"If any of you still want to keep fighting… I'll gladly accompany you to the end!"
"This battle ends here."
"Think of it as… doing me a favor, how about that?"
Shanks the Red-Haired shouted loudly.
As soon as he said that, everyone's expressions changed dramatically.
They knew Shanks well. If he really wanted to protect someone, he would do so at any cost.
Just one Red-Haired Shanks was enough of a headache—let alone the entire Red-Haired Pirates standing behind him. If a fight truly broke out, they might not walk away alive!
While everyone hesitated, a cold voice suddenly rang out:
"Shanks… I think you've misunderstood something. I'm grateful that you built a grave for my parents, but… this is my war. I don't need protection from anyone."
"And these people… I'll take care of them all myself."
"You brat, why don't you ever listen?"
Fat and clad in green, Lucky Roux frowned while gnawing on a drumstick as he walked over. "Back in the day, that guy Bai Luos was my good buddy. If it weren't for you about to be born, why would he have left the Red-Haired crew and given up being a pirate?"
"And now the boss is sticking his neck out to save you. You don't appreciate it, fine—but to boast about handling them all by yourself… You think they're made of dough? That you can mold them however you like?!"
Lucky Roux was clearly pissed.
"Just like Bai Luos. Stubborn as hell," said Benn Beckman calmly.
"Whiteflame, have you really thought this through?"
Shanks looked at him seriously.
"If you truly want to face them alone, I'll respect your decision… but I need you to understand—none of the people you're up against are weak. They're very strong."
"You're still too young. Even if you've got some power, you shouldn't be challenging all of them at once. You need more time to refine your strength—let your light shine even brighter."
Shanks' voice was filled with concern and sincerity.
Even though they barely knew each other, because of the bond with Bai Luos, Shanks would never abandon his old friend's son—even if it meant going to war with two other Emperors.
But if Whiteflame insisted on fighting his own way, then Shanks would respect that too.
"If you're afraid I'll be defeated, Shanks, then you're overthinking things."
"I'll take down every last one of them."
Even in the face of Shanks' final warning, Whiteflame chose to fight!
He understood that Shanks was trying to buy him more time—let him grow stronger before making a move. That would increase both the chance of success and his survival rate.
To the Red-Haired Pirates, he probably seemed like an arrogant brat, thinking a little strength meant he could challenge the world. But Whiteflame would prove with action whether he was bluffing or not.
"Whiteflame, you—!"
Lucky Roux looked like he wanted to scold him, but couldn't find the words. Fighting was one thing—talking people out of things? Not his specialty.
"Sometimes, it's not a bad thing for young people to experience setbacks,"
Benn Beckman squinted slightly, showing no intention of stopping Whiteflame.
"Alright. I respect your choice."
"From this moment on, this is your battle. You will fight these enemies in your own way… and during this time, I will not step in."
"Remember—even if you die at their hands, I still won't interfere. Because I respect the path you've chosen."
Shanks declared solemnly.
With a wave of his hand, everyone stepped back. Benn Beckman and Lucky Roux returned to his side.
"What a joke… We came all this way just to watch someone die in front of us?" Lucky Roux grumbled.
"Don't jump to conclusions, Roux. Who knows? The kid might surprise us," Benn Beckman said mildly.
"Surprise? You're telling me this kid—so young—has the strength to face all of them? Come on. Aside from the boss, who here could even survive that lineup?"
"I'm telling you—we'll be picking up his corpse before long."
Lucky Roux snorted.
Benn Beckman didn't respond. As sharp as he was, it was still all speculation until proven otherwise… and honestly, he wasn't the only one in the Red-Haired crew who didn't think Whiteflame could win this.
The Juice Minister, Charlotte Smoothie, one of Big Mom's Sweet Commanders—bounty: 900 million!
The Queen of Calamities, Wind Calamity, from the Beasts Pirates—bounty: 1.2 billion!
Kizaru, one of the Navy's three top Admirals, had once personally taken down a violent criminal with an 800 million bounty!
Just these three alone—like Lucky Roux said—no one here besides Shanks could hope to withstand them.
And that's not even counting the other minister-level cadres from the Big Mom Pirates, the two elite subordinates of Wind Calamity standing ready, plus multiple heavily armed navy battleships awaiting orders…
Such a terrifying lineup—even Shanks himself might not be able to take them all on with confidence.
And Whiteflame? Sure, he had some battle achievements—but at the end of the day, he was still a greenhorn. No matter how strong he was, the gap between the two sides was like heaven and earth.
Facing this overwhelming force alone?
Pure delusion.
"Cocky little brat. Red-Haired offered to protect him, and he turned it down!"
Charlotte Perospero sneered.
"Just as I hoped. I don't like Red-Haired, but when he says something, he means it. Since he said he won't interfere, the Red-Haired Pirates are officially out of this!"
"One brat thinks he can take on all of us? The arrogance! I'll be the one to kill him!"
Charlotte Mondor laughed coldly.
"Enough talk! That punk dared to look down on us—I'll bite his damn head off!"
Wind Calamity roared furiously.
"He gave up Red-Haired's protection?"
"Some people value pride more than life itself, huh?"
A sly smile curled at Kizaru's lips.
If Whiteflame had kept quiet, this battle might have ended right there. Killing him would've been impossible.
But now that he'd stepped up and rejected Red-Haired's protection… everything had changed.
The flame of hope reignited.
And everyone's bloodlust surged violently.
Whiteflame vs The Three Great Powers!
Shanks had made his stance crystal clear: he would not participate in the fight.
And Whiteflame had just as clearly declared his intent to fight all of them alone.
Under such circumstances, Charlotte Smoothie saw no reason to hesitate. Without a word, she drew her blade and charged in for the kill!
Their goal was simple. Nothing more, nothing less—Whiteflame's head.
Now that the target stood before them, why waste time?
"Damn it! She went in before I could!"
Wind Calamity shouted angrily.
"Oooh~ She's quick. Without Red-Haired's shield, let's see how long this kid lasts."
Kizaru's eyes gleamed.
"Smoothie's playing dirty—not even telling us she was going to make a move! When it comes time to claim credit from Mama, she better not forget me!"
Charlotte Mondor shouted.
The battle ignited in an instant. Smoothie thrust her blade straight for Whiteflame's heart!
"So, you'll be the first to die?"
[30 Divine Execution Bullets: Godslayer Barrage]
A cold gleam flashed through Whiteflame's eyes. With a wave of his hand, the giant surging waves around him snapped to life—transforming into thirty projectiles laced with Advanced Armament Haki, firing like missiles toward Smoothie's sword!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
Thirty divine bullets—massive in both number and sheer destructive force—clashed head-on with the Sweet Commander's sword. The strength behind them far surpassed Doflamingo's peak. To block a single Smoothie attack? Child's play.
[Wild Dragon Might: Transcendent Tempest]
Whiteflame didn't hold back. He already felt the Nine Dragons, the ship beneath his feet, trembling and cracking—on the verge of collapse.
So why not use it as a weapon?
"ROOOOAAARRR!!!"
In an instant, the ground beneath him exploded upward, reshaping into a colossal dragon of rock and earth. With a deafening roar, it soared into the sky, claws outstretched, and smashed down toward the Big Mom Pirates' high-ranking officers!
"What the hell is that?!"
Charlotte Mondor, standing atop a flying book, looked up at the sky and turned pale with shock at the sheer scale of the stone dragon.
"Damn it—that's the Float-Float Fruit! Golden Lion's power! How is it showing up here?!"
Let me know if you'd like the next chapter, more translation, or editing done in a different tone (e.g. more literal, more stylized, etc.)
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