Seeing the power of a Four Emperor firsthand, the chains in the hearts of every pirate were completely shattered.
The moment Shanks won this battle, it proved that the new era now had the power to challenge the old-generation ninjas.
More often than not, these kinds of fights were more about symbolism than anything else. As the pioneer of a new era, Shanks had become a symbol in everyone's hearts.
Even those who weren't on the same side as him still acknowledged the hope that came with his victory.
History had proven this time and time again—the most famous example being the Battle of Longcheng in the Han Dynasty.
The casualty ratio in that battle was nearly 1:24, yet it was still considered a victory.
That battle completely shattered the myth of the Xiongnu's invincibility, breaking the chains in people's minds.
And now, Shanks had done the same—destroying the belief that ninjas were unbeatable and proving the strength of the new era to everyone.
"The power of a Four Emperor… so that's what it means to be a Four Emperor. As long as you find a Devil Fruit, you can gain power like this."
"Hahaha! So Gato wasn't lying after all. Who would've thought that such incredible power was hidden inside this strange piece of wood?"
As long as we can cultivate the Devil Fruit, I'll have this incredible power.
The Devil Fruit... So this is the power Shanks left behind for the New World?
Gato said that the Devil Fruit holds Shanks' power. Once we have it, the ninja should step down.
Zehahaha!!!
A burly man burst into laughter.
Gato mentioned that as long as this wood contains some of Shanks' power, and if we can grasp it, we can become the next Four Emperors.
And what is this wood? It's the sacred tree used to cultivate Devil Fruits, so it all makes sense.
The treasure Shanks once spoke of—One Piece—is actually the Devil Fruit. And the sacred wood Gato is selling ultimately leads to the Devil Fruit as well.
"The Devil Fruit!!"
"The era of the ninja is over. The age of the Devil Fruit is coming."
"The time for us pirates has arrived."
On the outskirts of the battlefield, pirate ships began to sail away. These ambitious individuals had already set out on their own journeys.
A few pirates who had already obtained the sacred wood went into hiding, preparing to recruit powerful ninjas to aid them.
These people might not be strong themselves, but the fact that they, as ordinary individuals, had made it this far showed their determination, intelligence, and unshakable will—traits that placed them at the top of the ninja world.
Take Dark, for example. His combat ability wasn't outstanding. After all, most of his evolution had gone into improving his slash defense.
But just look at what he's done—he betrayed the merchants, then used them again to test Shanks.
Though he completely miscalculated Shanks' strength, making all his plans seem useless, if you compare him to others, his political mind and strategies alone put him miles ahead of the Third Hokage.
And it's not just Dark—how strong could these underground black market figures possibly be? In the end, they rely on their brains and tactics.
These pirates who have lived in the underground market for years aren't worried about finding ninja allies. On the contrary, this new era doesn't just give ordinary people greater power—it also gives ordinary ninjas the chance to grow stronger.
So, naturally, there will be ninjas who break away from the old era to become part of the new one.
But none of this has anything to do with Zabuza.
Hahaha, Shanks!!
You finally set sail! Over this time, your title as a Four Emperors has spread across the entire ninja world!
Zabuza's voice came from a distance. A pirate ship appeared in Shanks' view, its sail bearing a skull with two crossed sword hilts behind it.
The emblem of the Blade-less Pirates, representing the most powerful pirate crew on the seas right now.
Zabuza carried his Kubikiribocho on his shoulder, looking confident and full of energy—completely different from the gloomy assassin he used to be.
Zan? Zabuza... What a name.
Shanks understood immediately. Even though there was no direct evidence that Zabuza was behind this, did he even need proof?
"Shanks! Long time no see!!"
"Yeah, it's been a long time."
"Zabuza!!"
Shanks charged toward Zabuza's ship, his voice filled with barely contained rage as he gritted his teeth saying Zabuza's name.
Zabuza's expression changed the moment he heard Shanks say his name.
"Damn it!"
He had forgotten something—he never told Shanks his real name before leaving. Sure, he could have just let Shanks keep calling him "Zan," but…
It was too late now.
Shanks appeared above Zabuza.
Blade-less Style: Multi-Shockwave!
Zabuza clapped his hands together, sending layers of shockwaves crashing toward Shanks. Each wave was stronger than the last, even forcing the seawater around the ship to ripple outward.
Then—
Boom!!
A punch infused with Armament Haki sent Zabuza crashing into the deck. The solid wooden planks split open, leaving a deep crack with smoke rising from it.
"Set sail! We're heading back! "
Zabuza's hand reached out from the cracked deck, his voice still full of energy.
Was that it? It wasn't like he hadn't been beaten before. Back when he trained with Shanks on the island, he had taken plenty of hits. His endurance wasn't weak.
Meanwhile, the ninjas on the shore only saw a ripple appear on Zabuza's ship, causing it to shake slightly.
Then, the ship turned around and started sailing toward the Land of Waves.
Elsewhere, Itachi, Kisame, Kakuzu, and Hidan were also leaving.
"Hey, are we really not going to do anything? "
Hidan asked in confusion. Even if they weren't going to attack Shanks, they could at least take out some of the strong fighters from those villages. Killing even one or two would be worth it.
"No need. The arrival of a new era is actually the best thing for our organization's next plan."
"Idiots like you should just stay out of the way."
Kakuzu said with disdain.
"Kakuzu, don't think for a second that I'm afraid of you."
Hidan was furious. He had already endured enough today.
"Take a look. This is the history of our Akatsuki. I've also gathered quite a bit of information on our organization recently."
Kakuzu tossed a thick stack of intel in front of Hidan. Kisame had asked him to find it, and surprisingly, Kakuzu actually did. He even found a lot more than expected.
At first, Kakuzu thought Kisame was just talking nonsense. How could a bunch of terrorists like them be a "revolutionary army"?
But after getting his hands on the intel, even Kakuzu was stunned.
This organization of terrorists they were part of… was actually a revolutionary army? A group working to create a better world?
Hidan was just as dumbfounded after reading it.
"Wait… are you telling me that all this time, I've been fighting to create a more peaceful and fair world?"
He looked at his three teammates. This had to be a joke, right? They were terrorists. How could Akatsuki deceive terrorists like them into thinking they were part of something greater?
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