Divine Departure!
This was a technique Shanks developed when he first mastered Conqueror's Haki. It was also the strongest sword technique he created at that time.
In the world of shinobi, Sage Mode is the ultimate evolution of life. Throughout history, no one has ever been able to break free from Sage Mode training once they've embarked on that path.
The temptation of this ultimate form of life isn't just about the desire for power—it's an instinct, a craving that comes from the very essence of being alive.
No one, not in heart or soul, has ever been able to resist Senjutsu chakra.
Once you step onto this path, there are only two outcomes: either you master Sage Mode or you die.
Those are the only two choices.
However, when Shanks realized that the path he was taking had nothing to do with Conqueror's Haki, he used sheer force of will to sever his own instincts.
What I'm training in is Conqueror's Haki! But the power I glimpsed had nothing to do with it.
This man, relying on his own understanding of the world, forcibly suppressed both his instincts and his desire for power.
I don't know where this path leads, but I am Shanks. And if I'm Shanks, then one day, I will be the strongest Conqueror's Haki user across the seas.
Only fools chase after unknown powers.
And "Divine Departure"—this was the move that embodied Shanks' entire will. Its true power didn't lie in destruction but in…
The ability to cut through anything in existence.
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"Bee!!"
The Eight-Tails forcibly seized control of the body and moved Killer Bee to the side.
At the very moment Shanks swung his blade, the Eight-Tails felt an overwhelming sense of despair.
Even though it was sealed inside Killer Bee, the icy slash still reached through his body.
No… It didn't just pierce through Killer Bee's body—it directly bypassed him and struck the Eight-Tails.
A white scar appeared on its massive form.
In the outside world, the same thing happened. The colossal body of the Eight-Tails was split in half, along with the chakra covering the sea.
The Eight-Tails' body slowly sank into the sea, gradually fading away. At the same time, the Eight-Tails sealed inside Killer Bee also began to disappear, just like the one outside.
"Gyuki!!"
Killer Bee fell from midair, crashing into the sea. The ocean surface, which had been dented due to the Eight-Tails' massive presence, now surged back, swallowing Killer Bee entirely.
"Bee, don't worry!!"
"I... won't die."
The fading Eight-Tails spoke with difficulty and pain. The seal on Killer Bee remained intact, allowing a trace of the Eight-Tails' power to linger inside him.
"Wait for me... I'll be back."
With those final words, Gyuki vanished completely.
At that moment, Killer Bee felt like he had lost something important. Although the Eight-Tails' chakra still remained in his body, watching his lifelong companion "die" before his eyes made his tears fall uncontrollably.
In that last moment, if Gyuki hadn't pulled him away, he might have lost an arm.
Through the cold seawater, Killer Bee saw several figures now standing beside Shanks.
"Shanks!!"
Raikage was the fastest, the first to arrive at the battlefield.
"Lightning Release: Lariat!!"
With his hand crackling with lightning, Raikage dashed in from the side. The lightning around his arm formed a curved arc across the sea.
Charging with overwhelming force, he struck Shanks directly. Blue lightning exploded across the ocean, sending a massive bolt of electricity straight into the sky, merging with the storm clouds above.
The impact sent shockwaves rippling across the water behind Shanks, but he had blocked the full force of the attack.
Shanks held his sword in one hand while stopping Raikage's strike with the other.
His left hand was fully covered in Armament Haki, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki as well. He did not underestimate Raikage for even a second.
The only thing he miscalculated... was his own strength.
Sparks flew.
Black and red lightning crackled as Raikage froze.
His strongest attack—stopped just like that?
"Damn it!!"
Raikage attacked again, but he was too slow.
Shanks reacted faster. In the instant he blocked Raikage's strike, his other hand was already over Raikage's head.
*Boom!*
Before Raikage's next attack could land, Shanks smashed his fist directly into his head.
This was Shanks' dominant right hand—the hand that wielded his sword.
One punch.
Raikage's chakra cloak shattered instantly. His entire body was sent crashing into the sea, a massive pillar of water shooting up into the air.
Deep underwater, Killer Bee hadn't even surfaced yet when he saw his brother sinking toward him—coughing up blood, eyes rolling back.
Killer Bee quickly swam toward him.
At the same time, a thin white streak cut across the ocean's surface.
It passed just meters away from Shanks, stretching a hundred meters into the distance before exploding across the sea.
The attack made Chiyo and Terumi Mei pause, their expressions shifting slightly.
"Ohnoki!!"
Chiyo shouted angrily. It was Ohnoki's Kekkei Tota technique—Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World.
This technique was not only incredibly powerful but also extremely hard to detect. In a battle like this, it was almost impossible to see its trajectory.
"That was our best chance."
Ohnoki showed no hesitation. That brief moment had been the perfect opportunity.
But Shanks had dodged it.
"Observation Haki, huh? How are we supposed to win against someone like this?"
"Just by showing us a glimpse of his power, he's already overwhelmed us. So this is one of the Four Emperors of the New World—Shanks?"
"We… we can't stop the tide of the new era."
Ohnoki was still in shock, but before he could react further, Shanks disappeared.
In just a few quick movements, Shanks leaped into the air.
"Jiraiya?"
Shanks looked down as a massive toad emerged from the sea, its mouth wide open, swallowing the spot where he had been standing.
Moments later, Gamabunta surfaced, carrying Jiraiya—along with the severely injured Killer Bee and Raikage.
Seeing Jiraiya now fully in Sage Mode, Shanks was even more confused.
Why were these people attacking him?
Even Jiraiya had entered battle mode.
Jumping back onto his overturned boat, Shanks gazed at Jiraiya in the distance.
The crashing waves surrounded them.
Rain poured from the sky as Ohnoki, Chiyo, and Terumi Mei appeared at Jiraiya's side.
All of them stood on guard, staring at Shanks.
Shanks watched the group cautiously.
"Jiraiya, and the rest of you Kage, I have no intention of being your enemy, nor do I bear any ill will toward you."
He explained, and honestly, he was the one who got attacked first—it made no sense.
"This fight is unavoidable, Shanks. Even if I don't make a move, the great ninja villages won't accept this situation. I know the kind of presence you carry as one of the Four Emperors, but our positions are different. Right now, fighting is the only way to protect as many people as possible."
Jiraiya's expression was serious. Shanks' presence was exactly what one would expect from a Four Emperor. Even in the midst of battle, he made it clear that he wasn't here with bad intentions.
This confirmed what Shikaku had analyzed before—Shanks wasn't doing any of this for himself but for the entire ninja world.
But… not everyone could see that. And not everyone was willing to make sacrifices.
This fight had to happen.
Because Shanks' strength needed to be proven.
Jiraiya had his own thoughts on the matter. Unlike the others, despite being a ninja, he wanted Shanks to defeat them in an honorable battle.
He wanted the entire ninja world to witness the power of a Four Emperor—the power of a new era. More than anything, he wanted to see whether Shanks, someone outside of fate's plan, could truly forge a new era.
And now, Jiraiya had seen it with his own eyes—Shanks alone already had the strength to defeat them all. There was no need for him to hold back.
Shanks, hearing Jiraiya's words, immediately realized something.
They knew who he was.
They knew he was a future Four Emperor...
"Did the Toad Sage foresee my arrival?"
Shanks had a feeling he had somehow traveled to another world again. In the ninja world, with the Toad Sage watching from the shadows, there was no way his presence could be hidden.
"Then the Toad Sage should also know I don't belong to this world, right?"
Shanks figured it out and tried to explain. It was a complicated situation, but he could still make it clear.
"Of course.
As a Four Emperor of the New World, you haven't belonged to the ninja world for a long time. We all understand that—otherwise, we wouldn't be here."
Terumi Mei looked at Shanks and spoke.
"Even though you bear no ill will toward the ninja world, because of your plan, Orochimaru inflicted heavy damage on Konohagakure. The Third Hokage died in the village. That could be seen as a personal feud between the Uzumaki clan and Konohagakure."
"But after Zabuza returned from your side, he left the ninja world too and formed a pirate crew. And not only that, his Blade-less Pirates raided our offering gold near the Water Capital. That's something you should be responsible for, don't you think?"
Terumi Mei's words immediately cut off whatever explanation Shanks had been about to give.
Wait… What are you guys even talking about??
A personal feud between the Uzumaki clan and Konohagakure?
Zabuza? Blade-less Pirates? Blade-less Pirates raiding the Water Capital??
"So, Shanks!"
"If you truly want to create a new era, then fight us, the remnants of the old era, in a fair battle!"
As Jiraiya formed a hand seal, Terumi Mei, Onoki, and Chiyo each unleashed their own Ninjutsu.
The battle erupted once again!
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