Marineford War: I Will Stand in the Sky

Previously, Yann believed that there was some kind of special energy in Devil Fruits, so he was absorbing that energy through Zanpakuto.

Now it seems that I was purifying those "collective consciousnesses" with the Soul-Slaying Blade?

Seeing that Yann was deep in thought, Shanks, the "red-haired" one, continued to explain.

"Of course, not every Devil Fruit user will experience serious side effects. According to Captain Roger's speculation, this is closely related to the first Devil Fruit user, and the 'consciousness aggregate' that was formed later was also formed with the first Devil Fruit user as the core."

"So if the first Devil Fruit user doesn't have any serious personality flaws or behavioral habits, the Devil Fruit user's personality and behavior won't be severely affected."

Yern nodded, saying noncommittally, "I see, an interesting explanation. So, the voice you're referring to is the voice of the 'demon'?"

"That's right..."

At this point, Shanks, the "Red-Haired" man, also showed an inquisitive look and began to speak.

"'Listening to the Voice of All Things' allows one to hear the voice of 'demons,' but that voice does not exist within you. The most likely explanation is that you, Lieutenant General Yann, are the first Devil Fruit user with the 'Sakura Fruit' ability."

After a pause, Shanks continued.

"But as far as I know, such a Devil Fruit shouldn't exist on the high seas. Where did Vice Admiral Yann find this Devil Fruit?"

Yaen narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly turned his gaze to his back, where dozens of naval warships were already approaching in a grand procession.

"Sorry, it seems our chat is coming to an end, Shanks..."

After a pause, Yann continued.

"Also, congratulations on completely ending your precarious pirate life and finally settling down in a stable manner."

Upon hearing this, "Red-Haired" Shanks smiled mysteriously and said, "That's not necessarily true, Lieutenant General Yann."

"Oh?"

Yann raised an eyebrow, seemingly unimpressed by Shanks' reaction.

Putting aside the fact that Edward Newgate, the "Whitebeard," and Charlotte Linlin, the "Big Mom," are known to be on the move, it's impossible that they would attack the naval fleet.

Even if some top-tier powerhouse from the ocean were to emerge, it would be virtually impossible for them to forcibly snatch "Red-Haired" Shanks from the hands of Yann and Borsalino.

As for "Red-Haired" Shanks, he was already severely injured and probably couldn't even move, let alone escape.

Yann smiled and said.

"I'll share any pirate dreams I have about Impel Down later. But chatting with you was surprisingly enjoyable. When I have some free time, I'll bring some fine wine to visit you in Impel Down."

"Thank you in advance, but we might need to change the location for our drinks..." Shanks said confidently.

Just then, Vice Admiral Tsuru and Borsalino, who had disembarked from the main ship and were walking towards Yann, had rather unpleasant expressions.

Seeing this, Yann realized something was wrong and spoke first, asking, "What happened?"

Lieutenant General Tsuru did not answer Arn, but walked straight up to Shanks, bowed slightly, and spoke in a respectful tone.

"Greetings, Shanks. The Five Elders have just confirmed your identity to me. I hope you will not take offense at the Navy's rudeness."

Shanks... Saint?!

Celestial Dragons!!!

Moreover, unlike Corazon, who was stripped of his title as a "World Noble," Shanks is a Celestial Dragon who still possesses the title of "World Noble" because Vice Admiral Tsuru adds the word "Saint" to his name.

Yann's expression immediately became incredibly subtle and strange.

The "Emperor of the Sea" Shanks, whom I defeated, is actually a member of the Celestial Dragons, a "world noble"?!

what is this?

As someone who is superior to others on this vast ocean, why not go out to sea and experience the life of a pirate?

Furthermore, if you think about it more carefully, Shanks was once a member of the crew of "Pirate King" Roger. Could it be that he was a spy planted by the World Government from the very beginning?

It's...that's unlikely, isn't it? Using the Celestial Dragons, the "world's nobles," as spies...

At this moment, Shanks, seeing Yann's strange expression, couldn't help but burst into laughter and said...

"Lieutenant General Yann, I wasn't lying to you, was I? If you want to have a drink with me, Impel Down is unlikely. How about we go somewhere else?"

……

Ya'en.

Lieutenant General Tsuru then continued speaking.

"Please forgive Lieutenant General Yann's offense, Saint Shanks. Fleet Admiral Sengoku will take the initiative to explain the operational error to the Five Elders."

"No need to worry about it, Vice Admiral Tsuru. I'm not like those Celestial Dragons on Mary Geoise. There's no question of offense. The only regret is that I didn't manage to actually land a blow on Vice Admiral Yann in this battle..."

Immediately, Shanks, the "Red-Haired" man, struggled to his feet and walked to Yann's side, whispering something to him.

"My past experiences are very special, so I became a pirate at a very young age. The reason I know that I have Celestial Dragon blood is that the World Government only told me about it not long ago."

"Your current stance is essentially that of a pirate, and from a pirate's perspective, you have won this time, Vice Admiral Yann."

After a pause, Shanks continued.

"But I still have a mission to complete, so I can only shamefully continue to operate on the high seas under this identity. If there is another showdown, I hope you will not show mercy."

[Chapter 513 The Rocks Pirates]

On a sea filled with fragments left behind after the collapse of the island, Admiral Borsalino, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and Vice Admiral Yann watched as a warship broke away from the fleet and left alone.

"Red-Haired" Shanks was placed on that warship and left, but in the minds of the other marines, "Red-Haired" Shanks was being escorted to Enies Lobby.

Soon, news will likely spread across the high seas that "Red-Haired" Shanks has successfully escaped during his escort mission.

In this way, they can continue to conceal his identity as Shanks intended, while also preserving the Navy's reputation and the fruits of victory in this war, greatly enhancing the Navy's deterrent power and curbing the increasingly fierce momentum of the pirates.

Even with the suspicion of a sneak attack, the fact that the navy defeated two of the four "Sea Emperors" in a direct confrontation in the "New World" waters is enough to prove that the navy still possesses the combat power and prestige to protect the entire ocean.

"It's hard to imagine that someone of noble birth would become a pirate..." Yann said with a hint of doubt in his voice.

However, this also made Yann understand why, in the original timeline, "Red-Haired" Shanks was able to enter the Holy Land of Mary Geoise alone as a "pirate" and meet the Five Elders.

If a Celestial Dragon still retains the status of a "world noble," then entering the Holy Land of Mary Geoise is indeed a very easy matter, and they are even qualified to meet with the Five Elders.

After a pause, Yann turned to Lieutenant General Tsuru and asked, "Lieutenant General Tsuru, do you think I should take this opportunity to retire and avoid any unforeseen circumstances leading to my glorious sacrifice while still in office?"

Lieutenant General Tsuru glanced at Ya'en and answered.

"There's no need to worry about that. It's true that Shanks is a Celestial Dragon. But apart from the Five Elders, I'm afraid the other Celestial Dragons don't know Shanks' identity, so you won't be charged with the serious crime of offending a Celestial Dragon."

"I see……"

Yann nodded and asked casually, "But how did Shanks become a pirate out of nowhere? He's clearly a superior being who could live in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise."

When this issue was brought up, Borsalino, who had been silent all along, also perked up his ears.

Although his purpose was different from that of Yann, the inside stories and gossip related to the supreme status of the World Nobles would undoubtedly deeply stimulate Borsalino's curiosity.

"This one……"

Vice Admiral Tsuru pondered for a moment, then glanced at the other marines behind him, who were quite far away, before speaking in a low voice.

"This matter is probably related to the 'Rocks Pirates' from more than 30 years ago."

"The Rocks Pirates?" Borsalino's expression changed slightly.

Noticing Admiral Borsalino's expression, Vice Admiral Tsuru remarked, "It seems Admiral Borsalino still has some recollection of this pirate crew."

Borsalino spoke with unusual seriousness.

"Of course, that was the true overlord of the entire sea back then, the Rocks Pirates! Later, those so-called legendary three great pirates: 'Whitebeard' Newgate Edward and 'Golden Lion' Shiki, or the current 'Four Emperors': 'Beasts' Kaido, 'Big Mom' Charlotte Linlin and many other great pirates were just remnants of that pirate crew."

"That's right..."

Vice Admiral Tsuru nodded and then said, "However, regarding the destruction of the Rocks Pirates, Admiral Borsalino may not be aware of it due to his age and position at the time."

"In fact, more than 30 years ago, not all Celestial Dragons lived in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. A considerable number of Celestial Dragons preferred to live closer to the ocean and lived on a super-large island called 'God Valley'."

"Of course, that island has completely disappeared into the sea, just like the island in front of us. The Valley of God was also completely wiped out in the war."

Yarn listened intently, then asked, "Because of the 'Rocks Pirates'?"

Lieutenant General Tsuru spoke with a tone tinged with both sigh and shock.

"Yes, at that time, Rocks D. Xebec, the captain of the Rocks Pirates, had the ambition to become the King of the World. After recruiting a large number of pirate villains on the sea, the Rocks Pirates launched a fierce attack on God Valley, intending to capture a large number of Celestial Dragons and force the World Government to surrender."

Upon hearing this, Yann's expression changed slightly.

More than thirty years ago?

Based on age estimates, Shiki the Golden Lion, Edward Newgate the Whitebeard, Kaido the Beasts, and Charlotte Linlin the Big Mom were all around thirty years old at that time.

Although one's thirties are considered the peak of their life, it is also the golden period when their energy is at its strongest. With continuous combat, their fighting power may not be inferior to that of their peak period.

Even ignoring Rocks D. Xebec, who could forcefully subdue many powerful pirates, the strength of those four pirates alone was comparable to the combined strength of the current "Four Emperors".

The sheer horror of that battle is evident!

Noticing the change in Yann and Borsalino's expressions, Vice Admiral Tsuru continued.

"For this reason, the Navy and the World Government also devoted all their efforts to fighting the Rocks Pirates. And it was in that war that could have destroyed the entire sea that Garp and Roger joined forces to kill Rocks D. Xebec."

"As a result, the other officers of the Rocks Pirates were left leaderless and internal conflicts broke out. They scattered as the entire God Valley Island collapsed, and it ended with a Pyrrhic victory for the World Government and the Navy."

"Roger? 'Pirate King' Roger?" Borsalino was somewhat surprised to hear this name.

"Yes, in fact, 'Pirate King' Roger played a role in that battle that was no less significant than Garp's, and it was only through the combined efforts of the two of them that they were able to barely manage to kill Rocks D. Xebec..."

Lieutenant General Tsuru then went on to explain.

"Afterwards, the World Government erased Roger's role in that war and instead publicized that Garp killed the Rocks Pirates in this war that could have destroyed the world, becoming the first man to be awarded the title of 'Marine Hero'."

After a pause, Lieutenant General Tsuru, as if worried that Arn might overthink things, added a word of affirmation.

"Of course, the second 'Naval Hero' is Vice Admiral Yann. The threat of the 'Ancient Weapon Pluton' is no less than that of the 'Rocks Pirates.' Both of them are heroes who saved the sea, and there is no doubt about that."

[Chapter 514 The Will Inherited by Roger?]

Clearly, Lieutenant General Tsuru was overthinking this. Yann had no intention of making comparisons at all, and instead asked with concern.

"What does Shanks have to do with that war? According to the timeline, he was only a few days old at the time, right?"

Lieutenant General Tsuru nodded and said in a low voice.

"That is why Shanks Saint should be the Celestial Dragon, a 'World Noble' who went missing during the 'God Valley' battle."

"After all, even though the World Government and the Navy did their best to stop the Rocks Pirates' offensive, the Rocks Pirates were simply too powerful. The front line collapsed almost immediately, causing a large number of World Nobles and Celestial Dragons in God Valley to fall into chaos before they could evacuate."