Chapter 212: Shanks: Leave the Hunt for the Corrupted Lord to Me
Clack, clack.
Heavy footsteps echoed as a towering figure gripped Murakumogiri, ascending the steps from the lower deck onto the ship.
"Old man, the healing potions aren't even done infusing and you're already messing around again!"
Behind him, a blond-haired man with a pineapple-like hairstyle followed, his voice full of complaint.
"Whitebeard, huh?"
"Same as always—totally unreasonable, unleashing his aura on our ship!"
First Mate Beckman felt his entire body weighed down by the pressure. He furrowed his brow, barely able to resist the force.
But the weaker crew members were sent staggering and collapsing, unable to even stand.
"The Red-Haired Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates…"
Two pirate crews that ruled the New World had now both appeared in the East Blue.
"Not surprising. No one can resist the Reincarnation Game."
"Spread the word, now! Fast!"
Morgans shouted at the albatrosses soaring overhead.
Two of the strongest pirates had arrived. Marine Headquarters was fully mobilized, with everyone present except for Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
This showdown was no less grand than when the Rocks Pirates attacked God Valley.
Miss this scoop, and you might not get another chance like it for decades.
"Tch. Another stubborn old man."
But the expected sword-drawn atmosphere never arrived.
Shanks sighed, casting a helpless look at his own crew. He felt that his authority as captain had all but vanished. He got up and retrieved two more jugs of fine liquor.
Thud.
Whitebeard sat down on the deck, just like Garp.
The two locked eyes.
Garp's aura exploded once more, colliding with Whitebeard's head-on.
Waves surged violently around them, and even the sky split open with a tear.
"Gentlemen, could you at least have a drink first, for my sake?"
Shanks ran a hand through his hair, visibly exasperated.
He should've just boarded a Marine ship or the Moby Dick. These two insane old men were scaring the Red Force half to death.
"So this is the power you gained from the Reincarnation Game?"
Whitebeard reined in his aura and raised a jug, drinking it down in one gulp.
Garp, meanwhile, took out his usual rice crackers and popped one into his mouth. "You're no longer the strongest man in the world."
"Hahahahahaha…"
Whitebeard let out a thunderous laugh. "You mean that Revolutionary Army leader?"
He didn't care about the jab in Garp's words.
Nodding seriously, he said, "That last move of his—something like a Word Spirit ability—even I couldn't resist it!"
Just through a Den Den Mushi broadcast, the aura of a higher-tier world had already made his skin crawl.
Despite wielding the Gura Gura no Mi to its limits and mastering Haki across the sea,
this was the first time he had felt such a bone-deep sense of dread.
Garp, staying true to his title of Marine Hero, asked, "So, you came for the Reincarnation Game too?"
"At first, I just came because the kids dragged me here, saying they could find a cure for my illness."
Whitebeard raised his head and chugged from his jug, laughing heartily.
"I thought if I could get healthy again, I might have more time with my sons."
"I'm a relic of a bygone era—not like the Revolutionary leader, with that terrifying conviction."
There was no doubt Whitebeard was powerful enough to be called the strongest man alive.
But injuries from his youth, left untreated, had become chronic and tormented him in his old age.
"And now?"
Before Garp could speak again, the constantly buzzing Den Den Mushi was finally answered.
From the other side came the voice of Sengoku.
"Hahahaha… Sengoku, is that you?"
"Still the same as ever—always probing for intelligence and playing your little games."
Sengoku's voice was cold. "Say what you like. Unlike you pirates, I act for the safety of all four seas."
"I should head over to Marine Headquarters and yank out your scruffy little goat beard!"
Whitebeard laughed again. "Right now, that family token is very appealing. I need to fight for one."
"You want to challenge the Marines?"
Sengoku's voice turned stern.
After years of tracking and clashing, he understood Whitebeard better than anyone. If he said something, he meant it.
There was no doubt he'd join the upcoming hunt for the Corrupted Lord.
Marine Headquarters had five Admiral-level powers.
Even if two were sent to restrain the Revolutionary Army's leader, the Navy still held the upper hand.
But if the strongest man in the world joined the fray, everything changed.
"Are you a player, Whitebeard?"
"No."
Hearing that, Sengoku sighed in relief.
The Contract Fruits had already been mostly claimed. Though new ones kept appearing, much like Devil Fruits, finding one required luck.
For now, Whitebeard wouldn't be able to boost his power further.
"Contract Fruit, huh?"
Shanks lifted a hatch and pulled out a box containing a Contract Fruit, tossing it to Whitebeard.
"Red-Haired!"
Sengoku nearly exploded, his tone darkening.
"You came to the East Blue, and now you're giving Whitebeard a Contract Fruit? What are you trying to do?!"
All this time,
the Red-Haired Pirates had never clashed head-on with the Marines.
Though pirates, they acted more like a band of idealistic adventurers—never attacking islands, nations, or looting treasure. They just drifted with the waves.
Some intel even said they secretly attended civilian weddings under false names…
Among the Four Emperors, they were the ones Sengoku trusted most.
"What am I trying to do?"
Shanks shook his head with a resigned smile. "Originally, I came to the East Blue hoping the mysterious Game Merchant might do me a favor and bring this chaos to an end."
That had been his goal at first.
But after watching the Den Den Mushi broadcast and witnessing the Game Merchant's terrifying power,
Shanks gave up that idea.
To persuade someone like that, one needed equal footing.
But the Pirate World didn't have a Face-Face Fruit that could force others to grant you favors.
Even if he did have such a power, the Game Merchant would probably be immune to it.
"This chaos… can no longer be stopped."
Sengoku sighed as well.
He didn't want to see the Navy's authority shaken, but there was nothing he could do.
Even Imu had rushed to purchase the Game Merchant's goods—
what could they possibly do?
Still, since the Red-Haired Pirates weren't here to stir trouble, maybe he could convince them to back off.
With one less Emperor in the mix, the Marines' chances of successfully hunting the Corrupted Lord would increase significantly.
"So, I've changed my mind."
Shanks smiled as he exhaled. "Since the chaos can't be ended, I'll deal with the source of it instead."
"Whether it's the Navy, the Warlords, or the Four Emperors—if they're allowed to kill the Corrupted Lord, they won't stop there."
"So leave this matter to the Red-Haired Pirates."
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