Chapter 30 — An Invitation from Shanks!
Kaido's colossal azure dragon body shot up into the sky, vanishing into the distance like a streak of lightning.
In an instant, the crushing pressure that had weighed down the air completely disappeared, leaving behind only silence and the smell of scorched earth.
Above the ruins of Dressrosa, only two forces remained—
the Red-Haired Pirates, and Akira.
"...Haa."
Shanks exhaled deeply.
With a casual motion, he drew his single arm back and slid Griffon into its sheath at his side.
Beside him, Benn Beckman lowered his rifle, faint trails of smoke still curling from the barrel.
The two men exchanged a glance—
and within that quiet look was the same wordless relief.
"Captain," Beckman spoke softly, his eyes still fixed on the thirty-meter-tall figure towering above the ruins.
"That man… is a serious problem."
Shanks nodded slowly.
Then he turned, raising his gaze to the "monster" looming above—
a being whose size and aura made even the giants of Elbaf seem small.
"Hey there!"
A grin spread naturally across Shanks' face, his usual confident charm returning.
"Kaido's gone now."
"Which means… you're a free man, aren't you?"
The towering demon's massive body lowered slightly.
Akira's burning eyes glowed from within the shadow of his horned face, looking down upon Shanks as thunder rolled faintly with his breath.
"Something like that," he replied, his deep voice rumbling like a storm cloud.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Shanks burst out laughing, his voice echoing across the sea breeze.
"In that case—since you're free now, what do you say?"
"Want to join my crew?"
He spread his arm wide with a bold smile that could command the world itself.
"On my ship, we could use another monster like you!"
"With your strength on our side, we could challenge—no, topple—the other three Yonko together!"
The Red-Haired Pirates behind him exchanged startled glances.
Lucky Roux nearly dropped the meat he'd been chewing on,
and Yasopp's eyes widened in disbelief.
A direct invitation from Captain Shanks—
that was rarer than gold itself.
But Akira simply shook his head.
"Not interested."
"Oh?"
Shanks' smile didn't fade in the slightest.
"Can I ask why?"
Akira's gaze slowly swept across the pirates before him—
from Shanks, to Beckman, to the rest of the Red-Haired crew standing watchfully on the ruins.
"Because…"
His words came low, heavy, and calm.
"Sooner or later—"
"we'll be enemies."
"..."
"..."
The air froze once again.
Every single Red Hair crewmember fell silent, their smiles hardening.
They had just driven away one Yonko—
and now, this creature dared to speak as if he intended to challenge another?!
But before tension could thicken further—
"Ha ha ha ha!!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!"
Shanks' laughter broke through it all, wild and unrestrained!
"Interesting!"
"Very interesting!!"
He wiped away a tear forming at the corner of his eye from laughing too hard,
then lifted his head once more, his gaze locking with Akira's burning eyes.
"Alright!"
"I'll remember those words!"
"I'll be waiting for that day to come!"
His smile sharpened into something fierce,
his presence shifting from friendly to lethal in an instant.
"But I'll warn you…"
"When that day arrives—"
"I won't hold back like I did today."
He rested his hand atop Griffon's hilt once more,
his crimson hair dancing in the sea wind.
"Let's see," he said, his voice low and steady—
"which one of us will stand victorious when that day finally comes."
Akira's reply was calm and cold.
"Very well."
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
The killing intent radiating from Shanks disappeared as quickly as it had come, vanishing like a gust of wind.
He waved his arm, and the overwhelming Conqueror's Haki that had been crushing the air faded instantly.
"Alright, that's enough!" he declared cheerfully. "The fight's over, the enemy's gone!"
"So you all know what comes next, right?"
He raised his voice with a grin.
"A party——!!!"
"WOOOOAAAAAAHH——!!!"
The Red-Haired Pirates erupted into wild cheers that shook the ruins of Dressrosa!
"Party?!"
At that same moment—
From the massive crater left by Kaido's destructive attack, a figure in white, covered in dust and blood, suddenly sat upright!
"Where?! Where's the party?!"
A pair of bright, ocean-blue eyes sparkled with the same fiery enthusiasm as when their owner practiced her "Layered Force Accumulation" technique!
It was Yamato.
Without even bothering to check her injuries, she snatched up the Hassaikai—Kaido's abandoned club—and began running, wobbling slightly as she climbed out of the crater.
"Akira!!!"
"Wait for me! I want to join the party too!!!"
Akira could only sigh helplessly, shaking his head at her reckless energy.
Shanks, however, only laughed even harder.
"Hahahaha! So Kaido's daughter's got quite the spirit too, huh?!"
He lifted a bottle of sake high into the air, his grin stretching from ear to ear.
"What do you say, Akira? Come drink with us!"
Akira remained silent for a moment.
His gaze wandered over the island—
to the ruins, to the Red Hair crew whose laughter filled the air despite the destruction.
Then, he nodded slowly.
"…Alright."
BOOM—
Before their stunned eyes, the thirty-meter-tall demonic form of Akira began to shrink rapidly—like a mountain collapsing into itself.
The black flames died out.
The divine wings vanished.
The fierce Oni horns receded back into his head.
And at last—
The figure that stood before them was that of a tall young man—
jet-black hair, obsidian eyes, standing at about three meters in height,
his presence still carrying the same crushing pressure as before.
"???"
The bottle of sake in Shanks' hand froze mid-air.
His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.
"Y-you…"
"You—you—you—"
He pointed at Akira, his mouth twitching.
"Did you just… shrink?!"
"I thought you were a Giant!?"
Shanks looked utterly baffled.
He felt like he had already used up his entire lifetime's quota of surprise in a single day.
"So you're…"
"…human?!"
Akira didn't bother responding.
He simply drove Murakumogiri and Hassaikai into the ground beside him, their massive blades standing like monuments amid the rubble.
"The party can start," he said calmly.
Then, after glancing around at the apocalyptic ruin surrounding them, he added,
"But first…"
He turned and began walking toward another figure still lying unconscious amid the debris—
one of the "extras" left behind from the battlefield.
Donquixote Doflamingo.
"Hey, Shanks," Akira called out, without even looking back.
"Drag him over here."
"Huh? Oh—sure."
Although Shanks didn't quite understand the reason, he waved a hand toward Beckman, who obediently grabbed the unconscious "Joker" by the collar and dragged him across the ground like a lifeless mutt.
SMACK!
Akira didn't even turn around.
His hand shot back casually—landing a slap that echoed like thunder.
SMACK!
SMACK!
SMACK!
The sound of repeated slaps resounded across the ruins, crisp and merciless.
"Ugh…"
Under that "gentle awakening service," Doflamingo finally stirred back to consciousness.
His dazed face now bore two blazing red handprints, and his sunglasses hung crookedly.
He blinked groggily—
only for his eyes to fall upon Akira, towering over him like a deity of judgment.
And behind Akira…
stood Red-Haired Shanks, smiling lightly.
"?!"
Doflamingo's mind went blank.
Kaido…?
Where was Kaido?!
Why—
why were Akira and Shanks standing there together?!
Could it be—
The unthinkable thought slammed into his mind like a hammer.
"Kaido… lost?"
"Did they… defeat him together?!"
"Then the winner is… Akira?!"
Doflamingo froze in pure disbelief.
"Stop staring into space, Doflamingo."
Akira's cold voice rolled across the air like a decree.
"Listen carefully."
"From today onward—"
"Dressrosa is under my control."
Doflamingo's entire body shook violently, his eyes widening.
"Y-you…"
"You're going to stay here," Akira continued, cutting him off before he could even protest.
"The black market business will continue as usual."
"You'll keep working—and earn money for me."
"Of course…"
He pointed toward the enormous rift splitting the island in half.
"Your first job—"
"Tell that subordinate of yours… Pica, right?"
"Tell him to use his power to rebuild this damn island."
"..."
Doflamingo stiffly turned his head toward the gaping abyss.
Then toward what used to be King Plateau—now reduced to rubble.
He swallowed hard, barely believing his own eyes.
These monsters…
had literally split Dressrosa in two.
"Get moving!"
Akira kicked him hard, sending him stumbling forward.
"Y-yes! Y-yes!! Right away!!"
Doflamingo scrambled to his feet and started running, half-stumbling, half-crawling.
He didn't dare utter a single complaint.
Now, he understood completely.
Kaido? Joker?
None of it mattered anymore.
Before this unpredictable monster—
this being even more terrifying than Kaido himself—
Donquixote Doflamingo was nothing but a dog.
"Pica!!"
"Pica!! Where the hell are you?!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Get out here and start working!!"
Moments later—
Under Doflamingo's "loving encouragement," Pica, who had been knocked unconscious by Yamato's earlier attack, slowly emerged.
When he saw the island literally split apart before him, he froze in shock—
but under Doflamingo's glare, he didn't dare speak.
"Ishi Ishi no Mi… Merging!"
Activating his awakened ability, Pica's body transformed into a colossal stone giant that rose high into the clouds.
He began to move, using his power to "stitch" the two halves of Dressrosa back together.
And Doflamingo wasn't idle either.
"Birdcage—!"
No, not Birdcage.
His awakened strings turned into thousands of thick "threads" that acted like massive sewing wires.
Using them, he pulled together the shattered cliffs and chunks of land from the ocean,
working in tandem with Pica to mend and reinforce the island's broken body.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!"
Shanks burst out laughing at the sight of the grand reconstruction.
"Akira, you're unbelievable!"
"Already thinking about rebuilding after the war, huh?!"
He slapped Akira's shoulder heartily.
"Come on!"
"Let them handle it!"
"We—"
"—are having a party!!!"
"WOOOOO——!!!"
"MEAT! MEAT! MEAT!!!"
Yamato was the first to dash off, swinging Hassaikai over her shoulder as she charged toward the mountain of food the Red-Haired Pirates had set out.
Akira finally exhaled softly.
He glanced at the two Shichibukai working in the distance,
sweating bullets as they rebuilt the island brick by brick.
Then, turning to his side,
he watched Shanks' crew eating and drinking, their laughter echoing under the crimson sky.
For the first time,
a faint smile crossed Akira's lips.
The long, arduous plan to escape from Onigashima—
was finally complete.
And now…
His next destination—
was the entire world.
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