After recovering, Shanks pulled Gryphon from the ground and rested it on his shoulder.
"Alright, next, let me see whether you truly possess the strength to challenge this world as the so called strongest man in the world."
Marco narrowed his eyes.
"I never expected you to possess Four Soul Divine Blood as well."
Shanks gave a faint smile.
"I told you before, I was once a member of the God's Knights. Naturally, I possess Four Soul Divine Blood too."
Marco immediately caught the important detail.
"You mean every member of the God's Knights possesses Four Soul Divine Blood?"
"Mhm."
Shanks nodded calmly.
"However, this power comes with severe side effects. Anyone with a weak will can easily collapse under it. The people capable of using it are all individuals with exceptionally strong willpower."
"That's all?" Marco asked skeptically.
The Gorosei had once claimed that Four Soul Divine Blood had no side effects whatsoever, but Marco had never trusted a word that came out of their mouths.
Now that Shanks stood before him, Marco wanted answers.
"The Gorosei told me there were no drawbacks. But if even you possess this power, then the other God's Knights should have it too. Yet aside from the Gorosei, I haven't seen anyone use it openly. What exactly is Four Soul Divine Blood?"
Shanks sighed softly before answering.
"Side effects? Of course there are side effects."
He looked directly at Marco.
"The price is your lifespan."
Kaido snorted immediately.
"Hah! I knew something was wrong with that cursed power."
None of them had believed that such an overwhelming increase in strength could come without a cost.
Shanks continued.
"The power granted by Four Soul Divine Blood is obtained by burning away one's life force. The members of the God's Knights naturally don't want to sacrifice their lifespan for temporary strength."
"As for why the Gorosei claim there are no side effects..."
A faint mockery appeared in Shanks' eyes.
"That's probably because they possess near endless lifespans."
Kaido's eyes widened slightly.
"Those five old bastards really live forever?"
Shanks smiled faintly.
"Who knows? But they've already existed for centuries. At this point, they can hardly be considered ordinary humans anymore."
He then tightened his grip on Gryphon.
"Enough talking. Four Soul Divine Blood is consuming my life every second."
Marco suddenly spoke again.
"Wait. You still haven't answered my question completely."
His gaze sharpened.
"I once captured a Celestial Dragon and interrogated him. He mentioned that the God's Knights regularly collect blood from Celestial Dragons. Is Four Soul Divine Blood created from their blood?"
Shanks paused for a moment before nodding slowly.
"Partially."
Then he shook his head with a bitter smile.
"I don't know every detail either. Back when I returned to Mary Geoise, I learned some of the World Government's secrets. My father, Saint Garling, once told me a few things."
"The primary material used to create Four Soul Divine Blood is indeed the blood of Celestial Dragons."
The expressions of everyone nearby gradually darkened.
Shanks continued.
"But that's not all. It also requires an enormous number of souls, including the souls of Celestial Dragons themselves."
"However, even my father, as the Supreme Commander of the God's Knights, didn't know the full process behind its creation."
He slowly raised Gryphon.
"The only ones who likely know the truth are the Gorosei and the person above them."
Shanks' eyes became serious.
"Four Soul Divine Blood is most likely a creation of the ruler of the world."
After hearing those words, Marco's expression also turned solemn.
Then Shanks smiled again.
"Enough conversation."
His Conqueror's Haki surged violently around him.
"Can we fight now?"
Marco nodded calmly.
"Come."
The moment his voice fell, both men vanished simultaneously.
Boom!
A terrifying shockwave erupted across the island as the two figures collided head on.
After activating Four Soul Divine Blood, Shanks' strength had risen tremendously. His power had completely stepped into the level of true top tier monsters.
Unlike the Gorosei, whose strength heavily relied on their monstrous regeneration, Shanks possessed overwhelming offensive power purely through enhanced physical ability and Haki.
Every aspect of his combat ability had risen dramatically.
Without hesitation, Shanks swung Gryphon.
"Divine Departure!"
A terrifying slash burst forth instantly.
The attack split the heavens apart as it tore across the sea toward Marco.
Marco did not dodge.
Several Ki Blades condensed instantly around him before colliding directly with the incoming slash.
Boom!!!
The collision shattered the ground beneath them.
Glass Island cracked apart instantly as enormous fissures spread in every direction.
Violent sword energy exploded outward like a storm.
Conqueror's Haki surged across the battlefield while overwhelming pressure crushed everything nearby.
Fragments of sword energy shot through the air, slicing through mountains, buildings, and forests effortlessly.
The battlefield instantly descended into chaos.
The members of the Emperors Alliance immediately retreated.
Everyone stared at the terrifying fragments of sword energy flying through the sky.
Even the residual attacks carried the destructive force of a Great Grade swordsman.
Yet these were merely fragments produced by the collision between Marco and Shanks.
"Red Hair..."
The surrounding pirates were completely stunned.
Even Kaido's expression became extremely serious.
Ever since awakening his Devil Fruit, he had rarely viewed Shanks as a true threat. But the strength Shanks displayed now filled even him with dread.
That slash alone carried enough power to cut him in half.
Big Mom's pupils shrank sharply.
"How is this possible...?"
Even after obtaining Marco's Phoenix abilities, she had regained tremendous confidence in herself. Although she still didn't believe she could defeat the Gorosei, she had at least believed she could contend against them.
But Shanks' current strength exceeded her expectations entirely.
Could it be that even with the Phoenix abilities, she still remained the weakest Yonko?
Vista immediately shouted toward the others.
"Everyone, get away from Glass Island!"
The crowd rapidly retreated farther from the battlefield.
Fortunately, everyone present possessed at least Yonko Commander level strength. Otherwise, Shanks' overwhelming Conqueror's Haki alone would've rendered them unconscious.
Only Marco possessed the potential to directly withstand such pressure.
Meanwhile, Marco's eyes narrowed slightly after blocking Divine Departure.
A grin slowly appeared on his face.
"This power is impressive, Red Hair."
The next second, Marco launched forward again and continued his assault against Shanks.
===
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