Right then—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
A formless pressure surged in like a raging tide, making everyone's heart jolt violently.
Not killing intent—sovereignty. Conqueror's, clean and crushing.
The ground split open. The already-unstable Nine Dragons, which was barely holding itself together, creaked and crumbled even further.
"My head… it hurts!"
"Ah!! It feels like something just smashed into my skull!"
"What the hell is going on?!"
Down below, pirates from the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates dropped like flies—collapsing where they stood, losing consciousness, some even frothing at the mouth.
But up on the Nine Dragons, the gathered powerhouses were completely unaffected. Instead, their faces all changed, and a single name surfaced in everyone's mind.
"That familiar presence… This mess is getting bigger and bigger. Even he showed up."
Kizaru already knew who was behind this oppressive aura, and a rare trace of shock flickered in his eyes.
"How is he here?!"
Smoothie frowned.
"Him? He's got a grudge with this guy too?"
Even the normally fearless Wind Calamity Queen felt a chill in her heart.
Everyone's gaze turned toward the same direction.
"Conqueror's Haki?"
Whiteflame himself possessed Conqueror's Haki, so he instantly recognized it—this wave of pressure was another person's Conqueror's Haki… one even more terrifying and overwhelming than his own.
He turned his head, following the source of the aura.
A figure slowly appeared before everyone.
The man had a well-proportioned build and handsome features, with a head of fiery red hair. Three scars marked his left eye, and short stubble framed his mouth. He wore a white shirt, a black cape draped over his shoulders, a Western-style sword at his hip, loose three-quarter pants, and sandals.
Most eye-catching of all was the empty, wind-fluttering sleeve on one side—
he was a one-armed man.
He looked like a completely forgettable passerby you could lose in any crowd—
but the weight behind that ordinary appearance was more terrifying than anyone present.
One of the Four Emperors of the New World—
Red-Haired Shanks.
"Everyone… I trust you've all been well."
Shanks pulled back his aura and gave them a warm, friendly smile.
"Ah, Admiral Kizaru—how rude of me not to greet you first."
Shanks glanced at the expressionless Kizaru and smiled.
"You've already greeted me… and that greeting was a bit too big. I'm not sure I could handle another one like it."
Kizaru's eyes slid sideways toward a man not far from him—
a man with a rifle aimed straight at him.
"We meet again, Kizaru. This time, why don't we settle it—see whether your speed is faster, or my bullet."
Benn Beckman spoke around the cigarette in his mouth, his expression calm.
"Wind Calamity Queen, last time we met, we didn't get to share a proper drink. A real shame."
"How about we make up for that today?"
Shanks' gaze shifted to the Wind Calamity Queen.
"Who'd drink with a cripple like you?!"
she snarled.
"Hey. Take that back."
At some unknown point, a gun had been pressed against the side of her head… held by a fat man in sunglasses, a green bandana, and a green-and-white striped shirt. Despite his ridiculous size, he'd approached without even the Wind Calamity Queen noticing.
"Easy, Lucky Roux. We're not here to start a war—we're here to stop one. And… she's not wrong. I am a cripple, ha-ha!"
Shanks laughed and waved his hand, completely unconcerned with the "cripple" remark.
"Ministers of the Big Mom Pirates… Remember our last clash? Even after all this time, it still feels like it happened yesterday. Hard to forget, really."
Shanks turned his smile on the Big Mom cadres.
"Red-Haired Shanks, these are Mama's orders. You're a fellow Emperor—you're not planning to start a war between Emperors over this, are you?"
Smoothie said coldly.
Even facing a Yonko, the Juice Minister Charlotte Smoothie didn't back down in the slightest.
"Can't be helped. The one you're targeting… happens to be my comrade."
Shanks chuckled lightly—and then his gaze sharpened like a drawn blade.
"Your comrade?"
"Hey! You one-armed cripple, cut the crap! We've fought your crew enough times. When was this guy ever on your ship?!"
The Wind Calamity Queen exploded instantly.
"That's right! Shanks, we know the roster of your crew like the back of our hands! If someone of this level was one of yours, how could we not know? Using such a cheap excuse to intervene… Isn't that a little low for you?"
Mont-d'Or snapped.
"For some random outsider… Shanks, I respect you as one of the Four Emperors, but this is going too far. Even if you want to take sides, you're spoiling it."
Smoothie said icily.
"Red-Hair, you're meddling a bit too much this time, don't you think…"
Kizaru also had no intention of backing down.
Marine Headquarters.
The Beasts Pirates.
The Big Mom Pirates.
Not a single side had any intention of giving up on killing Whiteflame.
They weren't fools. Whiteflame's displayed strength had already far exceeded expectations. So many heavy-hitters gathered here, and they still hadn't been able to finish him quickly… If they gave him more time to grow, they'd be nurturing a terrifying enemy for their own factions.
Letting a tiger return to the mountain—
even with Shanks in their way, none of them were willing to retreat so easily.
"Whether you believe me or not… doesn't matter much to me."
"If you're not convinced, then we're prepared to be your opponents."
Shanks stopped explaining. He simply smiled faintly and turned his gaze to Whiteflame.
"You really do look exactly like Ross."
"The first time I saw you, I thought Ross himself was standing right in front of me."
Shanks sighed softly.
"I've heard of you, Shanks. The one who avenged my useless father and built him a grave."
Whiteflame replied coolly.
If the Marines, the Beasts Pirates, and the Big Mom Pirates showing up had all been within his expectations, Shanks' arrival was the one thing that had blindsided him.
Not only that, Shanks had firmly taken his side and publicly declared he'd protect him—that genuinely surprised Whiteflame.
In his understanding, Shanks was indeed a man who valued bonds deeply.
For the sake of a child Luffy, he'd tossed aside an arm without hesitation.
He was broad-minded—no matter how much Buggy ranted or cursed at him, he never got angry.
Compared to Kaido and Big Mom, "rulers who climbed to power as pirates," Red-Hair Shanks was much more like a pirate chasing freedom, roaming the seas as a wandering captain.
Other Emperors had captains, calamities, or Sweet Commanders under them, but on Shanks' ship, everyone stood on equal footing.
Because of that, Shanks could lower himself for his crew—standing up for them, kneeling at graves for them… and now, personally stepping forward to shield Whiteflame.
"Ross was an old friend from my early pirate days. He saved my life. We were brothers who'd walked through death together."
"But when he left, he told me his dream was to live quietly with his family… to live an ordinary life. Not just him—he wanted his son to live quietly too, far from the bloodshed."
"So after he died, I didn't take you with me… But I never imagined that, ten-plus years later, you'd become this strong. Just look at the lineup you've drawn in—every one of them is a big name on this sea."
Shanks smiled.
"It's nothing. These people aren't worth mentioning."
Whiteflame said indifferently.
Just as he claimed—no matter how fearsome their reputations or how strong they were, in his eyes, they were nothing.
Give him some time and effort, and wiping them all out would be no more than a difficult chore.
"Arrogant brat!"
"Not worth mentioning?!"
"Say that again if you dare!"
With one sentence, Whiteflame instantly drew hatred from half the world. Countless killing gazes locked onto him… If looks could kill, he'd have been erased a hundred times over.
"Ha ha ha! Even your stubborn temper is just like Ross'!"
Shanks laughed heartily.
"Not long ago, I heard Kaido and Big Mom were making big moves. I sent people to check it out and learned of your existence… Good thing I came when I did. Any later, and I really would have been late."
Shanks' intelligence network wasn't particularly extensive, but when two Emperors moved on that scale, he couldn't just play blind. After investigating, he discovered they were all targeting a man named "Whiteflame."
How could Shanks possibly be unfamiliar with that name?
He was the one who'd given Ross' son that name back then.
The moment he learned the truth, Shanks set out at once, racing across the seas—and luckily, he'd made it in time.
"Marines. Beasts Pirates. Big Mom Pirates."
"Listen up. Whiteflame is my comrade. I will not allow anyone to lay a hand on him."
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