Shanks and Whitebeard were old friends.
Although they didn't see each other often, Shanks knew a little about Whitebeard's health. Seeing him now, Shanks' expression was a mix of surprise and shock.
"Whitebeard, your illness..."
"Gurarararara! Surprised, are ya?"
"It's all thanks to the 'Dimensional Pirate Group.' Come on, Shanks, let me introduce you to my new friends."
Whitebeard let out his signature laugh, then put his arm around Shanks's shoulder and brought him over to Uchiha Hikari's group. He introduced each of them one by one with a sense of solemnity.
There was a good reason for this formality.
At first, Whitebeard respected them because Uchiha Hikari and Esdeath were as strong as any Emperor, and because Yamato was "Ace's friend."
But now, his attitude towards the "Dimensional Pirate Group" was one of genuine admiration and gratitude.
Although the "Oni-fication Serum 2.0" was still in the clinical trial phase, Kikyo and Tamayo had already operated on Whitebeard twice, removing several tumors and other ailments. They had also used a "Purifying Light." These treatments had alleviated several of Whitebeard's chronic illnesses to varying degrees, and his health was much better. The difference was clear in his appearance alone.
Theoretically, if this course of treatment continued for a few more rounds, while his illness might not be completely cured, he could at least live for another three to five years without a problem.
This result was a pleasant and unexpected surprise for Whitebeard.
He was even tempted to adopt Kikyo and Tamayo as his daughters.
Of course... he was rejected.
Kikyo had always been a quiet, independent person. After the great change fifty years ago and her "resurrection," her view on familial bonds had become very distant. She had no desire to find a new family, so she politely declined Whitebeard's offer.
As for Tamayo...
"I'm sorry, it might sound strange, but I'm actually over 300 years old. I'm no longer a young person. Becoming your daughter... it's just not appropriate." Tamayo said this with an apologetic tone.
"..."
Whitebeard was a little dumbfounded.
From his perspective, it was hard to imagine that Miss Tamayo, who looked to be in her twenties or thirties at most, was actually several centuries old.
And this "several centuries" wasn't like Uchiha Hikari's where she had just been lying in a coffin. Tamayo had actually lived through hundreds of thousands of days and nights. If they were to determine seniority based on physical age, Miss Tamayo could easily be the great-grandmother of everyone in the Whitebeard Pirates, and even the "Dimensional Pirate Group."
Back to the present.
As he listened to Whitebeard's introductions, Shanks looked at Uchiha Hikari and the others with a hint of hesitation. He seemed surprised by their age and gender—it was rare to see "pirates" of this age, and apart from Boa Hancock's Kuja Pirates, it was even rarer to see a group of so many girls on the high seas. He still greeted them politely.
"So you're Captain Bulma and Vice-Captain Uchiha Hikari... a pleasure to meet you."
"You're Shanks?" Bulma looked him up and down. "You look pretty handsome, just a little old."
"..."
Born during Roger's era, Shanks was 37 at this point in time.
Although this was nearly two and a half generations younger than the other three Emperors on average, he couldn't be considered young anymore.
Compared to Bulma, Uchiha Hikari's attention was focused on Shanks' height. At 1.99 meters, he was a rare "normal person" on the seas.
After the pleasantries were over, Esdeath let out a sigh and spoke in a calm voice. "Hey, I heard you're an 'Emperor of the Sea,' on par with Kaido and Whitebeard?"
"Hmm?" Shanks instinctively tried to be humble. "That's just a meaningless title people gave me, it's nothing to brag about..."
"Come on, fight me."
Esdeath raised her hands, stretching her wrists and neck. Her eyes were filled with a burning desire for a battle. "I've already experienced the strength of Kaido and Whitebeard, so with you, that's three 'Emperors.' I can feel that your strength is considerable. Come on, let me see what the pinnacle of this sea looks like."
"...Huh?"
---
If you ranked the Four Emperors by overall strength, it's hard to say where Shanks would fall, but he definitely wouldn't be number one.
However...
If the ranking was based on Haki mastery...
Then Shanks was undeniably number one.
Even a prime Whitebeard from his younger days would probably have a hard time beating him.
As Roger's adopted son and the only Emperor who hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit, his Observation Haki was almost on par with the former Pirate King. He could "see" and "hear" a glimpse of the future in an instant and react accordingly.
In the original story, for example, he acted before Kid could awaken his Devil Fruit and destroyed his entire fleet with a single sword strike.
When it came to Conqueror's Haki, Shanks had also developed a powerful technique that combined it with his swordsmanship, like "Divine Departure."
But right now...
"This is..."
Before Esdeath could even start freezing the sea, Shanks seemed to have a premonition. He turned his head abruptly, a look of shock on his face as he stared at her. "You actually... What is your relationship with Aokiji, with an ability like that?"
"Hmm? You mean that Marine Admiral?" Esdeath raised an eyebrow.
She was more than familiar with the name Aokiji.
She had heard Yamato mention him before she even came to the pirate world, and after arriving here, she had frequently heard his name from Jack the Drought, the Photo King, and the members of the Whitebeard Pirates. She was very curious about this person who supposedly had powers and a fighting style so similar to her own.
"Yes," Shanks said with a serious expression. "While there are similar Devil Fruits in the world, fruits within the same system always follow a superior and inferior relationship. But Miss Esdeath's ability looks so incredibly similar to Aokiji's. If I hadn't recently heard about Aokiji's whereabouts, I might have thought you had stolen the power of the 'Ice-Ice Fruit' from him."
"Is that so?" Esdeath's eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you know where this Aokiji guy is?"
"I think so."
"Then... can you tell me his location? I'm very curious about him."