NOVEL WEB Chapter 47: So many had fallen in just a few moments
Under the unrelenting barrage of Conqueror's Haki, Dark stood tall. Behind him, only Kidomaru and the other three were still standing.
But their condition was far from good. In that moment, they finally understood what kind of monster they were up against.
And then, as they looked up—
BOOM!!!
A bolt of lightning tore down from the sky, illuminating the entire sea.
But even more terrifying than the thunder… was the flash of a blade in the distance.
No fancy techniques—Shanks simply drew his sword and sheathed it again.
In that instant, nearly a hundred sword slashes swept out in all directions. Empowered by Observation Haki, each slash shattered incoming cannonballs midair, exploding them before they could reach the ships.
Shanks' aura erupted with full force. His terrifying Conqueror's Haki was completely unleashed. The dark clouds in the sky thickened, and the lightning grew ever wilder.
As his Haki spread out, every pirate on the sea finally understood—what kind of man the legendary Yonko truly was.
BAM!BAM! BAM BAM!!
Pirates dropped one by one on the decks. Panic spread through their ranks—but their fear didn't last long, because they knew—they were next.
"T-This… this is the power of Yonko Shanks?!"
"What kind of monster are we even facing?"
"Even the sky itself seems enraged because of him… How could we ever fight someone this terrifying?"
"…"
Despair took hold. They thought numbers would help—but seeing waves of their comrades fall, an overwhelming fear swept through them.
For those still standing, they finally understood what Dark meant when he said: in front of Shanks, we're all the same.
Looking out at the stormy sea, and then at the near-total collapse of their forces, one word echoed in everyone's hearts:
Despair.
No… not just despair.
A dead end.
There was no going back. So many had fallen in just a few moments—even if they wanted to run, there was no escape.
"If you want to live—step forward! Those still standing are the ones truly worthy of obtaining the power of Devil Fruits!"
"The moment you set foot on this ocean, you abandoned your past. Don't be cowards like the ones who fell!"
"This isn't the end—this is the tolling of the bell that marks a new era!"
A man in a trench coat and glasses stood at the bow of his ship, staring up at the lightning in the sky. One day, he vowed, the bell of this new era would toll for him.
The bounty poster of Shanks he held fluttered away in the wind.
Those who remained standing, heavy-footed but resolute, began to move—crossing ship after ship toward the front line.
They weren't like the cowards who had fallen.
They were still standing.
"There are still this many people left standing?"
Shanks looked at the silent fleet before him, a little surprised. The strength of their conviction was beyond expectations.
"But this—this is what it means to be a pirate."
"This is the true spirit of the Great Age of Sailing. Even when facing the youngest Yonko on the sea—even when staring down a conqueror—they still bring out their fighting spirit."
"This is what it means to be men of the sea."
Disappointed? No. Never. Shanks never considered himself the star of this ocean.
To see so many pirates here, to witness the blazing convictions of this new generation—this was the Great Pirate Era he believed in.
"Whether it's for treasure, fame, power, ambition, or freedom—let me witness the brilliance of the will of this era with my own eyes."
Shanks leapt from the deck, stepping into the air. The air beneath his feet exploded with force, forming a ripple of white energy.
His figure charged straight toward the fleet ahead.
That not-so-tall frame passed through the remnants of explosions, but the aura radiating from him immediately drew everyone's attention.
This time, Dark could finally see Shanks clearly.
His Devil Fruit—technically classified as a Paramecia-type: Shedding Fruit.
It was based on one of Orochimaru's jutsu—rebirth through shedding. Each time he shed, he gained a completely new body, improving his overall physique and developing resistance to the fatal injury that had killed him previously.
That's why no matter how many times Zabuza had "killed" Dark, he never stayed dead. For Dark, death meant rebirth—and growth.
And each death at Zabuza's hand made him more resistant to slashes.
Of course, this Fruit had its limits—it only allowed a finite number of "sheds," dependent on age.
Dark had eight sheds remaining.
"Shanks… let me show you what I've become. From the very start, you were always my goal."
"Metamorphosis: Slash Defense!"
Dark planted both feet firmly at the bow. Dozens of scars across his chest were fully exposed, his skin now covered in a translucent membrane that looked delicate.
Yet that very defense had withstood Zabuza's most powerful strikes.
That was the power of a Devil Fruit.
"You want to charge through? Then you'll have to take me down first!"
Dark roared, his voice cutting through the thunder. His massive frame stood unshakable at the bow—every eye was drawn to him.
Including Shanks.
"A Devil Fruit user, huh?"
"Even so… Devil Fruit powers have limits."
Shanks moved his foot—and vanished.
At the same time, his katana was unsheathed. The moment the blade left its scabbard, a glint of light danced along its edge.
As it came fully free, the wind around him was ripped apart. Waves exploded around the blade.
Buzz!!
A white slash of energy cut straight toward Dark. The deck where it landed—splintered instantly.
Dark stared at it, unafraid.
Let me see the power of a Yonko.
BOOM!!
The terrifying slash struck Dark—and was blocked, barely.
But it wasn't over. The energy wasn't fully stopped.
"Stop… right there!!"
Dark brought his hands together. Pain wracked his entire body, blood oozing from beneath his skin, eyes bloodshot, veins bulging.
His massive form looked like a prehistoric beast. The deck shattered beneath his feet as he was forced backward.
Behind him, the ship creaked and cracked under the pressure of the overflowing slash energy.
"HOLD!!"
Dark roared. In the next second, blood sprayed from his chest, searing pain tearing through him.
BOOM!!
The slash pierced through him, shattered the ship's mast, and sent the massive structure crashing onto a neighboring ship.
Dark looked down at the gaping wound in his chest. His hands were mangled, his fingers grotesquely twisted in mere seconds.
THUD!
Dark's massive body finally collapsed.
SPLASH!!
Rain began to fall.
And that man—Shanks—once again stepped onto his ship.
At that moment, more and more people began arriving behind Dark—pirates who had come over from other ships.
Those who had stayed standing—the strong—gathered here.
Shanks looked at the growing crowd. He didn't lower his sword.
Even if he couldn't see their strength directly, the fact that they had struggled through all that to make it onto this ship told him enough.
"They may be weak, but to stand under Conqueror's Haki and still have the will to fight… once they reach the New World, they're sure to become legends."
Shanks only knew this sea was somewhere in the east.
Among the Four Seas, encountering average-looking pirates was normal. In fact, encountering Devil Fruit users at all was somewhat unexpected.
Still, for so many pirates to withstand his Conqueror's Haki, even if their hands trembled holding their weapons—it was still impressive.
Indeed, the true Great Age of Sailing had only just begun. The countless champions of the sea hadn't even entered the Grand Line yet?
"Shanks! Hand over the treasure!"
A trembling, frail man stepped forward.
The Devil Fruit treasure—they were all here for it.
"Oh? You mean… One Piece?"
Shanks looked around. Finally, he understood why so many pirates had shown up—it was because of him.
They believed he knew something about One Piece.
"You want the truth about One Piece? Then beat me first!"
Raindrops fell on the crowd. Shanks' katana shimmered with a chilling gleam. But in that moment, the fire in everyone's heart ignited.
The Devil Fruit treasure—it's real!!
So that's it... The legendary treasure is—ONE PIECE!!