At the moment Red Hair landed at the Sea-Suppressing Star Hub.
On the edge of the Totto Land maritime territory, several ships flying the "God Meteor Pirate Crew" flag were sailing towards the Sea-Suppressing Star Hub.
Figures of Celestial Dragons could be seen on the decks of the ships.
They wore the iconic spacesuit-style clothing and were wiping weapons such as muskets and swords.
A wooden board stood on the deck of one ship.
Three photos were pasted on the board.
They were the wanted posters of Boa Hancock, Nico Robin, and Nami.
A male Celestial Dragon glanced at the photos on the board and revealed an excited smile.
"For the top three in the competition, in addition to a Devil Fruit, a Supreme Grade Blade, and voting rights for the Five Elders family, one can also choose a top-quality slave."
"Save the 'Demon Child' Nico Robin for me."
Beside him, a young Celestial Dragon with silver hair revealed a smile full of bloodthirsty madness.
"Let this year's hunting begin quickly; my sword is already thirsty."
"I heard the island in the center of Totto Land is full of women."
"I like killing women the most."
A slender female Celestial Dragon with wheat-colored skin passed by. Hearing their words, she said with a lack of interest:
"Boring. I still prefer male slaves."
"Leave that Fifth Emperor Luo Chen for me. It must be very interesting to domesticate him into a dog, right?"
"..."
At the edge of the deck, the Marines and World Government agents responsible for guarding seemed not to hear anything as they gazed at the distant sea surface.
They had received orders: as soon as Luo Chen was defeated, they would lead the Celestial Dragons to land on the Sea-Suppressing Star Hub and officially start the hunting event.
Except for the three prizes—Nico Robin, Nami, and Boa Hancock—no one else was to be left alive!
...
Sea-Suppressing Star Hub, Northern Sea Surface.
A ship drifted alone with the waves.
On the deck, five tall figures stood erect, silently gazing at the Chinese-style island ahead.
Suddenly, someone spoke complainingly: "Mr. Sakazuki, it's very boring."
"How long do we have to wait before we start fighting?"
"Even if we take action, shouldn't we, the Marine Admirals who are the World Government's highest combat power, be the vanguard?"
"Why are we made to wait here instead?"
Akainu, standing in the middle of the five, held a cigar in his mouth and said with a grim expression:
"Act according to orders."
Sakazuki glanced at the green-haired middle-aged man and said in a deep voice: "Greenbull, put away your lazy appearance. Fighting Luo Chen, if you are even slightly careless, you might die."
For this new Admiral who was exceptionally promoted during the World Military Draft, Sakazuki felt it necessary to give a few more reminders.
After all, Ryokugyu had never fought against Luo Chen.
He hadn't seen with his own eyes how Luo Chen captured two Marine Admirals alive at Marineford.
He hadn't seen with his own eyes how Luo Chen sank Marine Headquarters single-handedly.
Even though Sakazuki was now the Fleet Admiral, he dared not have any negligence.
Ryokugyu smiled indifferently, his gaze behind his sunglasses looking to the side.
"Brother Borsalino, why are you standing so straight? Your muscles are stiff."
He raised his hand and pinched Kizaru's tight arm under his suit sleeve.
After entering Marine Headquarters, Kizaru had always appeared lazy.
But in the past few days, ever since learning about the crusade against Luo Chen, he had been frowning daily, without a smile on his face.
Seeing him, he was always sighing, seemingly very worried.
After infiltrating the Totto Land maritime territory today, his face was faintly dark.
Ryokugyu could sense that this Brother Borsalino was very nervous right now.
Kizaru looked at him with a bitter expression and said nothing.
Sigh... I really didn't want to come.
No sense of security at all.
Kizaru used his peripheral vision to size up the people around him.
On the left was Ryokugyu, who had just become a Marine Admiral.
On the right was Sakazuki, who had just become the Fleet Admiral.
To Sakazuki's right were Aokiji and Monkey D. Garp.
At this moment, Aokiji and Monkey D. Garp were expressionless, like stone men without emotions.
Kizaru couldn't read any emotions or thoughts from the two.
"I'm always a bit panicked." Kizaru touched his chest; he inexplicably felt heart palpitations.
This feeling of panic and trepidation was getting stronger and stronger.
So strong that he felt his muscles were somewhat disobedient.
"It should be fine. Even if we can't beat him, running shouldn't be a problem."
Kizaru comforted himself in his heart.
Judging from previous situations, Luo Chen had no good way to deal with the Five Elders and the God's Knights, nor could he face a siege from multiple strong enemies.
Even if there really was an accident, Kizaru was prepared to run away.
If the situation wasn't right, he would retreat.
At worst, he would quit being a Marine Admiral.
...
Sea-Suppressing Star Hub, South Port.
Luo Chen rejected Red Hair's alliance proposal.
An alliance was for when both sides had equal strength.
With Red Hair's strength, ally with him?
Surrendering to be his subordinate would be more like it.
Shanks was silent, then suddenly smiled: "They say visitors from afar are guests. Although my visit today is presumptuous, I am also worried about being discovered by the World Government and the Marines."
"Why not treat me and Benn Beckman to a pot of wine, let us rest for a night before leaving?"
"We can also make friends over wine and have a good discussion."
Luo Chen stared at him, a glint appearing in his black pupils.
Spirit Vision Eye.
An Observation Haki enchantment characteristic that could glimpse the soul.
He always felt that the Red Hair Shanks today spoke a bit strangely.
He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was incongruous.
The moment the Spirit Vision Eye was activated, the world in Luo Chen's eyes changed.
The world became dim, and people's physical bodies became illusionary and transparent, like phantoms.
Inside every transparent shell, there was a flame-like white light flickering.
That was the human soul.
Benn Beckman beside Shanks had a white soul light in his body.
Enel, Shiryu of the Rain, Byrnndi World, and the others behind them also had white light in their bodies.
Only Shanks himself had an empty body, a pitch-black void where no soul could be seen.
Luo Chen faintly saw a translucent colored thread.
One end of the translucent colored thread was inside Shanks' body, and the other end extended far away, finally drilling into the void and disappearing.
"Where is the soul?" Luo Chen was puzzled.
There was no soul in Shanks' body.
"Normal people all have souls."
"The ones I suspected of having no souls in their bodies before were the Five Elders and the God's Knights."
"Their souls are stored in the 'Phantom Room'."
"Shanks should have a soul in his body; his severed arm clearly does not possess the characteristic of immortality."
"This guy, could he be a fake?"
Thinking of this, Luo Chen's thoughts suddenly cleared.
Shanks was different from the God's Knights and the Five Elders.
His fleshly body could have an arm bitten off by the Lord of the Coast, proving he did not possess the characteristic of immortality.
The soul and the flesh were in a normal binding relationship and were not stored in the Phantom Room.
With no soul in the body, it was highly probable that the Shanks before him was not Shanks himself.
Instead, it was one of the God's Knights or the Five Elders in disguise.
Perhaps it was Shanks' compatriot brother, the Captain of the God's Knights, Figarland Shamrock.
Luo Chen switched back to normal vision and observed Shanks.
"The scars on the face, the severed left arm, they all look real. Is it a disguise?"
Figarland Shamrock and Shanks still had slight differences in appearance.
But looking at him now, the appearance was Shanks.
If it were a simple disguise, Luo Chen could see through it.
The opponent had obviously used other means.
"Clone-Clone Fruit?"
"Bon Kurei's Clone-Clone Fruit seems unable to change other people's appearance."
"What other fruit can change appearance?"
Luo Chen thought of a person, and his gaze turned to one of the six figures behind Shanks.
Catarina Devon, the user of the Mythical Zoan Nine-Tailed Fox Fruit.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]