Shanks's Concerns

Shanks gently laid the newspaper on his lap, his tone calm, revealing no excessive shock, only an unyielding melancholy.

Natsu awakened his complete form, everyone could still explain it by saying he was "the patriarch of a clan with exceptional talent."

But now that Madara has also unlocked this ultimate form, it has confirmed the most terrifying thing: the Complete Susanoo is not the privilege of Natsu alone, nor is it an isolated case.

Natsu was the first, and Ban was the second.

Will the third and fourth be far behind?

Uchiha Kei had already firmly grasped the Semi-Complete Susanoo, and was only one step away from stepping into the ultimate realm;

Uchiha Fugaku's true fighting strength was always kept hidden, and no one could figure out his limits.

Furthermore, there is a rapidly rising new generation of clansmen, each with extraordinary talent and boundless potential.

No one can say for sure how many top-tier combatants this clan has been hiding.

Ten people? Twenty people?

Or perhaps, they already possess a terrifying legion whose members have all unlocked top-tier Dōjutsu?

Beside him, Beckman leaned against the railing, a half-burnt cigar between his fingers, the bluish-white smoke slowly rising and blurring his calm features.

He glanced sideways at Shanks, who seemed lost in thought, and spoke softly, revealing the deepest concern in Shanks' heart. "Are you worried about Luffy?"

Shanks did not deny it, but nodded slightly.

He knows Luffy's personality too well.

That kid was born hot-blooded and stubborn, loved to challenge the strong, and had a wild spirit that never admitted defeat hidden in his bones.

If he were to hear of Madara Uchiha's astonishing feats of sinking Kaido with a single sword strike and crushing Four Emperors, he would not be afraid or take a detour.

Without a second thought, Luffy's first reaction would undoubtedly be to find out Madara's whereabouts, and he would be single-mindedly determined to fight him, vowing to test his skills against the world's strongest fighter.

He personally handed the Straw Hat to Luffy and personally led the child into this vast and magnificent sea. He longed for Luffy to reach the top more than anyone else, but he also knew better than anyone else that now was not the time.

Given Luffy's current strength, if he were to encounter either Natsu or Madara, there would only be one outcome—he would be utterly powerless and completely crushed.

It's not that Luffy isn't hardworking or strong enough, but rather that this group of Uchiha clan members has completely transcended the conventional combat power system of this sea, making them an alternative calamity that surpasses all other strong individuals.

"So, what do you plan to do?" Beckman flicked the ash from his cigarette, the smoke drifting away in the wind, his tone calm yet resolute. "Pave the way for him?"

Shanks looked up at the boundless sea in the distance, the shimmering waves stretching to the horizon, and a deep contemplation lingered in his eyes.

"We need to make him realize the true significance of the Uchiha."

He spoke slowly, his voice low and resolute. He couldn't let him be ignorant and recklessly rush forward with a surge of passion, only to crash into an insurmountable wall.

At the same time, he must buy Luffy enough time to grow.

Rayleigh's two years of dedicated teaching truly transformed Luffy, turning him into a completely different person.

However, given the current situation, this level of experience is far from sufficient.

Luffy needs more life-or-death experiences, more desperate battles, and more opponents who can push him to his limits. However, these opponents who hone him must not be from the Uchiha Clan, at least not now.

Those Red Eye powerhouses were no longer just ordinary clashes of strong individuals; they were beings capable of overturning eras.

"What if that kid is determined to fight Ban?" Beckman pressed.

The sea breeze suddenly stopped, and the atmosphere on the ship instantly became heavy.

Shanks remained silent for a long time, then gently smoothed out the wrinkles in the newspaper with his fingertips, slowly folded it neatly, and placed it on the deck beside him.

"Then I'll go there myself."

His tone was gentle, yet carried an unwavering firmness. "Stop him before he finds Ban."

Beckman straightened up upon hearing this, tossed away his cigarette butt, and gently stubbed it out with his foot. His expression was calm and composed. "If you want to go, we'll go together. That kid's stubborn; you might not be able to stop him by yourself."

Shanks did not respond, but a faint smile appeared on his tense lips, and the gloom in his eyes eased slightly.

He looked up at the vast sea and sky, and murmured to himself.

Luffy, wait a little longer.

The changes in this vast ocean came much faster and more turbulently than he had anticipated. The order of the old era collapsed with a crash, and the strongmen of the new era emerged one after another. The storm was raging, and every step was fraught with danger.

But he always believed that the boy wearing Straw Hat, with freedom and dreams in his heart, would one day break free from all constraints, stand on the most dazzling peak of the entire sea, and be admired by everyone.

Before that day arrives, he, as the elder who guides him, will do everything in his power to shield him from all the unexpected storms and waves that lie ahead.

Mary Geoise, among the Flower Room.

Inside the quiet and solemn hall, there was not a sound of human voices.

The Five Elders knelt in unison beneath the Void Throne, their five aged heads bowed, their foreheads pressed tightly against the cold, piercing bluestone ground, their posture one of utmost respect.

The Five Elders with knives had just finished reporting the complete battle report of Coral Port.

In just a few short sentences, the earth-shattering battle that would overturn the New World order is fully revealed.

The Setsuna the words fell, the entire Flower Room fell into a deathly silence—a suffocating silence that weighed heavily on people's hearts, making them afraid to even breathe.

His face was completely obscured by layers of shadows, impossible to discern at all. Only a pair of scarlet pupils pierced the darkness, glowing faintly in the dim hall, so calm that no emotion could be discerned.

This silence lasted for a long time.

Imu slowly raised his hand and took out a completely black Rubik's Cube from deep within his wide sleeve.

He clenched his fingers, gently gripping the Rubik's Cube, his knuckles slightly bulging, before slowly releasing them a moment later.

Hidden within these simple, repetitive actions lies an extremely difficult choice that affects the very fabric of the world.

This supreme being, who has ruled the world for eight hundred years, is now deeply hesitant.

It is the activation key of the ultimate weapon, Uranus, and the world-destroying power that has been sleeping for eight hundred years, hanging high in the sky.

Since the Void Throne established its rule, this divine punishment, capable of purifying the Four Blues and overturning the earth, has never truly descended upon the mortal realm.

But he couldn't.

Imu lowered his gaze to the blood-red lines flowing in his palm, his scarlet pupils contracted slightly, and a faint trace of caution flashed in his eyes.

That trump card doesn't belong to the three ancient weapons, nor does it rely on the rules of this world. It's an unknown power that transcends this world's system and originates from another world.

He had no idea what its limits were, how powerful it was, or whether there was a way to counter it.

The two faced each other across the vast Four Blues, each holding the ultimate power capable of utterly annihilating the other. They both knew that whoever revealed their trump card first would face an inescapable, world-ending deadly situation.