Chapter 207: Chapter 207: A Brief Chat
Chapter 207: A Brief Chat
Conqueror’s Haki is a quality possessed only by a true king.
Its aura is overwhelmingly strong enough to make people faint, induce fear, or drive them into mental collapse. To the weak-minded, it’s like receiving actual physical damage. Some may even die of fright from its sheer pressure.
This mysterious force is a top-tier spiritual ability, one that cannot be learned through ordinary means; no written records or spoken teachings can truly convey it. It must be felt, experienced, understood.
Only a rare few possess this kind of supreme presence.
Among them, Red-Haired Shanks is one of the finest.
Not only does he wield Conqueror’s Haki effortlessly, but he has also honed it over many years. He can unleash its might or restrain it at will.
Though Shanks hadn’t gone all out, holding back to preserve lives and gather more intel about this strange world, he was still slightly surprised when the old cat only flinched for a moment before charging at him again.
"An animal-type Devil Fruit... a mythical beast... and the Iron Body from the Six Styles technique?" Shanks muttered, raising a palm to block. His expression turned curious. "Are you with the navy?"
But the cat-man gave no reply. It was as if he hadn’t even heard him.
With a roar, the old cat struck.
A massive wave of force surged through Shanks’ arm from the point of contact, spreading across his body. The sheer power of the punch pushed him back several steps.
Even so, he held his ground and blocked the blow head-on.
And then
The building beneath them collapsed.
It couldn’t withstand the intensity of just two exchanges between the two powerhouses.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Chunks of stone rained down. Debris slammed into the street, and smaller shards grazed several nearby civilians.
"Run!"
Someone in the stunned crowd screamed.
What followed was chaos, screams, curses, shouts, and a panicked exodus. People fled like ants, scattering to the end of the street or rushing toward the nearest intersection.
They didn’t need to understand what was happening. Their instincts kicked in.
The instinct to run from monsters.
"What a mess..." Shanks sighed.
The moment the ground gave way, he had already leapt onto a more stable rooftop, standing calmly.
The old cat, however, had not been so graceful. His massive form crashed into the street below with a dull thud.
Even the ground seemed to groan under his weight.
One clean punch
No effect.
The cat-man growled and looked up, eyes locked onto the red-haired warrior. He raised his fist once more, ready to strike again.
"Koneko," Shanks said calmly, "you ate a Devil Fruit, didn’t you?"
That one word Devil Fruit broke through the cat-man’s fighting trance.
The beast halted mid-swing. A flicker of clarity crossed his eyes.
"...Did you say Devil Fruit?" he repeated.
"Yeah," Shanks nodded. "We can sit down and talk, if you’re up for it."
Seeing the old cat hesitate, Shanks lightly descended from the rooftop. He kept his distance, careful not to trigger another outburst.
"If you know about Devil Fruits, then either you’re from our world... or you’ve met people who are."
"You probably know who I am and where I come from. I want to exchange information. Mutually beneficial, of course."
Despite the earlier clash, Shanks wore the same easygoing smile as always. Warm, unthreatening.
"You..."
The old cat hesitated. His massive frame looked uncertain now, dwarfed by the presence of the much smaller red-haired man.
He wasn’t supposed to be the one doing the talking.
His job was to fight. That was all.
Negotiating, diplomacy, those were above his pay grade.
If only Teacher Hoshicai were awake... he’d know what to do.
"...Can you wake up my companion?" the old cat finally asked. "If you really want to talk... I’d rather he be present."
There was no reason to lie. He meant what he said.
Besides, based on their brief exchange, it was clear: he couldn’t beat this man.
Even though his transformation helped suppress negative emotions in combat, it didn’t erase logic, fear, or awareness.
Shanks was in a different league.
Two punches were all it took to make that clear.
"Is that your condition for starting the conversation?" Shanks grinned. "Sure. I can agree to that."
He gestured around at the destroyed street, the scattering crowd, the chaos. "Then let’s find a better spot to talk. Somewhere quieter."
But the old cat shook his head, unmoved.
"We wait here. Until my companion wakes up."
The distrust was obvious.
Shanks sighed, spreading his hands. "Fair enough."
Without further conflict, the two returned to the tea stall they had wrecked earlier. It was quiet now, save for the murmurs of those still peeking from a safe distance.
And yet, the chaos they caused hadn’t gone unnoticed.
This was Saki Castle, after all, one of the most vital cities in the Land of Fire, second only to Daimyo Mansion itself.
The disturbance had happened just across the street from the Saki family mansion.
And when word reached them that a distinguished guest had been caught up in an incident...
The current head of the Saki family, Nozomi Saki, immediately mobilized a retainer force to take control of the situation.
Dozens of samurai in matching uniforms arrived, some of them accompanied by ninjas.
Among them was Saki Yu, the family heir himself.
"...Mr. Shanks, what exactly are you doing?" Saki Yu asked, stepping forward.
His gaze shifted to the massive cat-man.
And then to the unconscious figures still slumped at the tea stall.
His expression hardened.
He couldn’t identify them clearly, the black robes and wide-brimmed hats obscured their faces.
But the ninja tool pouches at their waists told him everything he needed to know.
"...Mr. Shanks," he said gravely, "may I check their belongings?"
"They might be spies. From another country."
Although he had the authority to do it without asking, Saki Yu still showed courtesy. After all, it was Shanks who had captured them.
The Saki family showed absolute respect to this distinguished guest.
Beside him, the old cat’s body tensed.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Sakio."
Shanks clearly noticed the old cat’s unease. He raised a hand, signaling him to relax, then turned to Sakio.
"I don’t want to ruin the opportunity to communicate with them. So, could you please leave first?"
After a pause, he added, "I promise to restrain these people regardless of where they came from and not let them disturb the peace of this country."
Sakio said nothing at first. He merely turned his head, gazing coldly at the black-robed figures.
After a long silence, he sighed. "Of course. You are our honored guest. As long as you can fulfill your promise, the Saki family and the entire Land of Fire will return that trust accordingly."
Shanks nodded politely. "Thank you."
Saki Yu also nodded with a courteous expression before turning to the others.
"Regroup the team. And temporarily inform the public that this street is closed for maintenance."
With that, he quietly bid farewell to Shanks, granting him the entire street.
Soon, only a few figures remained, Old Cat, Shanks, and a few unconscious individuals by the tea stall.
"...They’re quite respectful toward you," the old cat said, a bit surprised. "The Saki family’s power in the Land of Fire is no joke, yet you’ve got them acting obedient."
He had witnessed the entire exchange between Shanks and the head of the Sasaki family.
The old cat was honestly disappointed. He had assumed that the ordinary people his teacher, Hoshicai, had warned him to be cautious of would be formidable but apparently, that wasn’t the case.
"Obedient?"
Shanks shook his head. "They’re simply asking me for something."
As he spoke, his gaze followed the retreating team. His brows furrowed slightly.
"Dealing with people like that is exhausting..."
---
Meanwhile
Saki Yu, who was leading the team out of East Street, suddenly halted, his expression darkening.
"Find out who those people are. Where they came from. When they entered the city. What identities they’ve assumed!"
"Yes!"
The adjutant beside him nodded and hurried off.
Saki Yu glanced back at East Street.
On a nearby corner, several residents, temporarily evacuated, stood murmuring anxiously.
"It doesn’t matter which village they’re from... I just hope they’re not with Konoha..."
---
"We are shinobi from the Hyuga clan."
Around a tea table, two people sat opposite each other, a man and a Hoshicai.
Several individuals stood behind the woman, watching the man across from them with tense vigilance.
On the table, the old cat had reverted to feline form, quietly listening to the conversation.
By evening, Hoshicai and the others finally began to stir from their coma.
Fortunately, it was Captain Hoshicai who awoke first, sparing the old cat the trouble of comforting the others or explaining his loyalty. Instead, the conversation resumed peacefully.
"My name is Hoshicai," he said, politely addressing the red-haired man across from him. "I’m the one in charge of this operation to investigate your identity."
Shanks, seated calmly across from him, responded in kind.
"My name is Shanks. I’m a pirate... and I come from another world."
His revelation didn’t startle them. Hoshicai and his team were already aware of this man’s origins.
Likewise, Shanks had realized early on that these people knew who he was.
"Well... before I explain our mission," Hoshicai began.
Shanks raised his hand, apologetically interrupting him.
"I’m sorry, but I need to ask something first. This question is very important to me, and depending on your answer... it may determine how much I’m willing to tell you."
His eyes sharpened.
"Are you... hostile toward the Land of Fire?"
"I hope you won’t lie. If you do, no matter who you are or where your power stems from. then, in keeping my promise, I’ll treat you as an enemy... and destroy you."
His tone was sincere but his words came off as arrogant.
He clearly didn’t understand the strength of the organizations in this world, and yet he boldly declared that if they stood in his way, he would consider them enemies. He didn’t seem concerned about whether he had the power to follow through.
Even though Hoshicai had been subdued by him without even being able to react, this level of self-assurance still struck him as excessive.
"...No."
Though such thoughts crossed his mind, Hoshicai still responded truthfully.
"The organization our Hyuga clan currently answers to is called Konoha. It’s a military force responsible for the defense and protection of the Land of Fire both internally and externally. Do you understand what I’m saying?"
"I do."
Shanks clapped lightly and smiled.
"Then dealing with you will be easier. Since you’re with the Land of Fire, I’ve no reason to consider you hostile. I’ve already cooperated with them. While they offer me assistance, I’ve agreed to some of their requests in return like ensuring their safety and refusing to align with their enemies."
"Their conditions were reasonable. So I accepted and intend to keep those promises."
Hoshicai nodded. He didn’t seem too concerned with the arrangement.
"Now, may I explain our mission?"
Shanks gestured lightly. "Go ahead, whatever you like."
"It’s like this"
Hoshicai leaned forward. "There are actually quite a few people like you in this world. Foreigners. Aliens. Not all of them have the same attitude toward our world.
"So whenever we detect someone from another world, our goal is to establish contact, understand their motives and temperament."
"If they pose a threat, we expel, contain, or if necessary... eliminate them."
He paused for emphasis.
"But if their intentions are peaceful, we Hyuga are more than willing to cooperate."
"That makes sense," Shanks nodded.
"As part of the military, we have access to domestic intelligence," Hoshicai continued.
"When certain unusual reports came in, we suspected an otherworlder might have appeared. So our team was dispatched to investigate."
He gave a faint, self-deprecating smile.
"And... well, you saw what happened. We were defeated before we could even probe you."
Shanks tilted his head. "Then what is Konoha’s or the Hyuga’s attitude toward me now?"
He had noticed something subtle: Hoshicai referred to "Hyuga" more often than "Konoha." It seemed this military group was a coalition of clans or factions, ones that weren’t necessarily aligned in thought or goals.
"I can’t speak on that." Hoshicai shook his head.
"Our mission is strictly reconnaissance. We pass information up the chain."
"However, our master left instructions: if you’re willing to sit and talk, we’d be happy to invite you to our estate. Or, if you prefer" he added, eyes meeting Shanks’ evenly,
"You may choose the time and place, and our master will come to meet you."
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