Shamrock's despair! A gryphon's cry in dire straits!

As several Night Owl Guard members were nearly controlled and dominated by the threads, the other Night Owl Guard members nearby warily moved away from them.

Killing Hall sheathed his sword and retreated. The Broken Cage pattern in his Mangekyō Sharingan slowly rotated, taking in the trajectory of every thread.

Taki and Yan retreated to his side at the same time, and the three of them stood side by side, their scarlet Sharingan fixed on the dark red threads that were still moving in the air.

Saint Shamrock looked at the threads rushing towards him, a hint of despair flashing in his eyes.

He lay in the shallow water, blood still seeping from the kunai Kunai in his chest, and the deep gash on his left arm from the sickle had rendered him unable to lift his hand.

Cerberus lay embedded in the rubble beside him, the dark red light on its blade completely extinguished, and the outline of the three-headed hellhound had long since crumbled.

He tried to stand up, supporting himself with his arms, but a tearing pain in his lower back and abdomen made him fall back down.

The dark red threads were flying towards him, not fast, but their trajectory was so precise it was as if they had eyes.

He knew what it was.

He had witnessed the screams of Izanbaron V. Saint Nusjuro when he was pierced by the threads, and he had seen the God's Knight wither and fall to the ground within the threads.

He didn't want to die.

But he couldn't escape.

At that very moment--

A sharp screech, accompanied by Conqueror's Haki, suddenly erupted.

A golden Gryphon soared through the air from afar, its wingspan exceeding ten meters, each feather crackling with dark red, Conqueror's Haki.

It let out a sharp screech, swooped down, and crashed headfirst into the dark red threads that were being fired at Shamrock.

The moment the Gryphon's talons collided with the silk threads, Conqueror's Haki exploded, tearing a gash in the threads from the middle.

But the Demonic Energy within the silk suddenly erupted, causing the broken silk to reform and bypass the Gryphon, heading straight for Shamrock once more.

However, at that moment, a lead bullet carrying Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki, along with another lead bullet similarly covered in Armament Haki, simultaneously hurtled through the air.

The two bullets pierced the Demonic Energy precisely, severing the silk thread in the middle.

The Armament Haki on the bullet and the Demonic Energy in the threads eroded, neutralized, and annihilated each other, causing the broken threads to hang limply in the air and dissipate.

"Although I'm a little late... thankfully... Shamrock, you're alright."

The voice was clear yet authoritative, carrying an aura that compelled people to listen to him finish speaking.

"This time, we're even."

As the words fell, a figure slowly walked over from a distance.

He wore a long black cloak draped over his shoulders, patterned brown capri pants, flip-flops, and the famous sword "Gryphon" at his waist.

Three prominent scars on his left eye, along with the same Red-Hair and almost identical face.

One of the four Emperor of the Sea of the New World.

The captain of the Red-Haired Pirates, known as the Iron Wall Pirates.

Shanks Red-Hair Swordsman!

He is also his twin brother.

Figarland Saint Shanks.

Behind him, a man with a cigarette in his hand slowly followed.

He had gray slicked-back hair, a cross-shaped scar on his left temple, and wore a dark blue cloak with a spiral pattern.

He was wearing a black V-neck T-shirt, military green cargo pants, and black Doc Martens, and held a flintlock pistol in his other hand.

Ben Beckman, Red-Haired Pirates.

Beside him, the man wearing a star-patterned cape and also holding a flintlock pistol was none other than Yasopp, the sniper executive of the Red-Haired Pirates.

Behind the three, the iconic dragon-headed Red Voss sat quietly on the sea.

The Red-Haired Pirates stood on the deck, their faces grave as they looked around, then looked up at the massive meteorite that had torn open the sky and blocked out the sun.

Everyone's face was solemn, but no one backed down or panicked.

This is the Red-Haired Pirates, one of the top pirate crews in the New World; they've seen far too many big scenes.

But the scene before them was so suffocating that even they felt breathless.

Saint Shamrock raised his head, saw the person who had arrived, and a very complicated expression flashed across his face.

He recognized that face.

That face was almost identical to his own.

Same father, same mother, born in the same womb, only a few minutes later than him.

Shanks.

His twin brother.

That fool who gave up his Celestial Dragons status, abandoned the glory and privileges of the Holy Land Mary Geoise, and ran off to the East Blue to become a pirate.

That idiot he had cursed in his heart countless times.

He was the younger brother of Kaido of the Beasts, whom he had humbled himself to ask for help before the Summit War and who ultimately succeeded in stopping Kaido of the Beasts from going to Marineford.

To be honest, his relationship with Shanks wasn't bad.

After all, they were twin brothers. Even though he thought the other was foolish to choose to give up his Celestial Dragons identity and become a dirty pirate, the same blood still flowed in his veins.

That's why he didn't refuse when the other party asked him to stop Kaido of the Beasts from going to Marineford to participate in the Summit War.

He has always considered himself the elder brother.

At the same time, he was extremely dissatisfied because he was Celestial Dragons, and his idiot brother had given up his Celestial Dragons identity.

This contradiction led him to always feel a sense of superiority when facing Shanks, yet at the same time he could not deny that Shanks was stronger, freer, and lived a more human life than him.

But this was the first time he had ever felt so embarrassed in front of his younger brother.

He lay in the shallow water, covered in blood, Kunai piercing his chest, and unable to lift his left arm.

Beside him was a dull, lifeless Rapier, Cerberus.

He was just on the verge of death when his younger brother, whom he had always looked down upon, saved him.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but it felt like something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't squeeze out a single word.

He simply looked at Shanks, at that face that was almost identical to his own, his expression shifting from complex to an even deeper, more profound complexity.

Shanks stood before him, his left hand gently pressing the hilt of Gryphon's sword at his waist, his long black cloak fluttering slightly in the sea breeze.

He didn't look at Shamrock, but instead looked up at Madara Uchiha, who was preparing the Tengai Shinsei.

He glanced at the massive meteorite slowly falling from the crack, then at Shamrock below, surrounded by Yaoyu Yakumi, and finally fixed his gaze on Uchiha Fugaku was directing the battle on the battlefield.

"Beckman," Shanks began, his voice low.

"Hmm." Beckman took a drag of his cigarette, the smoke rings dissipating in the sea breeze. "Are you sure?"

"Agreed," Shanks said. "Someone has to talk. If we don't talk now, we'll never be able to."