With a heavy swing of his black blade, Rairyūken, Tachibana Kyūjō deflected the legendary Gryphon sword slashing toward him from the front. As the metallic clash echoed in the air, Kyūjō exhaled slowly, his voice calm yet firm. "Shanks... Don't you think it's about time you did something?" The words made Shanks pause. He blinked once, the trace of genuine curiosity crossing his face. His lips curled slightly as he asked in return, "Why do you say that, Kyūjō? What exactly do you think I should be doing right now?" Kyūjō shook his head, eyes unwavering as he answered with absolute sincerity, "End this war—this meaningless fight." Those words echoed in his mind, shaking something loose that had long been buried under instinct and battle fervor. —He really is different. Even with power strong enough to tip the scales entirely in his favor, Kyūjō never abused it. Even as a high-ranking member of the Navy, standing in a battlefield tailor-made for his dominance, he held back. And now, right in the heat of war, his only concern… was how to stop it. A meaningless battle... Shanks repeated the words in his heart. He realized—this truly was a fight with no purpose. Suddenly, a sharp light flickered in Shanks' eyes. And in that breathless moment, an immense wave of Conqueror's Haki burst from him—raging like a storm crashing across the sky and sea, shaking the horizon itself. His voice followed, booming with undeniable authority, amplified by his Haoshoku: "For my sake… stop this battle!" As if those words had awakened a dormant, divine authority sealed within him… Everyone who heard that voice—regardless of allegiance—suddenly found their bodies locked in place. Muscles tensed, weapons halted mid-swing, expressions frozen mid-roar. Like statues abandoned in a storm. Even Edward Newgate, the man called the strongest in the world… Even the fearsome Admirals Akainu and Aokiji… All who heard that voice ceased fighting—willingly. Tachibana Kyūjō felt a shiver crawl down his spine. His breath hitched as realization dawned. The Devil Fruit of "Faces"… is it really this terrifying…? Was this… a Devil Fruit based on rules? Shanks himself seemed to shift entirely after uttering those words. His Haoshoku Haki, which had already neared its limit, surged past it and pierced the sky. That intensity—it was nearly on par with the overwhelming pressure Kyūjō himself had unleashed when he first awakened his Conqueror's Haki against the Golden Lion long ago. But it wasn't just Kyūjō who noticed. Hidden in the shadows of the battlefield, among the clouds and ruins, even the God Knights began to falter. "Did you feel that, Lord Garling?" asked Saint Jaygarcia Fasidia, wielder of the Elimination-Elimination Fruit, speaking with visible unease. "It appears the Navy and the Yonko have no plans to continue. Perhaps it's best we return to Mary Geoise and reevaluate our next move...?" Figarland Garling—the leader of the Holy Knights—nodded slightly, about to agree… until a wave of dread washed over him. "What… what kind of power is this...?" "What has Shanks become…?" Memories clawed their way back into Garling's mind. He remembered the boy named Shanks—how he had eaten a Devil Fruit as a child. A fruit that seemingly did nothing. Shanks could still swim just fine afterward, so they assumed it was a dud. A failure. But now... that belief had shattered completely. This was no ordinary fruit. A Devil Fruit that could alter the intent of men—stopping a war with a single sentence? A fruit like that… defied logic. And most terrifying of all— Shanks could still swim. This ability... it went beyond the known boundaries of Devil Fruits. Garling's face hardened. He had to report this immediately. The true ruler of the world—hidden in the shadows for more than eight centuries. With no further hesitation, the Holy Knight Order vanished, retreating into the clouds toward Mary Geoise. From a distance, Kyūjō watched them fade. He raised an eyebrow. "So... the meddlers finally withdrew, huh?" "That means this battle... is truly coming to an end." The war, born from chaos, finally found its stillness. One of the Four Emperors—Big Mom—had fallen. Decapitated by Kyūjō himself. Her territory now lay wide open, ripe for conquest. Shanks, the rising force among the Yonko, could easily take it. Kaido, the so-called "Strongest Creature," was left gravely injured. The pirates had clearly lost ground. But… The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝙣𝙚𝙩 If the pirate crews truly wanted to continue the war, it wasn't like they lacked the strength to fight. The elite fighters still stood tall. Benn Beckman, Shanks' right-hand man, had already shown Emperor-level power. If reinforcements arrived, the Navy would be pushed to the brink. And then there were the Three Disasters of the Beasts Pirates: King the Wildfire — user of the Ancient Zoan: Ryu-Ryu no Mi, Model: Pteranodon Queen the Plague — user of the Ancient Zoan: Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Brachiosaurus Jack the Drought — user of the Ancient Zoan: Mammoth Fruit To counter them, the Navy would need at least two Admiral Candidates: Momousagi and Chaton. Without them, the balance would tip instantly. And beyond them were three other powerhouses: Katakuri, top commander of the Big Mom Pirates Marco the Phoenix, Whitebeard's heir Lucky Roux, from the Red Hair Pirates All of them were monsters in their own right. The Navy simply didn't have enough high-level combatants to hold them all back. If the war continued… it would only end in mutual destruction. Unless, of course—Tachibana Kyūjō chose to reveal his full, hidden power and fight everyone alone. But then... what would that mean for the world? Because deep down, he knew... The true evil in this world wasn't the pirates. Neither Shanks nor Whitebeard were bloodthirsty maniacs. And after Shanks unleashed the power of the legendary Respect-Respect Fruit, bringing the war to a halt with a single command... No one was foolish enough to keep fighting. ...Well, mostly because Akainu was nearly dead—after taking Whitebeard's full-power quake punch head-on. If Sakazuki had still been in peak condition? He absolutely would've refused any ceasefire with pirates. — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 🎉 Good News! Arc 4 has officially begun! 🎉 The story has reached a whole new stage — packed with action, emotions, and long-awaited revelations! ✅ Enjoy 80+ chapters ahead of NovelHub ✅ 2 new chapters every day (Monday–Saturday), exclusive on ✅ Be the first to experience Arc 4 and the new season before anyone else! 📖 The first chapter of Arc 4 is now live! You can read it right now on ~ 🌙 Note: Sunday is a rest day, so there will be no updates tomorrow. Regular uploads resume as usual on Monday. Let's keep this adventure alive, together chapter by chapter! 💖 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —