In the evening, on the beach below the Rose Garden, a bonfire was lit.
Compared to formally moving around inside the palace, pirates were more accustomed to free, open-air barbecue parties.
Shanks felt a sense of nostalgia seeing this scene. The first time he came to Nicuss, he was with Captain Roger, and the banquet was also held right here.
The rubber wood cup in his hand emitted the familiar, unique scent of Nicuss, just as it had back then.
"Has… so much time passed already?"
Instead of chugging the sake as he usually would, Shanks only took a small sip.
As the aroma of the sake burst in his mouth, he realized it tasted much better than it had over a decade ago.
"The sake is still the same; it's just that you've reached an age where you appreciate it."
"Big Sister, have you cultivated Observation Haki like mind-reading?" Shanks didn't turn his head, silently savoring the sake's aroma.
Nero, having changed her clothes, walked up behind him: "My Observation Haki doesn't focus on such trivial matters. My vision is much more far-reaching."
Blinking, Nero said playfully, "As for your little thoughts, I don't need Haki to see through them with ease."
"As expected of Big Sister!" Shanks let out a chuckle.
"Then let's talk about you, shall we? You found the Nika Fruit, didn't you? And this severed arm."
Nero sat beside Shanks, speaking like a caring elder sister.
The sight of the two sitting together, to an outsider, resembled a father and daughter—a weathered old man and his lively daughter.
Shanks looked at his crewmates, who were laughing and acting foolish, seemingly lost in some memory.
After a long while, he said in a low voice, "I gambled this arm on the new era."
"Sigh~ Not this again?" Nero sighed. "Are you going to inherit Roger's will and await the appearance of that person?"
"Ah, so Big Sister, no, Nero!" Shanks drained the remaining sake, looking at Nero with serious intent as he stated the purpose of his visit.
"I came this time for the Four Emperors' throne. You are no longer a pirate, yet you still cling to the position of a Four Emperor?"
Shanks addressing Nero by her name meant that he was now speaking to her as the Captain of the Red Hair Pirates.
A dense pressure spread, and something dark and indescribable, like crude oil, invaded the space.
"Is that so? Shanks, do you think you can take the Four Emperors' throne from my hands?"
The crimson in Nero's pupils glowed, and an ocean-like majesty filled the entire area.
Shanks's heart skipped a beat, followed by the eruption of his Haoshoku, its power no weaker than other Emperors, even subtly surpassing them.
However, compared to Nero, he was still at a disadvantage.
Nero didn't look at him, taking a step forward. A deeper domain of Haki expanded, instantly dispersing Shanks's Haoshoku.
Everyone else also put down their food and drinks, each looking at the two with solemn expressions.
They had all prepared themselves for the aftershocks of a Haoshoku clash, but they hadn't expected to witness such a scene.
"Are you kidding? Shanks's Conqueror's Haki was dispersed?"
"What is the rose emperor's? It doesn't feel like Haoshoku?"
Beckman's pupils contracted sharply, equally incredulous.
"No, that is Conqueror's Haki! The will of a king merges into the Haki, so even Haoshoku feels vastly different from person to person!"
"This aura, as if to devour everything, composed of countless evils—how can it possibly be cultivated? Is it really an aura that a human can emit?"
"Doesn't that mean…"
"Ah, it means that the true nature of this rose emperor is a hundred times more troublesome than we imagined. Even if the Pirate King were resurrected, he probably wouldn't have such Haki, would he?"
Upon hearing Beckman's words, someone immediately raised their weapon, ready to assist Shanks.
But Beckman stopped him with a shout: "Don't move, you idiot! This is the Captain's battle, and if we interfere, the situation will only get worse."
The man looked around and realized that Nicuss's nobles were also watching them.
Beckman pulled out his lighter, intending to relight a cigarette, and calmly told the others, "Right now, all we can do is trust Shanks, trust our Captain!"
However, his trembling hands failed to light the cigarette several times, showing that Beckman also knew this situation would not be easily resolved.
"Now, the title of a Four Emperor can only be obtained from you, can't it? Even if I defeat the other Emperors, without your permission, it would surely be impossible, wouldn't it?"
His proud Haoshoku had been dispersed by Nero, but Shanks still had no intention of admitting defeat.
"Shanks, even if you obtain the position of a Four Emperor, what then? What can you do against Nika's enemies?"
Nero still wanted to persuade Shanks. She couldn't possibly accept Shanks's proposal now; such an act would be tantamount to using her as a stepping stone to fame.
Not killing Shanks immediately was already out of consideration for their past friendship.
"Balance! This sea needs balance. If the era goes out of control prematurely, you know what will follow, don't you?"
"The Four Emperors, the Marine, and the Shichibukai, who have risen to prominence in recent years—they seem balanced but could spiral out of control at any moment. The sea still needs a deterrent."
Shanks tried to make Nero see the conviction in his eyes: "Only by standing at the pinnacle of pirates, with the title of a Four Emperor, can all of this be achieved."
"Mmm~ Too bad, wrong answer!" Nero's voice was calm and unruffled.
Crimson demonic patterns spread, ruby horns twisted and grew on her head, her body stretched upwards, and a slender dragon tail struck the sand, causing the ground to tremble.
Her limbs transformed into sharp, hard dragon claws, and the last trace of patience in Nero's eyes finally vanished.
The majesty was too overwhelming. Shanks couldn't help but swallow, tightening his grip on his sword, trying to ease the pressure in his heart.
A bitter smile appeared on his face: "So it really came to this?"
"Mmm, you brought it upon yourself!" Nero licked the scales on her wrist, her movements both alluring and terribly dangerous.
"If you die, Shanks, don't complain to me in the other world!"
Shanks's response to Nero was a swing of his renowned blade, Gryphon.
Kamisari!!!
The sword energy arrived in an instant, about to cleave before Nero's eyes, yet Nero made no movement.
"Shanks, you really are as foolish as Roger and the others!"
A sigh brushed past Shanks's ear. In his last moments of consciousness, he heard Nero's crimson lips part, saying in an almost imperceptible voice,
"Then, farewell, my old friend!"
And then, the world lost its color, and supreme tyranny descended upon this place…
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