[A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15 Advanced Chapters on My Patreon!
[A/N] - Unlock the Next Level of this Story with your [Power Stones]!
...
"What do you mean, 'that should be enough'?!"
Upon hearing Ian's words, Shanks showed a puzzled expression. In the next moment, as Ian suddenly added more force to his downward slash, Shanks raised his sword to block but was unexpectedly pushed back several steps!
Shanks looked shocked, but not because he was forced back. As a pinnacle swordsman and a Great Swordsman, Red-Haired Shanks was intimately familiar with such changes.
"Could it be that you..."
Shanks stared at Ian in astonishment. In the following instant, a change within Ian's Zanpakuto triggered a chain reaction!
It was as if a quantitative change had led to a qualitative change. Sword aura soared into the sky, and a formidable sword pressure spread out instantly. Cracks appeared in the sea, which then began to shatter completely!
"!!!"
"That guy, he really d..."
Members of both the Red Hair Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates wore expressions of disbelief. Almost instantly, their eyes widened, and their jaws nearly dropped. Even those who weren't swordsmen felt an indescribable, formidable, and eerie force, leaving them bewildered and unsettled!
In this vast sea, a swordsman could become a renowned powerhouse. There were many swordsmen of varying strengths, but only those who stood at the pinnacle of the swordsman's path could be called Great Swordsmen. Throughout the entire sea, there were only a handful, perhaps even fewer!
Although Ian hadn't previously reached that level, his sword pressure was incredibly formidable. In the world of "Bleach," even a child relying solely on spiritual pressure could defeat powerful enemies without needing to understand Sword Aura, as long as they were strong enough!
Weak individuals naturally Look for various methods to become stronger. For a powerhouse like Red-Haired Shanks facing weaker opponents, there's no need to use sword Aura.
Their aura can be deadly!
*Buzz!!*
Sword Aura soared skyward. Whether it was Sword Aura, sword light, sword energy, or sword pressure, Ian had reached the pinnacle of the world!
The strongest sword Aura, the strongest sword energy, the strongest sword pressure, the strongest sword light, all converged to form the strongest domain of the sword!
At this moment, not only the officers of the Red Hair Pirates and the division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates were stunned, but also all those secretly observing were shocked to the core. Those who understood swordsmanship were even more incredulous!
"This feeling is... How is it possible!!"
Earlier, they could sense that Shanks, standing at the pinnacle of swordsmanship, was suppressing Ian's sword. But suddenly, Ian broke through the suppression and also reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship!
Comparatively, Ian's sword was even more formidable than Shanks'. This directly left countless swordsmen, and even those who didn't understand swordsmanship but knew about its domains, in utter disbelief!
There are many powerful individuals in this sea: Commander-in-Chief Kong of the World Government, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Hero Garp, the Four Emperors ruling the seas, the World's Greatest Swordsman Dracule Mihawk... So many peak-level powerhouses!
Even counting on one hand isn't enough!
The number of peak powerhouses in this sea is immense, but those who stand at the pinnacle of swordsmanship, reaching the summit relying solely on their sword skills, are extremely few. Currently active are almost only Shanks and Mihawk!
Looking at the Zanpakuto in his hand, Ian couldn't help but show a faint smile. With a soul stronger than anyone else's in this world, merging his abilities into a punch or a sword wasn't a difficult task!
At this moment, Shanks stood before Ian, holding his sword, his eyes still showing a hint of shock. He thought Ian had broken through during the battle, ascending to the pinnacle of swordsmanship and reaching his level. But that wasn't the case!
Even when Ian's swordsmanship hadn't broken through, Shanks felt he didn't have a good chance of winning. Now that Ian's swordsmanship had reached the same domain as his own...
"How familiar. Whitebeard and Mihawk have said similar things. They say the human body contains a certain power, and whether it's fists, swordsmanship, or Busoshoku Haki, they're just ways to release that power. The strength of that power determines victory or defeat!"
Ian understood. This power is akin to chakra in the "Naruto" world, magic power in "Fairy Tail," or the spiritual pressure he possesses from the "Bleach" world. The difference is that the former three require training to extract from the body, unless he were given a beast-like monster inside him. As for Ian, he is a Hollow that devours souls, infinitely growing stronger!
"However, knowing how to use this power is even more scary. As expected of a Devil that devours souls!"
Thinking of this, Shanks took a deep breath and gripped his sword tightly. But in the next moment, Ian, who was standing there comprehending the domain of a Great Swordsman, moved!
This was his first time taking the initiative to swing his sword. Previously, he had been deflecting Shanks' attacks. He lifted his Zanpakuto lightly and slashed toward the blue sea!
*Buzz!!*
A formidable surge of Busoshoku Haki erupted, flowing down Ian's arm and instantly covering the blade. This Busoshoku Haki was so strong that even from a distance, one could feel its power. Shanks showed a look of shock, further confirming that the mysterious power within Ian was stronger than anyone else's!
"This is Busoshoku Haki..."
But the most shocking part was yet to come. When the Busoshoku Haki enveloped the blade, Ian finally swung his sword downward.
He had infused his sword with Busoshoku Haki, the domain of a Great Swordsman, most of his spiritual pressure, and the powers of more than ten Devil Fruits, all augmented onto it!
All his power was condensed into a single point and suddenly unleashed. At this moment, it was as if countless rays of light converged onto this one sword. Countless eyes filled with shock focused on this moment!
Silently, after the sword fell, the world seemed calm, as if nothing had happened. Time and space appeared to be frozen!
Those present felt an illusion, as if an immeasurably tall giant outside the planet was holding a sword, treating it as some kind of fruit. The space where the sword passed suddenly showed a ripple!
*Buzz!*
The void seemed to become an invisible pool of water. The emerging ripple twisted bizarrely, and at its center, one could even see a thin black crack, a fissure where space was distorted!
The ripple spread in an instant, seemingly ignoring space and time, traversing the entire sea in a flash, heading toward the end of the sky!
Then, under countless horrified gazes, the sea beneath them suddenly split in two, revealing an abyss stretching to the horizon!
This sword nearly spanned several islands... slicing the New World in the latter half of the Grand Line in half. This shocking and crazy-level of power attracted various birds flying in the sky carrying Image Transponder Snails, capturing the scene clearly!
For a moment, the entire world seemed to fall silent. Everyone watching this scene still had expressions of near disbelief on their faces!
Is this the extent that swordsmanship can reach? Is this the power that a simple slash can unleash? This power is no longer human, it's akin to a God. This is already... power sufficient to destroy the world!
"How can... you be so strong!"
"Is this the true power that killed Kaido of the Beasts?" On the island, the officers of the Red Hair Pirates stood there, utterly stupefied, staring at the abyss stretching to the horizon!
After the sea was split, it didn't quickly recover but remained divided. Only after a few breaths did it begin to merge back together. The fissure passed right by Shanks, who stood at its edge!
After the seawater merged, towering waves surged along the fissure, drenching Shanks completely, though he seemed oblivious. He knew very well that if this sword had been aimed at him, he absolutely couldn't have blocked it!
Only the members of the Whitebeard Pirates knew that this wasn't Ian's full strength, as he hadn't used his true Devil form!
The vast waters surged along the fissure, eventually reaching Ian. But the splashing waves seemed to hit an invisible barrier, and not a drop touched him. "Did I... lose?"
Shanks sighed softly but didn't show any sign of discouragement. Instead, he smiled freely, without any hint of depression.
The Four Emperors, Red-Haired Shanks, defeated!
On the Moby Dick, the Red Hair Pirates, the Whitebeard Pirates, and the Black-Winged Devil gathered once again. Ian sat on the deck, drinking wine. Opposite him, Red-Haired Shanks sat casually, and Whitebeard reclined on a massive sofa, holding a cup of wine, laughing and chatting about something!
As for the other crew members of the Red Hair and Whitebeard Pirates, they gathered elsewhere, still reminiscing about that world-splitting sword strike!
Although Ian sat casually on the grass, he still exuded a subtle aura of nobility, even more intense than Mihawk's!
It was as if he stood above the world, making people only able to look up to him. Shanks and Whitebeard didn't feel any fear because, despite Ian's power being enough to kill them instantly or even annihilate the entire Red Hair and Whitebeard Pirates, he hadn't made a move yet. Naturally, there was nothing to be nervous about!
Ian didn't mind this. After finishing the wine in his cup, he stood up, gently tidying his slightly wrinkled white robe.
"You're leaving?" Shanks also stood up, and Whitebeard inquired.
"Yes, after all, I still have unfinished travels!" Ian glanced at Tashigi and nodded.
Shanks took a deep breath, a hint of hesitation in his eyes, which then turned into determination. He looked at Ian and said solemnly, "Your power is incredibly strong. I don't know how you obtained such strength, but there's almost no one who can oppose you. However, the rulers of this world ultimately belong to those bastards in the World Government..."
Shanks stared directly at Ian, without any hint of backing down. "After you defeated the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates, the world has been thrown into great turmoil. If you destroy either my crew or the Whitebeard Pirates, the world will plunge completely into war!"
"The islands and forces protected by the Whitebeard Pirates and us are far more numerous than those under the Big Mom and Beasts Pirates. If he falls, the world will descend into utter chaos!"
Shanks and Whitebeard didn't care about the position of Pirate King, as they had great relationships with Roger. They knew almost all the secrets they needed to know.
They just didn't want to see the world fall into chaos. In the original story, Shanks even tried to stop Ace from pursuing Blackbeard and prevent the decisive battle between Whitebeard and the Marine!
"Is that so... But what does that have to do with me?" Ian looked calmly at Shanks, showing a hint of indifference. "Do you think I care what happens to this world?"
"The rulers of this world are said to be the Marine, but it's the people behind them. They also claim to protect the seas and oppose the Warlord system. I've defeated the Big Mom and Beasts Pirates. If you're worried, then I'll take a trip to the Holy Land Mary Geoise..."
"You're bold to say that, but you might indeed be able to do it... It's not that certain things aren't allowed to exist, but they can't be allowed to destroy the world. Is this the justice you uphold? I'm really curious about your past!"
Hearing Ian's words, Shanks smiled bitterly and shook his head. He took a deep breath, brought the cup in his hand to his lips, and drank all the wine. "If the world's gears collapse, perhaps those legendary Ancient Weapons will all emerge!"
"At that time, even you might not be able to stop the gears from collapsing or prevent the world from falling into chaos!" Shanks was still trying to prevent a collision between Ian and the World Government!
However, upon hearing this, Ian suddenly chuckled, a smile showing disdain and indifference. "Ancient Weapons? Are those things really that powerful? They're still man-made."
"If you're worried, then just watch carefully. I just want to give this world a smarter ruler. Justice and evil are written by the strong; there's nothing more to it!"
"If you're not strong enough, then become stronger. You've underestimated the rulers' greed. I don't have time to wait for them to come and erase me!"
"Besides, it seems interesting. Someone you've been anticipating for a long time has arrived. Entertain them well..."
After saying this lightly, Ian turned around. Under the reluctant gazes of Hiyori and others, and watched by Whitebeard, he and Tashigi suddenly became transparent and disappeared...
...
Support & Read 15 Advanced Chapters. Ahead of the rest!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
There is 8 Exciting Fanfics already Available on my Patreon!