He has even mastered Haki, and you say this is Naruto?

At that moment, when Kidomaru and the others looked at Dark again, all the previous contempt in their hearts had vanished.

Even though they knew the weakness of Dark's Devil Fruit ability, even though they knew that not long ago, Dark had just been a down-and-out pirate—an ordinary man they once looked down upon…

Now, for the first time, the four of them genuinely acknowledged the man standing before them.

As for the other crew members on the ship, their eyes were filled with nothing but fervent admiration for Dark.

This—this was the power of Dark. This was the aura of a great pirate.

"Me? Impossible. Even the Blade-Free Pirate Crew couldn't do it. How could I possibly achieve it? The only one capable of something like this in the entire world is that man."

"That man?"

"The Yonko—Shanks."

Captain Dark said solemnly. At best, he was merely the one who lit the beacon leading to the New World. The true route to the New World—was carved out by Shanks.

The reason so many had gathered around him in such a short time wasn't because Dark was strong, courageous, or strategic. It wasn't even about the Devil Fruit.

The real reason was… that man.

"Let's go. It's time to meet those people."

Dark's ship began to turn. Behind them, countless pirate ships parted to open a path for them.

Eventually, a few large ships appeared in front of Dark and his crew.

Clack clack clack!

Harsh mechanical sounds rang from those ships. Then, gangways extended down from the large vessels, connecting all the way to Dark's ship.

Several figures descended slowly with their subordinates. These people were once figures Dark could only look up to—top players in the underworld.

Yet even they showed signs of shock when they saw Dark. His extraordinary physique and towering height surprised them—but what came next was delight.

"So this is the power of the Devil Fruit?"

"Who would've thought… that little punk from the black market, Dark, can now stand on equal footing with us?"

"I'm surprised you even know my name," Dark sneered. "I don't even know who you are."

"And frankly, I don't care to know. Hopefully, someday, your names might actually reach my ears."

"Dark, are you looking down on us?!"

One of them growled angrily and raised his gun toward Dark. Behind Dark, Kidomaru and the other three reached for their swords.

They weren't sword experts, but with their physical prowess, they could slice off that guy's hand before he pulled the trigger.

"Don't get me wrong," Dark said, "I'm not looking down on you. I just never bothered to consider you."

"You—!"

"That's enough. Let's talk business after this is done."

Another man sat down, ignoring the quarrel. His eyes burned as he stared at Dark—eyes filled with unhidden ambition—for power, for this world.

"You're quite interesting. Maybe one day your name will echo across the seas."

Dark grinned. Ambition, strength, belief... this was what it meant to be a pirate. If you couldn't let go of your past, then even if you set sail, you were never a real pirate.

This guy in front of him—far better than the others.

"My name," the man said, pulling out a bounty poster and slapping it on the table, "will only appear here."

A sea breeze swept across the ships—nearly a thousand vessels of all shapes and sizes, flying flags with colorful, crude skull symbols.

The sails didn't block the wind. Rather, it was like the wind was being guided toward Dark's ship.

As the breeze lifted the bounty poster on the deck, a once-blank sheet revealed the image of a man. It was added personally by Dark when he returned—Shanks.

Red hair. Four scars over his left eye. Unshaven and unkempt, looking no different from some gambler in a casino.

But the difference was—that guy was the dealer at this gambling table.

"Now then, let's talk about how to deal with Shanks."

"There's no way to deal with him. The only option is to throw bodies at him. Against that man, whether it's you, me, or those fools who set sail with empty barrels—it doesn't matter."

Dark kept it brief. He looked at them all.

"All of us are the same. On the seas, the only chips we have are our lives. Do you think your lives are worth more than mine?"

He wasn't mocking. Just stating the truth.

He remembered that slash from Shanks back then. In front of that kind of power, they didn't even have the strength to resist.

The others sensed the intense pressure coming off of Dark now. They realized—he meant every word.

"We're facing a Yonko. A true Great Pirate—a Yonko!"

"In front of the sea, every life is equal. And in front of Shanks—it's the same."

"If you don't have the belief to face a Yonko, turn back now."

"To fight a Yonko, you need the will to conquer the entire sea."

"You mean… sacrifice lives?"

The group looked out at the others on the sea. Unlike them, those people would be on the front lines. They themselves wouldn't be charging ahead.

"That's up to you," Dark said. "The only thing I can tell you is—against Shanks, any of us could die."

"If we were afraid of death, we wouldn't have come, kid," one of them scoffed.

"We were once giants of the underworld. Don't underestimate us."

"Without the resolve to wager our lives, we wouldn't have survived this long."

"We set sail with no thought of turning back."

Their voices rang out. These were not cowards.

They had staked decades of accumulation—perhaps even several generations' worth—on this. The moment they made that decision, there was no retreat.

They bore the dreams of their youth, the hopes of their families, the expectations of countless subordinates.

They weren't ninjas. They didn't have great strength. What had brought them to this level was wisdom, tactics, and most of all—their people.

Seeing the blazing determination in the eyes of these "ordinary" men, Kidomaru and the others also felt their blood stir.

Now they understood—was this what Orochimaru-sama meant by the New World?

Even these ordinary men—the greasy merchants, the gaunt elders past their prime—had conviction no weaker than the shinobi. Perhaps, even stronger.

This was the New World—a new era.

As the group returned to their ships, Dark's pirate ship set sail once more. Again, the Dark Pirates led the fleet.

Like many others, Dark carried a belief in his heart.

His feelings toward Shanks were far more complicated than the rest.

They had a grudge. But without Shanks, Dark would've been nothing more than a lifelong thug—maybe ending up a cold corpse in some filthy ditch.

And yet, Shanks's aura and strength earned his deep respect.

The pirate who started a new era—even as an enemy, Dark revered that man.

"So, as the one who ushered in a new age—you'd better not die, Shanks."

"You have to win, Shanks. Let me see if you, a Yonko, can shatter the chains of the old world. Can you stand against shinobi?"

"I've bet my life on this game. And even if it costs me my life…"

"I hope you win!!"

Dark sat at the bow, the ship sailing toward Shanks. His mind was filled with thoughts.

He had the courage to face Shanks again—not because he was brave, but because Shanks's will to destroy the old era had given him courage.

Even if it cost him his life—so be it.

Let this humble thug experience the true aura of a Yonko.

Dark looked up at the sea. His pupils contracted sharply. At the edge of his vision—a dark speck appeared.

The island… was in sight.

At the same time, the drunken Shanks stood up, sword in hand, and walked toward the shore.

Everyone by the lake was drunk—even the once-reserved Yuki was now a total drunkard.

By the time Shanks reached the beach, half his intoxication had worn off.

"Haah!"

With a long yawn, Shanks boarded his ship.

In the past twenty days, he had learned how to sail. After all, if he was going to be a pirate, he couldn't be like Luffy—completely clueless.

"So many people… When did I offend so many people?"

"To gather such a force… that guy must be something."

Shanks sighed. If he remembered right, the Krieg Pirates introduced earlier in One Piece only had 5,000 people.

Now, scanning the distant horizon, he estimated at least 30,000.

"What a hassle. But sheer numbers won't be enough."

He lowered the sail, jumped to the bow.

Beside him lay an ordinary katana. A gust of wind swelled the sail, and the ship slowly sailed into the sea.

Shanks closed his eyes. The wind in the sky was rising, clouds swirling, waves surging.

The sea's roar—beautiful, yet terrifying.

And then—

BOOM!!

RUMBLE RUMBLE!!

The waves split. The sky turned black. Thunder cracked, and a massive bolt of lightning struck down.

Seated at the bow, Shanks opened his eyes. Black-red waves exploded from his gaze. In his pupils—countless ships and endless cannonfire.

The air cracked. The roar of cannons matched the thunder from the sky.

"They're here!!"

"They're here!!"

At the front of the fleet, Dark narrowed his eyes and rose, his massive body bracing for battle.

Buzz!!

A violent tremor shook the air. A red-black wave surged across the sea with immense force. The waves slammed into ships, forcing them to a stop.

The ships formed a semicircle around Shanks's vessel—unable to approach.

But it wasn't over.

In the next moment, Dark felt his spirit take a massive hit. He hadn't even seen Shanks's figure, yet deep in his soul—he saw a terrifying beast glaring at him.

"Conqueror's Haki!!""But this time, I won't fall."

"Don't underestimate me, Shanks!"

Behind him, pirates collapsed one by one. Even Dark nearly succumbed to the pressure.

"I've staked my life on this."

"Let me see—the limits of your Conqueror's Haki. Even if I've never faced this power before, if it's power—it can be exhausted."

"Shanks, with your will—can you defeat us?!"