Shanks' presence was far beyond ordinary. A range of a hundred kilometers was unbelievably terrifying, though it was only presence—normal people couldn't sense it at all.
Only a founder of the Earthly Sage Kingdom like Master Genichi and a sage like Fukuda Kiyomu, who once broke through limits with the help of the world's will, could notice it.
And the moment they felt it, they instantly formed a clear impression of Shanks.
The two sages flew at full speed toward him as the faint gecko glow opened a path across the sea.
The moment Shanks was locked on by the other side, he also used his Observation Haki to lock on to them.
Two old men—one extremely strong, his body filled with great power, and his will and belief were just as strong. To be exact, he was the strongest person Shanks had ever seen.
Shanks could feel that strength of will and belief from the sheer intensity of the man's Sage Chakra.
With the same Sage Chakra, Fukuda Kiyomu could draw out far more power than others—that's the boost brought by will and belief.
The other sage was dressed in noble clothes, looking very old. His chakra wasn't that strong, but the amount of Sage Chakra he controlled was terrifying.
"So that's how it is?"
"I knew it—with his kind of presence, there's no way he just created Ashura and Indra for no reason."
The moment Shanks saw Master Genichi and Fukuda Kiyomu, he understood.
The aura of the Sage of Six Paths wasn't something small.
Ashura and Indra were indeed his sons, but the Sage himself was a real monster. Forget about his mind—his methods alone made him a figure that dominated an entire era.
No—more accurately, he was someone who suppressed the ninja world for thousands of years.
Now, seeing Fukuda Kiyomu and Master Genichi, Shanks realized something: weren't Ashura and Indra just created to mirror these two?
Fate is hard to explain.
If you really had to say, it's like being born under heaven's will and growing under heaven's will.
Some people are favored by the heavens from birth. Master Genichi and Fukuda Kiyomu were like that, even back in the Sage's time.
As for Ashura and Indra, they were just experiments by the Sage.
Did the Sage really not notice anything strange about them? Didn't notice Black Zetsu?
If this were the original Naruto story, maybe so.
But now, in this real world, you're telling me someone who ruled the ninja world for a thousand years couldn't even detect someone as small as Black Zetsu?
Impossible.
"What a headache!"
"If I remember right, after Shippuden's story it was Boruto, right? I never watched Boruto, but looking at this now, this seems to be where the story is heading."
The appearance of Ashura and Indra was just one of the Sage's experiments. Even Kaguya was probably there just to see if, after countless cycles, Ashura and Indra could reach the level he imagined.
But this trick… it's really something else.
Shanks started thinking. He never saw Boruto, but if the story continued after Shippuden's tale, it probably looks like this now.
Well, even if it's not, it's close enough.
Shanks only knows a little about One Piece, and when it comes to Naruto, he knows nothing at all, so he didn't dare make random guesses.
But one thing was clear: these two flying toward him could definitely give the Sage of Six Paths a huge problem.
And Ashura and Indra? They were just models the Sage created based on these two. Of course, the Sage surely cared for his kids.
But feelings aside, you can't deny what the Sage did.
Because the whole reincarnation system of Ashura and Indra was designed to steal the power of fate, to gain the blessing of the world's will through endless cycles.
To put it simply, it was to give Ashura and Indra the protagonist's halo. The first time the Sage saw something like that was in the two men before Shanks now.
Two ancient sages from a thousand years ago, born under fate's guidance, who drove Kaguya away.
Once that kind of fate is born, it can be fixed. Once it's fixed, the Sage could copy it.
The reincarnation system of the sages looked like a deal between him and the other sages, but in truth, the Sage used it to recreate what he had seen.
The true… Ashura and Indra!!
Shanks opened his eyes. In an instant, the katana in his hand left its sheath. A plain-looking arc of light flashed, and at that very moment, faint red energy lines were forced up from the red sand around him.
As Shanks sheathed his sword, the darkness before him split apart. A massive silver sphere was cut cleanly in two, passing right by him.
"Boom!!"
The severed sphere slammed into a red rock mountain behind him, instantly melting two holes into it. Then, silver-white cracks spread across the entire mountainside.
The next moment, it collapsed with a deafening crash.
The towering mountain, hundreds of meters high, crumbled into a pile of sand.
"As expected… you're strong."
Shanks smiled.
The stubble on his chin made him look a bit rough, and his smile carried a hint of carelessness—almost… disdain.
The sea wind whipped up waves, crashing onto the red beach. Water droplets, carried by the wind, scattered against Shanks' messy red hair.
In those crimson droplets was the reflection of two sages floating in the sky, with Gecko on their backs. But Gecko couldn't set foot on the beach.
"Pop~"
The droplets burst, and the image vanished.
"To be praised like this by the strongest man alive… it's an honor for me."
Master Genichi still wore a kind, gentle smile, though that earlier surprise attack had been his doing.
"Shanks, I know you're strong.
But… to beat both of us alone, that won't be easy."
Fukuda Kiyomu radiated a fierce, dangerous aura. His massive muscles bulged, shining with light, while his long, untamed hair floated in the air.
He was already fully in battle mode.
The reason they dared to come here was because they were confident Shanks couldn't kill them before crossing the Earthly Sage Kingdom.
But from that earlier exchange, both Master Genichi and Fukuda Kiyomu could clearly feel that Shanks' strength was different from anyone else's.
His strikes carried no exaggerated force, no wasted buildup, no extra movements… everything was seamless, as if Shanks' swordsmanship was never meant just for them—
It was swordsmanship born to cut through the world itself. Terrifying.
Even so, they weren't afraid.
Of course, their words might have sounded like boasting, showing off their own power, but in truth these two really were among the strongest in the world.
Put another way, it was like saying—
"Master, your martial arts are unmatched, but before your inner energy runs out, you might not be able to kill us all!"
The kind of thing that sounds tough… but is actually cowardly.
Still, it was a realistic kind of cowardice. In this world, almost no one could say something like that to Shanks and actually be able to back it up.
But Shanks wasn't here to flaunt his strength anyway.
"You two… you're underestimating yourselves."
Shanks held his sword, looking at Master Genichi and Fukuda Kiyomu.
"Since you've come with the intent to kill me, don't think so little of yourselves. I… am nothing more than an ordinary man."
"As long as you're human, you will die!"
As soon as Shanks finished speaking, a black-and-red bolt of thunder crashed down from the sky. In an instant, dark clouds covered the skies over the sea, and a crushing pressure filled the air.
Within a kilometer around him, the raging winds and waves vanished in that instant. An invisible force spread outward from Shanks at the center.
The wild winds were instantly forced down, the towering waves shattered and pressed flat against the surface, and the spray from the broken waves was smashed apart again under the trembling thunder.
"Red Lion!"
Shanks made his move. His speed was fast—but his sword was even faster.
"Clang!!"
Sparks flashed on the scabbard, followed by streams of red flame. The blade wasn't even fully drawn yet, and the natural energy around Master Genichi and Fukuda Kiyomu froze.
It was like a lion pouncing, clamping down on them and crushing their natural energy in one bite. The moonlight aura around Master Genichi shattered like glass.
Thankfully, both of them were incredibly strong, and within an instant, they broke free from that state.
Terrifying.
Such terrifying swordsmanship.
They had never seen swordsmanship like this before—not even needing to draw the blade.
But Shanks had already drawn his sword.
The moment Master Genichi and Fukuda Kiyomu reacted, Shanks was already standing right in front of them.
Black-and-red lightning and red flames wrapped around his katana.
"Slash!"
Boom!!
In that moment, Shanks unleashed his strike for real. The overwhelming power pinned both of them down.
A pitch-black monk's staff appeared in Master Genichi's hands, and four black Truth-Seeking Orbs floated behind him. Between them was a white moon.
That too was formed from a Truth-Seeking Orb.
It showed that Master Genichi had reached a new form of Armament Haki through the usual path, but had then developed his own variation of it.
But… it still wasn't enough!
Just blocking this one strike left cracks on the four black Truth-Seeking Orbs behind him.
As for Fukuda Kiyomu, who blocked alongside him, both of his hands were now covered in dark-red Armament Haki.
"Seimei Kikan… Gear Third!"
Gritting his teeth, Fukuda Kiyomu forced his move out under the crushing pressure. His muscles swelled again, blood-colored steam poured from his body, and his pupils shrank sharply.
His wild long hair became even more untamed.
"Is that all you've got, Shanks?!"
With a huge burst of power and a violent backlash of Senjutsu chakra, Fukuda Kiyomu bent his legs slightly, then shattered the air beneath his feet midair, blasting Shanks back with the force from his hands.
Using the recoil, Shanks leapt back, his katana already set for the next strike.
In that moment, Fukuda Kiyomu charged at Shanks, while Master Genichi moved in perfect sync to use his secret technique.
The immense will of the Earthly Sage Kingdom began to gather, and a giant phantom appeared over the sea.
Shanks had already moved off the beach. Within the Earthly Sage Kingdom's range, they had the power to fight him.
But for both of them, Shanks' strength was simply absurd.
Especially that sword technique.
"This sword technique… no way. Two effects in one? That's just broken!!"
Even Fukuda Kiyomu couldn't help but curse. The Shanks in front of him was ridiculous—just drawing his sword was already an attack, and then there was the actual strike right after.
Could you not be so…
But in the next moment, as Fukuda Kiyomu charged toward Shanks, he saw that Shanks' blade… wasn't aimed at him.
For a fighter at this level, battle experience was insane. There was no way he hadn't noticed, which meant…
As Shanks slid his katana back into its sheath, cold sweat formed on Fukuda Kiyomu's back.
"Draw slash!"
In the next instant, Shanks vanished—completely gone—and then came a wave of sharp pain.
Behind Fukuda Kiyomu, three streaks of sword light flashed, cutting in from the back.
"How… is that possible!!"
Fukuda Kiyomu's punch suddenly twisted mid-air, as thick senjutsu chakra fell from above and wrapped around his fist.
He struck the Shanks behind him, but Shanks caught his fist in one hand, and a burst of red armament haki exploded from his palm.
In an instant, it crushed the senjutsu chakra on Fukuda Kiyomu's fist.
"I know a bit about armament haki too."
It was true—only a bit. But when it came to taijutsu, Shanks knew plenty.
"Bang!!"
A heavy kick from Shanks slammed into Fukuda Kiyomu's waist. Pain shot through him as his body was knocked down toward the sea, blood scattering in the air.
But in the next moment, Shanks sensed danger from above.
"I'm… not just a sage who knows taijutsu!"
"Fall!"
A black truth-seeking orb formed above Shanks' head the instant the senjutsu chakra shattered.
It looked black, but to Shanks, it felt completely different.
"Bang!"
Shanks' reaction was a beat too slow.
Attacking is often the best chance for the enemy to strike back. Under the massive force, Shanks was sent crashing down into the sea.
Fukuda Kiyomu grabbed the seawater with both hands and lifted the surface—suppressed earlier by conqueror's haki—before slamming it down toward Shanks.
"You can't dodge this!!"
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