
Kyūjō didn't refuse.
In fact, part of him welcod it.
He understood that the fight was necessary—to preserve the "story," to push the world forward without tipping its balance.
He had no intention of killing Shanks. That would destabilize the seas far too much. The world was already watching his every move. Even the Gorosei were growing wary of the rising storm.
No. Shanks had to remain part of the world—for balance.
— — —
Soon, on a remote island near Loguetown, the two n stood facing each other.
Kyūjō and Red-Haired Shanks.
Ten ters apart.
Blades at their sides.
"…Shanks," Kyūjō spoke first, brows furrowed slightly. "Don't you have anything better to do than drag a kid like Luffy into your ss?"
Shanks laughed and scratched his head.
"Maybe it's fate. A bond tied long ago, without even realizing it."
"…That makes no sense," Kyūjō muttered, half to himself. He opened his mouth to argue, but stopped.
"…What part of it doesn't make sense?" Shanks tilted his head.
Kyūjō didn't answer.
He couldn't explain that in the original tiline, Shanks never made a move like this. That this entire path had shifted… because of him.
He was the butterfly that caused the storm.
Still, he tried one last ti.
"Leave Luffy. I'll let your crew go free. You know better than anyone… you can't beat as you are now."
Shanks simply chuckled and slowly drew his blade—Gryphon—from his hip.
His eyes glead with a challenging light.
"If you're not planning to arrest … maybe I'll buy you a drink soti."
"But right now… we fight."
"Draw your blade, Kyūjō."
With a smirk, Kyūjō unsheathed Rairyūken—the black blade forged from thunder, now refined into one of the Great Grade Swords, rivaling even the Supre 12.
Shing—!
The sound rang out like a whisper of thunder.
"…I'll be waiting for that drink," Kyūjō replied calmly.
Shanks blinked.
"Waiting… for to offer it?"
He's… not even trying to capture ?
This Vice Admiral really is sothing else...
— — —
And so, with different beliefs—but equally strong resolve—their silent duel began.
Ti passed.
Hours went by, blades clashing again and again, the island echoing with steel and breath.
At first, Shanks held his ground.
But slowly… sothing felt off.
Kyūjō's strikes were overwhelming. Every swing of Rairyūken ca with monstrous power. But… the speed?
Not slow.
Not fast.
Just right.
Fast enough that Shanks could barely react.
But not fast enough to think.
A rhythm he couldn't adapt to. A tempo that forced him to defend without pause. His arms ached. His sword began to lose balance.
He's not trying to defeat .
He's draining . Bit by bit. Carefully.
Is this… the level of the World's Strongest Swordsman?
Unbelievable precision. Control over montum beyond logic. Swordsmanship that didn't just attack—it commanded the battlefield.
Even in his mories, Captain Roger never fought like this.
No wonder he holds that title.
But Shanks wasn't a pure swordsman.
His blade was only half of his strength.
The other half—
Was Haki.
— — —
"…Haaah…"
Shanks exhaled deeply. His eyes sharpened.
The air shifted.
Then suddenly—pressure.
Massive, suffocating, royal pressure burst from his body in a wave, spreading across the island like a rising storm.
Conqueror's Haki.
Thick and unstoppable.
Even Kyūjō's eyes widened slightly.
Such dominance.
Such will.
A declaration that he would not yield.
Even Kyūjō's own Haki stirred in response.
— — —
Black and crimson lightning sparked between them.
The air itself cracked.
Gryphon, wrapped in Haki, pulsed like the weapon of a war god.
And then—Shanks stepped forward, his grin fierce.
He raised his sword high, his voice roaring across the sea:
"DIVINE DEPARTURE!!!"
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Join my Patreon here:
🔗 patreon/FaaanzKun
✅ Enjoy 70 chapters ahead of WebNovel
✅ Get 2 new chapters every day exclusively on Patreon
✅ Be the first to enjoy the new 3rd arc after One Piece before anyone else
Let's keep this adventure alive, together chapter by chapter! 💖
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Reviews
All reviews (0)