As soon as Yasopp spoke, Uta froze completely.
She slowly turned her head, looking at Yasopp with disbelief, her voice trembling, “What did you…
what did you just say?”
“I said, the ones who ruined your family and destroyed your home were us pirates!”
Yasopp roared, his face covered in sweat, “You were only two years old at the time, stuffed in a box and kidnapped by those pirates!
If you hadn’t run into us, you probably would have been sold off to a slave market long ago!
So, to repay us for saving your life, please act as our hostage and guarantee our safe passage!”
Immediately after, Yasopp turned his gaze back to Raizen.
“You’re a Marine.
You definitely wouldn’t just stand by and watch an innocent girl die right in front of you, right?”
He was gambling.
Gambling that Raizen wasn’t a hardliner like Sakazuki, and gambling that Raizen would be willing to let them go for the sake of an innocent girl.
At this moment, it was as if all the strength had been drained from Uta’s body.
She went completely limp, and if Yasopp hadn’t been gripping her shoulder, she would have collapsed to her knees right then and there.
Shanks’ eyes were bloodshot.
“Yasopp!
Let Uta go right now!”
“Captain, I’m doing this for the Red Hair Pirates!”
Yasopp let out a neurotic laugh.
“You were thinking the exact same thing, weren’t you, Captain?
You were a crewmate on the Pirate King Roger’s ship, a great pirate destined to make a name for yourself across the seas!
Didn’t you adopt Uta just to use her in a situation like this?”
“Bastard!”
Shanks cursed furiously, but he didn’t dare make a move.
Given Yasopp’s strength and Uta’s frail physique, even he couldn’t manage to save her from this distance.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Raizen looked down at Yasopp and Uta, then suddenly burst into laughter.
He pulled out a cigar case, drew one out, and placed it between his lips.
Snapping the fingers of his right hand, a flame appeared out of thin air, igniting the cigar before vanishing.
“Sure enough, you pirates might come in all shapes and sizes, but your despicable nature is remarkably consistent.”
Raizen looked up at the sky and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.
He had established his principles early on: a justice that clearly distinguished right from wrong.
Justice should be upheld, and evil should be punished.
Justice delayed is justice denied, and evil, no matter when it arrives, remains evil.
It was that simple.
Whenever faced with a dilemma, he would ask himself internally how the police or the soldiers from his past life would handle the situation.
And then, he would have his answer.
Right now, he had found his answer once again.
Raizen spoke softly, “I have to admit, Yasopp, out of all the pirates I’ve met so far, you are the one I want to kill the most!”
As he finished speaking, the purple lightning around Raizen’s body condensed further, transforming into black and white.
The intense pressure caused the Red Hair Pirates below to break out in cold sweat.
‘This monster…
he’s actually still getting stronger!’
“Thunder Dragon Body Third Stage, Activate!”
Raizen sheathed Nidai Onimaru, assuming a quick-draw stance.
This terrified Shanks, who immediately reached out to stop him.
“Thunder Slash!”
Black and white lightning flashed past Shanks in an instant, Raizen’s blade aimed straight at Yasopp!
The next moment, blood sprayed through the air.
Yasopp’s body was cleaved cleanly in half by Raizen’s strike, his blood splattering all over the deck!
“Yasopp!”
Shanks’ eyes practically bulged with rage.
He drew Gryphon from his waist once more and unleashed a horizontal slash at Raizen, who was now standing behind Uta.
“Divine Departure!”
Seeing this, Raizen scoffed coldly.
‘I just chopped down Yasopp instead of you, didn’t I?’
Using the power of the wind, he levitated Uta and Nidai Onimaru into the air, wrapping both of his fists in crackling lightning.
‘You thought I was a swordsman?
No, I’m actually a master of hand-to-hand combat.
Don’t forget whose disciple I am, you bastard!’
“Mythical Beast Fist: Thunder Dragon God!”
Raizen exploded forward, kicking up several golden shockwaves.
Moving at a speed Shanks couldn’t even track, Raizen slammed his fist squarely into Shanks’ chest!
“Gah!”
Shanks spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes rolling back as he plummeted straight toward the sea.
Raizen reached out, calling Nidai Onimaru back to his hand.
He lowered his stance and prepared to draw his blade.
“Thunder Slash!”
The black and white lightning reappeared, Raizen’s blade aiming straight for Red-Haired Shanks’ head!
Just then, an emerald-green flying slash infused with immense Conqueror’s Haki suddenly tore through the air from a distance, heading unerringly toward Raizen’s exact position!
‘An emerald-green flying slash?
What powerful Conqueror’s Haki!’
Raizen shifted his body to dodge, causing his blade to slice through Shanks’ arm instead, severing it completely!
The emerald-green flying slash grazed past Raizen and eventually vanished over the ocean.
Raizen grabbed Shanks’ severed arm and casually tossed it into the sea.
He then rested his hand on Nidai Onimaru, his sharp gaze fixed on the man who had suddenly appeared to catch Shanks.
“Hawkeye?
I recall you just became one of the Seven Warlords.
What, are you already picking fights with the Marines?”
Hawkeye—Dracule Mihawk, one of the Seven Warlords and the current World’s Strongest Swordsman.
His swordsmanship was unparalleled, and at this point in time, his strength should be approaching, or perhaps even touching, the level of an Admiral or Emperor!
Raizen frowned slightly.
Given his current stamina and injuries, getting into another fight with Hawkeye would put him at a severe disadvantage.
This was the drawback of the Thunder Dragon Body’s third stage.
The power boost was immense, but its sustainability was truly lacking.
Hawkeye drew the Supreme Grade Sword from his back, the Black Blade Yoru, his expression calm.
“Shanks is my friend.
I ask that you do not make things difficult for him.
If you haven’t fought to your heart’s content, how about exchanging a few blows with me?”
His gaze swept over Raizen’s Nidai Onimaru, instantly recognizing it as one of the 21 Great Grade Swords.
He had watched the battle between this man and Shanks from afar.
His swordsmanship was quite good, but it was a pity he had eaten a Devil Fruit, meaning he wasn’t a pure swordsman.
If it were a different time and place, he would have been very interested in sparring with Raizen.
Feeling the rapid drain of his stamina, Raizen weighed his options and ultimately accepted the fact that Hawkeye was rescuing Shanks.
He really couldn’t afford to fight Hawkeye right now, but he had done the Lord of the Coast’s job by chopping off one of Shanks’ arms, so it wasn’t a total loss.
Furthermore, the arm he had just thrown away bore no mark, which meant Shanks’ Shallow Sea Contract was still on him—specifically, on his other arm!
‘Heh, Shanks is caught between a rock and a hard place now.’
‘If he wants to break free from Imu’s control, he’ll have to chop off his other arm too.
But if he keeps it to preserve his combat strength, it means he’ll remain under Imu’s control forever.’
‘He’s completely backed into a corner.’
‘Didn’t you want to find the Nika Fruit, Shanks?
Didn’t you want to find Joy Boy?
Let’s see how you manage that now!’
‘I bet the moment Shanks gets his hands on the Nika Fruit, Imu will control him and force him to return to Mary Geoise!’
‘Will you be Imu’s dog, or a crippled man with no arms?
Choose carefully, Shanks!
Hahaha!’
Raizen gave Hawkeye a profound look before taking Uta and flying off toward Foosha Village.