Dimensional Chat Group: Speed-o'-Light

At this moment, Shanks was stepping in, asking everyone to give him some face.

Based on Lucky Roux's experience over the years, there was a high chance they'd end up getting beaten up for it.

But they had boarded Shanks' ship willingly—there was no turning back now.

"We should at least say hello first, let everyone know we're here."

Shanks gripped the hilt of his sword, and in the next moment—an overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, soaring into the sky and sweeping across Marineford.

In the next second—

Eight or nine equally terrifying auras exploded above Marineford, their intensity rivaling Shanks' own.

Even the fortress-like Marine Headquarters began to crack and shatter under the sheer pressure of these forces clashing.

"Hahaha! What's going on? Is Marineford always this lively?"

Shanks' Haki was forcibly pushed out of Marineford.

The sheer number of top-tier powerhouses gathered here was utterly ridiculous, even for a place like Marine HQ.

"Shanks is in for a rough time this time…"

Benn Beckman said grimly.

In their original plan, by the time the Red-Haired Pirates arrived, both the Marines and Whitebeard Pirates would be exhausted, with heavy casualties.

At that point, the Red-Haired Pirates could step in as a decisive force, potentially convincing both sides to stop fighting.

But now—

Shanks' Haki probe had confirmed the worst.

Both sides still had plenty of strength left.

With eight or nine top-tier powerhouses in play, they could easily fight for days.

"Are we going in?"

Yasopp raised his beloved rifle, taking aim toward Marineford.

"Of course. We came all this way—no way we're sneaking off with our tails between our legs!"

Shanks laughed heartily and gave the order—

The Red Force charged toward the frozen battlefield.

---

"This guy… still loves sticking his nose into trouble, just like before."

A mysterious hooded figure, currently keeping Aokiji occupied, suddenly chuckled.

Once upon a time, Shanks had just been a rookie pirate.

Now, he was a man capable of altering the course of war.

"Red-Hair…"

Aokiji frowned.

There was no denying it—the arrival of the Red-Haired Pirates was bad news for the Marines.

On the surface, it seemed like only Shanks had joined the battlefield.

But the Red-Haired Pirates were the most balanced crew in terms of strength—their officers were just as formidable as Whitebeard's commanders, if not stronger.

Especially Benn Beckman—many believed he could rival the legendary Dark King, Rayleigh.

For the Marines, who currently held the upper hand, this was the worst possible development.

---

"So that's how it is… The Whitebeard Pirates have been colluding with Red-Haired all along!"

Fleet Admiral Sengoku's face darkened.

After sensing the Conqueror's Haki blast from Shanks, he immediately realized the situation had taken a turn for the worse.

"Gurararara! Don't spout nonsense!"

Whitebeard let out a booming laugh, immediately denying the accusation.

Even if he were to die here, he wouldn't ask for help.

Even allowing the Revolutionary Army to join the fight was something he only tolerated because of Ace, Luffy, and Sabo's connections.

---

"Fufufufu… This is getting more and more interesting. Even the Red-Haired Pirates are joining in?"

On the edge of the battlefield, Doflamingo burst into laughter, watching with amusement as he controlled groups of pirates, making them slaughter each other for fun.

The more chaotic the battlefield, the more entertaining it was for him.

If the Red-Haired Pirates officially joined the war, that would be the perfect beginning for his dream of destroying the world.

---

"Classic Shanks…"

Dracule Mihawk stared at the Red-Haired Pirates' Jolly Roger.

Knowing Shanks, it was surprising he even arrived this late.

Among a sea of ruthless, power-hungry pirates, Shanks was an anomaly.

No one understood why he was so obsessed with stopping conflicts.

Even Mihawk—his long-time sparring partner—never truly understood him.

But then again, Mihawk's philosophy was simple:

If something wasn't worth thinking about, he wouldn't bother.

The only thing worth his relentless pursuit was swordsmanship.

---

"Is that guy one of your backup forces too?"

Crocodile, with Dragon covering for him, had finally managed to escape from Akainu's relentless pursuit.

Even though he had been defeated by Luffy and ended up as the laughingstock of the Seven Warlords, Crocodile was no rookie.

Before establishing himself in Alabasta, he had already made a name for himself in the New World—so, of course, he recognized Shanks' flag immediately.

"He's not with us. I didn't expect him to show up either."

Dragon shook his head, casually launching a violent gust of wind behind him to slow down Akainu's advance.

Dragon himself wasn't particularly afraid of Akainu, but if Akainu managed to stall him here, his old man might catch up too—and that would be trouble.

At first, Dragon thought he had grown strong enough to face his father head-on.

But Garp had proven him dead wrong.

A couple of iron fists later, and Dragon had nearly gotten his skull caved in.

---

"Darling, who's that guy?"

Esdeath, who had been competing with Hancock in a jealous rivalry, immediately turned her attention to the cocky, one-armed newcomer.

From her perception, Shanks' power was even above Delocas, and he seemed to be a swordsman as well.

"Red-Haired Shanks. One of the Four Emperors. A real pain in the ass…"

Kizaru muttered with a lazy shrug, clearly not too fond of Shanks.

Of course, Kizaru would never admit that the reason he disliked Shanks was that—despite being a Pirate Emperor—the guy was somehow lazier than he was.

If Shanks wasn't throwing parties, he was traveling the world—or worse, sticking his nose into other people's business.

It was like two slackers meeting and naturally repelling each other.

"He's pretty strong too, huh? Can I fight him?"

Esdeath's eyes gleamed with excitement.

She had recently learned all three types of Haki and had just taken down a weakened Delocas—but she wasn't satisfied yet.

"Maybe later. He's here to stop the fight, and if this keeps going, it won't be good for the Navy either…"

Kizaru scratched his head.

The Navy had the upper hand against the Whitebeard Pirates at first.

But then Dragon showed up.

Now, with the Revolutionary Army and Whitebeard's crew working together, the Navy was no longer dominant.

To make things worse—

Dragon had recruited Rayleigh, who in turn had brought Delocas onto their side.

If Red-Haired Shanks joined them as well, things would get really messy.

Kizaru wasn't exactly eager to go all-out just to clean up this mess.

When it came down to it, he only cared about the Navy's interests.

Eradicating pirates and revolutionaries wasn't entirely good for the Navy.

At least, not in the long run.

With how the World Government and the Five Elders operated, Kizaru was well aware that once the enemies were gone, the Navy itself would probably be discarded next.

And he wasn't about to be a loyal dog for the World Government.

---

Shanks' arrival had put many on high alert, but the battle was already in full swing.

Neither the Marines nor the pirates had any intention of stopping.

"Enough!"

Shanks drew his sword and stabbed it firmly into the ground.

A cataclysmic wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted, engulfing all of Marineford.

The weaker fighters—both Marines and pirates—collapsed like wheat in the wind, falling in waves.

Only the elite warriors and high-ranking officers were able to withstand the pressure.

But even then, they were the minority.

Within seconds, more than two-thirds of those present had lost consciousness.

And the only reason it wasn't worse was that the top powerhouses on both sides had released their own Haki to counteract Shanks' overwhelming force.

---

"Red-Haired! Are you declaring war against the Navy?!"

A magma-clad Akainu came crashing down from above, smashing a portion of Marineford's plaza into a molten crater.

He had already lost his temper—

First, Marco and the others escaped from his grasp.

Then, Crocodile slipped away right under his nose.

His rage was at its absolute peak.

His fiery gaze locked onto Shanks with fury.

This was the perfect chance to eliminate both Whitebeard's crew and the Revolutionaries.

Without the Revolutionaries interfering, the Navy could have mobilized all its forces—not just from Paradise but from all four seas.

And once Whitebeard's death created a power vacuum in the New World…

The Navy could shift its entire focus there, potentially ending the Great Pirate Era once and for all.

Akainu was willing to accept massive casualties if it meant crushing piracy forever.

After all—

The post-war draft would replenish the Navy anyway.

But now—Shanks was ruining everything.

---

"If you're still itching for a fight—"

Shanks rested his hand on his sword, his expression sharp and unwavering.

"Then you'll have to go through us!"

"Anyone who still wants to fight—come at me!"

Shanks spoke in a deep, commanding tone.

Behind him, the Red-Haired Pirates unsheathed their weapons in unison, ready for battle.

"Tch, this guy never changes…"

Marco clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Still, he had to admit—the Whitebeard Pirates owed Red-Haired a favor now.

For the moment, their temporary alliance with the Revolutionaries allowed them to fight the Navy on even ground.

But their numbers were still at a disadvantage, and the Navy hadn't even gone all out yet.

If that damn Kizaru decided to join the battle—alongside that mysterious woman who had defeated Delocas one-on-one—

Then the already precarious situation of the Whitebeard Pirates might collapse in an instant.

---

"Shanks?! It's really Shanks! Hey, Shanks!"

Luffy bounced up and down excitedly, waving at the Red-Haired Pirates despite the tense standoff between them and Akainu.

Shanks, who had been all serious and imposing, suddenly let out a helpless smile.

He lifted his hand and gave Luffy a small wave in return.

"Luffy, huh? You've really grown… Time flies."

Beside him, Benn Beckman let out a sigh, feeling a wave of nostalgia.

Even under the intense pressure of Akainu's presence, the Red-Haired Pirates' vice-captain remained completely unfazed.

---

"When this war is over, let's throw a party with Luffy!"

Yasopp grinned, lifting his rifle, aiming it directly at Akainu's head.

After all, they had watched Luffy grow up back in Foosha Village.

"Oi, don't get too relaxed!"

Lucky Roux chimed in, taking a bite of meat as he cautioned his crew.

"Look at Akainu—he's about ready to explode! If he decides to fight us to the death, things could get messy real fast."

"The Whitebeard Pirates… are siding with the Red-Haired Pirates?!"

Fleet Admiral Sengoku gritted his teeth in frustration.

Unlike Akainu, who only cared about wiping out Whitebeard and the Revolutionaries, Sengoku's priority was minimizing Marine casualties.

If Whitebeard and Red-Haired truly joined forces, the Navy's situation could turn disastrous.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

Whitebeard let out a derisive snort, his massive frame unshaken.

"There's no way in hell I'd team up with that red-haired brat!"

Even if it meant dying here in Marineford, his pride would never allow him to bow his head to a younger pirate.

Sengoku didn't argue.

From his perspective, Whitebeard's stubborn pride was both his greatest strength and his greatest flaw.

And honestly—

This kind of meddling was exactly what Shanks always did.

It wasn't surprising in the slightest that he'd step in to stop the war.

Even when Kaido and Big Mom had tried to clash with Whitebeard, Shanks had interfered.

If you asked Kizaru, Shanks was basically the ocean's biggest busybody—

A hopeless meddler with a fixation on maintaining balance.

---

"Tch… Red-Hair's still as much of a troublemaker as ever…"

Kizaru raised an eyebrow, shaking his head with a sigh.

The first time he'd ever met Shanks, the guy was already butting into conflicts, trying to stop the G-1 Branch from clashing with the Beasts Pirates.

And now—years later—

That same nosy kid had become a Pirate Emperor, yet his habits hadn't changed one bit.

"Darling, this guy is crazy strong!"

Esdeath's eyes sparkled as she watched Shanks, itching to jump in and fight him.

Delocas had been decent, but compared to Shanks? Not even close.

This world was just getting more and more interesting.

There were so many powerful warriors, each one stronger than the last.

And at the top of it all—

Her beloved Kizaru.

Even though she had already mastered all three types of Haki, every instinct honed from years of battle screamed a warning whenever she faced him.

The kind of feeling she only got when encountering the deadliest Danger Beasts.

A primal sense of doom.

Like facing an unstoppable force of nature.

---

"Where the hell did you even come from?"

Hancock shot Esdeath a suspicious glance.

"How do you not know who Red-Haired Shanks is? Even in the most isolated parts of the world, people know about the Pirate Emperors."

Esdeath tilted her head.

"Pirate Emperor? That explains his strength… So, does that make my darling the Navy Emperor?"

Esdeath nodded, finally acknowledging Shanks' title as a Pirate Emperor.

Compared to the young, feeble emperor of the Empire, she much preferred the idea that only the strongest deserved to rule.

"Uh… The Navy doesn't have Emperors," Kizaru replied lazily.

"Our highest combat forces are the Admirals."

Sure, there was a Fleet Admiral above them, but that position was a leadership role, not necessarily the strongest fighter.

That said, most Fleet Admirals were either the strongest or at least one of the strongest in their generation.

As Kizaru casually chatted with his two 'companions',

The battlefield at Marineford was undergoing a dramatic shift.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, should we engage the Red-Haired Pirates?"

"Damn it! Of all times—why now, Shanks?!"

"Whitebeard, Red-Haired, and the Revolutionaries… If they join forces, we're in trouble."

The moment Shanks arrived, the chaos of the war screeched to a halt.

Both Marines and Pirates instinctively paused their fighting, waiting for their leaders to make a move.

Shanks' entrance alone had been too overwhelming.

For those who had never witnessed the power of true monsters—

Shanks appeared like a demon king descending upon the battlefield.

With a single shout, his Conqueror's Haki had knocked out nearly half of both the Marines and Pirates.

They had no idea that this was Shanks' limit—

To them, it only meant one thing:

"The Pirate Emperor, Red-Haired Shanks, is an absolute nightmare."

°°°

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