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

"Captain, we need to run!"

"We're no match for Shanks at all. Let's escape while we still can!"

Kidomaru and Jirōbō dragged the heavily injured Dark into a corner.

Tayuya had been observing the battlefield the whole time, and Sakon and Ukon were always ready to fight. The Devil Fruit Dark possessed was given by Lord Orochimaru—he couldn't die here. In fact, they all hoped Dark wouldn't die in a place like this.

"I… I'm fine. I've only used it five times. I can still molt and regenerate three more times. I… still have three chances left."

Dark's massive frame lay on the deck. The wound on his chest was slowly healing—but far too slowly. As he spoke, he coughed up blood between every word.

That slash had far surpassed what his Devil Fruit ability could handle.

Just one slash had reduced his remaining molting count by one.

The injury was well beyond his body's limit, almost destroying him entirely—but somehow, he endured it.

"Just give me a little more time. Just… just a bit more time."

"Shanks! Is that all your strength amounts to?!"

Dark's vision had already blurred. Rain filled his eyes, and his entire body seemed like a corpse.

"Captain Dark! We've lost. Please, come with us and retreat."

"Those people are crazy! Shanks hasn't even gone all out. Even if we all attack together, we can't win."

"Captain Dark, come with us!"

Even the usually cold Sakon and Ukon spoke up.

The four of them looked at the fallen Dark, their gazes complex.

Dark had originally been just another experimental subject. But along the way, they had been won over by his spirit.

He may have been an experiment, but he had become… a comrade. A crewmate they all recognized.

"Crazy?"

"No. They're not crazy."

Dark's voice trembled. Hot tears streamed down his rain-soaked face.

Mixed with the rain, the tears disappeared into the deck without a trace.

There was grief in Dark's voice. He shakily raised his hand.

Then, a smile formed on his face—both proud and sorrowful.

"You guys don't understand. You don't understand what power means to us."

"Because we were weak, we had to watch our loved ones die in front of us. Because we were weak, our homes—built with so much effort—were destroyed. Because we were weak, we ended up as corpses thrown into the gutter."

"You people don't understand…"

"You don't understand how much the weak desire power."

"You don't understand how badly we want to see the coming of a new era."

"We're not crazy. We just… saw hope."

Dark forced back his tears. If only he had been strong back then, his sister wouldn't have become a cold corpse—he would've shielded her with his body from the horrors of war.

His friend wouldn't have been sold off just for stealing food for him—because Dark would've been strong enough to protect them all.

He had been so weak back then. If only the new era had arrived sooner… if only everyone could've become strong sooner… maybe he could've protected them.

Even those kids from the village who once ran around with him—maybe they wouldn't have been taken away either.

These ninjas—what do they know? How could they possibly understand the sorrow of this era? How could they ever understand the sorrow of the weak?

"Captain… we…"

"Hahahaha!!"

Hearing Kidomaru's somewhat apologetic voice, Dark instead burst out in hearty laughter.

He laughed as tears streamed down his face, blood dripping from his mouth with every chuckle.

"You brats, I'm your captain. Even if you're ninjas, as long as you're still on this ship, you're still my crew!"

"Besides, if it weren't for you guys, I wouldn't have gained this power."

"Go now, brats. Your mission ends here."

"I've already faced Shanks' strength in your place."

Dark's wounds hadn't yet healed, but now, he used his hands to prop himself up, slowly rising to his feet.

He wasn't crazy—none of them were. Everyone here had simply… seen hope.

Raindrops fell on Dark's three-meter-tall body as he slowly stepped out of the corner and walked toward the battlefield.

"You brats… it's time to disembark. Take the sights of this new era you've glimpsed, and return."

Dark grinned, his smile an ugly one, yet full of pride.

"C-Captain…!"

Jirōbō choked up, and the other three fell silent in the rain.

Eventually, Kidomaru raised a hand and grabbed Jirōbō's shoulder. He looked up.

"Captain Dark, we're going now!"

Kidomaru and the others departed. They had to. The power Shanks displayed was simply terrifying.

Under the pressure of his Conqueror's Haki, even their chakra flow was restricted. The fact they could even remain standing was already impressive.

The four of them weren't weak—stronger than most Jōnin even—but in front of Shanks, they were no different from ordinary people.

They had to survive. No matter what, they had to make it back alive.

Kidomaru had to bring them back. That was Lord Orochimaru's order—they had to return alive.

"Captain… farewell."

Rain fell, mingling with their complicated emotions, blending into the sea.

Meanwhile, Dark had stood up and was now charging at Shanks.

"Shanks, I'm not down yet!"

The last three chances—or maybe just one more chance…

Even Dark himself wasn't sure.

Having molted and regenerated several times, his physical attributes had increased drastically. Though his body was massive, his speed was frightening.

His towering body tore through the rain curtain at high speed.

Boom!!

With a flash of lightning from the sky, Dark's fist was already above Shanks' head. The air compressed under the force, forming a visible pressure. A thin membrane of force surrounded his fist—this punch was no ordinary blow.

Shanks' reaction wasn't slow either. But to him, it still felt like a walk in the park.

He raised his katana.

Clang!!

Boom!!

Fist met sword. Sparks flew from the impact on Dark's knuckles, and the deck beneath Shanks cracked and splintered from the force.

Shanks' right leg bent slightly, releasing the force from his body. In that moment, Dark's massive frame lost balance and slammed into the deck.

"Damn…"

In that instant, Dark understood—the gap between them was insurmountable.

Shanks hadn't held back at all. The moment he gripped his sword hilt, it was coated in red-black Conqueror's Haki.

BOOM!!

A full-strength punch landed squarely on Dark's face. Shockwaves of white air mixed with red-black lightning burst out.

Boom.

Without the slightest pause, Dark was blasted back at a speed even faster than he'd charged in, flying nearly a hundred meters. His massive body crashed through several ships' masts before finally stopping.

Then, his limp body collapsed.

Half of his face was twisted—mangled muscle, disoriented consciousness. Once again, Dark stood on the edge of death.

But even as his body neared collapse, even as his mind blurred, all he needed to stand up was a shattered body… and the will not to fall.

Through sheer force of will, Dark stood once more, wrapping his arms around a ship's mast.

"Hah!!"

Veins bulged in his muscular arms, swelling as he roared. The mast cracked and snapped.

Elsewhere, Shanks sensed what was happening—but he didn't care.

He had already torn through several ships.

Some people he defeated never rose again. Others, despite their bodies being broken, still stood up—driven by will alone.

They were weak—but it was that weakness that made them admirable.

Because physical strength never truly defines a person's strength.

Though they weren't strong, not one of them was weak in spirit.

"It's about time to end this."

Shanks said calmly.

These people wouldn't die here. They'd reached their limit. Heroes of the seas must set sail across the Four Blues.

"Live on and reach the New World. I hope the next time I see you, you'll be there—searching for your treasure."

Shanks sighed inwardly. These people… their potential was terrifying.

But thinking about it, it made sense—they were from the pre-release of the full game. It was normal to see so many talented players.

Not everyone was Luffy. These people… they were the true protagonists of the sea.

Pirates who sailed the seas, each for their own reasons.

Shanks sheathed his katana, and his Conqueror's Haki flared even brighter.

The deck beneath his feet shattered from the Haki's pressure, red-black shockwaves expanding outward.

This time, the wounded crew couldn't hold on anymore. They collapsed one by one.

Meanwhile, the escaping four looked back at the now even more violent sea and sky. The waves of Haki grew stronger, pressing harder.

"Shanks is powering up again."

"Our chakra's being affected."

Sakon spoke. Under the influence of Conqueror's Haki, Ukon involuntarily separated from his body. A figure now stood with two heads and four arms.

"I… I forgot something on the ship."

Lightning struck the fleet. Distant ships caught fire. Jirōbō, however, had stopped moving.

"Jirōbō…"

Kidomaru knew what Jirōbō was thinking.

Jirōbō was the best at taijutsu among them, and the least affected. But… it wouldn't make a difference. Even if he returned, it wouldn't matter.

"You guys go ahead."

This time, it seemed Jirōbō had made up his mind.

"Tayuya, Sakon, Ukon—you all go ahead."