Borsalino turned toward the source of the roar, only to see several figures standing proudly at the end of the street, all emanating powerful auras. A wave of Conqueror's Haki, like a tangible tsunami, swept over from the red-haired man in the lead, causing Borsalino's light-form to flicker and pause.
His pupils constricted. It was them. Shanks and the Red Hair Pirates.
Borsalino knew a great deal about this renowned pirate crew. Although they were small in number, every member was an elite, and the strength of their officers was unfathomable. Their captain, Shanks, as a former apprentice on the Pirate King Gol D. Roger's ship, had long been a person of interest for Marineford. However, after years of observation, the Red Hair Pirates operated in an unusual way—they rarely plundered from civilians, acting more like a group of seafaring adventurers seeking fun, freedom, and a good time. Over time, Marineford had gradually relaxed its vigilance against them, and their official threat level was never considered to be among the highest.
Yet, at this very moment, Borsalino realized that Marineford had made a mistake. A huge mistake.
Looking at Shanks and his crew, who were clearly here for Takero and radiating an aggressive aura, the tangled mess of clues in Borsalino's mind instantly clicked into place.
So that's it! That's how it is! The source of all this, the mastermind behind everything—it was you, the Red Hair Pirates!
The sudden arrival of Shanks and his crew was the final piece of the puzzle, instantly answering all of Borsalino's questions. No wonder this kid was so lawless. No wonder his strength was so bizarre and defied all logic. No wonder he held so many inexplicable secrets. The Red Hair Pirates were behind it all, perhaps even providing the advanced technology. While he wasn't sure when they had gotten involved in human modification and biotechnology, the situation was now dangerously clear. One terrifying thought after another spread like wildfire, constructing a shocking conspiracy in Borsalino's astonished mind.
"So that's it," Borsalino let out a low laugh, looking at Shanks with unprecedented seriousness and vigilance. "Well played, Red-Haired Shanks. You and your crew really know how to hide your true intentions." He clicked his tongue in mock wonder, his tone carrying a sharp, questioning edge. "That aloof and carefree attitude you always had… was it all just an act to fool the world? All while you were secretly building up such terrifying power?" His voice grew louder with accusation. "What's the matter, Shanks? Have you finally decided to make your move for the Pirate King's throne?!"
Shanks, who had just arrived and hadn't even had a chance to speak, was utterly bewildered by the barrage of accusations. Contending for the throne? Mastermind? What is he talking about? Why is this Marine Admiral looking at me like I'm some kind of evil genius? An ominous feeling washed over him. He had the distinct sense that he was about to be blamed for something enormous.
He opened his mouth, about to ask for an explanation, but it was too late.
Whoosh—!!!
Borsalino gave him no chance to speak. His body instantly transformed into a dazzling golden light, shooting back toward Marineford at a speed several times faster than when he had arrived. He didn't even look back. Only his urgent thoughts, meant for his superior, seemed to linger in the air.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! This time I'm truly not slacking off! I've discovered a shocking conspiracy! These aren't ordinary pirates; we must strike with our full force!"
Shanks was left speechless. "…"
Benn Beckman frowned, equally silent. "…"
The rest of the crew just looked at each other in confusion. Could someone please explain what in the world was going on?
Shanks took a deep breath, trying to suppress his surging blood pressure. He turned to the only person on the field who might have an answer. "Damn it, Takero! What exactly did you do?"
Faced with the question, Takero was just as bewildered. Ask him what he did? He had no idea. He'd just beaten up a Celestial Dragon and then fought a Marine. He couldn't make any sense of what that flashy guy had been yelling about. Besides, there was no time for explanations. Takero completely ignored Shanks's furious glare and stared intently at the spot on the horizon where Borsalino had vanished as a streak of golden light, cursing loudly.
"Damn Flashy Guy! Don't run if you've got any guts! Come back here and fight me for three hundred rounds!"
His intense anger acted like fuel, igniting the violent aura within him. Just as this emotion reached its peak—
Buzz!
The dark red aura around Takero suddenly flared, and the rubble at his feet began to shift and lift as if moved by an unseen wind. Under the dumbfounded gaze of Shanks and the others, Takero's body, in defiance of all logic, slowly lifted off the ground and began to hover in the air.
Takero was stunned for a moment, and then his face lit up with pure joy. "Haha! It actually worked!"
Ignoring everything else, he immediately began to control this newfound power. He leaned forward slightly as his dark red aura surged around him.
Whoosh!
He transformed into a crimson streak of light, wobbly but astonishingly fast, and shot off in the direction where Borsalino had disappeared.
Shanks watched the rapidly shrinking red dot soar into the sky, then looked back at the utter ruin of the surrounding buildings. A deep, soul-draining exhaustion swept over him. He slowly raised a hand and covered his throbbing forehead. He was truly tired of this.
Just as Shanks was nursing his headache, a faint, rustling sound came from behind a nearby broken wall. He looked over and saw a cautious-looking man with striking green hair carefully peeking out from behind the rubble. The man's gaze swept over the Red Hair Pirates before finally landing on Shanks.
"Excuse me," the man asked. "Are you companions of my benefactor?"
"Benefactor?" the crew muttered, looking at each other in confusion.
Shanks suppressed his irritation and took a step forward, trying to keep his voice as gentle as possible. "Buddy, the benefactor you're talking about… is he a young man with a long tail?"
"Yes! That's him!" the man's eyes lit up, his face breaking into a joyful smile. His name was Tesoro.
"Then you must mean Takero," Shanks sighed, rubbing his now-throbbing temples. He pressed on. "My name is Shanks. Brother, do you know what exactly happened here?"
"I know everything!" Tesoro nodded vigorously, his face still showing a hint of the fear he'd felt earlier. "It all happened like this…"
He took a deep breath and, using the most concise language he could, explained how Takero had saved him and a woman named Stella, and how he had then proceeded to beat up a Celestial Dragon for the sole purpose of luring out a Marine Admiral to fight.
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