Big brother, I want to become the strongest pirate in the world!

In just one minute, Kazan swung at least two hundred swords, and Shanks managed to block about twenty of them, which is one-tenth of the total.

"That's insane power. Even Mihawk would find a slash at that speed a bit troublesome."

Shanks and Kazan stopped at the same time. He looked at his clothes and realized that if he hadn't been covered by Armament Haki, he would probably be running around naked by now.

"call……"

Kazan glanced at Shanks with a complicated expression; his slashes had no effect on Shanks whatsoever.

The opponent's Armament Haki is probably at the peak of Lv.5, his Observation Haki is definitely at Lv.6, I don't know about his Conqueror's Haki, but Kazan's is probably no less than intermediate level.

Without using his skills, he wouldn't even be able to contend with Shanks' power; even if he did, he could probably only hold his own for a short time.

Shanks' mastery of Haki is far beyond what Kazan can achieve. His swordsmanship is alright, not as unattainable as Hawkeye's, but still at a level that Kazan could catch up to within a few years.

The opponent could withstand his Armament Haki + Steel + High Temperature with just Armament Haki, not to mention his Observation Haki which was close to breaking through to a high level. Even if he used his skills, he might not be able to hit him.

Kazan's only redeeming quality is his physical prowess. He possesses extraordinary talent in this area because his body comes from another world, a world with dimensions far higher than the world of One Piece.

In terms of physical attributes, Shanks is a level above Kazan in agility and stamina, while his strength is roughly equal to Kazan's when he goes berserk. As for intelligence... let's leave that aside for now.

"So powerful..."

Kazan never imagined that Haki would occupy such a large part of the power system in One Piece.

It could even be said that the outcome of a battle between strong individuals can be judged half by their domineering presence.

Among Emperor-level powerhouses, the level of Conqueror's Haki is directly considered; whoever has weaker Conqueror's Haki will immediately reveal their strength level.

"It's already quite remarkable that you were able to comprehend two types of Haki on your own in the West Blue. Even in the Grand Line, there aren't many pirates who can use two types of Haki."

Shanks looked at Kazan with genuine admiration. He regretted that Kazan was born in a time that wasn't so good, neither too early nor too late. He missed Roger's era, nor did he happen to be born in the era Roger had hoped for.

Fortunately, although he was born a bit early, he was able to participate in major future events at the peak of his strength, just like Shanks himself, although he hasn't found a clear role for himself yet.

"Actually, your strength will grow the fastest in the New World. If you stay in the West Blue, your progress will be very slow, and you may even fall far behind other pirates of your generation."

Shanks glanced at Kazan with pity. It was rare to find a swordsman who shared his tastes and had potential. Kazan had already met both criteria (Shanks considered them kindred spirits). If he was willing to go to the New World, it wouldn't be long before Shanks and Mihawk had another opponent.

Each of the three possesses unique expertise in swordsmanship, and sparring with each other allows them to learn a great deal from one another.

But...sigh.

Shanks glanced at the children training hard on the other side of the warship and sighed inwardly: 'It's my responsibility as the eldest brother.'

"It's alright. I have more important things to do than improve my strength. The new world... it doesn't matter if we go later. Don't worry, I won't let you fall too far behind."

"Alright, let's set up the next battle in the New World. Hopefully, you'll be strong enough by then."

"Huh? Put it in the New World? You're dreaming! You think you can just freeload off my ship without paying the fare? Come on, let's keep fighting! In the meantime, you'll be my whetstone for cultivating my domineering aura!"

As he spoke, Kazan drew his twin swords and slashed at Shanks.

Shanks' small boat was snatched away by a big fish while it was on the shore. He had no means of transportation and was not in a hurry to return to the Grand Line, so he simply hitched a ride on Kazan's ship. In any case, Kazan's direction did not conflict with his, and the warship was fast.

"Eek~ You actually saw through my plan, hahahahahaha."

Shanks laughed twice and then quickly pulled out Griffin to defend himself. Fighting Kazan would also be beneficial for him, as it would help him pass the time at sea.

Kazan's peculiar and ferocious swordsmanship was the first of its kind Shanks had encountered on this sea. He wouldn't let such an interesting opponent go to waste. He would hone his swordsmanship by sparring with Kazan so that he wouldn't have to listen to Mihawk's nagging next time.

With Shanks serving as a whetstone, Kazan also entered a state of reckless training, after all, such opportunities are rare, and he wanted to squeeze out all the value from Shanks.

During this period, just as Bon Clay and the others often came to observe the two's battle, Shanks would also frequently visit Bellamy and the others to train.

The sheer intensity of this training made Shanks' scalp tingle. It was as if they were treating their bodies like monsters, and continuing like this for a long time would definitely cause hidden injuries to their bodies.

Shanks had warned Kazan about this, but given his past life's incredibly powerful mentor, how could Kazan be careless about such matters? Kazan was also quite skilled in teaching; he would usually control his subordinates' training to their physical limits before stopping to rest.

Since it was rare to have a sparring partner of Shanks' caliber, Kazan specifically instructed Bellamy to slow down the sailing speed.

It should have taken half a month to reach Krent, but it took a whole month and a half.

A month and a half later, Shanks was exhausted, his face was pale and thin, and he was forced to undergo a month and a half of grueling muscle training.

Chapter 040 A World of Contradictions

"Alright, get off the ship now. You're no longer of any use to me."

"Hey! That's so mean!"

Shanks said that Kazan was too much, but he left as fast as Monkey D. Kizaru, who had eaten the Sneaky Fruit.

"Hahaha, I can finally leave! Oh my god, I'll never get on your ship again!!!"

It seems that the past month and a half has made the child dull-witted.

Kazan watched Shanks's tantrum-like back as he walked away, and shook his head helplessly.

To be fair, Kazan really hoped Shanks could stay longer, because his improvement was noticeable when Shanks was around.

Although there were no changes on his personal panel, Kazan could clearly sense that his swordsmanship and dual-color Haki had reached the threshold of this level, and he could break through it with just one truly evenly matched battle.

However, Shanks' words stuck with Kazan for a long time.

That is, staying in the West Sea makes it difficult to improve. Although Kazan didn't want to admit it, it was indeed the truth. He only realized the truth when he had a strong person like Shanks as a sparring partner. Staying in the newbie village would not make him the strongest in the world.

Ah... no, perhaps it's possible, but it's probably not enough for a normal person's lifespan.

"To enter the Grand Line... no, I haven't found Robin yet."

Kazan will not travel to the Grand Line without bringing Robin along.

With the Door-Door Fruit, Kazan was no longer so worried about Aokiji, especially since his own strength was constantly increasing.

Moreover, it doesn't matter if they don't have the Door-Door Fruit, because Kazan has come up with a way to stop the Navy and the World Government from pursuing them for a short period of time.

Then, with Robin by your side, immediately lie low on the Grand Line until you're strong enough to rival an Admiral before emerging again.

As always, they arranged for Fon Clay to hide the warship, while the others first went ashore on the island where the Kingdom of Krent was located and quietly waited for Fon Clay to return as a giant bird.

Krent, within the country.

"Wow...it really is a 'dead city'."

"Brother...this place feels so scary."

"They really don't seem angry at all."

"It's just a difference between classes. I've seen it all in Beihai. The truly happy places are all within the inner city's aristocratic circles."

Kazan walked down the street with his younger siblings, and the group was so influenced by their surroundings that they dared not speak loudly.

Even Sugar, who is usually chattering and never stops, stayed quietly in Kazan's arms this time, watching the people coming and going around her.

The Kingdom of Krent is a famous noble country in the Western Sea, a paradise for nobles. However, in reality, only the inner city can be considered a noble circle.

The outer city was filled with ordinary people or those who had been eliminated from the inner city. These people were lifeless and dull, with no vitality in their eyes. They walked back and forth quickly, looking quite anxious.

Kazan had no idea what they were busy with. This outer city was practically a city of the living dead. Kazan had never seen such a terrifying sight in his three lifetimes. It was even more terrifying than the zombies in the Terrifying Thunder Ruins.

“Take us to the inner city, and this money is yours.”

Kazan stopped a passing coachman, pulled out a handful of Berries and waved them in front of him. Before he entered the North Sea, he had heard rumors about a country called Krent in a bounty hunter's capital.

Here, Pele is king; with money, you can do anything.

"Alright~ Gentlemen and ladies, please get in the car~ We're off now."

An even more terrifying scene unfolded: when Kazan waved the Berry in front of the man, the man instantly changed his expression to a bright smile, much like a Sichuan opera face-changing act.

It was a genuine, radiant smile; there wasn't a trace of a fake one.

And that's precisely what's terrifying; Kazan and his group all remember the expression on this person's face earlier.

Kazan waved his hand, beckoning his slightly frightened younger siblings to get into the carriage, without saying much more.

Pirates are a world of contradictions; contradictions are not everything, but they always exist.

Fools are high above, while wise men are low below.

Where there is wealth, there is pretense; where there is poverty, true feelings are revealed.

The most indifferent person eats the hottest fruit, the warmest person eats the coldest fruit, and the laziest person eats the fastest fruit.

The most timid person is the last resort in a desperate situation; the gentlest person is hurt by gentleness; the richest person has no money to buy love; the most manly person always dresses like a child.

Therefore, no matter what happens, Kazan won't be too surprised.

There are dark places and there are sunny places too; there's no need to worry too much about unpleasant things.

The carriage eventually stopped at the inner city gate. People from the outer city were not qualified to enter the inner city unless they paid enough money.

Those from the outer city who wish to enter the inner city must pay one million Berries; that's the price for one person.

Kazan chose to use the Door-Door Fruit's power to enter through the door. Five minutes later, when Kazan and his group reappeared, they were next to an inn in the inner city.

It's like two completely different worlds.

Looking at the bustling inner city, everyone couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.

"Let's rest here for a while, and then go to replenish our supplies when we're about to leave. You guys can do whatever you want these next few days. I'm going to gather some information, so don't worry about me."

Kazan placed the sugar cube on the ground and then quickly left alone.

"In a big city like this, the taverns are actually less informed... Hmm... casinos and... slave markets... Well then, you're the one."

Kazan walked down the street, rubbing his chin in thought. He glanced at the surrounding buildings and noticed that right next to him was the inner city's largest casino and a human trafficking market that looked quite large.

The former is a playground for swine, and Kazan doesn't expect those kinds of people to know anything. On the contrary, the slave market is dirty enough that its information channels must be well-connected.

Kazan glanced at the outside twice and then stepped inside.

"Sir, what type of slave do you want? We have... only high-end ones here."

A fat man with big ears, dressed in a suit and wearing a top hat, immediately approached Kazan as he entered the store. Based on his years of experience, he believed that guys who wore cloaks and concealed their true faces were usually not short of money.

As for their background, he didn't care; he was just a businessman.

"Would you take on a job arresting people?"

"Go ahead. As long as you give us that person who is in the Western Sea, we will definitely capture him and make him our slave. We are confident we can even capture a great pirate."

"this."

Kazan extended a hand from under his cloak, on which was Robin's bounty poster.