In the territory of the Red Hair Pirates, on a nameless island.
The bonfire of the feast burned brightly, large chunks of meat sizzling over the flames.
The rich aromas of alcohol and roasted meat filled the air.
Lucky Roux lifted a wine barrel larger than his head and downed half of it in one go, letting out a loud belch.
The crew sang and danced around the bonfire, the atmosphere reaching a fever pitch.
Shanks leaned against a rock, a bottle of liquor in one hand, a lazy smile on his face as he watched his comrades revel.
Just then, a figure hurriedly cut through the boisterous crowd, stirring a gust of wind in his wake.
Yasopp rushed up to Shanks with a grave expression.
The usual playful glint in his eyes was gone, replaced by an unusual seriousness.
Shanks shook his liquor bottle and raised an eyebrow. "What's got you so serious? Did Lucky Roux drink all the wine in the cellar?"
"This is no time for jokes!" Yasopp lowered his voice, his expression more solemn than ever.
"Something big has happened!"
The smile on Shanks' face faded slightly. He straightened up and looked calmly at Yasopp.
"Loki, the prince of the Giant Kingdom, has left Elbaf for some reason," Yasopp took a deep breath before continuing.
"Right now… he's leading the Giant Warrior Pirates straight toward us!"
The other officers, who had been laughing and joking moments before, fell silent and turned to listen.
Shanks paused, the liquor bottle in his hand hovering mid-air.
The laziness vanished from his face, his eyes sharpening. He stood up and gazed toward the turbulent sea, silent for a moment.
"There's no 'for some reason,'" Shanks said softly, a trace of resignation in his tone. "There's only one possibility for Loki to emerge from the 'Netherworld.' Elbaf must now be under the control of Fleet Admiral Orion."
Turning to Yasopp and Beckman, who had quietly approached, Shanks gave a self-deprecating smile.
"It seems our fleet admiral thinks we've been sitting on the sidelines for too long."
"Releasing Loki from the Netherworld is nothing more than a move to pressure us through Loki's hands, forcing us to make a choice sooner rather than later."
Hearing this, Yasopp's expression darkened further. "Loki has always held a grudge against us for interfering and causing his imprisonment in the Netherworld. His arrival this time is likely…"
"It doesn't matter," Shanks waved his hand, cutting him off, his carefree demeanor returning. "We'll face whatever comes. Pass the order—all hands, prepare for battle!"
...
On the outer seas of the Red Hair Pirates' territory, a colossal warship as massive as a floating castle cut through the waves.
At the bow stood a towering figure, silent and imposing as a mountain peak, gripping the massive warhammer.
It was none other than Loki, prince of the Giant Kingdom.
Behind him, dozens of giant warriors over ten meters tall stood in orderly rows, their silence heavy with an aura of iron resolve that seemed to weigh down the very air around them.
As the giant vessel breached the Red Hair territory, the sky abruptly churned with rolling black clouds, lightning serpents dancing wildly within—a scene akin to doomsday descending.
At the highest point of the Red Hair Pirates' island stronghold, a lookout crewman was yawning drowsily when, in the next instant, he seemed to sense something and snatched up his telescope.
When the enormous warship and the terrifying figure at its bow came into view, the telescope clattered from his hands to the ground.
"N-No... This is bad!"
Scrambling down the watchtower in a panic, his voice shrill with terror, he cried.
"It's Prince Loki of the Giant Kingdom! He's brought the Giant Warrior Pirates with him! Hurry! Alert the boss!"
Startled by his shouts, a companion didn't bother asking questions and immediately tumbled down the slope, racing toward the banquet grounds at full speed.
But when he stumbled breathlessly into the clearing, he froze in shock at the sight before him.
The officers, who had been reveling just moments ago, were now fully assembled.
Beckman calmly cleaned his rifle with a cigarette in his mouth, Yasopp tucked a photo of his son Usopp into his chest, his gaze sharpening with focus, and Lucky Roux held a massive ham in one hand while gripping the pistol at his waist with the other.
All stood quietly behind Shanks, poised and ready.
"What are you so nervous about?" Lucky Roux mumbled through a bite of ham, laughing indistinctly.
"It's just Loki, isn't it? The boss defeated and imprisoned him in the Netherworld before—today will be no different. He won't be leaving here alive!"
Shanks walked over to the terrified crewman and gently patted his shoulder.
"The coming battle isn't something you can take part in. Relay the order immediately: everyone else on the island must evacuate at once."
He paused, then added, "Loki is coming with rage. This island may very well sink beneath the waves in the fight ahead."
With that, Shanks smiled, turning to glance at his officers behind him, a fierce fighting spirit blazing in his eyes as he declared boldly.
"Let's go!"
Before anyone could take a step, a voice like thunderclaps, infused with the furious Conqueror's Haki, rolled in from the sea!
"Shanks! You coward, get out here and face me now!"
"Your doom has come!"
No sooner had the words echoed than the black clouds overhead pressed lower, dense lightning tearing through the sky as if to devour the entire island.
Shanks looked up at the terrifying, oppressive scene and grinned.
"Loki, you really do love causing trouble, don't you!"
But before the words faded, Shanks' pupils abruptly contracted.
In the next instant, a vision from the future flashed before his eyes.
Shanks, having glimpsed a future vision through his Observation Haki, let out a silent gasp before swiftly darting forward.
In the same motion, he decisively drew the sword at his waist, unleashing it with terrifying Conqueror's Haki.
The moment the blade left its sheath, black-and-red Conqueror's Haki erupted unrestrainedly, resonating with the rolling dark clouds above.
The lightning that had enveloped the entire island seemed to weaken unnaturally, as if yielding to a greater power.
Simultaneously, from the direction of the sea, a massive iron hammer soared into the sky.
After causing low-frequency vibrations high above, it shot toward Shanks' position at breakneck speed.
Wherever the hammer passed, the void trembled, lightning ran rampant, and an immense, invisible pressure surged forth like tidal waves.
In the blink of an eye, the hammer—wreathed in bolts of lightning—crossed the sea, locked onto Shanks with precision, and abruptly accelerated, instantly filling Shanks' pupils as it loomed larger.
Facing the terrifying hammer accompanied by thunderous force, Shanks neither dodged nor evaded.
Instead, he charged forward to meet it, swinging his sword downward against the hammer.
With a cold shout, a sword slash infused with Shanks' powerful Conqueror's Haki collided head-on with the roaring hammer.
In an earth-shaking explosion, the two supreme Conqueror's Haki forces clashed wildly before spreading recklessly in all directions.
Wherever the shockwaves reached, the void quivered, the ground shook, and waves of invisible pressure sent members of the Red Hair Pirates' subordinate crews—who hadn't yet evacuated—flying one after another.
Even among the core members of the Red Hair Pirates, some couldn't withstand the oncoming Conqueror's Haki shockwaves and raised their arms to shield themselves.