Chapter 645
"The time has finally come." Shanks raised his glass.
This was a grand banquet to celebrate the Red-Haired Pirates becoming emperors; their goal had finally been achieved.
He can finally relax, after all, this year has been very tiring. Although he was the one who did all the work, the other members were always on his mind.
Shanks could also breathe a sigh of relief; forced by the times, he had never been able to travel properly.
From evading Garp's pursuit to increasing his strength, training under Rayleigh's tutelage, conquering territory in the New World, becoming a regional overlord, and battling numerous pirate crews, including the war against the Demon Pirates.
He had been accumulating strength to become emperor, and now he had finally succeeded.
There are some things he has to do, but what he really wants is to travel the seas. Now he finally has that opportunity to go back to the way things were when his pirate crew was first formed.
"But we can't let our guard down. Those monsters are all incredibly powerful, and there's still a gap between our strength and theirs," Beckman reminded Shanks, urging him not to stop.
"Hmm." Shanks nodded, his expression somewhat solemn. Having personally fought against numerous monsters, he knew their strength was far greater than he had imagined.
Big Mom, in particular, with her strange gravity suppression, restricted his movements, making it very difficult for him to fight and preventing him from showcasing his speed advantage.
Add to that Big Mom's terrifying strength, monstrous power, and physique.
There are also two powerful Homie, one with lightning and the other with fire. Their cloaks have strong defensive capabilities, and they are Homie who can protect Big Mom on their own, weakening his offensive advantage and making it difficult for him to hurt Big Mom.
This made him feel as if he wasn't fighting against a single person, which is why he was defeated in three days.
Kaido is equally powerful.
Shanks guessed that his current fighting strength was roughly equivalent to that of Kozuki Oden when he fought Kaido.
Oden was physically stronger and had a superior swordsmanship.
However, Shanks' Conqueror's Haki is much stronger. His swordsmanship was passed down from Rayleigh, and combined with Conqueror's Haki, its power is not weak when amplified.
It focuses on strength, not sharpness.
While powerful enough to injure Kaido, it cannot break through Kaido's defenses and inflict serious damage like it did with Kozuki Oden Kaido.
Facing Kaido, who possesses a powerful physique, dragon scales for defense, and extremely strong defensive capabilities, it would be difficult for him to inflict direct damage on Kaido.
Or rather, the effect wasn't as strong as Kozuki Oden's swordsmanship.
Moreover, Kaido's strength seems to have improved somewhat compared to before.
Their reckless behavior became increasingly extreme, as they developed the fruit's adaptability as test subjects for the Queen Plague Virus.
Swimming in lava, crawling in the deep sea, or being electrocuted by powerful electric currents.
Compared to suicide, Kaido found a better way to increase his strength, thanks to the current power of the Beasts Pirates.
Whitebeard also exerted a great sense of pressure on him; that power was absolutely terrifying.
However, Shanks also sensed Whitebeard's decline; the battle against the Dark Lord was indeed Whitebeard's peak.
Ares, the final and arguably the first formidable enemy he faced, was the only one among his many powerful foes who was unarmed.
His powerful physical skills, monstrous physique, and regenerative abilities are not much weaker than Kaido's.
Although he doesn't have Kaido's elemental abilities, Ares is a Killing Machine, especially when he transforms back into his Ant King form, where every part of his body is a weapon.
Compared to other top-tier powerhouses, Ares posed a much stronger threat to him. Even without using Haki, his physical strength was terrifying, and his four claws attacked simultaneously, making it difficult for him to react.
One must use Observation Haki to its fullest extent.
That terrifying power far surpassed that of Big Mom, Kaido, Whitebeard, making Shanks hesitant to continue a direct confrontation.
Most of the time was spent resisting or avoiding direct confrontation, because Ares' power was simply too great—that pure and extreme power was unimaginably strong.
The impact of Shanks becoming emperor is not over so quickly.
This event was practically on the front page of media outlets worldwide.
Throughout this process, a series of great battles showcased the immense power of the pirates, with each faction possessing terrifying strength—these are the Great Pirate who stand at the pinnacle of the world.
As the pirates' influence grows and they celebrate, the Navy will naturally be negatively affected.
In Foosha Village, East Blue, eleven-year-old Luffy, wearing Straw Hat and holding milk, is happily celebrating in a bar with Ace and the other villagers.
The current Luffy is no longer a clueless newbie. He hasn't missed any important video battles, and he invests all the money he steals with Ace into buying videos.
Luffy especially wouldn't miss any of the important free live streams, or the major battles that led to Shanks becoming Emperor.
However, given his limited perspective, he couldn't observe the specifics of the monsters' battle. He only sensed that the fighting was extremely intense and needed to watch the slow-motion commentary after the battle to understand the details.
Before Shanks left Foosha Village, he had no idea that Shanks was such a powerful pirate, or the other members of the Red-Haired Pirates.
Since then, Luffy has been keeping a close eye on the Red-Haired Pirates, from the battle for the throne to the war against the Demon Pirates, and now the battle to become Emperor. Through one great battle after another, even Ace could not stop it.
Besides, Ace didn't want to miss out; they hadn't set sail yet, and the best way to learn about the outside world was by watching videos.
Their dream is to become the Pirate King, so these monsters in the New World will all be their imagined enemies. Isn't it reasonable to know the strength of their enemies?
However, they all knew that their current strength was far inferior to that of the real monsters. That was a sea teeming with monsters, and they didn't even have the right to set foot there with their own flags.
"Red-Haired Shanks? What a pity we didn't get a chance to meet. I'll definitely pay him a visit after I set sail." Ace smiled. He was three years older than Luffy, already fourteen. They had decided to set sail when they turned seventeen, and there were only three years left until Ace's departure.
"Okay, Ace, please say hello to Shanks for me. I still have six years before I can set sail." Luffy nodded, wishing he could grow up quickly and time could pass faster.
To become the Pirate King Sea Emperor, you must defeat the Emperors of the Sea.
The Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates are known to possess the Road Sign Stone, and the Road Sign Stone Whitebeard Pirates may also possess it.
Even the Red-Haired Pirates and the Night Pirates need to be defeated in order to become the Pirate King.
Currently, their mission is to improve their strength and keep fighting.
They had witnessed the cruelty of the sea firsthand; several members of the Red-Haired Pirates whom Luffy knew had sacrificed their lives in the war against the combined Demon Pirates.
Luffy certainly doesn't want this to happen, and he's prepared to die at sea.
Similarly, Ace also felt immense pressure because he wanted to surpass Roger, but the strength displayed by those monsters was beyond his reach, and he needed to work even harder to improve his abilities.
Without sufficient strength, his wish could never be fulfilled.
Through his own hard work and training, as well as the guidance from Garp who returned periodically, and his own immense potential, Ace, despite being only fourteen years old, was already a little monster. In their repeated encounters, Luffy was simply no match for him.
Each of these battles was extremely fierce and had far-reaching consequences.
This also revealed some important information, which became known to others.
Even with only combat footage and no dialogue, a group of experts can still provide a general understanding through analysis.
The Navy and the World Government are particularly concerned about this, because the power displayed by the pirates is indeed terrifying and has put considerable pressure on them.
"How is it?" Sengoku asked Tsuru in the Marine Headquarters conference room.
"Hmm, that's about it." He nodded and said softly, still maintaining his composure, but his words contained a hint of fatigue.
She hasn't had a proper rest these past few days.
But there was no other way; intelligence analysis was the job of the Staff Department, and the workload was enormous. They had to compile a summary of the power displayed by these New World monsters over the past year, combined with previously recorded intelligence.
She was the busiest person in the Staff Department.
The huge conference room was filled with almost all the top naval officers, and the branch base chiefs from Novoya were also called in to attend the meeting.
The Three Admirals, including Sakazuki, were also present.
The influence of the Navy in the New World has shrunk somewhat. The attack by the Big Mom Pirates a year ago and the destruction of the G2 Branch made the Navy realize that the New World is still a world of pirates.
The power of just one Big Mom Pirates is terrifying; they could easily destroy a fortress if they wanted to.
The most important thing is that the Big Mom Pirates suddenly appeared, and by the time they realized what was happening, it was too late.
If the Navy had known about the Big Mom Pirates beforehand and been prepared, the outcome would have been different.
Despite their anger, the Navy held back, mindful of their own safety, and refrained from launching a war against the Big Mom Pirates.
"Listen carefully, what I'm about to tell you is the information that headquarters has gathered about these monsters."
The light dimmed slightly, Red-Haired Shanks' figure appeared directly on the giant screen.
"Red-Haired Shanks has proven his strength through a series of battles over the past year, becoming the new Sea Emperor in the New World."
"Captain of the Red-Haired Pirates, he was an apprentice pirate on Roger Pirates in his youth and possesses formidable overall strength."
Shanks has no weaknesses; his strength is all-encompassing, and he is extremely powerful in every aspect.
The reason for their defeat was simply that they were somewhat weaker compared to those naturally powerful monsters.
However, Shanks' advantages are also very obvious.
"Red-Haired Conqueror's Haki extremely powerful, making him an anomaly in this area. He possesses immense destructive power, surpassing many pirates in the ability to control Conqueror's Haki, and is currently ranked below the Dark Emperor."
Because the Dark Emperor is also an anomaly, the Navy has some records of his unique abilities with Conqueror's Haki.
Both of them possessed powerful innate Conqueror's Haki.
Tsuru doesn't believe that Shanks is stronger than Dark Emperor in terms of Conqueror's Haki; at least Shanks is still lacking in it now.
"As the youngest Sea Emperor, Shanks' strength is currently ranked last, but with his immense potential, it's foreseeable that his strength will continue to increase in the coming years, so we need to be vigilant."
"The bounty is set at 3.2386 billion Beli, and will be announced after the meeting."
Then, the screen switched to Big Mom's figure.
"Big Mom Charlotte Linlin, captain of the Big Mom Pirates, according to intelligence, has revealed her fourth Homie, which is the red cape behind her. It possesses powerful defensive capabilities and can flexibly change shape."
As Tsuru spoke, she pressed the button twice, and the screen switched to Big Mom's battle scene, with the main close-up shot focusing on Big Mom's back.
The cloak, like an invincible defense, blocked Shanks' attacks time and time again.
The Navy has no information about gravity because it is invisible unless one of them experiences it firsthand.
"Big Mom has changed a lot. Her fighting skills, strength, physique, and Haki have all improved to a certain extent, which is completely unexpected."
"Next up is Kaido. We already know him fairly well, and his fighting strength has improved to some extent."
Kaido frequently comes to provoke the Navy, and the Marine Headquarters' intelligence on him is not outdated, so they quickly move on.
Whitebeard appeared.
"Whitebeard is getting old, but he still maintains formidable fighting power. In a few years, our opportunity may arise."
Whitebeard's strength has begun to decline; it's obvious to everyone.
This maritime legend is already a 64-year-old man.
They understood the meaning behind Tsuru's words: the current power structure of one emperor Four Emperors posed a significant threat to the Navy, and Whitebeard was likely the key to breaking this structure.
But not now; we need to wait.
Even so, many Marines were still invigorated, imagining the immense glory that would be for the Marines if they could defeat the Whitebeard Pirates.
The situation is actually not so optimistic, because there are currently five true kings of the sea, and even if one falls, there are still four.
Furthermore, there are many powerful Great Pirate below them, and perhaps a new emperor will soon emerge to fill the gap.
More importantly, the Night Pirates have only ever been enemies with the Whitebeard Pirates, having fought a major battle together, and have had virtually no conflicts with other forces.
Under these circumstances, the alliance between the Big Mom Pirates and the Night Pirates was virtually unstoppable.
Moreover, the Night Pirates themselves are incredibly powerful, making their war with the Whitebeard Pirates as easy as training.
"Fierce God, the Ferocious Ares, a true monster, the third-in-command of the Night Pirates, possesses terrifying power. In terms of sheer strength, no one can match him; he is the World's Strongest."
During the presentation, some excerpts of battle footage were shown to give them a more direct feel for the action. These were mostly clips of Shanks and his crew in action, and they were the latest and most valuable footage.
This kind of introduction is mainly for the top-tier or nearly top-tier fighters in the navy. Others would have little chance of resisting these monsters and would simply be easy prey.
Witnessing the power of these monsters, even Sengoku and Garp felt immense pressure, let alone the Three Admirals. Only Borsalino might have an easier time.
Tsuru did not disclose the overall strength of these pirate crews, which is a secret within the Navy and is not easily known to ordinary high-ranking officers.
If this were revealed, it would severely damage the confidence of many marines, because each pirate crew is incredibly powerful, possessing numerous strong officers.
One pirate crew is manageable, but if two pirate crews join forces, the Marine Headquarters will have a hard time holding them off.
Even if they ultimately win, the navy's strength will not be greatly diminished.
During this year, in addition to Shanks' battles with various monsters, many other things also happened.
The most eye-catching thing is the release of Pirates of the Caribbean 2. The ticket price has not changed and is still 10,000 Beli, which is equivalent to a branded piece of clothing.
Next up is the epic blockbuster from the Beasts Pirates, the "Blue Dragon vs. Black Dragon" Twin Dragon Battle, with tickets priced at 3,000 Beli, which is a reasonable price.
Most importantly, this film doesn't have the same impact as Pirates of the Caribbean, and its production quality can't compare.
Before promoting the film, it's necessary to assess its value, such as the approximate ticket price.
This price is only being given to the Beasts Pirates to save face; otherwise, it would be even lower.
According to the World Film Association's requirements, movie ticket prices should not exceed three thousand Beli.
Pirates of the Caribbean are an exception.
Movie tickets are easier to sell if they are cheap, which allows people to have spare money to go to the movies and accelerates the development of the film and television industry.
Even with guidance from the Night Pirates, the Twin Dragon Battle was still considered an eyesore by professionals, with absolutely no acting skills. Many people were drawn in simply because of the battle between the two dragons.