Michael hadn't been too worried initially.
At worst, his nephews had a Transponder Snail Ship docked at a Marine base.
Even if they returned to find their entire country relocated, they could always head back to the Marine base and wait for the stationed Marines there to escort them back to headquarters.
But considering how rebellious those kids were, they might not obediently return.
So Michael decided to make a quick trip to the North Blue to check on them.
Which led to the current situation.
Hovering midair and staring at the 'Red Force' Michael's eye twitched uncontrollably.
He didn't harbor any particular prejudice against pirates.
In his eyes, they fell into three categories.
The first were those like Whitebeard—potential collaborators—or Big Mom, who genuinely ruled a nation.
The second were those like Kaido—purely evil pirates.
And then there was Red-Haired Shanks, who belonged to a category all his own.
As the original culprit who set protagonist Luffy on the path of piracy, Michael instinctively wanted to kick him twice.
If this guy ended up leading his nephews astray, things would get messy.
His elder sister would probably send this "angel" straight to hell.
Imagining the brutal future that awaited him, Michael shuddered violently.
A word of advice: never provoke your sister!
"Red-Haired Shanks, though I do have some ties with Roger, if you dare to take my nephews away, I won't hesitate to burn you to ashes."
Michael's opening words were a threat.
The previously cheerful atmosphere aboard the pirate ship vanished in an instant.
The officers of the Red Hair Pirates looked up at the angel flying high in the skies.
A cold sweat broke out on their foreheads.
A Marine Vice Admiral...
Just barely entering the Grand Line, and they run into someone ?
Ben Beckman and Shanks exchanged a glance, sharing a bitter smile.
Though their crew was united and battle-ready...
Provoking Michael now would be no different from suicide!
So Shanks quickly waved his hand, signaling everyone to calm down.
Then he looked up and said with a smile, "Vice Admiral Michael, is it? I've heard of you from Rayleigh-san."
"Oh? You've met Rayleigh?" Michael raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise crossing his face.
"Seems you're not the type to charge recklessly across the seas without a thought."
Rayleigh was now the face of the Cross Guild, overseeing the massive organization.
It made sense for Shanks to seek his guidance.
Shanks wasn't like Luffy who'd just scowl and fight without hesitation.
But his overwhelming strength often made people forget—he was a man of both wisdom and courage.
"If I were that type, I'd need power on par with Whitebeard first... Though I'm confident I can catch up to him, I'm not there yet."
Shanks was admitting his weakness, but without a trace of humility.
"Oh? That confident, are you?"
A playful glint appeared in Michael's eyes.
The next moment, "Morning Star" was in his hand.
"This sword is one of the twelve Supreme Grade Swords, named 'Morning Star'... You've surely never heard the name. Before I reshaped it, it was called 'Ace.'"
Shanks' expression froze, then turned solemn.
"The Captain's sword... fell into the Marines hands?"
"Don't give me that look of bitter resentment. This sword was Roger's payment to me—a reward for fulfilling his last wish." Michael casually swung Morning Star, scattering flecks of Holy Light in the air.
"Let it test whether the man who inherited Roger's straw hat has what it takes to stand among the world's greatest."
With that, a massive Flying Slash of Holy Flame arced toward the Red Force.
And along the blade's edge—a trace of Armament Haki.
Shanks' eyes widened.
This strike was indeed a test.
Block it, and nothing happens.
Fail, and both man and the ship are cut down.
"You damn uncle! Your kids are still on the ship!"
With a roar, "Griffin" was unsheathed.
Shanks leapt towards the sky, Armament Haki flooding the blade in an instant.
This was an all-out strike from him.
Griffin met the pure white slash head-on, as if to cleave the world apart...
In an instant, Shanks' coat shattered into pieces.
Blood vessels on his exposed limbs burst instantly from excessive exertion.
"I've just entered the Grand Line!"
"My own adventure has only begun—how can I let it end here!"
With Shanks' roar filled with unwillingness and pain, an invisible force erupted from him as the epicenter.
Michael instantly furrowed his brows.
This feeling... it's Conqueror's Haki.
Powerful, but still far weaker compared to Whitebeard's earlier display.
Not to mention, the current Shanks clearly hadn't fully grasped the essence of Conqueror's Haki Coating yet.
But that was normal—after all, in the original timeline, Shanks only truly became one of the Four Emperors six years from now.
The current 21-year-old Shanks was still in his growth phase.
While Michael was briefly lost in thought, Shanks had already tumbled onto the deck in a sorry state, and the Flying Slash he had unleashed had dissipated.
"Hmm, though injured, he managed to withstand it."
It seemed Shanks' current combat ability was slightly stronger than Hawkeye's.
The grade of his "Griffin" remained unclear, while Hawkeye wielded a Supreme Grade Sword.
In the original story, Hawkeye was recognized as having emperor-level strength, but there was likely still some gap compared to the true Four Emperors.
"Cough! Does this count as passing the test?"
"Barely. But in your current state, do you still want to catch up to Whitebeard?" Michael landed on the deck, curling his lips.
"You'd better first master Conqueror's Haki Coating and polish the 'Divine Departure' Roger taught you before talking about catching up to Whitebeard."
"Thanks for the advice..." Shanks sat on the deck as the ship's doctor, Hongo, rushed over to bandage his wounds.
"But weren't you a bit too reckless? Your kids are still on the ship..."
"You're worried about them?"
"I'm not the kind of person who'd harm women, children, or the elderly..."
"Then your worry is unnecessary." Michael pointed toward the stern. "The moment we started confronting each other, they took advantage of your distraction and ran onto the Transponder Snail Ship towed behind yours... My slash couldn't possibly affect them."
The Red Hair Pirates turned in shock, all looking towards the stern where Reiju was leading her younger brothers back onto their own Ship.
Noticing the attention, she immediately gave a thumbs-up and flashed a bright smile.
"A hundred years of karma to share a boat, but when disaster strikes, everyone flees alone." For more chapters visit novelFɪre.net
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