On the Red Force...
"Hey hey, Beckman, look over there! One o'clock direction!"
Lucky Roux mumbled through a mouthful of chicken leg, "That ship heading our way—doesn't its flag look familiar?"
"Hmm?"
Beckman paused while cleaning his pistol and followed the pointing finger.
"A white flag?" Beckman narrowed his eyes. "Two swords piercing the Marine's dove of peace... That emblem—it's the Curtain Closer..."
"Curtain Closer?" Lucky Roux thought for a moment. "That Pirate Crew with the Captain named Xiano?"
That name left quite an impression!
The last time he'd heard it was over half a year ago when the guy got his first bounty in the East Blue.
180 million Berry!
Shattering Hancock's previous record of 80 million Berry for a first bounty, it caused quite a stir.
"Feels like he was just a rookie, and now he's already in the New World?"
Lucky Roux sighed and took another bite of his chicken leg. "Time really flies, huh!"
"Rookie? Man, your intel is way out of date."
The ship's doctor, Togo, shook his head helplessly.
"That Xiano guy... in Paradise, he took down three whole Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea in a row. The latest reports say he fought evenly with that Marine Admiral Akainu—an entire night without a winner."
"Fought Akainu to a standstill..." Lucky Roux blinked. "Seriously? He's already that strong? What's his bounty now?"
"2.13 billion Berry." Togo flipped through his stack of bounty posters and replied casually.
On the main ship, he temporarily handled intelligence duties, so he kept up with this stuff.
Over two billion Berry?
The surrounding crew members collectively gasped.
"Higher than Beckman? With that bounty, on our ship, he'd only be second to Shanks!"
Shanks, the "Red Hair," as the youngest of the Four Emperors, still lagged behind the other three in terms of territory and influence.
Naturally, his bounty reflected that.
—Currently, his bounty stood at 3.75 billion Berry.
"Scary stuff..."
Yasopp rubbed his chin. "Come to think of it, that kid's age is probably only a little older than my son. To already have this kind of reputation and strength... The more I think about it, the more terrifying it gets."
"Say that in private all you want, but don't call him 'kid' to his face."
Beckman lit a cigarette and said quietly, "Anyone who's made it this far is a monstrously proud freak. You gotta show the proper respect."
"Of course I know that!"
Yasopp turned his head, scanning around. "Speaking of respect—where's our Captain? The other ship's about to dock. He should be the one to greet them properly, right?"
"Up there."
Beckman glanced upward, then suddenly kicked the main mast with his right foot.
"Whoa—!"
A pained yelp came from above, followed by a red-haired figure tumbling down from the crow's nest and crashing onto the deck with a thud.
"Oww, oww..."
Shanks rubbed his sore backside as he stood up, looking indignant. "I was just a bit hungover from last night's drinking and needed a nap, Beckman. Was that really necessary?"
"Stop pretending."
Beckman exhaled a smoke ring and said coldly, "I saw you wake up a while ago, lying there with your butt in the air, secretly peeking through the telescope over there..."
"Don't make me sound so creepy!"
Flustered, Shanks clamped a hand over Beckman's mouth and hissed in a low voice, "...The rookies are all on deck. Save me some face, will you?"
Only when Beckman shrugged did he finally let go.
"Save that sharp observation for the enemies, not your Captain," Shanks muttered under his breath before turning his gaze toward the Sunset on the distant sea. "Still, I never expected to run into them here."
As he spoke, his right hand instinctively drifted toward the sword at his waist—the famous blade, Gryphon.
"Hey, hey, Shanks, you're not thinking of..." Yasopp's eyes widened.
"Yeah, you got it. That guy's title now is 'World's Greatest Swordsman,'" Shanks grinned. "Who knows what Mihawk would think... but when someone with that kind of reputation shows up, it'd be a shame not to test his skills!"
"Here?"
Beckman frowned. "This is Whitebeard's territory. We're just stopping to resupply. If we wreck this port, that old man won't be happy..."
"Relax, it'll just be a quick spar. I know my limits!" Shanks laughed heartily. "But you're right—fighting in the port would be rude. We should move the battlefield."
He turned and shouted, "Hey, rookie at the helm! Take us out of the port and head straight for them!"
...
Meanwhile, aboard the Sunset.
"Boss, Red Hair's ship is suddenly heading straight for us—and picking up speed."
Smoker's brow furrowed. "The guy standing at the bow... looks like it's him. That aggressive stance—are they looking for a fight?"
"Then let's meet them head-on!"
Jack slammed his fists together, nostrils flaring. Who cared if it was Red Hair himself? It wasn't like this was their first time running into one of the Four Emperors. He wasn't scared!
Back in Water 7, that Kaido guy...
Meh, he was nothing special!
"Boss?"
Getting no response, Jack turned toward the bow.
"Hm?"
Xiano snapped out of his thoughts, blinking as he closed the system panel. A slow, knowing smile curled at the corners of his lips.
To think he'd actually stolen that skill...
"Interesting."
He wiped the rain from his face with a casual swipe and refocused on the approaching ship.
Shanks happened to glance his way at the same moment. Their eyes locked across the distance, and with a slight nod—as if signaling something—Shanks tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.
"So that's how he wants to say hello."
Xiano grinned, instantly understanding Shanks' intent. His right hand immediately reached for the greatsword strapped to his back.
Huh?
Two pairs of eyes instantly zeroed in on him.
One belonged to Kuina. Her breath hitched, her gaze unblinking as she stared fixedly at that long, powerful hand.
It had been years... so many years...
Finally, I can witness Lord Xiano's unrivaled swordsmanship with my own eyes again?
Another gaze came from Robin.
She was somewhat puzzled, somewhat confused.
The Captain...
He actually knows swordsmanship?
...
The distance between the two ships grew closer.
For some reason, the sea, which had been calm with gentle winds and light rain, suddenly saw the wind grow fierce and the rain intensify.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, faint flashes of lightning flickering within.
Shanks stood at the bow of the ship, taking a few steps forward to the top of the figurehead, his red hair wildly dancing in the wind. He slowly drew his famous sword, "Gryphon," its blade cutting a cold gleam through the rain and mist.
"Let me see for myself, the man who stole Mihawk's title as the World's Greatest Swordsman!"
He grinned, battle intent boiling in his eyes, and swung his sword fiercely!
"Divine Departure!!!"
Boom!!!
A crimson Sword Aura erupted like a raging dragon breaking through the sea, tearing through the rain curtain and charging straight toward the Sunset!
Under the gloomy sky, the blinding red light nearly illuminated the entire ocean, making this sword strike appear as swift as lightning and peerlessly domineering!
"Boss!"
Jack's expression changed, instinctively stepping forward to shield Xiano.
But Xiano was faster, having already drawn his sword.
Hum!
The black blade became entwined with black-and-red Conqueror's Haki lightning. Xiano narrowed his eyes and, facing Shanks' slash, swung his sword horizontally in the same stance—
"Divine Departure!!!"
Boom—!!!
Two nearly identical crimson Sword Auras collided violently in midair!
In that instant, the world seemed to lose its color!
Black-and-red lightning wildly intertwined and spread, the rain appearing to freeze for a brief moment. The sea surface was blasted into a massive depression hundreds of meters in diameter, the shockwave expanding in a ring and sending towering waves crashing outward.
"What?!"
On the Red Hair Pirates' ship, the crew's officers all widened their eyes in disbelief at the sight.
"Hey, you've got to be kidding me..." Lucky Roux's chicken leg fell from his mouth.
Beckman, the vice-captain, froze mid-motion as he was shaking ash from his cigarette, his breath catching, a look of shock flashing in his eyes.
"This guy... actually knows Divine Departure too?!"
And its power was terrifyingly formidable, almost perfectly equal to Shanks' slash.
No.
The word "almost" could be removed.
It was identical, as if carved from the same mold!
At that moment.
The shockwave from the collision spread to them.
Both ships began rocking violently, making it hard to maintain balance. But compared to the physical impact, the mental shock was far more overwhelming.
The so-called Divine Departure...
Was a swordsmanship technique that combined Conqueror's Haki Infusion with swordplay to its utmost limit!
And both Shanks and Xiano possessed Conqueror's Haki of the highest caliber in the world. Even the residual shockwaves from their clash were unbearable for ordinary people.
Beckman, Yasopp, Lucky Roux, and the other top officers remained unfazed, unaffected.
But the newer recruits who had joined in the past two years weren't so fortunate. The moment the shockwave hit, they all turned pale, their teeth chattering.
Even as they gritted their teeth and tried their hardest, staking their pride as members of the Red Hair Pirates, most ultimately couldn't hold on and collapsed to the deck.
On the Sunset's side, most could withstand the impact, except for Nami, who passed out and collapsed backward.
Kuina caught her effortlessly and placed her on Agin's back for the time being.
Her grip on Wado Ichimonji trembled slightly as she stared at the black-haired figure ahead, her eyes shimmering with barely contained excitement.
She knew it… she knew it!
She had suspected it all along!
Lord Xiano had only ever fought with pure Martial Arts, never drawing his blade—all because she had once declared her dream of becoming the world's greatest Master Swordsman.
That was why he had deliberately set aside his unparalleled swordsmanship!
Lord Xiano…
He wanted to leave that title for her!
...
The aftershocks of the Divine Departure clash took a long time to dissipate.
The two ships gradually stabilized amidst the turbulent waves, continuing to close the distance between them.
The sea returned to calm, leaving only the drizzle pattering softly.
Shanks stood at the bow, his red hair thoroughly drenched and plastered to his forehead, yet his grin was brighter than ever.
That sword clash—exhilarating!
"Hahaha! What a pleasant surprise!"
He sheathed Gryphon and laughed heartily.
"Hey! Xiano! You're not a Devil Fruit user, right? If pure swordsmanship can reach this level… then Mihawk losing his title to you doesn't seem so hard to accept!"
Was that a compliment?
Or just him praising himself by proxy…
Xiano also sheathed his sword and chuckled. "Likewise. Pleasure meeting you, Shanks. Your swordsmanship is stronger than the rumors suggest."
"Oi, oi, you two—"
Beckman, cigarette in mouth, stepped up to the bow and sighed in exasperation. "Wasn't this much better? Did you really have to greet each other like that? The commotion was way too over the top."
"What's the big deal?"
Shanks waved him off dismissively. "This guy and I both held back perfectly. The port wasn't affected at all, right?"
He was referring to the Haki shockwaves, which hadn't reached the shore.
Other effects, however, were undeniable—and massive.
Over at Blackstone Island's docks, chaos had erupted. Terrified citizens, shaken by the apocalyptic spectacle, were fleeing in panic.
"Tch… guess I can't say that with full confidence."
Shanks glanced back briefly before fixing his burning gaze on Xiano.
"But as long as no one got hurt, it's fine. What I'm really curious about now is… Lord Xiano, how did you learn 'Divine Departure'?"
This technique had been created by Captain Roger.
Back when he was competing with silver medalists like Whitebeard and Shiki, a single Divine Departure had been unstoppable, shaking the seas countless times and carving out its legendary reputation.
Yet despite its fame and significance, none of the Roger Pirates' successors had ever managed to master it.
Only Shanks had the talent to inherit it.
Now, after all these years…
Had he finally met the second?
"Well…"
Xiano pondered seriously before answering. "I suppose I have some talent in swordsmanship. After fighting Rayleigh once, I pretty much got the hang of it."
Not that he could admit the embarrassing truth.
"Old man Rayleigh, huh..."
Shanks frowned. "That reminds me, he fought with you at Sabaody... and lost an arm to you. Logically speaking, as someone who received his guidance in the past, I should be demanding an explanation from you."
"Oh?"
Xiano casually cracked his neck, his demeanor clearly saying he was ready to fight if necessary—it made no difference to him.
Normally, when you beat the young, the old come seeking revenge.
But if it's the other way around...
Well, no difference. He'd just beat them too.
This would be a good opportunity to test the strength of this most mysterious member of the Four Emperors—both in origins and motives.
However, Shanks suddenly scratched his chin with a troubled expression:
"But morally speaking, it was the old man who acted improperly. He struck first, so I should actually be thanking you for your magnanimity in sparing his life."
"What a headache!"
Shanks slapped his forehead, then suddenly laughed as if he'd figured something out:
"Why don't we just call it even? Grudges shouldn't be inherited in my view. Let's just focus on our own matters—otherwise it'd be too boring. What do you say, Xiano!"
(End of chapter)