Chapter 246: The Adventurers' Guild Is Born—A Declaration to the World!
"Shanks!"
Luffy's rubber arm stretched out, gripping the video Den Den Mushi so tightly his face was nearly pressed against the screen.
He was overwhelmed with emotion, shouting with a look of disbelief,
"Why don't you want to be a pirate?!"
A strange emotion rose from deep within his heart.
All this time,
Luffy had chased his dream of becoming the Pirate King.
Even when Garp scolded him or people laughed, he had never wavered in his resolve.
But now, the very man who'd set him on this path—Shanks—was saying this?
"Calm down, Luffy, there's probably more to it!"
Nami tried to soothe him.
Despite her obsession with money, she was one of the few in this muscle-headed world with a sharp mind.
She believed that for a Pirate Emperor like Shanks to say such a thing, there had to be a reason.
"Yeah! Shanks would never become a Marine.
We made a promise—I'm going to surpass him and become Pirate King!"
Luffy clenched his fists, eyes wide, waiting for Shanks' reply.
On the other side—
Shanks had already broken four of the Demon-Locking Chains.
His words had set the world ablaze, and everyone held their breath, waiting for what he would say next.
"If you don't want to be a pirate, why are you fighting the Navy?!"
Even Vice Admiral Tsuru couldn't make sense of his logic.
Shanks didn't explain.
He simply flicked his arm, holding Gryphon to the side.
The blade's tip seemed to tear through space. The earth and sky began to hum and tremble.
Dozens of wave-infused eyes appeared in the sky,
locking onto the Marine family's monument.
"Not good!"
Tsuru's face turned pale.
"All Marine giants, raise the Iron Wall Barrier!"
Five hundred Marine giants shouted in unison.
A dome-shaped shield rose above the monument.
"Kuzan! Akainu! Garp!" she continued.
"Ice Dragon Spiral!"
Kuzan pressed his hands to the ground. A distant magic circle activated, sending two towering ice pillars spiraling toward Shanks, trying to shred him apart.
"Dragon Scale Shatter!"
Kizaru stepped back. Golden flame lances poured out like a flood, turning the sky gold.
"Magma Cannon!"
Akainu's arms melted and stuffed themselves into his chest,
his ribcage becoming a giant cannon that blasted magma rounds powerful enough to sink entire islands.
Tsuru paled further.
Her perception-based ability allowed her to connect the commanders' attacks into a single coordinated strike—
and now, all of it was targeting Shanks.
Pfff.
At the center of the storm, wave energy protected Shanks' battered body.
But he still took a massive hit, coughing up blood.
Staying there any longer would mean death from the next wave of attacks.
But Shanks didn't flinch.
He maintained his stance, blade still held high, preparing his most powerful, life-draining attack.
Crack.
As the wave eyes blinked in unison, the sky shattered like glass.
Everyone watched in terror and awe
as the golden flame torrents, ice pillars, and magma rounds were swallowed by space fissures—
as if sucked into another dimension.
"He blocked the Navy's three admirals?!
This is Shanks' game ability?!"
"Asura!"
"Captain! I want to switch to Asura too—it's so OP!"
Behind the video Den Den Mushi,
countless eyes were fixed in stunned silence—pirates, Marines, slaves, civilians.
All etched this moment into memory.
The Revolutionary Leader's dragon bloodline was powerful, yes—
but it was insanely expensive and out of reach for most.
The World's Strongest Swordsman Mihawk required immense talent to master.
Those without sword talent made no progress.
Now all eyes turned to Asura.
"No wonder the captain favored that brat… he's surpassed everyone else.
But now he says he won't be a pirate?"
Aboard a slave ship, inside a cramped iron cage,
Silvers Rayleigh took out a video Den Den Mushi and let his fellow prisoners watch Shanks unleash his terrifying power.
"Are you just going to let them cart you off to be slaves in Mariejois?"
Rayleigh asked, turning to the wide-eyed prisoners.
One tall-legged man rattled his chains and sighed,
"Old man, we can tell you're not ordinary.
This ship can't hold you. But we can't break free."
"If you have the will to be free, I'll set you loose."
Rayleigh burst into laughter.
Breaking physical chains was easy—
it was the shackles of the heart that were hardest to destroy.
He took a deep breath.
Once they made their decision, he'd tear down the cages and free them.
But freedom came at a price.
Anyone who refused to be a slave was a rebel in the World Government's eyes.
There was no peaceful life after that—only the sea.
Rayleigh wouldn't decide for them.
They had to choose: stay slaves, or rise up and become enemies of the world.
"Pirates?"
"They'll just get hunted by the Navy. Didn't you see what those admirals can do?"
"But… it's still better than being a Celestial Dragon's slave!"
"They've renamed themselves the 'God Clan' now.
Even as slaves, we can still live. Pirates are evil—I don't want to be one!"
A young boy, the youngest on board, looked at Rayleigh with disgust.
His entire family had been killed by pirates,
and now hatred burned in his eyes.
As his emotions surged, a faint flame flickered behind his head.
Rayleigh sighed.
A Lunarian.
One of the last of a race once said to dwell on the Red Line. Nearly extinct.
The Calamity King from Kaido's crew, King the Wildfire, was a Lunarian—his power absolute.
So long as they survived, they were destined to become world-changing flames of hope.
Rayleigh had come to this slave ship just for this child.
But the boy hated pirates so deeply he'd rather be a slave than go to sea.
Still…
Was there any other way to save themselves—
to save the world—besides becoming pirates?
At that moment,
a voice echoed from the video Den Den Mushi.
"There are no Pirate Emperors on this sea anymore.
The Red-Haired Pirates hereby disband!"
"From now on, I, Red-Haired Shanks—"
"—found the Adventurers' Guild!
We welcome all dreamers who set out to sea!
No looting, no slaughter, no conquest.
Those who chase their dreams across the ocean should not bear the name of pirates.
Those with ideals should not be burdened with infamy!"
"We are the freest people on the sea—"
"We are adventurers!"
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