The Earthly Sage Kingdom itself wasn't the key issue—what mattered was its role.
"The Earthly Sage Kingdom that the World Government Sages are planning to build is very similar to the Holy Lands.
I just recently found this out. The reason those places are considered sacred isn't because of some long-standing legacy,
but because of the unique, independent power they possess in the world itself."
As Jiraiya explained, he glanced over at Yahiko hiding not far away, looking a bit helpless.
That guy Yahiko actually went and secretly hid a copy of Mount Myoboku's contract scroll.
Even Jiraiya had no idea when he did it, and that scroll isn't something you can just copy. But thinking about Konan's Ninjutsu… maybe she really could pull that off.
"What does 'independent from the world' even mean?"
Shanks was curious. And it wasn't just him—Amado also looked like he wanted to know what was going on.
"Maybe it's some kind of hidden trait."
"For example, Mount Myoboku's sacred place trait lets those who inherit it become great teachers. Though honestly, I don't really feel like I have that…"
"But no matter if it's Yahiko, Konan, or Nagato—they've all grown into people I'm really proud of."
A look of pride appeared on Jiraiya's face. Those three would always be the students he was most proud of.
"What about Minato?"
"Minato? He doesn't count. That guy's talent was way too ridiculous. He could learn something in no time and then turn around and teach it to me. I hate those genius types the most."
Just the mention of Minato made Jiraiya annoyed.
That guy's talent was seriously unfair. No matter the Ninjutsu, he could just pick it up instantly.
Honestly, Jiraiya had embarrassed himself enough in front of Minato. It was only in front of Yahiko and the others that he could even feel a little like a proper teacher.
"As for Ryuchi Cave, that place is kind of strange too.
The strongest ones from Ryuchi Cave usually don't come from its official line of inheritance, so the cave doesn't really care who inherits what. Orochimaru is a perfect example."
"I don't know much about Shikkotsu Forest."
When Jiraiya mentioned Shikkotsu Forest, he shook his head.
These traits might sound weird, but they really do exist—they're hidden features that are somehow outside the normal rules of the world.
"So, if Shanks has the right to create his own sacred place, does that mean he also has one of these traits that are 'outside the world'?"
Amado looked toward Shanks.
And honestly, Shanks couldn't really deny it.
Seeing everyone staring at him, Shanks scratched his head.
"Yeah… I guess so. But in my case, I probably have too many of those traits."
Even Shanks didn't know what to say. If we're talking about being 'outside the world,' he had way too much of that going on.
How should he put it? The main problem was just that Shanks himself was complicated.
And the ninja world right now was also getting more and more complicated.
But even with how messy it was, there was still a weird sort of logic to it.
At first, it was just about ninjas and pirates. But now even sages were getting involved.
And the crazy part? The more they learned about sages, the more Shanks realized—
Just like how ninjas had Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, the sages had body cultivation and energy cultivation. It sounded ridiculous, but somehow made sense at the same time.
That's just how the logic worked.
As for Shanks himself—yeah, it got even messier.
"So basically, the biggest trait you have, Shanks… is that you make your enemies stronger!"
Shisui thought for a second.
Even weaklings, when they face Shanks, somehow end up pushing past their limits. And the strong? They become even scarier when facing him.
Hearing what Shisui said, Amado and Jiraiya both started thinking.
The biggest thing about Shanks really is this, but no matter how you look at it, it feels like a serious problem, doesn't it?
"It's probably not about the enemy—it's about how much people respect Shanks."
"Even enemies hold Shanks in high regard. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to draw out that much power."
Jiraiya thought of his own techniques. That kind of power didn't come from the enemy—it came from how much they respected Shanks.
— ¶ —————————————————————
Don't go throwing around "red" like that. It's already enough that the Uzumaki clan all have red hair. You keep going like this, it'll sound like you're trying to turn the New World into some red stronghold.
A little red is fine, but now even Konohagakure is starting to talk about sparks and how the real Will of Fire lies with the Uzumaki clan.
"Let's just get to the Dragon Vein. We can connect it from here, right?"
Shanks immediately changed the subject. Their real plan hadn't even begun yet!
"We can start now, but be ready to pull out at any moment. Are you sure you can get out of the Dragon Vein if something goes wrong?"
— ¶ —————————————————————
Amado asked again, seriously. The whole thing sounded crazy—mainly because there were just too many Dragon Veins in this place.
The energy wasn't the main issue. The real problem was the will of the world. Only Shanks had been able to make contact with it. No one else really knew what it was like, so even Amado wasn't sure.
"Don't worry. If you guys can't handle it, I'll pull out myself."
Shanks nodded. The real operation was about to begin.
They would awaken the New World's entire network of Dragon Veins and spread their power across the world.
— ¶ —————————————————————
Using Shanks' own will as the guide, the Dragon Veins would lock onto every pirate in the ninja world.
When Shanks made a promise, he kept it. If he said those people were the true warriors of the sea, then that's exactly what they were.
Right now, the pirates had no chance against the combined power of the ninja alliance and the world nobles. But… this was only the beginning.
The moment Shanks stepped into the Dragon Vein, its color began to change. Red started spreading everywhere.
A huge surge of red light appeared beneath the ocean.
Through all his travels, Jiraiya had come to understand the New World far better than others.
He was sure that if those pirates ever got the chance to strike at Shanks, they wouldn't hesitate.
But he was just as sure that those same pirates admired and looked up to Shanks.
It was *because* Shanks was so powerful, and *because* of that deep respect, that they fought with everything they had when facing him.
This kind of recognition wasn't like anything Jiraiya had seen before.
Shanks wasn't their comrade. He was the one they needed to challenge. He was the strongest in the New World, acknowledged by everyone.
This kind of recognition came from strength—"I respect your strength, so I want to defeat you." That was the logic behind it.
It wasn't just about respecting Shanks. It was about proving themselves as strong too. That's what drove them.
"How weird… everyone's aiming for Shanks."
"But if that's the case, maybe some of those sages are the same way?"
Shisui suddenly realized something.
This kind of thing worked quietly, under the surface. Sometimes even the person involved didn't realize what was happening. And even if they did, it wasn't Shanks' fault—it was something inside them.
"If the New World had a color, it would probably be red. This red road… won't be easy…"
"Stop!"
Just as Shisui was about to go on, Shanks quickly covered his mouth.
Don't talk nonsense about red stuff. It's one thing that the Uzumaki clan has red hair, but if you keep going on like this, are you trying to turn the New World into some kind of red base?
Just a little red is enough. Now even Konohagakure is starting to talk about "a single spark can start a fire" and how the real Will of Fire lies with the Uzumaki clan.
"Let's just connect directly to the Dragon Vein. We'll do it from here. That's okay, right?"
Shanks quickly changed the subject—their real plan hadn't even started yet.
"We can begin right away, but you better be ready to pull out anytime. Are you sure you can disconnect from the Dragon Vein whenever you need to?"
Amado asked again seriously. This whole plan was insane, mostly because there were way too many Dragon Veins in this place.
The energy in the Dragon Veins wasn't the main problem. What mattered most was the Will of the World.
Only Shanks had ever come in contact with it. No one else had felt it directly, so even Amado wasn't sure.
"Don't worry. If things go sideways, I'll back out immediately."
Shanks nodded. The real big plan was just beginning—
To awaken the full network of Dragon Veins in the New World and spread their power across the entire world.
Using Shanks's own will as the anchor, the power of the Dragon Veins would lock onto all the pirates in the ninja world.
Shanks always did what he said. If he called those people heroes of the sea, then they were heroes of the sea.
With the current strength, the pirates had no chance of standing against the Ninja Alliance and the World Nobles.
But… this was just the beginning.
The moment Shanks stepped into the Dragon Vein, its color changed—red began to spread.
Huge patches of red started appearing deep under the sea.
At that moment, hundreds of dragon veins crossed and tangled together.
East Blue, West Sea, South Sea, North Sea…
Even the dragon veins of the New World began to change color, and the sky on the other side of the ninja world looked like it had caught fire.
Looking at the terrifying blood-red color forming under the sea, Shisui and Jiraiya stayed calm.
What was happening looked huge—way beyond normal expectations—but considering the scale of dragon vein power, it still made sense.
Dragon veins were naturally that powerful.
Only Amado—he looked at the glowing red sea with a calm face. Not because he was calm, but because he didn't dare show fear.
To put it bluntly, he was gambling. And the thing he was gambling with was Shanks' life.
Amado's calculations were perfect. He had even predicted how far the dragon vein's power could spread.
The only thing he couldn't predict… was Shanks. Shanks was the biggest unknown.
Of course, even that unknown was factored into Amado's range of "acceptable surprises."
But now, something was off. This was different from what he had measured back in the Land of Wind.
"Don't tell me… back in the Land of Wind, Shanks really didn't mess with the dragon vein?"
A sudden thought hit Amado.
Shanks had always denied being involved in the Land of Wind incident, but no one believed him. Shanks himself admitted, "I only interfered a little. Just a tiny bit."
In short, Shanks insisted that the things written in his bounty weren't his fault—they were all Orochimaru's doing.
But… who'd believe that?
Shanks even told Amado that when Amado got blown up, it was because of Orochimaru, not him.
Amado just gave a wry smile at the time.
But now…
"Was it really Orochimaru who triggered the dragon vein in the Land of Wind? Then what about Shanks…"
"We're screwed…"
Even Amado didn't know what kind of disaster might follow.
His whole plan had been built around Orochimaru. But Shanks?
"Screwed how?"
Yahiko popped out from the side, also staring up at the red sky in shock.
Seeing Yahiko's curious expression, Amado forced himself to speak calmly.
"Perfect. Everything is going according to plan!"
"As expected of Amado, the ninja world's top scientist. With this, the pirates now have power to stand against the world."
"That Shanks guy… scary. The Land of Wind thing was probably just a test using Orochimaru, huh?"
Yahiko sighed with admiration.
As for Amado, he quietly backed away and slipped into his lab chamber. When the door closed—
"AHHH!!!"
The calm face twisted instantly into panic. Sweat poured down his pale skin as if he'd aged decades in a second.
"Please don't blow up!!"
"We're screwed. If this Dragon Vein explodes, the whole world might go down with it."
"Amado, are you really sure this is okay?"
Shisui's voice came from outside.
Amado's face quickly returned to normal as he opened the door.
"Just a small issue, nothing serious."
Right after Amado finished speaking, he saw the red energy from beneath the sea rising to the surface.
Layer after layer of red energy emerged from the ocean, and it was still changing form.
"The Dragon Vein's energy is becoming physical?"
With just one glance, Amado figured out what was going on.
"Minor issue. The Dragon Vein has the power to create something from nothing. After all, it's the ultimate energy of this world—it represents life itself."
Amado had already done most of his research on the Dragon Vein. A power surge like this was within expectations.
"Is that so? But the Graveship looks kind of strange to me."
After hearing Shisui's comment, Amado finally looked toward the front of the ship.
At that moment, everyone onboard was staring at the bow.
"Is this ship… alive?"
"No idea."
"Why does it look scared?"
Yahiko pointed at the bow. Right now, the head of the Graveship was visibly sweating.
"I think it's scared too."
Furido said bluntly.
Everyone turned to look at Amado again.
Sweat was now rolling down Amado's forehead too.
"Why are you all staring at me? The Graveship was made from the God Tree. Now that the world's will is descending, of course it wants to run!"
As soon as Amado finished, he grabbed a pile of stuff from his lab and bolted without a second thought, jumping off the ship.
The rest immediately followed, abandoning the ship on the spot.
Putting the God Tree right under the world's will? That's just asking for death.
Jiraiya, Shisui, Yahiko, Furido, and Guda Ten no Jousuke all jumped off the ship.
They stepped right onto the sea.
"Move!"
The sea had already turned into red sand. Seeing the sand rushing toward the ship, they didn't waste a single second and chased after Amado.
It was just a ship. If they lost it, so be it—but they weren't about to lose their lives over it.
Something like the world's will wasn't something they could fight.
But while running, Yahiko—who was at the back—felt like something wasn't right.
"Shisui, is this Genjutsu?"
Yahiko turned to glance behind, unsure.
Everyone turned their heads when they heard Yan speak.
At some point, Graves had started chasing after them too.
No one knew where those legs came from, but a huge ship with four legs was now charging toward them across the red sand.
The entire ship gave off a terrifyingly evil energy, and a massive power surged from its body.
"Run!! Don't let it catch up!"
Amado's voice came from up ahead.
That wall of red sand, hundreds of meters tall and rolling in behind the Graves, wasn't something to mess with.
"I'll stop it!!"
Shisui's eyes narrowed as he rushed toward the ship. In the next moment, he activated his full-body Susano'o and kicked the Graves backward.
The massive ship looked like a toy in front of the Susano'o.
But in the very next second, the thrusters behind the Graves roared to life, blasting out energy and launching the ship straight through Shisui's block, knocking him out of the way.
Looking at the wall of sand right in front of him and feeling the overwhelming pressure it gave off, Shisui's face turned pale like he'd seen a ghost.
Cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
Run!!!
Meanwhile, in other parts of the New World, pirates looked up at the blood-red sky without even flinching.
"Captain… doesn't this seem… off to you?"
"You're new, right? This is Shanks."
"If it feels off, that just means it's normal. Don't be scared."
"Normally we'd be running by now, but since it's Shanks, this is expected."
"Yeah, yeah…"
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