"Traitor… sinner… must die!"
After just one glance at Shanks descending from the sky, Shamrock turned his head back.
The fierceness and killing intent in his eyes didn't diminish one bit, still fixed on Naruto before him.
Crack—
The blade of Cerberus shattered like a mirror, leaving only one fragment pinched between Naruto's fingers.
"Hmm?"
Looking at the fragments floating around him, wrapped in black demonic flames, Naruto wasn't in a hurry to counterattack.
To him, Shamrock was less of a threat than the purple-haired knight who fired the ray earlier. If it was just pure brawling or swordplay, none of those present were qualified to be his opponent.
"Die!!!"
Shamrock's hoarse, metallic voice scraped out of his throat. Simultaneously, the fragments in the air instantly transformed into countless sharp fangs, while the black demonic flames formed a gaping abyssal maw.
Roar!
As if it would tear space itself, the massive maw bit down fiercely on Naruto's arm.
"Quite a vicious dog, but unfortunately, I have no interest in ending up like Shanks."
Naruto made a casual jab at his old comrade without changing his expression. Then, as if no longer wanting to waste time with Shamrock, he slightly widened his eyes.
That was…
As Shamrock looked into Naruto's eyes, he saw a special mark flash briefly in his pupils.
He didn't know what it meant, but instinctively wanted to dodge.
But no matter how fast a person was, how could they be faster than light? Even reaching the moon, the Amenotorifune Mark took only a few seconds. At such close range, even Naruto himself couldn't dodge.
Roar!
Cerberus's fangs bit down on empty air, while Shamrock was caught off guard by a sudden feeling of weightlessness.
By the time he reacted and adjusted his posture, he found himself instantly transported high into the sky.
And facing him was his own brother, Shanks, who had already drawn his blade Gryphon and completed his charge.
"Traitor!!"
Without hesitation, Shamrock abandoned Naruto, whose whereabouts were unknown, choosing to unleash all his power on his blood brother Shanks.
If anyone could rival Naruto's place in Shamrock's hatred, it was Shanks.
The Holy Land had accepted you, even granted you that glorious mark, yet you chose to abandon it, abandoning the honor of a descendant of the gods for those lowly wretches without a second thought!
Shamrock's eyes turned crimson, especially when his gaze fell on Shanks' empty left sleeve, his fury burning even hotter.
With his roar, his jet-black Conqueror's Haki surged out like an abyssal monstrosity, wildly impacting the surroundings.
Fortunately, those who had jumped down with Shanks were elites among elites… none were intimidated by this display.
"As for being a traitor… I never intended to become a Celestial Dragon in the first place."
Shanks looked at Shamrock with complex eyes, quietly uttering words that only made his brother angrier.
Honestly, although he had returned to Mary Geoise to 'reclaim his heritage' as an undercover operation, his brother Shamrock had indeed shown him familial care.
It wasn't feigned. Even their father, Figarland Garling, hadn't shown such affection.
But ultimately, they walked different paths. The 'noble honor' Shamrock held so dear was, in Shanks's eyes, filthier than the mud in a sewer.
Words were useless.
"Divine Departure!"
Gryphon was also coated in black-red Conqueror's Haki, the blade tracing a long, lightning-like arc through the air.
Faintly, the red light reflected from the blade formed a winged griffin in the sky, roaring towards Shamrock.
On the other side, Shamrock pulled back on his hilt. The shattered blade fragments rapidly reconnected under the 'adhesion' of black demonic flames, reforming a complete blade. He then also coated it with thick Conqueror's Haki and launched a fatal slash at Shanks.
Their blades didn't touch, but the impact in mid-air was terrifying, sending even Yasopp and Lucky Roux flying.
What was the instigator who had teleported Shamrock into the sky doing now?
He was healing injured giants while taking photos with a camera he'd swiped from a News Coo.
Everything here needed to be documented.
The World Government and Imu feared their existence being known, didn't they?
Then Naruto would tear away the thick veil of so-called nobility and greatness, letting the world know what had truly stood at its apex, controlling it for so many years.
He would shatter the unrealistic illusions of those old aristocratic forces and small kingdom royal families who clung to hope.
These people, even after hearing of the upheaval during the Marineford War, stubbornly refused to accept reality, still wondering if they could bring back their protector to resume their comfortable lives of exploiting the common people.
These photos and information would be transformed by the Revolutionary Army into their sharpest weapon, striking at the hearts of the remaining old forces.
"You're here. Take care of this. You all have more experience with this sort of thing."
Naruto finished taking a photo of an injured giant and tossed the camera to Belo Betty, who had landed beside him.
Hearing this, Betty caught the camera and tilted her head.
"Then what will you do?"
"The Giant King's castle dungeon still holds a group of giants. I need to rescue them before those bastards react."
This was what Gaban had told Naruto after he landed.
Naruto turned to look at the World Coalition he had brought with him, made a quick assessment, and nodded slightly.
"Yeah, you all should be fine handling things here."
With that, he tossed a Den Den Mushi into Betty's hand.
"Besides filming, you'll need to command the whole battlefield, inspire them. I trust you're very skilled at that. If a crisis arises you can't handle, call me through this, and I'll appear immediately."
With that, Naruto rose into the air, flying high.
"Hey! You…"
Belo Betty wanted to say more, but seeing Naruto's figure already vanish, she just shook her head.
'This guy was still the same, always rushing ahead when it came to saving people.'
Thinking this, Betty smiled, then took down the flag from her back and began waving it vigorously.
"Arise! Giants! Protect your homeland! Rescue your comrades!"
"Arise, all you oppressed people!"
At her shouts, the giants who had been healed by Naruto felt new strength surging within them. Led by the charge of the New Giant Warrior Pirates, they picked up their weapons again and launched a counter-charge against the demonic giants.
These demonic giants were already battered by the oppressive gravity. If not for the weak immortality granted by Imu keeping them going, they would have long since collapsed.
With this shift in momentum, the non-warrior giants, armed with farm tools and kitchen utensils, were now evenly matched against these demonic giants.
"Die!"
The God's Knights couldn't just let Belo Betty continue. A knight wearing a sheep-skull mask and wielding a sickle emerged from the shadows like a phantom, swinging his blade to take her head.
"Dragon's Claw!"
Sabo's hand formed a dragon claw, gripping the sickle tightly. Their Haki clashed violently, and he managed to stop the blade with just his hand.
"Betty! Keep going! I'm here… no one's going to hurt you!"
Sabo was indeed reliable in a pinch. Having undergone long-term systematic training under Dragon, his combat effectiveness far exceeded that of his two less dependable brothers.
—Well, at least when ignoring Devil Fruit abilities.
Other God's Knights also tried to rush over and interrupt Belo Betty's inspiration, but their opponents had already arrived.