Shikaku's words were blunt, but everyone knew the truth. Once the new era truly began, uniting the nations would be the best course of action.
Of course, this was only if the nations couldn't hold off the pirates and the chaos they brought.
Since they were already discussing this, Shikaku decided to add one more thing.
"Shanks' ambition isn't just about tearing down the old era. He lost his people, lost his homeland, but what he carries isn't hatred—it's a desire to break free from history."
"He wants to strengthen the bonds between nations, make alliances inseparable, push the era forward, give common people the same power as ninjas, and drive ninjas to develop new Ninjutsu."
"Any one of these things would be enough to carve his name into history books in bold letters."
Shikaku wasn't wrong. Hashirama and Madara's names were remembered because they ended the Warring States.
And Shanks? Any single thing he was doing would already make him a legend.
But he wasn't just doing one thing—he was doing them all.
No wonder he was called one of the Four Emperors.
"By the way, Jiraiya-sama, has the title 'Four Emperors' ever appeared in the Toad Sage's prophecy?"
Shikaku suddenly thought of something. If the Five Elders existed, then what exactly were the Four Emperors?
"There was no mention of it in the prophecy. But Shanks alone has power comparable to a Sage. In fact, with his strength alone, he's already qualified to establish a fourth Holy Land—one that has never existed before."
"The Four Emperors are likely the successors to the Three Holy Lands, plus Shanks, making four in total."
"Shanks has no intention of creating a Holy Land, but the sages of the Three Holy Lands have already foreseen the future.
Faced with someone like Shanks, a man who defies fate itself, even the Three Holy Lands cannot avoid being affected."
Jiraiya continued. What he was about to say involved the decision of the Three Holy Lands—and it would impact the entire ninja world.
The moment the Toad Sage first sensed Shanks, he had already started preparing.
The Holy Lands had always remained separate from worldly affairs, only appearing when major events shook the ninja world.
The last time they got involved was during the time of the Sage of Six Paths, when they passed down Senjutsu to help seal Kaguya.
But the Toad Sage had never told Jiraiya about this, so Jiraiya had no idea what the three sages had discussed.
In reality, aside from the Slug Sage, who was truly indifferent to worldly affairs, both the Toad Sage and the White Snake Sage were in a complete panic.
They had lived for so long, but they had never seen someone this absurd.
Well, maybe a few thousand years ago, before Kaguya arrived in the ninja world, someone like this might have existed.
But they had never met anyone like Shanks before.
And now, faced with someone so unpredictable, they had absolutely no idea what to do.
"So, after a decision by the three sages, the Three Holy Lands will soon be open to the public. A select group from the ninja world will be chosen to learn Senjutsu and become… the Four Emperors of the ninja world."
Jiraiya dropped another bombshell. Oonoki and Chiyo, who had been wiping their sweat, froze mid-motion.
What? Did they hear that right?
The Three Holy Lands were opening to the outside world, selecting ninjas from the ninja world to learn Senjutsu and become the new Four Emperors?
While the others only seemed slightly surprised, Oonoki and Chiyo trembled as they placed their hands on the table.
Did these kids have any idea how crazy this news was?
The Three Holy Lands!
In the Warring States, the only known sanctuary was the Shikkotsu Forest, where Hashirama learned Senjutsu.
Jiraiya had somehow managed to enter Mount Myoboku—whether it was fate or sheer luck, no one knew.
Orochimaru had done the same.
As for others in history who had entered the Three Holy Lands and actually learned Senjutsu? Almost none.
And now, they were announcing that all three sanctuaries would open and recruit ninjas to train in Senjutsu?
Living long really did have its perks.
If there was still space next to the Third Hokage, maybe they should save a spot for Danzo. Oonoki and Chiyo felt like they could live another fifty years after hearing this.
"Our Sunagakure Village is full of talented people. As an elder, I'd like to personally check out the sanctuary for the sake of our younger generation."
It wasn't Chiyo speaking—it was the puppet beside her.
"Heh, old hag, that puppet of yours sure has some nerve. Checking out the sanctuary for the younger generation? You just want to learn Senjutsu yourself."
"What? You don't want to learn it, shorty? Chiyo was once the greatest genius of the Sand Village. Why wouldn't I want to learn it?"
"Who are you calling short?!"
"Enough."
Tsunade slammed her palm on the table, glaring at everyone. This was such an important matter, yet even she hadn't heard about it.
Seeing Tsunade's dark expression, everyone quickly quieted down.
A while later, after replacing the broken table, the mood in the room became much more serious.
They now knew the decision of the Three Holy Lands.
They also knew about the future that the Great Toad Sage had foreseen.
The future could be changed.
At the very least, they could try.
"What Shanks has done… he truly deserves the title of Four Emperor. His presence alone is proof of his power."
"But expecting all the ninja villages to pay a price for him… isn't that a bit too arrogant?"
"There are five possible locations where Shanks might land. We can set up watchpoints at sea and be ready for his arrival."
"Only five watchpoints?"
Mabui felt that wasn't enough, but Shikaku shook his head.
"If Shanks is coming, he won't go out of his way to avoid us. He'll pick a landing spot and face us head-on.
We just need to set up guards outside those five ports."
Shikaku explained.
The five villages hadn't finalized their cooperation yet, but that wasn't the urgent issue.
Because this wasn't just about five villages.
If they couldn't stop Shanks, then every nation—big or small—throughout the ninja world would have to deal with the consequences.
Stopping Shanks was now the top priority for everyone. As the sun slowly set, elite ninja from the Five Great Ninja Villages continued to leave Konohagakure.
The operation against Shanks had begun.
Inside Konohagakure, since the Third Hokage was dead, Jiraiya had temporarily taken charge, though he was only responsible for external matters.
Meanwhile, Kakashi had completely taken control of the Root organization.
Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura had all been placed under house arrest under the pretense of recovering from their injuries. Root's entire base had been wiped out.
Next came the time for settling accounts. However, as two of Konohagakure's remaining top fighters, Kakashi and Guy also left the village the next day.
At the same time, the underground black market across the ninja world was beginning to stir.
Once Shanks' merchant ship entered the waters of the Land of Water, it was completely exposed to everyone's eyes.
After all, the waters of the Land of Water weren't just home to pirates—ordinary merchant ships also served as informants for the underground black market.
The information brokers were already prepared with two reports.
One was if Shanks lost.
The other was if Shanks defeated the elites of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Everyone was eagerly waiting for the outcome of this battle. Even pirates returning from the Land of Fire or still lingering there were paying close attention.
The search for the Divine Tree Organization had slowed down. Every day, countless pieces of information were being sent from the black market to the powerful figures of the Five Great Nations and to the pirates.
The underground intelligence network had quickly spread throughout the ninja world, but no one seemed to care about its expansion.
As a key figure of the new era, the Four Emperors' Shanks had become the center of attention in this world.
"That ship will reach the port in one more day."
"Shanks isn't even trying to hide his movements. Is this the confidence of a Four Emperors from the New World? Even when facing the strongest of the ninja world, he dares to fight openly and win."
"The strongest pirate revered by countless great pirates—the most powerful man on the seas, Red-Haired Shanks."
"The great pirate who used the legendary sannin Orochimaru to bring history's greatest treasure into the open—Red-Haired Shanks."
People looked down at the newspapers in their hands. On the black-and-white pages, there was even a full-color photo of Shanks. This was the respect the sea and this era had for him.
On the final day, the entire ninja world had its eyes fixed on Shanks' route.
At the edge of the Land of Fire, a large ship sailed out of port.
A man wearing a long coat and smoking a cigar stood at the bow. His body was still wrapped in bandages, and there were only about a dozen people left on board.
This man was once the casino boss, Ross Jess. He had been among the first pirates to arrive in the Land of Fire, but due to his lack of strength, most of his crew had been killed by Konohagakure's genin.
In the end, he and the remaining few had gotten lucky, falling into a river at the bottom of a cliff before being rescued.
Ross glanced at the young man beside him, whose eyes had been gouged out.
"The fight is about to start. Can you even see it?"
"Don't worry, if I get a little closer, I can still see just fine," the black-haired young man replied calmly.
Ross turned away and exhaled a puff of smoke.
"I'm risking my life to bring you near the battlefield. If you hadn't saved us, I wouldn't be taking this risk."
"Relax. Once I've seen the battle, I'll make you a Devil Fruit."
"Even though I've lost my eyes, I can still manipulate reality to some extent," the young man said.
Ross smirked. He happened to have a piece of divine wood in his hand, and the man before him had indeed once been a ninja.
"Looks like I owe you another favor."
"How about joining my crew as my vice-captain? Consider it my way of returning the favor…"
Ross said this, but then felt a little awkward. It didn't really sound like repaying a favor at all.
"Forget it. But no matter what, I'll be waiting for you in the New World."
After saying that, Ross felt even more embarrassed. He quickly turned around and walked into the cabin.
The young man standing at the bow of the ship no longer had his eyes, yet he kept staring at the sea as if he was waiting for something.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the port, Dark and his crew also set sail. He wanted to see for himself if the old-era ninja could stand against the blade of the Four Emperors.
Countless pirates looked toward the sea.
In the Land of Fire, the Land of Water, the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Thunder, those searching for clues about the Divine Tree paused. They glanced at the newspapers in their hands. On the back was a map, marking Shanks' route and the places he had landed.
Some of these people carried an air of distinction, others wore tattered clothes, and some looked downright menacing. But at this moment, their eyes all held the same unwavering determination.
Victory.
The man who had given them all hope—he would win. He would carve out a new era for them.
They all stared at their maps, their bodies instinctively turning in the same direction, eyes locked on the marked destination.
Even though they couldn't see the battlefield, their gaze naturally drifted toward it.
Passing travelers watched these strange people, confused about what they were looking at.
A merchant from the Land of Wind noticed a peculiar man nearby and couldn't help but ask,
"Is there something in that direction?"
The man snapped out of his thoughts, his dark face breaking into a simple, honest smile.
"A vast ocean."
"The wind sure is strong."
"Yeah, the wind is strong, and the waves are huge too."
As he looked at the distant sandstorm, the merchant glanced at the man beside him, who seemed lost in thought. He was clearly talking about the desert wind, yet the man was talking about the waves on the ocean.
"What a strange guy."
The merchant didn't bother with him anymore. After a short pause, he turned and left.
Travelers from all over the world got the same answer from these people, whether in the Land of Earth, the Land of Thunder, or the Land of Wind.
They all said they were looking at the ocean.
A vast ocean where the wind howled, and the waves roared.
Meanwhile, on a ship, Shanks sat back, relaxed.
"Hey, director, why hasn't anyone come to take pictures lately? Guess your reputation isn't that great after all."
Shanks teased.
The director wasn't offended. In fact, even he found it hard to believe how famous he had become. Ever since they entered the Land of Water's waters, people had been constantly visiting him to take photos and pay their respects.
"Reputation is meaningless. As a filmmaker, I've never cared about fame. My entire life has been dedicated to cinema."
Director Okamura beamed with pride. His name had finally spread far and wide—it made all his years of dedication to filmmaking worthwhile.
"By the way, Shanks, we'll reach the port in about two hours. Aren't you coming with us?"
Sandayu asked.
"Nah, nah. I'd rather not cause you any unnecessary trouble."
Shanks waved his hand. Getting him this far was already enough.
"Alright, your small boat is ready."
Sandayu didn't say much more. Now that they had reached this point, it was time to part ways.
"Shanks, you have to watch my movie!"
As Shanks rowed away, Director Okamura shouted at him.
"Shanks, goodbye!"
Yukie also ran out, waving her arms at him. Everyone had gotten used to having Shanks on the ship, and now that he was leaving, they felt reluctant to see him go.
"Alright, everyone, see you!"
Shanks grinned widely, happily responding. His life as a pirate was about to begin.
"Let's see what the strongest in this pirate world are like!"
Excitedly, Shanks rowed his small boat. Finally, he didn't have to train so hard anymore. He could now explore the pirate world freely.
As he gazed at the horizon coming into view, his eyes lit up, staring toward the port.
The next moment, a massive barrier appeared around the port.
Out on the sea, a gigantic Eight-Tails emerged in Shanks' view. Beside it, an equally massive toad appeared from the mist, and on top of the toad's head stood a white-haired man.
Shanks' terrifying Observation Haki instantly locked onto the people in the distance. His vision zoomed in, everything around him blurred and moved backward rapidly.
Then, he froze.
"Something's not right!"
"Did I eat a poisonous mushroom today?"
Shanks flopped onto the boat, closed his eyes, and stood up ten seconds later.
"This must be the wrong way of looking at things."
Another ten seconds passed, and he looked again. Yep, that group of people was even closer now.
Heh, the ones waiting for him at the port really weren't Marines. Definitely not Marines.
"So... where are the Marines?"
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