Hikaru instinctively checked his body, searching for any abnormalities… but no! The Face-Face Fruit was fake!
"Boss, just agree to his request. I think this guy is a battle maniac—he won't stop until he gets what he wants!"
Raki spoke loudly, chomping down on a large piece of meat.
Shanks was about to respond when Hikaru interrupted with an indifferent tone.
"Shanks, you don't have the right to refuse this fight~"
Without waiting for a reply, a crimson glow flashed in Hikaru's eyes as a powerful attack surged toward Shanks.
"Shachi!" [Suspected to be a derivative ability obtained from mastering Conqueror's Haki to its peak!]
A glimmer of red flickered in Shanks' eyes as he activated the ultimate technique of Conqueror's Haki.
A mysterious force erupted, sweeping across the entire world. Beckman and the others grinned because they knew—this power only affected Hikaru.
The red glow in Hikaru's eyes dimmed. His ability to foresee the future was completely nullified!
But instead of frustration, a smirk crept onto his face—this was exactly what he had been waiting for!
He steadied his mind, enduring the overwhelming pressure.
It felt as if countless hammers were pounding against his heart, or as if he had been plunged into an abyssal sea, drowning under an unbearable weight.
BANG!
A sound like shattering glass rang in Hikaru's mind.
HUM!
In the next instant, an equally—no, even stronger—wave of Conqueror's Haki exploded outward, pushing back Shanks' overwhelming presence.
The sky above them split apart. The purple-black aura covered 60%, while the red occupied the remaining 40%.
HUM!
A fierce wind howled as the two emperors clashed. Had there been clouds, they would have been torn apart by the sheer force.
BANG!
There was no need to continue—the battle of wills had reached its conclusion.
Hikaru could no longer hold back his smile, while Shanks' expression grew solemn.
"You just awakened your Conqueror's Haki… and you already possess such immense presence? Tell me, my friend, what kind of ambition drives you?"
"Hahahaha!" Hikaru laughed without answering.
Seeing this, Shanks drew Griffon, pointed the sword at Hikaru, and shouted:
"Come! Show me how ambitious you truly are!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he kicked off the deck. The sheer force shattered the wooden planks beneath his feet.
In the blink of an eye, he was upon Hikaru, slashing down with terrifying speed. The air itself ignited from the intensity of his strike.
"Divine Departure!"
"So fast!" Hikaru's eyes widened in shock. Shanks truly lived up to his reputation—his presence was overwhelming, his attacks decisive.
For some reason, a thought surfaced in Hikaru's mind at that moment:
"Divine Departure? More like divine avoidance—I refuse to take that head-on!"
He was no fool. He wasn't about to trade blows with Shanks unless his physical strength reached the level where he could wield Conqueror's Haki infusion. Only then would he consider facing Divine Departure head-on.
With a flash of lightning, Hikaru vanished, teleporting ten thousand meters into the sky.
His voice echoed across the battlefield before disappearing without a trace.
Even top Observation Haki users like Shanks and Beckman couldn't track his movements.
"Shanks, Beckman, now's not the time for us to fight. Next time we meet, the world may look very different~ Hahahaha!"
Shanks landed back on the deck, shaking his head with a helpless chuckle.
"That guy… he used me as a tool to awaken his Conqueror's Haki."
Beckman smirked, tossing over a massive barrel of sake. Shanks caught it effortlessly, sat cross-legged, and began drinking in big gulps.
"Shanks, a man like him… he's destined to change the world. There's no need for us to fight him." Beckman exhaled a long puff of smoke, his tone unreadable.
"Yeah…"
Ton ton ton~ Bang!
Shanks took a big gulp of sake, then slammed the barrel heavily onto the deck with excitement.
"To celebrate meeting another future legend today—let's have a party!"
"Ooohhh!!!"
Raki and the rest of the crew cheered loudly, raising their barrels and glasses in celebration, their voices full of joy.
After some time, as the festivities continued, Shanks gazed into the distant sky, lost in thought.
Beside him, Beckman silently wiped his rifle. The cigarette between his lips burned slowly, its white smoke drifting far, far away…
Meanwhile, after his confrontation with the Red-Haired Pirates, Hikaru returned to Yasuie, soaring through the clouds.
As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Kaya and the others huddled around Nami, intently examining something.
"Onii-chan!"
Nami, with her sharp eyes, immediately spotted him and called out excitedly, her voice filled with delight.
"You always know how to find the best places! Look at what I discovered on that isolated island below!"
She lifted her right hand, revealing a Devil Fruit.
"Nami made the right choice eating the Cloud-Cloud Fruit. Right after you left, she found a treasure chest on the island and discovered this Devil Fruit inside," Robin said casually, flipping through a book as she spoke.
"Oh?"
Hikaru stepped forward, taking a closer look at the fruit. Its surface was sleek and glossy.
"Found it! The Slippery-Slippery Fruit!"
Robin smiled as she turned the book toward the group, displaying an illustration of the fruit.
Slippery-Slippery Fruit?
Hikaru was momentarily stunned. Wasn't this the fruit eaten by that minor boss Luffy encountered early in his journey? Alvida, if he remembered correctly.
Back then, she was an overweight woman covered in freckles, convinced she was the most beautiful in the world. But after eating the Slippery-Slippery Fruit, her body underwent a complete transformation—turning her into an undeniable beauty.
"Slippery-Slippery Fruit? No wonder it feels so smooth!"
Kaya ran her fingers over the fruit's surface, marveling at its silky texture.
Nami, however, looked unimpressed. She crossed her arms and sighed.
"It doesn't sound like a powerful fruit, but at least it can sell for 100 million berries."
"100 million berries? You're underestimating it!"
Hikaru's lips curled into a satisfied smile. This fruit was far more valuable than they realized.
"The Slippery-Slippery Fruit enhances beauty after consumption. Even the ugliest person in the world would become a breathtaking beauty after eating it! If this fruit went up for auction, I doubt even 10 billion berries would be enough to buy it!"
"What?!!!" (x5)
What woman could resist the temptation of becoming a peerless beauty?
The five women were already breathtaking, yet they had no objections to becoming even more stunning—especially if it meant earning more favor from Hikaru.
For a long moment, they stared at the Slippery-Slippery Fruit, lost in thought. Then, as if on cue, they all turned toward Hikaru, their eyes shimmering with expectation.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" He raised an eyebrow. "Whoever found it should decide who eats it. Besides… the fruit's beauty-enhancing effect isn't exclusive to the one who consumes it. It just takes effect immediately on the eater."
He smirked.
"Once Nami decides who eats it, the lucky goddess can master the ability first—then use it on all of you to optimize your beauty."
"Wait… that's possible?"
Vivi was stunned by his imagination.
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