Reflection
Big Mom also gripped her massive sword, ready to launch an attack.
Facing these people, she naturally felt no fear.
After all, she was one of the Four Emperors.
In the sky, Kaido also transformed into his human-beast form and landed firmly on the ground.
His full beast form would be nothing more than a giant target for Red Hair; the human-beast form was much better suited for this confrontation.
He, too, wanted to have a proper, all-out battle with Red Hair.
But just as both sides were about to clash.
A portal suddenly appeared in the space between them, and an incredibly handsome man stepped out.
His face was completely cold.
"What do you think you're doing? Are you trying to destroy my country?"
His words were naturally directed at both parties present.
On one side were his two Emperor-level subordinates, and on the other was the Red Hair Pirates.
It looked like Red Hair Shanks and all his senior officers were ready to strike.
If these people fought with everything they had, they might actually destroy the entire island.
One only needed to look at how Whitebeard single-handedly destroyed Marineford to know the consequences.
Now there were three Emperors present; the destructive power would only be greater.
As the Emperor of the Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets, he naturally would not allow anyone to ruin his nation.
Upon seeing the newcomer, both Big Mom and Kaido lowered their weapons.
They didn't dare make another move.
Although they really wanted to go all out, it was no longer an option.
They could not defy His Majesty's orders; they had both suffered the agonizing consequences of doing so.
For Kaido, those few punches he had taken in the past had nearly shattered every bone in his body. If His Majesty hadn't personally healed him, he might have only just recovered enough to walk by now.
As for Big Mom, it went without saying—she had been tortured by starvation for a very long time.
The faces of the Red Hair Pirates darkened. They hadn't expected this Emperor to actually show up.
Every single one of them felt immense pressure, especially seeing how obedient the two Emperors were to him.
It proved that this man's strength was far from simple.
Emperor Shanks gripped his sword with one hand and called out.
"Emperor of the Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets, grant me a favor and release the Straw Hat crew."
His influence was indeed massive.
Almost every faction on the seas would grant him this respect; it was exactly how he had brought the Summit War to an end years ago.
Hearing Shanks's words, Ryōsuke didn't hesitate for a second.
"No."
With his level of strength, he naturally had no reason to yield.
Red Hair frowned.
"Then are you planning to fight the Red Hair Pirates to the bitter end?"
"I will save Luffy, no matter what."
Ryōsuke replied calmly.
"To the bitter end? I'm afraid you aren't worthy of that."
Hearing this, the members of the Red Hair Pirates were filled with absolute fury.
Even if the opponent was incredibly strong, wasn't it far too arrogant to claim they weren't even worthy of a fight?
They were, after all, a pirate crew standing at the very pinnacle of the seas.
Red Hair's expression also darkened.
"Aren't you being a bit too arrogant?"
"Let me test your strength."
A red glint flashed in his eyes as he swung Gryphon.
A red-and-black sword slash hurtled toward Ryōsuke.
Ryōsuke's expression remained indifferent as he extended his right hand.
"Almighty Push."
A terrifying repulsive force directly deflected the incoming sword slash.
Sending it flying right back in Red Hair's direction.
With his current mastery over Almighty Push, he could naturally control the direction of the reflection.
It only required a little bit of finesse.
Seeing his own attack rebound toward him, Red Hair's face instantly filled with shock.
The red glint flashed in his eyes again as he swung Gryphon once more, slashing heavily against the rebounding attack.
He was forced back several steps before he finally managed to deflect the slash up into the sky.
Afterward, he gasped heavily for breath.
That had been his full-powered attack, without holding anything back; dealing with it had been quite troublesome.
The other Red Hair crew members also wore grim expressions. From this single exchange, they could tell exactly how powerful this Emperor truly was.
He could even reflect their captain's strongest attack.
A man like that was practically invincible.
This was the first time they had encountered someone so absurdly strong. Not even the former strongest man in the world, Whitebeard, had been this terrifying.
And this was likely just a small glimpse of the Emperor's true power.
Having done this, Ryōsuke did not press the attack. Instead, he said calmly,
"I certainly won't grant you that favor, but if you submit and become my subordinate, I might consider releasing the Straw Hat crew."
He already had two of the Four Emperors' factions under his command, which allowed him to accomplish a great deal.
If Shanks joined him, he would have three major factions. Then, all he would need to do was eliminate Blackbeard, and he could completely dominate the New World.
Red Hair and his crew were all taken aback upon hearing this.
They hadn't expected the Emperor to propose such a condition, but it was absolutely impossible.
The Emperor had only shown a fraction of his power, but it was enough to let them know that if they submitted to him, ruling the New World would be entirely possible. However, it would come at the cost of their freedom.
Furthermore, they had no desire to conquer the New World, nor did they want a supreme boss looming over their heads. That would hardly make them free adventurers of the sea.
Red Hair remained expressionless and decisively refused.
"I refuse."
"Very well."
Ryōsuke's face showed no disappointment.
Just as he had expected, Red Hair would not submit so easily.
Now, there was something else he wanted to ask.
"Red Hair, where is the red-haired diva, Uta, right now?"
"Or is she already dead?"
In the original storyline, her ultimate fate was never explicitly stated; she might have died, or she might have survived.
Red Hair asked in confusion.
"Why are you asking about that?"
"She is already dead."
Thinking of Uta filled his heart with sorrow. Activating that kind of Devil Fruit ability had long since overdrawn her life force. What a reckless daughter she had been.
He felt deeply heartbroken.
"Dead, is she? Then give me her ashes. I can let you all leave and overlook your crime of trespassing into the Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets."
Ryōsuke said calmly.
Red Hair's face darkened upon hearing this.
"What the hell are you talking about? Why would you want the ashes of the dead?"
The only reason he could think of for such a request was that the other party intended to desecrate Uta's remains.
After all, Uta had offended a lot of people back then.
Ryōsuke waved his hand and said,
"I merely want to resurrect her."
Kaido and Big Mom were both stunned. Was such a thing actually possible?
Their eyes revealed their sheer astonishment.
If it were anyone else, they naturally wouldn't have believed it. But if it was His Majesty the Emperor, it wasn't entirely impossible.
They had witnessed His Majesty's miraculous methods firsthand.
In stark contrast, Red Hair's eyes were filled with fury, glowing with a red light.
His grip on Gryphon tightened even further.
"Do you think I'd believe your nonsense?"
Resurrection was impossible. He had heard of immortality, but there was no Devil Fruit capable of bringing people back from the dead.
In his rage, he unleashed another Divine Departure.
The red-and-black sword slash flew fiercely toward Ryōsuke.
Carrying a terrifying, overwhelming might.