Chapter 512: The Situation of the Four Emperors' Forces
Shanks listened to Shinigami Zalik's words about his childhood, the unstable emotions clear in his voice. He immediately realized how troublesome this situation had become. It was evident that dealing with someone as emotionally volatile as Zalik would not be easy to resolve through persuasion.
The critical factor now was the stance of the other Tarot Totem member, the Hermit.
If the two worked together, leveraging their strange abilities, Shanks and his crew could be entangled for a long time. By then, the Mythical Beast Conference would be over, and their efforts would be for naught.
"Hermit-sama, it's not wise for us to be stuck fighting here, is it?" Shanks called out, addressing the unseen figure.
The Hermit, standing beside Zalik and hidden beneath a black robe, felt Zalik's burning gaze turn toward him.
The corners of his mouth twitched slightly under his hood. After a moment of consideration, he decided to indulge Zalik, adopting a more lenient approach.
During their time together, he had noticed Zalik's emotional sensitivity, especially after gifting him the substitute orb. As the young man's leader, the Hermit felt a responsibility to care for his emotional state.
"Young man, there's no need to say more," the Hermit said calmly, his voice carrying a kind tone. "Call out that fat young man and let Zalik vent his anger."
Hearing the calm yet firm voice in the air, Roux's face fell, and he nearly cried. It was clear that Shinigami Zalik not only wanted to vent his frustration but seemed intent on devouring him.
Could he refuse?
"There's no other way," Shanks said, his expression turning serious as he faced the unseen enemies. "If you want to harm my crew, come and try!"
Roux's eyes welled with tears at Shanks' words. His captain's loyalty warmed his heart.
He silently vowed to save an extra chicken drumstick for Shanks in the future. Swallowing the drumstick in his mouth—meat, bone, and all—Roux pulled another from his bulging pocket and held it between his lips.
The other members of the Red Hair Pirates were unfazed by Roux's antics, accustomed to his behavior.
"In that case, let's see your true strength!" the Hermit declared from the shadows. "I want to witness the skill of the young man that Morgans praises as one of the three masters of swordsmanship."
With that, a black, illusory figure wielding a dark sword lunged forward.
The Hermit's real name was Velui. Before becoming a substitute user, he was a swordsman of little renown.
Over a year ago, the Dark Curtain Organization had scouted candidates for their substitute orbs, selecting from both famous and obscure figures. Velui had successfully bonded with the Hermit's substitute orb, earning his codename.
In the realm of swordsmanship, Shanks was far more renowned. As a swordsman himself, Velui harbored a desire to test his skills against a master.
After acquiring his substitute, he had not neglected his swordsmanship.
Instead, he developed a new kendo style, the Hidden Assassin Style, tailored to the unique traits of his stand. This earned him recognition as a great swordsman, likely capable of achieving a 10th-grade ranking in the Kendo Association's 12-grade system.
Though his stand wielded a giant sword and attacked openly, its abilities made Velui's strikes unpredictable and formidable. As Velui's stand launched its assault, Shanks sensed an inexplicable danger but couldn't pinpoint its source. He enveloped his body in Armament Haki for protection.
Clang!
The tip of the stand's massive sword struck Shanks' chest with force, shattering the ground beneath his feet. A wound opened on his chest, blood trickling out. Even Shanks' powerful Armament Haki couldn't fully deflect such a sudden, explosive attack.
"There's an opening!" Beckman shouted, his eyes sharp as he stood beside Shanks.
Despite the Hermit's stand concealing itself, its attack on Shanks had briefly revealed its position. Beckman seized the opportunity, conjuring lines of ice in his hands. The icy thorns transformed into a torrent of frost, flooding the area in front of Shanks.
At that moment, a gray-robed Shinigami stand appeared, wielding a cold scythe that spun and slashed relentlessly. It blocked Beckman's ice spikes while unleashing a barrage of slashes toward the Red Hair Pirates.
"I've got this!" Navigator Snake declared, brandishing his twin swords. Sharp wind blades met the incoming slashes, neutralizing them. Any stray attacks that slipped through caused little harm.
"Net of Thunder!" Combatant Limejuice unleashed a massive web of crackling lightning, but the Hermit's stand countered with its giant sword, effortlessly dispelling the attack.
The two sides exchanged blows, locked in a relentless back-and-forth.
"These guys are troublesome," Velui muttered from his hidden vantage point, observing through his stand. "They're called the pirate crew with an iron wall for a reason. No one seems weak."
The Red Hair Pirates were renowned across the seas as the first crew composed entirely of Demon Pattern users, and they were among the earliest to wield such power.
Their strength was unquestionable. Captain Shanks carried a bounty of 2.33 billion berries, while Vice-Captain Freeze Spear Beckman was valued at 1.63 billion berries. The other crew members' bounties ranged from 800 million to 1 billion berries.
Had such a crew emerged earlier, they might have claimed a spot among the Five Emperors. However, the current Four Emperors held formidable power, making it a challenge for the Red Hair Pirates to rise further.
The Golden Lion, leader of the Four Emperors, was a demigod whose individual strength alone could dominate any opposition, regardless of his pirate crew.
The Whitebeard Pirates, dominant in the early pirate era, were bolstered by Whitebeard's own might, alongside Phoenix Marco and Foil Vista, one of the three masters of swordsmanship. Many rookie pirates, seeking to make a name for themselves, joined Whitebeard's ranks, only to add to his already abundant talent pool. This ensured the Whitebeard Pirates' high standing among pirates.
The Beasts Pirates, led by Kaido of the Beasts, included powerful figures like King and Higuma, with the Andre Pirates as a formidable affiliated group. Though the Andre Pirates and Beasts Pirates seemed at odds, they remained united in the eyes of outsiders, strengthening their collective power.
As for the Big Mom Pirates, their top-tier combat power rested on Big Mom and Katakuri. Katakuri's strength was exceptional, rumored to rival a three-star gem-level hunter or even a demigod. This reputation stemmed from his undefeated clash with Gabaisho, the Scythe of Despair.
He was now Known as Speedy Katakuri, it was said that no enemy could touch him if he didn't allow it. Beyond Katakuri, the Big Mom pirates placed the greatest emphasis on Demon Patterns among the Four Emperors, boasting the largest number of Demon Pattern users, which formed the bedrock of their power.
The Red Hair Pirates still had a long way to go to challenge the Four Emperors. However, the Mythical Beast Conference could reshape the pirate world, significantly impacting its high-end combat dynamics.
(End of this chapter)