Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

Chapter 497 Marshal <Red Hair <Xia Zuo

Shanks, the Red-Haired, poses a significant threat.

With his crew members behind him, the weight becomes even greater.

First mate Ben Beckman, sniper Yasopp, cook Lucky Roux, ship's doctor Hongo, navigator Bendick Snake, musician Benk Bingge, combatant Lym Jones, and Roar Gabu.

The members of these red-haired pirates are all great pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million.

Moreover, the bounties of many people were deliberately lowered by the World Government, which prevented the Red-Haired Pirates from standing out too much.

Sengoku, Garp, Aokiji, and Kizaru all fell into deep thought, while only Akainu Sakazuki, with veins bulging on his forehead and muscles taut, took a step forward, seemingly ready to fight Shanks to the death.

Aokiji and Kizaru, standing beside Akainu, quickly reached out and pressed down on his shoulders to stop his adventure.

If it were Sakazuki in peak condition, he might not be unable to fight Shanks; in fact, Kizaru and Aokiji both felt that Sakazuki had a good chance of winning.

But Sakazuki is in terrible shape right now. He was knocked into a crevice by Whitebeard twice and suffered extremely serious injuries.

Whitebeard is simply too strong. Although he is too old to exert his peak combat power, he can still overpower the three generals.

Furthermore, the Whitebeard Pirates were no pushovers; after defeating this strongest pirate crew, the Navy was also powerless to continue fighting.

Another Yonko pirate crew, in perfect condition, has started a battle.

Stopped by two colleagues, Sakazuki snorted coldly, quite dissatisfied, but gave up without hesitation.

Although he was tough, he knew what was important and what was urgent. His actions just now were purely feigned, demonstrating that the Navy would never compromise with the pirates.

The three generals truly lived up to their reputation as old buddies who had been inseparable since the special training camp. Although conflicts often broke out among them, their tacit understanding and cooperation remained undiminished, and their actions were fluid and seamless.

I wonder how many times they practiced when they were young, maybe even to deal with Zephyr's checks, which is how they developed their teamwork.

Seeing this, Hawkeye sheathed his black sword Night back into his back and turned to walk into Marineford.

When the Navy asked him what he was doing here, he calmly replied, "I'm here because I promised to fight the strongest man, Whitebeard, but that agreement doesn't include fighting the Red Pirates."

"Red-Haired Shanks has intervened, and your Navy is in such a terrible state. The war is effectively over."

"Now that the war is over, it's time for me to step down."

"Although I am a Shichibukai, a Shichibukai is still a pirate, and this is Marineford, the headquarters of the Navy. I'd better leave as soon as possible."

"It's good for both of us."

The Marines had no way to refute Hawkeye's words, and were also intimidated by his imposing presence, so they made way for him to leave.

Although Hawkeye's words were quite blunt, he was already considered quite good among the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

The Pirate Empress, a 100% infiltrator, had already run off with Luffy, and the other three Shichibukai, seeing the situation was turning against them, all fled without a word.

Hawkeye, who has fought Whitebeard seriously, has persevered until now; we really can't be too harsh on him.

Once the marines dispersed, Hawkeye was surprised to find that Shazo was standing right in front of him, looking at him with a mocking expression.

The two exchanged a glance but said nothing. They then went their separate ways and passed each other without any conflict.

This made the surrounding naval officers and soldiers breathe a sigh of relief.

Hawkeye, who went head-to-head with Whitebeard, is certainly very strong, but Xia Zuo's performance in the previous battle was equally incredible, no less than Hawkeye's.

If the two top-tier Marines were to clash at this moment, it could very well trigger a full-scale war with the Red-Haired Pirates, and might even cause the fleeing remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates to turn back and fight again.

In that case, who knows how many naval officers would die on the spot? If there were large-scale casualties among the high command of the navy, the navy would really be unable to control the seas, and the world would be in complete chaos.

The thought of such consequences weighed heavily on everyone's minds.

The two men passed each other, avoiding a potential conflict, but none of the naval officers and soldiers felt relieved; instead, they felt extremely depressed.

These pirates are actually lining up to bully our navy, one by one! It's unbelievable!

Under the intimidation of Shanks, the Face Fruit ability was brought to its fullest potential. The imposing Fleet Admiral Sengoku eventually lowered his head and silently deactivated his Buddha form.

He has to consider more factors than any other navy officer, and he faces much greater pressure.

Is the Navy really no match for the Red-Haired Pirates?

of course not!

If they were to fight Whitebeard with all their might, they would be no match for the Red-Haired Pirates. How would the Navy then contend with the Four Emperors?

Don't take the Seven Warlords of the Sea seriously. Apart from Hawkeye, who is in a class of his own, the other Seven Warlords are either trash, traitors, or ambitious schemers with ulterior motives.

For the World Government, the Seven Warlords of the Sea are a tool to balance the Navy and the Four Emperors, but for the Navy, both the Four Emperors and the Seven Warlords are enemies and pose a huge pressure.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku was absolutely confident of annihilating Shanks, and Xia Zuo's sudden outburst made him feel that he could simultaneously take down Blackbeard.

The cost to the Navy for a pirate crew wouldn't be too high.

But what happens next?

Will Kaido's Beasts Pirates come to join the fun after hearing the news?

Will Big Mom's pirate crew also come and join the fun?

Even with his optimistic spirit, the Warring States Marshal lacked the confidence to fight all four emperors simultaneously and ultimately achieve victory.

Moreover, even if the Navy manages to win by sheer luck, it will inevitably suffer heavy losses and completely lose its ability to suppress the seas. What will happen to all those countless new pirates?

Pirates are creatures that grow very quickly.

Without the suppression of the Four Emperors, a new generation of pirates will rise rapidly, and within a few years, a new pirate emperor will emerge through mutual devouring.

But the navy can't.

If everything goes smoothly and the navy completely suppresses the seas, they will face the world government, the biggest, most terrifying, and most dreadful enemy.

That's right, it's the World Government, it's the Five Elders!

Although the navy is powerful, its logistics and funding are entirely controlled by the Five Elders, even those stationed around the world.

The bases and branches in various locations were also under closed management, with no direct contact with local forces.

Each branch recruits soldiers through the higher-level unit. The branches have no say in the recruitment, training, and dispatch, and are not allowed to act on their own.

In Xia Zuo's first year as branch manager, his contact with the local area consisted mainly of purchasing fresh vegetables and fruits.

Without a militarized navy, it is impossible to resist the World Government by force alone.

Once the suppression of the seas is completed, the scale will be immediately reduced, and in a very short time, it will revert to the state before the Great Pirate Era.

This means there will only be one admiral in the entire navy, and the number of vice admirals will be reduced from the current 56 to a maximum of 20.

In addition, the Red Line and the Grand Line divide the world, leaving the Navy itself in a fragmented state, divided into six parts: the Four Seas, Pirate Paradise, and the New World.

Without the permission of the World Government, the Navy is inherently divided.

Therefore, the World Government, with only a small army and a small CP intelligence agency, is able to tightly control the Navy and arbitrarily dispose of all officers, including the Fleet Admiral.

Taking all this into consideration, the Sengoku Marshal had no choice but to bow his head to Shanks and back down.

Because Shanks' identity is too ambiguous, he can see the Five Elders at any time despite being a pirate.

A pirate who directly reaches the heavens—how incredibly audacious!

The marshal of the Warring States period was known as a wise general and was a first-rate intelligent man; it was impossible that he had not thought of this.

Once you think about it, you'll have reservations, and if you have reservations, you won't be able to stand up for yourself. When facing Shanks, you'll unconsciously back down.

The marshal took a step back, and Garp, who trusted him, naturally followed suit. The three generals, who were one rank below the marshal, could only keep in step with their superiors.

This delay caused the navy's morale to plummet, boosted by Sakazuki's efforts, and they no longer wanted to continue fighting.

Thus, the Marineford War came to an end.

But one naval officer thought differently. Commodore Xia Zuo believed that the navy's despondency could not be without any bottom line and that they had to make their stance clear to Shanks.

That attitude is courage! The courage to draw your sword!

Just as Shanks was satisfied with sheathing his sword and preparing to say something, Shaza suddenly descended from the sky and stood behind Shanks.

He looked at the pink-haired Koby, whose face was covered in tears and snot, and suddenly reached out his right hand, grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him high in the air.

At the same time, Shaza grabbed Shanks' right hand, which was drawing his sword, and forcefully pushed it back into its sheath.

A powerful force extended from his wrist to his arm, and then from his arm to the redhead's entire body, suppressing him and rendering him unable to move.

Amidst the gasps of the Red-Haired Pirates and the Marines, Shazaro said loudly, "Shanks, your peace request has been accepted by the Fleet Admiral. Are you still going to interfere in the internal affairs of our Marines?"

Shanks remained silent for a long time, feeling the powerful force surging through his arm. Finally, he said with difficulty, "I am a pirate. How could a pirate interfere in the internal affairs of the Navy?"

Xia Zuo nodded: "Then you should leave."

"What you should be doing now is catching up with the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates and helping them escape the encirclement of the patrolling Marines, instead of confronting me here."

Shanks loosened his grip on the hilt of his sword, and Shaza loosened his grip on his wrist. The two slowly created some distance between them, then turned around and looked at each other face to face.

Shanks looked rather grumpy, and even felt a burning sensation on his face.

He was just moments ago so imposing, intimidating the navy with his sword and using his reputation to end the Marineford War.

At this rare moment of glory, Shanks was suddenly dealt a heavy blow by Shazam. Even with his good temper, Shanks would feel frustrated.

But circumstances are beyond our control.

Just now, Shanks was able to use the situation to force the Navy to back down, and now Shazor can do the same to force him to make concessions.

Because Shanks and all the members of his pirate crew know that Shaza is a madman; if he says he'll fight, he really will!

The Navy doesn't want to go to war with the Red-Haired Pirates, one of the Four Emperors' pirate crews, immediately after the great battle. Do the pirates really want to go to war with the Navy?

Putting aside the other naval forces, this mad Commodore Shazo alone is enough to give them a run for their money.

Over the years, whenever the Red-Haired Pirates appear in the East Blue, this bastard will relentlessly chase after them and fight them until he feels satisfied before letting them go to Windmill Village.

If Shazam is not satisfied, he will launch a frenzied attack until he drives the Red-Haired Pirates out of the East Blue.

Therefore, Shanks chose to back down, and his crew did not object at all.

Shazo, that madman, just wanted to kill a Marine. Although he was saved from Sakazuki's fist by Shanks, what does that have to do with us pirates?

If Xia Zuo wants to kill him, then let him kill him.

Shanks saw no aggression in Shazo's eyes, but rather an unwavering determination. He sighed, brushed past Shazo, and returned to his pirate ship.

In the instant he passed Koby, Shanks whispered, "I'm sorry, I can't save you this time."

Without looking back, he jumped onto the figurehead of the Red Fox and, with tens of thousands of marines watching, sailed away from the coastline, heading in the direction of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Just as Shazo said, the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates escaped the Iron Wall and successfully boarded a ship while being pursued by the Navy. After sailing away from Marineford, the situation did not immediately improve.

Because their coating had been damaged, they could no longer dive beneath the surface as they had done on their way there, thus avoiding the giant and large naval warships surrounding Marineford.

After sailing on the sea for only a dozen minutes, the Whitebeard Pirates were spotted by patrolling warships, and a fierce artillery battle ensued.

Pirates have never been good at cannon fire, so they can only desperately brave the gunfire to charge forward and engage in a more brutal boarding action.

In just a few minutes, the exhausted pirates lost countless lives.

Having finally defeated the patrolling navy, more elite naval forces have arrived upon hearing the news, and subsequent warships, like bloodthirsty sharks, are coming in droves, relentlessly pursuing the pirate fleet.

Looking at the endless stream of warships approaching from the sea, the wounded pirates slumped down on the deck, their bodies no longer able to support them in continuing the fight.

Exhausted, the pirates lamented, "Damn it! We can't escape!"

Marco slammed his fist on the deck, cursing, "Damn it, if only Dad were still here!"

In this situation, what is needed is a leader who can quickly defeat the Kai army, open the path to freedom, and inspire the people.

Marco knew 20 years ago that he was born to play support because his attacks lacked immediate lethality. Against strong enemies, he could only win through sustained damage over a long period of time.

If Whitebeard were still alive, he could have swallowed these naval warships with a single punch.

No, Dad doesn't need to do anything. As long as he stands on the deck, the navy will retreat as quickly as possible. No one dares to fight him on the sea.

This is the intimidating power of Whitebeard, and the fundamental reason why he is called the Pirate Emperor.

Kaido, Big Mom, and Shanks are the same, which is why they are called the Four Emperors.