Marco did not deny Shanks's words.
If someone insisted on calling him the Child of Destiny, it would not exactly be wrong. Still, Marco knew the truth better than anyone else. If this world truly had a destined savior, that person should have been Luffy.
His own arrival had disrupted the original course of fate.
The sea breeze swept across the battlefield, carrying with it the faint smell of blood and gunpowder. The atmosphere between the gathered forces grew heavier with every passing second, as if the world itself was silently waiting for the outcome of this meeting.
Ace suddenly stepped forward.
"Uh, Red Hair, there's something you should know. Luffy is actually still alive."
Shanks's expression immediately changed.
He had personally witnessed Luffy's death. There was no way he could have mistaken it.
Ace scratched his head before explaining seriously.
"Well, not exactly alive in the normal sense. His body died, but his soul survived. Dr. Vegapunk used consciousness transfer technology and transferred Luffy's soul into a computer."
Shanks stared at Ace in disbelief.
"You're serious?"
Ace nodded firmly.
"Yeah."
For several seconds, Shanks remained silent before finally letting out a relieved laugh.
"So that's how it is... good. That's really good."
The tension in his shoulders eased slightly. Ever since Marineford, the guilt surrounding Luffy's death had remained buried deep inside him. Hearing that Luffy still existed in some form was enough to lift part of that burden.
Marco looked directly at Shanks.
"So what now, Red Hair? Are you planning to join us against the World Government? Once Luffy returns, you can head to Laugh Tale together."
A complicated smile appeared on Shanks's face as he shook his head.
"Forget it."
"I may hate what those people have become, but Celestial Dragon blood still runs through my veins. In the end, I'm just someone who failed to carry out Roger's expectations."
"I placed all my hopes on Luffy, but when things truly became dangerous, I chose to run from my fate."
A faint silence spread through the area after those words. Even Kaido and Big Mom did not interrupt him. For pirates who stood at the top of the sea, there were very few moments where someone openly admitted weakness.
Shanks lowered the wine bowl in his hand.
"If possible, I would've preferred sailing freely with my crew forever."
"But now, the Red Hair Pirates are gone."
The memories of his fallen crew flashed through his mind one after another. Laughter aboard the Red Force. Endless parties beneath the stars. The countless islands they had visited together.
All of it had already become part of the past.
After finishing the last mouthful of wine, Shanks slowly stood up.
He pulled Griffin from his waist and pointed it toward Marco.
"Let me witness the strength of the man this era chose."
Marco was not surprised.
In truth, Shanks had probably anticipated this outcome long ago.
Still, there was one thing Marco wanted to understand.
"Red Hair, why did you stop me back then?"
Shanks answered without hesitation.
"There were two reasons."
"First, the Marines still have value. To countless civilians across the world, they represent justice and order. If the Marines collapsed too suddenly, the world would descend into chaos."
"Second, at that time, I believed the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates stood no chance against the combined forces of Marine Headquarters and the World Government."
"If I could delay the Phoenix Pirates long enough, then after Kaido and Big Mom were destroyed, the Emperors Alliance would collapse naturally."
"At that point, your crew alone wouldn't have enough strength to overthrow the World Government, while the World Government would also lack the strength to eliminate you completely."
"A balance would've been created."
Shanks spoke calmly, but everyone present understood the hidden meaning behind his words. He had tried to preserve stability, even if it meant sacrificing countless pirates in the process.
As soon as Shanks finished speaking, Kaido's face darkened.
Jack roared furiously.
"Bastard, someone like you deserves to die."
Katakuri also spoke coldly.
"Too bad for you, we survived."
"Not only that, we became stronger."
Shanks gave a helpless laugh.
"Yeah. I underestimated all of you and overestimated the World Government."
His gaze slowly swept across everyone present.
"So I already know how this ends."
"The Emperors Alliance isn't going to let me leave alive."
The overwhelming pressure surrounding the battlefield became even heavier. Every pirate there understood the significance of this moment.
One Yonko era was ending so another could begin.
Kaido snorted heavily.
"Of course not."
"We don't need another Yonko causing problems before the final war."
"The era of the Yonko is ending anyway. Once we crush the World Government, we'll become the rulers of the world ourselves."
Big Mom laughed darkly beside him, flames and lightning flickering around Prometheus and Hera as terrifying power rolled off her body.
Shanks laughed lightly after hearing that.
"Good thing you're not the one leading it then. Otherwise the world would probably become even worse."
Kaido's veins bulged instantly.
"What did you say?"
He nearly swung his kanabo on the spot, but ultimately restrained himself.
Marco stepped forward slowly.
"Enough talking."
"If this is what you want, then show me your full strength, Red Hair."
"Gladly."
Shanks narrowed his eyes.
The violent aura surrounding him suddenly began to fade.
Under Marco's Observation Haki, Shanks's presence weakened more and more until it vanished completely.
Observation Killing.
Marco's eyes sharpened slightly.
To push both Conqueror's Haki and Observation Haki to such a terrifying level was truly monstrous.
Even after losing an arm and refusing to rely on a Devil Fruit, Shanks still stood at the peak of the sea as a Yonko.
That alone proved how terrifying his Haki mastery truly was.
The surrounding pirates unconsciously held their breath. Many of them could no longer even sense where Shanks was standing despite looking directly at him.
Marco slowly lowered his own presence as well.
His aura disappeared just like Shanks's.
At the same time, purple-black energy gathered around his hands before forming two sharp Haki blades coated in Armament Haki.
Crackling streams of black lightning spread outward from the blades, tearing apart the ground beneath Marco's feet.
Shanks's expression shifted slightly.
Marco stood directly in front of him, yet his presence had completely vanished.
Observation Killing.
Marco possessed it too.
At that point, the battle would become a direct contest of speed, reflexes, Haki, and raw combat ability.
A smile slowly formed on Shanks's face.
"I never expected I'd have to rely on something like this one day."
He suddenly stabbed Griffin into the ground.
Then he reached into his coat and pulled out a special injection tube.
Marco's eyes narrowed immediately.
Without hesitation, Shanks plunged the needle directly into his chest.
The reaction was instant.
His skin turned red as veins bulged violently across his body.
A terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted outward with explosive force.
Boom!
The entire island trembled violently.
Massive cracks spread across the frozen ground while dark thunderclouds twisted violently overhead. Countless weaker pirates instantly collapsed unconscious under the overwhelming pressure.
Marco's eyes hardened.
"The Four Soul Divine Blood..."
Big Mom's face changed as well.
"That bastard actually has that stuff too?"
Kaido snorted disdainfully.
"Did you forget who he is? He's a Celestial Dragon. It's not strange for him to possess something like the Four Soul Divine Blood."
At that moment, Shanks trembled violently.
Pain twisted across his face.
Countless negative emotions flooded into his mind.
Despair.
Fear.
Hatred.
Madness.
An overwhelming urge for slaughter and destruction rapidly spread through his consciousness.
His eyes turned blood-red as dark veins crawled across his skin.
Even the air around him began to distort under the pressure of the violent Haki leaking from his body.
For several tense seconds, Shanks fought to regain control over himself.
Finally, his breathing stabilized slightly.
He slowly raised his head, his crimson eyes filled with shock.
"So these are the cursed souls..."