"Hancock, what are they doing here?" Shanks asked in confusion. The officers behind him all shook their heads in unison.
Over the past few years, the fastest-rising forces in the New World had been theirs and the Empress's. Even "sweeping all before them" was no longer enough to describe the strength of either side.
Compared to Whitebeard, who had remained relatively quiet in recent years, their two pirate crews had been anything but peaceful. They constantly expanded their territories, waging endless wars against the established families and great nations of the New World, as well as long-standing pirate crews.
The title of Four Emperors had been fought for with blood and steel.
Relatively speaking, however, the Empress and Shanks had not crossed paths very often. Though there had been some conflicts, they were all minor. The New World was vast enough, and both had plenty of territory left unconquered over the years.
Compared with Shanks, the Empress's side was more interested in another of the Four Emperors—the legendary "Big Mom."
Perhaps women naturally found other women disagreeable, assuming Big Mom could even be considered a woman.
In any case, the Empress and Big Mom's forces had fought fiercely over the years, and the two of them had even clashed several times in person. Of course, Hancock had not come out worse in the end.
The power of the Phoenix Fruit was simply too outrageous. It was not merely the strength granted by the fruit itself, but also the various properties of its flames and its formidable cleansing effect.
Aside from pure swordsmen like Shanks, any Devil Fruit user would be somewhat inferior before the Phoenix Fruit.
When the phoenix cried, peace descended upon the world.
No Devil Fruit power could surpass the phoenix's—not even a dragon's.
"May I ask what