'Then you may be disappointed,' Shin thought to himself, vaguely recalling some exciting side stories, such as Enel's grand adventure on the moon.
What did the beings out there in space say about it? It could only be described as underwhelming. The seemingly more advanced Cosmic Pirates were practically annihilated by Enel within just a few moves.
Although that cosmic pirate group certainly does not represent the highest level across the universe, it at least shows that the average power of cosmic pirates is not as formidable as one might imagine. A significant pirate on the level of the Four Emperors, even on a universal scale, may not be seen as a supreme powerhouse but could still be considered a hegemon.
However, Shin naturally wouldn't mention this to the old man Whitebeard. After all, this old man had worked tirelessly all his life when he was young. Now, in his old age, he simply wanted to enjoy his life with his sons. Going to the universe was likely out of the question. Mentioning it would be meaningless.
Shin hadn't come here to talk about his life experiences with Whitebeard. Opening his mouth, he said, "Pops, I'm planning to leave the Whitebeard Pirates and head elsewhere."
Whitebeard put down his wine bowl and glanced at Shin. "I figured as much. Although you've always been calm and cautious, with power like yours, you probably wouldn't want to stay confined to the New World."
Most of the other members of the Whitebeard Pirates were old-timers who'd sailed with Whitebeard for 20 to 30 years. It could be said that, aside from Laugh Tale, they had practically seen the entire world and didn't have much interest left for new adventures.
But Shin and the others were different. Although they had traveled far, they had only taken one route. They still held intense curiosity and a desire for adventure throughout the pirate world.
However, as members of the Whitebeard Pirates, they also became prominent targets for the entire marines.
Instances like Ace's pursuit of Blackbeard had specific reasons; otherwise, it was almost impossible for an essential member of the Whitebeard Pirates to appear in the first half of the Grand Line.
Yet, Shin's situation was now different. Not to mention other accomplishments, just defeating Kaido was enough to demonstrate his strength. Even a powerhouse of his level could freely navigate the seas without significant issues.
Even if the high-ranking marine came out in full force, even if he couldn't win, it wouldn't be difficult for him to escape.
The only question was: how strong was Shin now?
While pondering this, Whitebeard clenched his fists.
"Although I understand young people's yearning for the sea and freedom...if a young bird wants to spread its wings and soar, the old bird must test its mettle!"
"This isn't as simple as being a squad leader. The Whitebeard Pirates are indeed a great backer but also an extremely conspicuous target. If you want to sail freely through the sea, show me the extent of your strength and prove your qualifications!"
Shin curled his lips. He knew Whitebeard said all that mainly because he had an itch for a fight.
Otherwise, Whitebeard, who'd already seen Shin's powers, should know that unless there was a devil fruit that could restrain Shin, he wouldn't face much danger, regardless of where he went.
Standing up, Shin focused his gaze and opened the portal to the Kamui dimension. "Since Pops wants to test me, I can't refuse. Let's find a proper venue."
Whitebeard smiled slightly and, without hesitation, stepped in, followed by Shin as the spatial crack leading to Kamui closed.
The cool night breeze swept by, and a spatial crack suddenly appeared under the stars on a deserted island. Shin and Whitebeard emerged, one after the other.
"What a powerful ability. Reminds me of that little mirror girl from Charlotte Linlin's family," Whitebeard remarked as he took in the deserted island.
Despite the devil fruit abilities under Charlotte Linlin's command, few had genuine combat power, but there were several with auxiliary powers that were almost supernatural.
Memory-Memory fruit, Book-Book fruit, Mirror-Mirror Fruit—any of these auxiliary powers could achieve remarkable results. Even Linlin's Soul-Soul Fruit could be categorized as a support-type devil fruit.
This versatility was something that neither the Whitebeard Pirates nor the Kaido Pirates could match.
"The power of these eyes isn't for support," Shin explained. "But this ability is too dangerous, so I won't use it against you, Pops."
"Gu ra ra ra! Shin, are you underestimating your old man? I feel a lot tougher than before!"
"I'm just being honest," Shin replied, looking at Whitebeard. "I'm still not sure how strong I am!"
Hearing this, Whitebeard's expression turned serious, sensing that Shin was completely earnest.
After he finished speaking, Shin clenched his fists tightly, covered with dense armament haki, and launched a punch.
Feeling the rush of wind and the fierce shockwave, Whitebeard briefly thought of a few old comrades.
Gathering his energy, he countered with a fist similarly infused with armament haki. There was a loud bang as their fists collided, one large and one small, holding firm against each other before separating.
"Gu ra ra ra! Little Shin, your strength isn't any less than mine, and your physique is even better. You're almost comparable to that brute, Kaido!"
"But… you're still missing something!"
When Whitebeard finished speaking, his fist, wrapped in tiny black lightning, crashed down, instantly knocking Shin back.
"The Conqueror's Haki!" Shin said, frowning.
Even with his armament haki perfected, Shin was far from weak. His physique surpassed Whitebeard's, and with the Dark-Dark fruit, he wasn't particularly threatened by the power of the Quake-Quake fruit.
But in one area, Shin could not yet compare to the Four Emperors like Whitebeard—he did not awaken the Conqueror's Haki!
With his current physical condition and the skill level of his two types of haki, even if he didn't have the chakra system and could use only one devil fruit, he was approximately at the level of an average marine admiral.
That is to say, he could contend with the Four Emperors, but his chances of winning weren't high—probably 40%.
This was the price Shin had paid with his life. Under Kaido-sensei's guidance, he achieved comprehensive improvement, allowing his mastery of haki to cross that threshold.
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BONUS CHAPTER: 200 Powerstones achieved [Achieved last week before the reset]
For each power stones milestone—25, 50, 100, 150, and beyond—I will release a bonus chapter.
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