Ten Years Had Passed in the Blink of an Eye
"Tianqi!" Hancock looked at Tianqi with a slightly flushed face, not knowing what to do for a moment, and could only keep playing with the hem of her clothes.
"Captain!" Nicole Robin also arrived, looking at Tianqi with admiration. She was now completely conquered by Tianqi's strength, and she decided to seize this opportunity and cling to the strongest figure in the ocean.
Tianqi could also see Robin's changes, and he was very satisfied with the situation. It was a good thing that Robin could integrate into the Conqueror Pirates, since it would be quite difficult to manage a ship if there was always someone who couldn't fit in.
"Well, now that things are settled, it's about time we set sail!" Tianqi nodded and said calmly to the group.
"What do we do with the captain?" Shanks asked, approaching Kaido, who was injured.
"Hmph! Uchiha Tianqi, kill me if you want. I've seen through life and death. If I blink, I'm not Kaido of the Beasts!" At this moment, Kaido had finally understood. If Uchiha Tianqi really wanted to kill him, no one could stop him. Rather than be cowardly and timid, he would face death head-on. Even if he was going to die, he would die a manly death.
Tianqi glanced at Kaido and said calmly, "I've had enough fun today. As for you, since I promised Whitebeard, I'll let you go this time. But remember this: I, Uchiha Tianqi, am not someone you can mess with. If you dare to cause trouble on my territory again, I will kill you. Understand?"
Upon hearing this, Kaido thought he had misheard. He asked incredulously, "You mean you're not going to kill me?"
"If you really want to die, I can grant your wish!" Tianqi looked at Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, speechless, and was about to draw his sword.
"No, no, no, who wants to die? I'm leaving first!" Despite his injuries, Kaido broke free from Shanks' grasp and led his Beast Pirates away without looking back. His hasty escape was nothing like that of one of the Four Emperors.
Seeing Kaido slip away so easily, Tianqi, Hancock, and the others shook their heads slightly. This kind of hasty escape was hardly the behavior of an emperor. It's true that there's no harm without comparison. Tianqi and Whitebeard, who are also among the Four Emperors, would not act like this.
As Tianqi and the others went to the Conqueror to meet up with Yasopp and the others, that stretch of land, spanning tens of kilometers, sank into the sea and disappeared. Shanks greeted Tianqi and then went to the Whitebeard Pirates to talk to Whitebeard Newgate.
Tianqi could roughly guess what Shanks and Whitebeard were talking about: they wanted Whitebeard to take Ace in and to discuss Luffy. These matters were not of much concern to Tianqi, and he didn't want to get too involved.
A few days after the battle between Tianqi and Whitebeard, news of Demon Eye Uchiha Tianqi, one of the Four Emperors of the New World, defeating Kaido and Whitebeard, also Four Emperors, quickly spread throughout the seas, propelling Tianqi to the position of the First Emperor.
"Wow, this Demon Eye Uchiha Tianqi is too strong! He defeated two emperors in a row, and even the world-famous Whitebeard lost to him. Uchiha Tianqi is probably the number one pirate!"
As Tianqi was hailed as the number one pirate, many pirates began flocking to the New World, eager to witness the magnificence of the First Emperor. Because of Tianqi, the reputation of pirates grew, indirectly leading to a surge of people joining the seas as pirates, much to the headache of the Navy.
However, the story was far from over. After leaving Marpra Island, Tianqi didn't have much peace. He went straight to Charlotte Linlin, the captain of the Big Mom Pirate Crew, for a duel. In the following five months, he fought against the other three Emperors, constantly honing the strength he had gained in the pirate world. Shanks and the others also continued to fight against crew members of other Pirate Crew to improve their strength.
Ten years passed quickly. During these ten years, Tianqi and his crew constantly challenged various powerful pirates, and everyone's strength increased dramatically. Tianqi also broke through to the peak of the Wind Blade Swordsman, completely perfecting his strength among pirates.
Two ships were sailing on the sea. Tianqi stood on the bow of the Conqueror, gazing into the distance, seemingly lost in thought.
"Captain, I rarely see you silent. Is something the matter?" Shanks and Ryuma of Ryuda approached Tianqi. After ten years of training, both of them had made great strides in their strength, with Shanks even earning the title of the Fifth Emperor on the high seas.
"Shanks, the ten-year agreement is almost up. It's time for me to go and meet that person!" Tianqi said calmly. At this moment, his heart was filled with complicated emotions. He estimated that the system would trigger the transmigration mission soon. Having spent so many years with Shanks and the others, he was extremely reluctant to leave.
"Captain, do you mean we're going to clash head-on with the Navy, or rather, with Im..." Shanks frowned upon hearing that the ten-year agreement had come to pass. He still couldn't forget the scene from ten years ago in the Amazon Lily; that overwhelming power proved that Im was definitely not an ordinary person.
A person who can control everything behind the Navy and the Five Elders —this kind of world king must have terrifying strength. He is also the only person in the world who can threaten Tianqi. To be honest, Shanks is very worried.
"Go to war with the Navy head-on? Captain, Shanks, you guys..." Ryuma of Ryuda's eyes widened when he heard about the prospect of a direct confrontation with the Navy. He had never heard of such a thing in all these years.
"If we clash with the Navy this time, my life will probably come to an end. Brother Ryuma, you don't have to participate in this operation. You can leave now, and I won't blame you!" After saying this to Ryuma of Ryuda, Tianqi looked at the crew behind him and said, "And you guys are the same. You can leave the Conqueror Pirates now, and I won't blame you. It's up to you whether you stay or leave!"
Hearing Captain Tianqi say this, everyone was stunned. It seemed as if the captain meant that this mission would be a certain death. Their Conqueror Pirates was the number one Pirate Crew on the sea, and their captain was the number one pirate king. How could they be afraid?
"Captain, now that I've joined the Conqueror Pirates, I'll be a member of the Conqueror Pirates for life. I swear to stand with you through thick and thin!" Ryuma of Ryuda said earnestly, showing no fear in the face of the Marines.
"That's right, we swear to Conqueror Pirates; we, the Conqueror Pirates, have nothing to fear!"
Beckman, Yasopp, and the others showed no fear whatsoever. As members of the Conqueror Pirates, none of them were afraid of death. Even if they all perished, they would never leave the Conqueror Pirates. Shanks, on the other hand, remained silent. He didn't know what others would choose, but as the vice-captain of the Conqueror Pirates, he would never back down.
"This time we might be facing the entire ocean's navy. It's not shameful to take cover appropriately. Think it through!" Tianqi saw that the crew members were all frightened. While he was relieved, he still reminded them.
"Captain, you don't need to say anything more. Everyone who's standing on this deck has already made up their minds. You can decide for yourself. We'll sacrifice ourselves without taking a single step back!" Ryuma of Ryuda said earnestly, and the others nodded in agreement.
Seeing that all the crew members were willing to stand with him, including Nico Robin and Hancock, Tianqi knew that no matter how he tried to persuade them, they wouldn't back down, so he stopped trying.
"Everyone, listen up! After this operation, Shanks will be promoted to captain of the Conqueror Pirates, Ryuma of Ryuda will be the first mate, and Beckman will be the strategist!..." Although he hadn't left yet, Tianqi still handed over the necessary appointments ahead of time.
"Captain, you..." Everyone except Shanks looked at Tianqi in confusion, wondering why he would suddenly appoint these people ahead of schedule. Even Hancock looked at Tianqi in bewilderment.
Tianqi, holding Hancock's hand, explained to the group, "After this is over, I will take Hancock and leave this world forever, to a place no one else can reach. So, the future of Conqueror Pirates rests on your shoulders!"
Hearing Tianqi say that, Hancock was also filled with happiness. As long as she could go with Tianqi, she didn't care where they went, and she didn't want to ask about the reasons.
The others fell silent upon hearing this. As the captain of the Conqueror Pirates, Tianqi was the soul of the entire Pirate Crew. His departure would be a devastating blow to the Conqueror Pirates. If they could, they really wanted to keep Tianqi, but Tianqi that he was already prepared, they knew they couldn't Tianqi, so they didn't say anything more.
"Fate brings us together and fate separates us; temporary separations are inevitable. This is also my last mission with the Conqueror Pirates. I hope to see your outstanding performance this time!" Looking at everyone's expressions, Tianqi knew that they were somewhat reluctant to see him leave, but what Tianqi hated most was this kind of sentimental farewell.
"Don't worry, Captain, we will never let you down!"
Knowing this was the last time they would fight alongside the captain, everyone was full of fighting spirit. Since they couldn't stop the captain from leaving, they were prepared to show their best and try not to disappoint him.
"In that case, let's head towards Mary Geoise, the Marine Headquarters!" Without saying anything more, Tianqi ordered his men to set sail directly for Mary Geoise.
On the way to Mary Geoise, Shanks arrived at the captain's cabin where Tianqi was. He felt it was better to say something in advance.
"Captain, there are some things I feel I should report to you, um..." Shanks looked at Captain Tianqi and hesitated a bit, after all, it was really not good to try to do his own thing at this crucial time.