Chapter 565: The Demon King's Dream, Shanks' Envy
"That's right, I admire that woman's ability greatly!" Gusen said.
"This time, I helped her resist Kaido of the Beasts' annexation, so she should repay me well." he added.
Hearing Gusen's words, Desert asked casually, "Is there something special about her ability?"
Desert's cold tone carried a hint of curiosity.
When they had come to Sand City earlier, Desert was surprised by Gusen's choice to mediate a human dispute.
Gusen hadn't explained, and Desert hadn't pressed.
Now that it came up, he asked offhandedly.
"Haha, it's just my personal thought… or perhaps a dream." Gusen replied.
Instead of answering directly, he observed the humans passing by.
His voice grew deeper and said, "Desert, is it the way?"
"I am a being born from people's fear of the forest." he continued.
"But… are people truly afraid of the forest?" he asked.
Gusen paused and gazed at an ancient tree in the green square.
"Beasts of the forest?" he mused.
"The majestic lion, the venomous insects of the forest?" he listed.
"The intricate, deep paths of the ancient woods?" he added.
"But these… are not what I desire at all!" he declared.
Gusen's dry tone turned passionate, and he stretched out his withered, wood-like hands.
"One day." he said.
"That's what I want to see." he continued.
"People… fearing the real forest." he explained.
"The fear of… moving trees in the forest." he emphasized.
"Hehehe… It's so beautiful! Just imagining this scene fills me with joy." he said, laughing.
'So… that's your vision, Gusen?' Desert thought, silently observing Gusen's outburst.
"I got a bit carried away. It's quite amusing, Desert." Gusen said, his tone returning to its dry, gloomy cadence.
He asked in return, "Desert, what are your dreams?"
"Dreams… that human concept…" Desert replied.
He turned his attention to the surrounding people.
After a moment of silence, he said uncertainly, "I… probably don't have one."
"Haha… who knows!" Gusen said, smiling at Desert's response.
Then he began walking again, and Desert followed.
The two figures soon vanished into the crowd.
After they disappeared, a miko wearing a hat adorned with miko ornaments approached from a short distance.
Wherever she passed, people unconsciously parted to make way.
"They… are demons?" she murmured.
…..
Meanwhile, at the Demon Hunting Ceremony arena, after Referee Posadong announced the start, Jayne remained still on his wooden sedan.
However, the surrounding arena erupted with a tremendous roar.
Massive ancient trees, hundreds of meters tall, rose from the ground.
In an instant, the three earth and stone dolls were ensnared and shattered by countless branches and roots.
Rumble!
When calm returned, the spectators in the surrounding stands fell silent.
Though shocked, Morgans, as the host, didn't falter.
"Kwahahaha!" he exclaimed.
"What an astonishing scene! Magic Pattern's ace, Evergreen Jayne, has made his move." he announced.
"In the blink of an eye, he obliterated the three earth and stone dolls." he said.
"He's truly worthy of being the first man in the magic pattern world to hold an S-level magic pattern badge. Let us cheer for him!" he urged.
Seeing the towering ancient tree, hundreds of meters tall, the audience exchanged amazed glances.
Then, a thunderous cheer erupted.
"Evergreen! Evergreen!" they chanted.
Clearly, Jayne's combat prowess had captivated them.
The first guild, Thunder Spear, had barely passed, followed by over ten guilds forfeiting.
Magic Pattern's lightning-fast defeat of the dolls was a stark contrast, thrilling the crowd.
The giant tree, towering hundreds of meters, was breathtaking.
Its canopy nearly covered their heads.
Witnessing such a spectacle live ignited their passion.
Such incredible power.
Could they possess it too?
Most attendees, from the martial era, held the key to unlocking power.
Yet, for various reasons, they struggled to wield it effectively.
Now, feeling this electrifying power firsthand fueled their pursuit of strength.
"That's incredible! That young man's title is well-earned." Rayleigh remarked from a corner of the stands.
He gazed at the green canopy blocking the sky and said, "I wonder if these old bones could handle it."
Roux, beside him, swallowed his chicken drumstick and teased Shanks with a grin, "Boss, that Jayne has outdone you!"
"Why not absorb some beast materials when you get back?" he suggested.
Roux's words drew laughter from the group.
"No thanks! I'd like to live a few more years." Shanks replied, smiling but looking helpless.
Magic power greatly enhanced strength, but using beast materials, even with Holy Light Potions, took a toll on lifespan.
Shanks wanted to live longer and wasn't in a rush to end his days.
Besides, he didn't rely solely on magic power to grow stronger.
Haki was also his path, so there was no need to hurry.
"Hahaha, Boss, if it comes to it, follow the Tyrant King's example." another crew member said.
"He's living better than us now." he added.
"The Tyrant King, Andre…" Shanks murmured, hearing the title.
He knew Andre's past.
Andre had once obsessively hunted beasts, monsters, and demons, using their essence to boost his magic power.
With his formidable magic at the time, few naturally occurring beasts could match him, except for the fear demons from Demon God Island.
However, Shanks had heard that after Andre's last battle six months ago, his time was running out.
It was like Captain Roger's terminal illness.
Despite his demon king-level magic power, it was useless.
"That guy doesn't value his life. If I'd known, I'd have tied up Hughes." Shanks said.
His words sparked another round of laughter.
"Beckman, did you hear that? Feeling jealous?" one crew member teased.
"If the boss is gone someday, you'll have to drag him to the Yamata God Orochimaru." another said.
"I think Hongo should go. Hughes is the ship's doctor. Doesn't that mean Hongo's the one for this job?" another added.
Beckman, with a smile in his eyes, retorted seriously, "Hey, hey, I'm not dying yet! Don't go too far."
Watching the Red Hair Pirates jest with each other, Rayleigh's eyes crinkled with a smile.
'Roger, Shanks has found a reliable crew!' he thought.
(End of this chapter)