Chapter 63: The New World Needs You

Jirobo stood between Dark and Shanks. By now, Dark was completely unconscious. In his final moment of awareness, he only vaguely sensed someone appearing. 

At this moment, Jirobo was resolute, his eyes locked firmly on Shanks in the distance. 

Jirobo wasn't particularly strong. His strength lay in raw power, but when it came to speed and technique, he was decent at best—it all depended on who he was up against. 

Against Shanks, he stood no chance. In fact, just facing Shanks in his current state was already a huge risk for Jirobo. 

"Shanks, don't take another step forward. As long as I'm here, you won't lay a hand on Captain Dark." 

Jirobo clenched his fists. The chakra within him struggled to circulate under the crushing force of Shanks' Conqueror's Haki, barely managing to spread throughout his body. 

His muscles swelled as the chakra surged, his heartbeat and blood flow accelerating. A faint red aura appeared on his skin. 

"I can't activate my Cursed Seal state!! Under his Conqueror's Haki, I can't even use its full power." 

Jirobo could only bring out a quarter of his Cursed Seal's strength. Shanks' Conqueror's Haki suppressed it too much. 

After all, Shanks' Haki was born from his mastery of Sage Mode, and then forcefully severing its power, creating a counterforce against it. 

Meanwhile, the Cursed Seal was a low-level derivative of Sage Mode. Under Shanks' Haki, it felt like it was being completely suppressed. 

"Is this some kind of body-enhancing technique?" 

Seeing Jirobo's transformation, Shanks realized he was different from the others. 

If the rest were just self-taught fighters, then this chubby guy was someone who had actually trained properly. 

"Interesting, but in the end, it's just another way to strengthen the body." 

Shanks stepped forward. His footsteps were clear in the rain, but to Jirobo, they sounded like thunder. 

With every step, Jirobo's heartbeat lagged for a moment. Just facing such an overwhelming force was enough to weigh him down. 

"No, I have to attack!!" 

Jirobo couldn't hold back anymore. Even though it was raining, he was drenched in sweat. 

"Aaaaaaaggghhhh!" 

He roared as he launched a powerful punch, his technique refined and precise, aimed directly at Shanks. The rain parted from the sheer force of his strike. 

But Shanks kept walking forward at the same slow pace. 

Jirobo's attack wasn't slow, but Shanks was too fast. With his terrifying Observation Haki, Jirobo's punches never even came close. 

Each strike hit nothing but air. 

Shanks was now right in front of him. Jirobo saw it with his own eyes—Shanks moving through the gaps in his attacks, as if his punches had never had a chance of landing in the first place. 

"Not bad, but not strong enough." 

Shanks placed his right hand on Jirobo's head. Jirobo's eyes widened in fear as he looked at the man before him. 

The next moment— 

Boom!! 

A powerful force surged through, and Shanks slammed Jirobo down with one hand, leaving a human-shaped hole in the deck. 

As the red-and-black aura of Conqueror's Haki faded from his hand, Shanks' gaze shifted to the hole leading into the ship's cabin. 

"Rising Strike, Double Collapse Palm!" 

Jirobo clasped his hands together and struck in Shanks' direction. Layer upon layer of energy rippled through his arms, finally gathering in his palms. 

Boom! 

A massive air blast shattered the deck, sending countless splinters flying past Shanks. 

His hair was blown back, and his clothes flapped wildly as if they were about to be torn apart. 

But Shanks remained standing on the deck, completely still. When the wind settled, he looked at the now twice-as-large hole and spoke calmly. 

"Not bad, but the impact is still a little weak." 

He had taken that hit head-on, and honestly, it just felt like someone had slapped him in the face. Which, well… it was a slap, after all. 

"Damn it…!" 

Lying in the lower deck, Jirobo looked up at Shanks, his face dazed from slamming into the boards. A trace of despair crossed his expression. 

"I just came back because I forgot a bag of chips on the ship… and now this happens." 

"Guess my luck is just terrible." 

Jirobo collapsed face-first. He really had just forgotten something, but the moment he came back, he ran into Shanks. 

His luck was so bad that he couldn't even retrieve the chips he left behind. 

Jirobo closed his eyes for good. 

Meanwhile, Shanks lifted his head again. 

By now, the ship was covered in webs, with countless spiders crawling everywhere. 

Not far away, Kidomaru had transformed into a spider-like form, his mastery over the Cursed Seal pushing his limits. 

He knew he wasn't a match for Shanks, but Orochimaru had once told him that if necessary, he could mention Orochimaru-sama's name. 

"A Zoan Devil Fruit user?" 

Shanks' expression remained calm. At this moment, he truly felt like a boss enemy in a game. So many people had come to challenge him, but the level gap was just too big. 

How many people on the sea could experience this kind of boss treatment? 

Still, once these challengers grew stronger, things might not be so easy for him in the future. 

"Are you going to fight too?" 

"We have no intention of clashing with you, Shanks. Let us leave, and consider it a favor that our master owes you." 

Kidomaru spoke up. Only by standing before Shanks did he truly understand the terrifying pressure of his presence. 

This man was as vast and unfathomable as the sea itself—no amount of numbers could bridge the gap. 

"I don't need favors." 

"Just remember to show me some respect in the future. I hope your master knows what to do." 

"Go. Your lives shouldn't end here. We'll meet again in the New World." 

"I hope that when we do, you'll still have the same ambition and drive." 

"This sea needs people like you." 

Shanks waved his hand casually and turned away, completely unconcerned with the wary Kidomaru behind him. 

As his Conqueror's Haki faded, the weather slowly returned to normal. 

Out of over a thousand ships, the only person still standing was Kidomaru.

He stood at the bow of the ship, watching the vessel return to the island. 

"The New World needs us, and he said the same thing as Orochimaru-sama! So this is Four Emperors Shanks?" 

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