Pirates: How Many Divisions Do the Five Elders Have? Another Crushing Win

One theory is that Whitebeard is the strongest man in the world, while Shanks is the fastest man in the world.

Saying he's fast doesn't necessarily mean he attacks incredibly fast in battle, but rather that the Red Hair Pirates' marching speed is exceptionally fast.

During the Paramount War, the Red Hair Pirates were fighting the Beasts Pirates in the New World not long before they appeared in Marineford the next moment. Shanks ended this world-shaking war with his own dignity.

The reason they can come and go so swiftly is said to be because the giant bird egg from Roger Pirates eventually ended up in Shanks' hands. (See picture)

That bird egg belonged to a legendary creature, Griffin.

Once that baby Griffin grew up, it was strong enough to carry the Red Hair Pirates' ship at great speeds, giving them unparalleled marching speeds in the world.

Ma Qiao was unsure whether this statement was accurate.

Because Shanks dislikes the cheerful and sunny-natured Demon Jester Shaco and forbids him from traveling with him.

Regardless, the Red Hair Pirates lived up to expectations and arrived at the execution site right on time.

Despite being called the Red Hair Pirates, their pirate flag doesn't actually feature red hair; instead, it shows three red scars near their left eye.

It seems Shanks wanted to remind himself never to forget how dangerous the person who caused him this scar was.

When the fat man Raki Lu (pictured) appeared in the center of the square, Devour on a meat stick in one hand and holding the flag high in the other, everyone's minds went blank.

Anyone with a modicum of knowledge in the world of One Piece will recognize this pirate flag without a single red hair; it is the famous Red Hair Pirates' flag.

After a brief silence, a cry of astonishment soared into the sky!

In the live stream, this manifests as an astonishing amount of comments flooding the screen instantly.

[Red-Haired Shanks, the newly crowned Four Emperors!]

[Didn't they say the Navy assembled one Admiral, seventeen Vice Admiral Shichibukai to severely damage the Red Hair Pirates in the New World?]

[Just take that kind of news with a grain of salt! In the manga, the heroes of the sea and air always claim to have destroyed Germa 66!]

[Oh my god, First Mate Ben Beckman is so handsome! I want to marry him!]

I want to marry Captain Shanks; he must be so lonely at night without his left hand!

[Hey! You guys, don't forget who's on the side of justice! Where's the Navy? Weren't there supposed to be two powerful Headquarters Vice Admirals from Headquarters here?]

Wow, bro, how do you know so much? Are you from Marine Headquarters?

[Ah, no, I'm a seashell being chased by Red Dog...]

The allure of live streaming is fully on display right now.

Not only can you enjoy watching the show in an absolutely safe place, but you can also comment on powerful figures who can decide your life or death with just a glance. This is an experience that people have never had before.

Just when everyone's enthusiasm was at its peak, and the live stream screen was almost completely covered by comments, everyone suddenly realized that they couldn't speak.

A helpful background notification popped up:

[Due to the large number of users currently commenting, causing video buffering, a paid comment system will be implemented to improve user experience.]

The specific rules are also very simple.

One thousand Beli can send a small white comment.

One hundred thousand Beli can send one green comment.

And so on, until one hundred million Beli, at which point a cool, colorful, full-screen barrage of comments can be sent.

Suddenly, the live stream screen became clear again.

It seems the Celestial Dragons spent the money earlier wasn't online; for a long time, there were only a few scattered white comments in the live stream.

Looking at the backend data, Ma Qiao realized this wouldn't do and immediately activated Plan B.

[The Navy will prevail! Only country bumpkins living in the countryside would support pirates!]

A red barrage worth five million Beli suddenly appeared on the screen, standing out from the crowd and launching a map-wide attack from afar.

[So what if you people from the Grand Line are so great? Don't you see how rotten the navies of the other seas are?! I support my fellow countryman from the West Blue, Captain Shanks, keep going and rescue your best friend!]

Another high-level purple comment flashed by.

Wherever there are people, there are Jianghu; wherever there are Jianghu, there is regional discrimination.

Let alone large countries like China and the US, even "small" countries like Japan, Italy, and Germany, don't they discriminate against each other in different regions—Kanto discriminates against Kansai, Northern Italy against Southern Italy, and West Germany against East Germany?

Moreover, the world of One Piece is naturally divided into four distinct seas—east, west, south, and north—by the Calm Belt and the Red Line, plus the Grand Line.

Those from the New World look down on the first half of the Grand Line, while those from the Grand Line look down on the Four Seas.

The strong and powerful in the North Blue and West Blue look down on the mechanical punks in the South Blue.

The East Blue is the only exception. Although it has always been a disappointment, when it comes to bragging to its fellow townsmen, it always comes with a winning hand.

People generally don't include those from the East Blue when they go out.

Especially now that there are signs of a great pirate resurgence in the East Blue, its status has become even more extraordinary.

In short, with the online trolls orchestrated by Ma Qiao stirring up trouble, netizens in the West Blue and the Grand Line unsurprisingly began to interact amicably.

Later, somehow, the topic shifted to netizens discussing the South Blue.

It's probably because Buggy had been shouting "Sengoku is your ancestor" that the people of South Blue had to say a few words of justice for Sengoku.

In no time, the live stream was bustling with activity again.

Hundreds of thousands, even millions, of comments appeared frequently.

Looking at the skyrocketing stats on the backstage, Ma Qiao couldn't help but marvel.

"Indeed, inciting the masses to fight against each other is what capitalists should be doing most!"

Boss Ma Qiao has won big again.

Those directly involved in these online events are naturally unaware of what is happening online.

Buggy watched Red-Haired Shanks slowly approach through the storm, his face contorted with utter disgust. "Shanks, you bastard, why did you come here? I don't want you to save me!"

"Long time no see, Buggy!"

Shanks, however, seemed very pleased. He waved his one arm and said, "I didn't expect you to actually be in the East Blue. Could it be that the captain really entrusted his son to you?"

"Nonsense! How could such a thing be possible!"

Buggy originally intended to answer loudly, but looking at Shanks' smug face, the words that came out were:

"That's right, I'm Captain Roger's most trusted crew member! Unlike you, a fool, you'll always just be a trainee!"

"So that's it! It seems you've been trying to mislead our navy all along! Probably just to exonerate Kuro! Truly a loyal man willing to go on a hunger strike!"

A cloud of white smoke suddenly flew out from a hidden corner beside the execution platform, heading straight for Shanks' head.

Smoker was, after all, the host of Loguetown, and he firmly believed that Buggy was no ordinary man, so he personally hid among the sentries around the execution platform.

Even Ma Qiao didn't know this.

At such close range, Smoker could clearly hear all of Buggy's taunts and threats.

However, despite the previous crisis of trust within the Arlong Pirates that ultimately backfired, Smoker's trust in Ma Qiao remained unwavering this time.

He had been waiting for this moment, and finally heard it with his own ears: Buggy confessed to his crimes.

At this moment, Smoker could no longer restrain himself. He transformed into a wisp of white smoke, intending to imitate the bandit king Higuma from back then and give Shanks, Four Emperors, a good whack on the head.

However, without Shanks even having to lift a finger, Lucky Roux, who was holding the pirate flag, suddenly displayed an agility and speed completely disproportionate to his obese physique, and instantly appeared in front of Shanks.

The Riot Games, imbued with Armament Haki, struck Smoker's stomach like a hammer, sending him flying backward.

"Just a mere colonel, don't spoil our captain's reunion with his old friend!"

Raki Lu took a bite of the meat stick as if he had merely swatted away a fly.

The Logia Devil Fruit Users who roamed the four seas and the first half of the Grand Line were nothing but flashy tricks and utterly vulnerable in the face of the Red Hair Pirates powerful individuals who had fought their way up from the New World.

With just a simple attack from the third-ranking member of the Red Hair Pirates, Smoker coughed up blood, collapsed to the ground, and smashed a large section of the plaza's paving stones.

"Damn it, we absolutely cannot let you take the prisoners away from Loguetown!"

Smoker had a bit of a talent for sit-ups, and despite coughing up blood and being seriously injured, he Tenacity stood up, clenched his Jitte, and used a variation of the White Fist to circle around to Lucky Roux's side to attack.

However, Lucky Roux neither dodged nor flinched, letting Smoker's weapons strike him.

The thick layer of fat acted like an energy storage material, and with a recoil, it sent Smoker's weapon flying.

Then he pulled out the pistol from his waist that had killed the bandit king's deputy years ago, and fired it at Smoker without turning his head.

"Captain Smoker!"

In the distance, Tashigi, who was engaged in a fierce battle with a handyman from the Red Hair Pirates, quickly shouted.

But within seven paces, bullets are fast and accurate; how can a human reaction outpace a bullet?

Smoker's pupils constricted as he watched helplessly as the bullet, imbued with Armament Haki, hurtled straight toward his chest.

After gaining the power of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, this was the first time Smoker felt death so close to him.

But just as he was feeling desperate and racing at breakneck speed, a not-so-tall figure suddenly pounced on him.

"Twitch!"

Smoker stared in shock, his eyes wide.

In recent days, Smoker has never called Twitch "Colonel".

This is partly a source of pride for a colonel at headquarters.

In Smoker's mind, Twitch's position as colonel was completely undeserved; frankly, he was just a Headquarters Lieutenant Commander.

If I were to address him as a colonel, wouldn't that make it seem like we're on equal footing?

On the other hand, although Smoker and Ma Qiao's group have reconciled, Twitch did stab him in the butt with a knife back then, no matter what.

Smoker has always remembered this grudge.

However, in that instant, Smoker blurted out "Twitch," completely convinced and willing.

This small, thin man shoved Smoker's muscular body aside and used his chest to catch the wicked bullet from the despicable pirate!

"Hateful!"

In front of the screen, Sengoku crushed the snacks in his hand, his fingers clenching so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Sengoku, you should believe in the justice of later generations."

Garp sighed.

He stayed in the 16th Branch for more than half a month. To be honest, he didn't like the young man who looked sleazy and loved to eat mold.

But unexpectedly, at such a critical moment, this weasel-faced young man was so brave, completely worthy of the Navy's justice!

At this moment, even more regretful than Sengoku was Vice Admiral Momonga.

At this moment, he and Onigumo were firmly held back by a Red Hair Pirates officers, including Degogo, Snake, and Meng Shida.

Or rather, they were being suppressed and beaten.

Two Vice Admirals are certainly no match for a pirate crew of the Four Emperors level.

But if they hadn't been so careless from the beginning, and had instead made thorough preparations, at Rear Admiral their defenses in the core area, they wouldn't be in such a passive position now.

Looking at his wounded nephew, the Momonga felt like slapping himself twice.

However, when masters clash, the most taboo thing is impotent rage.

He's not King Luffy, who can suddenly boost his fighting power several levels just by yelling at someone.

The Momonga's mind went blank, revealing many flaws. His limbs were injured one after another, and blood stained his cloak of justice.

Twitch's heroic act not only stirred the emotions of the Navy, but also Shanks and others showed expressions of admiration.

"I'm sorry, Navy, but we have friends we absolutely must save."

Shanks sighed, turned to Smoker, and said, "I have no intention of hurting you. Please do me the honor of ending this pointless battle and let me take Buggy away!"

"Pah! Who wants to give you pirates any face?"

Enraged, Smoker unleashed his strongest White Fist combo once more, attempting to stop Shanks from reaching the guillotine.

However, in just a moment, Red-Haired Shanks in front of him, had vanished from his spot.

"This man's speed is faster than shaving!"

Smoker only had time to have that one thought in his mind before an irresistible force surged from behind him.

Smoker fell backward to the ground, Shanks withdrew his Riot Games: "Excuse me."

Lucky Roux, who was standing nearby, understood and plopped down on Smoker's lap.

Once he sat down, it was as if he were Hina's prison fruit; Smoker was no longer able to move.

Unaware that he would one day become a walking punching bag, Smoker was experiencing the pain of being powerless for the first time.

He couldn't help but let out a long, mournful cry.

"You are justice under the sunlight, we are the roots in the darkness..."

Just then, Smoker was shocked to see Twitch, whose chest had been pierced by a bullet, actually stand up unsteadily.

With all his might, he removed the cloak bearing the character "Root" from his body, revealing his waist wrapped with high explosives.

"Mr. Ma Qiao, Vice Admiral Garp, my mission is complete! Hahaha!"

Amidst the tragic laughter, Twitch pulled the trigger.