Jiraiya was a genius. But at the same time, he wasn't.
Compared to other prodigies of the ninja world, Jiraiya seemed ordinary.
He didn't have incredible talent or instant comprehension. He couldn't learn techniques just by seeing them once. He lacked the arrogance and natural confidence of a genius.
On the surface, he was nothing special. And in a way, that was true.
But when all the other ninjas were trying not to be mediocre, an "ordinary" ninja like him stood out as a genius among the crowd.
For decades, Jiraiya traveled across the ninja world, experiencing life firsthand.
He was a fool—just a bit of guidance from the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku had set him on a lifelong journey to explore the world.
Jiraiya saw many things.
He saw civilians suffering from war. He saw the weak being oppressed by the strong.
He saw so much that he started seeing farther and farther ahead, as if glimpsing a never-ending cycle of history—war never stopped, and hunger, disease, and suffering never truly disappeared.
That's why Jiraiya became more and more determined.
Because on this path he chose, there was no one to guide him.
He had to believe in himself and be the first to walk this road.
The so-called "genius" who wasn't actually a genius kept improving every minute he spent in the world. Decades later, he became the strongest of the Three Legendary Sannin.
Even the Toad Sage couldn't understand Jiraiya's talent. He couldn't figure out why someone who didn't seem talented at all was able to reach such heights.
Jiraiya didn't understand either, but when he saw Shanks carving out a new path in the shinobi world, his long-standing habits kicked in, and he instinctively quickened his pace.
Shanks' training method was the reverse of the traditional ninja teachings. It was a process of condensing many things into one.
The usual way of ninja training was the opposite—it started with chakra as the foundation, then expanded from one to two, two to three, and eventually spread out in all directions.
For the past few months, Jiraiya had been practicing both methods, switching between expansion and contraction. In the process, he discovered a way to stack and combine ninjutsu.
It was just a technique, but at this moment, Jiraiya had taken a huge step forward in the shinobi world.
"My reverse method, huh?"
Shanks was starting to understand. When he sensed all the pirates outside the battlefield, he realized something. At the same time, he also understood why his Conqueror's Haki grew stronger the longer he fought.
The power of the ninja sect was indeed one of the legitimate systems in this world, and its true core was the so-called "bonds" between people.
Now Shanks finally understood what it meant to be carried forward by an era. He was caught in that very flow.
"Whatever, there's still a lot I don't understand, but one thing I'm pretty sure about. The Toad Sage must know about me by now, right?"
Shanks asked. If he wanted answers, the only way was to start with the Toad Sage.
"Your Observation Haki is really strong."
Jiraiya's response was basically an admission.
"In that case, I win. Tell me the Toad Sage's prophecy."
"Fine!"
Jiraiya didn't refuse, but he didn't attack right away either. He locked his eyes on Shanks and asked one last question.
"The death of the Third Hokage, my teacher—were you involved?"
"I had nothing to do with it."
Shanks kept his answer short. And he was telling the truth.
"In that case, then defeat me fair and square, Shanks. I won't go down so easily!"
"Ninja Art: Binding Hair Spikes!"
Jiraiya clapped his hands together, and his hair sank into the surrounding walls of the toad's stomach. The next moment, countless white spikes shot out from every direction.
The entire space was filled—there was no room to dodge.
But Shanks was too fast.
He had already mastered Soru, one of the Six Powers. The moment Jiraiya activated his jutsu, Shanks vanished from his spot.
The countless white hair spikes hit nothing but air.
In the next instant, Shanks appeared right in front of Jiraiya.
This tunnel wasn't completely without blind spots, and Jiraiya's front was one of them.
"You might not lose after all."
Shanks spoke as his right fist drove toward Jiraiya's stomach.
Jiraiya didn't change his expression. When Shanks said he had won and demanded the prophecy, Jiraiya already knew—there was no way he could win.
Shanks' Observation Haki had already foreseen the outcome. But even without that, Jiraiya was well aware of his own strength. Right now, he was no match for Shanks.
"The result doesn't matter. For me, just seeing the process is enough."
Jiraiya grinned.
"Toad Wall: Ripple Reflection!"
The next moment, Jiraiya's body completely merged into his hair. Beneath that thin layer of white strands, the pinkish toad stomach was revealed.
Shanks' powerful punch landed right on the toad wall. As ripples spread out from the impact, his attack was reflected back at him.
"Boom!"
A heavy punch struck Shanks' right eye, sending him flying backward.
But Jiraiya didn't escape unscathed either.
Shanks' attack, reinforced with Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki, had completely surpassed the toad wall's limits.
The hair spikes that had pierced through the stomach walls retracted instantly. Jiraiya's body, like a kite with a broken string, crashed into the distance.
At that moment, Jiraiya felt his stomach twist painfully. A sharp, unbearable pain spread through him, contorting his face.
Shanks' punch had landed on the toad wall, but the excess damage still had to be absorbed by Jiraiya himself.
"Haha… Hahaha… So this is the new ninjutsu I have created for the next generation."
Despite the pain, Jiraiya gritted his teeth and laughed.
Shanks wasn't feeling great either. He knew how strong his own punch was, and this one had landed squarely on his face.
"Heh, as expected from one of the Three Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya. But if this is all you've got, you're going to lose. Why not try using Genjutsu?"
A smile appeared on Shanks' face. Even though he had fallen into Jiraiya's trap, he still grinned like he was enjoying the fight.
"Genjutsu won't work on someone like you. A guy who can suppress both his survival instincts and the instincts of his soul? There's no point in even trying."
Jiraiya stood up, his vision already starting to go dark. Even so, he couldn't help but complain a little.
The Uzumaki clan's insane vitality was really something. Shanks had taken his attack head-on, yet all he had was a black eye. Meanwhile, Jiraiya had nearly lost half his life.
"You must have something else planned, right? After all, your allies bought you this time for a reason."
Shanks spoke calmly, as if they weren't in the middle of a battle but just having a casual conversation. Even Jiraiya felt the same way.
"The exit is right outside, but once you step out, you'll be hit by the stomach acid inside the Toad Gourd Prison. But with your ability to hover in the air and your sword skills, my trap won't work on you."
Jiraiya tossed a scroll over to him.
"This is a weird feeling… like we know each other well. Are we going to be close in the future?"
Jiraiya shook his head. He had already lost. The moment he realized Shanks had Observation Haki, he knew their chances of winning were slim.
Just that one ability alone made Shanks nearly unbeatable.
"In the future? Yeah, probably."
Shanks nodded and picked up the scroll. The ancient script on it had already been fully annotated by Jiraiya.
"There's also a stone tablet sealed inside the scroll. It should be the Poneglyph you've been looking for. This is all we could do."
Jiraiya didn't say "I"—he said "we." His presence here wasn't just his own decision.
Orochimaru had found a way to reach Shanks through Kidomaru and the others. At the same time, Mount Myoboku, which had been watching Shanks from the very beginning, wouldn't just let him run wild.
At the very least, they had to figure out what he was after. As for the stone tablet, it was useless to Mount Myoboku anyway. Giving it to Shanks was just a small favor.
"We won!"
The surrounding space started to fade away, and the barrier outside began to dissolve.
Meanwhile, on the ocean surface, Terumi Mei and the others stared at Gamabunta, who was now floating belly-up. Everyone looked troubled.
Things had been relatively calm on the ocean and in the sky after Shanks got trapped inside.
But after a while, Gamabunta's face started twisting in pain, as if he had suffered a heavy blow.
Then, suddenly, his legs stiffened, and he flipped over, belly-up, onto the sea.
"Ribbit!!"
A loud croak broke the silence.
Gamabunta opened his mouth, and out came Jiraiya and Shanks, spat out onto the surface.
At that moment, the dark clouds in the sky slowly faded, and the sea gradually returned to its peaceful state.
Jiraiya staggered toward Terumi Mei and Chiyo. His face was swollen and bruised, his expression twisted in pain, and his eyes rolling back.
"Help… help me!"
With that, his legs gave out, and he collapsed.
In the distance, Shanks stood atop Gamabunta's back, a scroll strapped to him. He turned his gaze toward the sea.
Further out, pirate ships beyond the battlefield were all raising their flags.
Gamabunta let out one last "Ribbit," a sound that rang like the bell of a new era.
And in this oddly comical "bell chime," the pirates hoisted their sails and set out toward the open sea.
At this moment, the true Great Pirate Era had begun.
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