novelnext Chapter 195 Departure from Wano Country
Chapter 195 Departure from Wano Country
Chapter 195 Departure from Wano Country
Shanks has finished speaking.
His voice faded into the air, like smoke blown away by the wind.
The deck was so quiet that you could hear the waves lapping against the hull, rhythmic and relentless.
Bai Yu closed her eyes.
He needs time to think.
Every word Shanks had just said was swirling and colliding in his mind: the bloodline of the giants, the power of the contract, Harald's death, Im's existence, Loki's revenge—these pieces of information were piecing together a complete, clear, and chilling picture in his mind.
This guy named Im is playing a game of chess.
It's a game of chess that's been played for eight hundred years, and everyone is a pawn in it, maintaining the world and its rules.
Harald is a piece on the board, Loki is another uncontrolled piece, and Elbaf is a corner of the whole game.
By manipulating Harald, Im not only eliminated a powerful king who disobeyed the World Government, but also wanted to create a tool for himself to stir up the world, namely the warriors of the Giant Kingdom. Unfortunately, his plan was thwarted by the unexpected appearance of Loki.
What would happen if Loki really declared war on the World Government?
The World Government will retaliate; the Navy will be mobilized. The Admirals will join the battle; the Five Elders and the World Government's hidden forces will be deployed, plunging the world into even deeper turmoil.
Im will sit on the throne in the void, watching all this happen, with a smile on his lips that has never changed in eight hundred years.
That was his plan.
That was his goal.
Bai Yu opened his eyes and looked at Shanks.
"What do you want to do?"
Shanks met Bai Yu's gaze and said, word by word, "I want to capture Loki before he self-destructs."
Bai Yu remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"Loki is currently in the waters around Elbaf. After killing Harald, he is preparing to declare war on the World Government."
"But he hasn't gone too far yet."
"He is still preparing, but he cannot accomplish this on his own."
"If we can find Loki before his plan is completed, and control him—not kill him, but control him—we can stop this war and stop him from self-destructing."
"and then?"
Bai Yu asked, "What happens after we control him?"
"Then trap him in Elbaf."
Shanks said, "Let him stay in the land of the giants, but don't let him leave Elbaf. We need to stop him from going to Im, until..."
Shanks paused for a moment.
"Until what?"
"Until we have enough power."
Shanks looked into Bai Yu's eyes, his gaze as firm as an iron nail driven into a rock.
"Im cannot be defeated by one person, not me, not you, not anyone. Im has lived for eight hundred years. For eight hundred years, he has been accumulating power, plotting, and waiting. His power is beyond our comprehension. If we go to him now, we will only face death."
"But the future is uncertain."
"Loki's power is essential in the future. If used properly, it can be the key to fighting Im, but only if Loki is alive in the future and stands on our side, while we wait for the legendary giant to appear."
"If he goes to find Im now, he will be absent in the future. And his absence could cost us all, the whole world, an unbearable price."
After Shanks finished speaking, he extended his hand.
The empty sleeve fluttered in the wind, and the remaining hand was outstretched in front of Bai Yu, palm facing up, fingers slightly spread.
"Bai Yu, I need you."
"I need your strength, your wisdom, your judgment. I need you and your partners, and I also need Hawkeye's power."
"Come with me to Elbaf, catch Loki with me, and stop this pointless war with me."
"It's not for me, not for the Red-Haired Pirates, not for anyone."
"7
"It's for the sake of this world."
Shanks' voice echoed in the wind.
Bai Yu stared at the outstretched hand and remained silent for a long time.
Then he turned to look at Mihawk.
Mihawk remained leaning against the mast, holding the glass of red wine once more.
He had been listening intently, not missing a single word, but his expression remained unchanged from beginning to end, still that cold, deep-sea-like, bone-deep aloofness.
"Hawkeye".
Bai Yu said.
"Um.
""
What do you think?
Mihawk paused for three seconds, then picked up his glass, took a sip, and swallowed softly, almost inaudibly, as the liquor rolled down his throat.
Loki.
Mihawk spoke, his voice as calm as if he were talking about the weather.
"I saw him once, a crazy young man with a fire burning in his eyes."
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Mihawk's gaze drifted into the distance, as if he were recalling something.
"He can shatter a mountain with a casual wave of his hand. If he can master his skills, he will become a terrifying monster."
"But he was too impatient."
There was a hint of regret in Mihawk's voice.
"People who are too impatient don't live long."
Bai Yu looked at Mihawk, waiting for him to continue.
Mihawk put down his glass and looked at Bai Yu.
"If what Shanks said is true, if Loki really wants to fight that thing, then he does need to be stopped, just like Shanks said."
"There is nothing wrong with seeking revenge against the World Government. The World Government should indeed change, the Five Elders should indeed be tried, and the Celestial Dragons should indeed be brought down from their pedestals. But revenge should not come at the cost of sacrificing the fate of this world."
"Loki has the right to be angry, but he doesn't have the right to make everyone pay for it."
After Mihawk finished speaking, he closed his eyes.
His attitude is already very clear.
Bai Yu nodded, then turned to look at Shanks.
Shanks remained motionless, his hand outstretched, palm up.
His face was expressionless, devoid of any smile or other emotion. Only a calm, earnest, and resolute wait.
Bai Yu looked at the hand, then smiled.
He reached out and took Shanks' hand.
Shanks' hands were hot, as hot as a burning flame.
But that warmth wasn't scorching or painful; it was a gentle, comforting warmth. Like someone handing you a cup of hot wine on a cold winter night.
"it is good."
Bai Yu said, "One word."
Simple, straightforward, without any unnecessary embellishments.
A smile finally returned to Shanks' face.
That smile wasn't the bright, carefree smile from before, but a quieter, deeper, and more reassuring one.
It's like someone who has carried a heavy burden for a long time, finally finding someone to walk alongside.
"Thank you, Bai Yu."
Shanks' voice sounded excited.
Bai Yu shook his head.
"You're welcome. You're right. This isn't for any one person; it's for the world. But I have even more faith in my own strength and that of my companions. I mean, if this so-called Void King ever comes to provoke me, I won't hold back."
He released his grip, stood up, and turned to look at the crew of the Dawn.
Rangiku was the first to step forward.
Her face was still flushed from the alcohol, but her eyes were completely clear.
"Captain, I'll go wherever you go."
She said it in a casual tone, as if she were talking about what to eat for dinner.
Robin closed the book in her hand, stood up, patted the wrinkles on her skirt, and then looked at Bai Yu with a slight smile.
"I've always wanted to visit Elbaf. I've heard that the library there has some very old documents. If I can, I'd like to go and see them."
Violet didn't speak; she simply walked quietly to Bai Yu's side and stood to his right. She had done this many times before, each time with the same quiet, firm, and unwavering demeanor.
She doesn't need to speak.
Her position is her answer.
Artoria stood still, her arms crossed in front of her chest, her golden hair fluttering in the wind.
Her expression was serious, but there was a light in her eyes, a light that only appeared when she was about to step onto the battlefield.
"If the goal is to stop a pointless war, then I am willing to offer my sword."
Her voice was soft, but firm.
Bai Yu looked at them and nodded.
Then he turned to look at Retsu Unohana.
Retsu Unohana remained seated, holding the sleeping Kanna in her arms.
She had been listening the whole time, but she hadn't said a word.
Her expression remained gentle and quiet, as if she were listening to a story that had nothing to do with her.
But Bai Yu knew that she had heard every single word.
"And you?" Bai Yu asked.
Retsu Unohana lowered her head and looked at Kanna in her arms. Kanna was sleeping soundly, a satisfied smile on her little face, with traces of barbecue sauce still on the corner of her mouth.
She reached out and gently wiped the sauce from the corner of Kanna's mouth with her sleeve.
Then she looked up at Bai Yu.
There was something in her eyes that Bai Yu rarely saw.
That's an interest.
No, it's not just an interest.
That's anticipation.
A deep, quiet expectation, like an undercurrent hidden beneath a stagnant pool.
"Elbaf, Loki—"
She spoke softly, as if savoring the taste of the name.
"The land of giants, the homeland of warriors, the place where the strongest race in the world lives, and Loki, is he the strongest of them all?"
She smiled.
That smile was completely different from the gentle one just now.
It was a smile as sharp as a blade.
"I really want to see what the blood of the so-called strongest Titan tastes like."
Bai Yu looked at her smile and remained silent for a second.
Then he turned his head and looked at Shanks and Mihawk.
"When do we leave?"
Shanks looked at the sky. The sun was already setting in the west, and the sky had turned from azure to orange-red. The sea was covered with a layer of shattered gold light.
"With each passing day, he gets one step closer to the border of Elbaf, but he's not in a particular hurry. He's still testing his strength. He seems to only believe in his own strength, but he's not just a simple brute."
"Let's set off now, but I'll go to Wano Country first, because that's one of our destinations, and there might be something we want there."
Bai Yu said, his voice carrying an undeniable decisiveness.
"We'll split into two groups. Shanks, you and Mihawk go ahead to scout out the outskirts of Elbaf and find out Loki's exact location. I'll take the Dawnbreaker to Wano Country first, and then we'll enter Elbaf's territorial waters after that."
Shanks nodded.
"Alright, Beckman, get ready to set sail."
Beckman took out a cigarette case from his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, but didn't light it. He glanced at Shanks, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Captain, you really can't sit still for a moment."
"Hahahaha—Let's go first and wait for Bai Yu-jun for a month—"
Shanks laughed and turned to walk toward his ship.
Mihawk also stood up, handed his glass of red wine to a red-haired crew member next to him, and then turned and walked toward the ship's railing.
He stepped over the gunwale and onto the black coffin ship.
The boat swayed beneath his feet for a moment, then stabilized, as if it were rooted to the surface of the sea.
He stood at the bow of the ship, his back to everyone, facing the sea. Black Blade Night hung motionless on his back, like a silent tombstone.
Then he turned his head and glanced at Bai Yu.
"Don't keep me waiting too long."
He said his voice was as calm as if he were stating something obvious.
Bai Yu smiled.
No, it won't.
Mihawk said nothing more. He turned his head, and the sails unfurled in the wind like a black bird spreading its wings.
The coffin boat silently left the red-haired man's ship and sailed into the depths of the sea.
Shanks stood at the bow of his ship, looking in the direction Mihawk had left, then turned to Bai Yu and shouted, "Bai Yu! We're waiting for you outside Elbaf! Don't be late!"
"knew!"
Bai Yu answered loudly.
Shanks smiled, then turned and walked into the cabin.
The Red-Haired Pirates' ship also began to move.
The sails billowed in the wind, and the ship cleaved through the waves, leaving a white trail on the sea.
The two ships disappeared one after the other at the horizon.
Bai Yu stood on the deck of the Dawnbreaker, looking in the direction they had disappeared, and remained silent for a long time.
The sea breeze blew from the front, making his clothes flutter.
The sun had already set below the horizon; half of the sun had sunk into the water, while the other half still floated in the sky.
"captain."
Robin walked up to him, her voice very soft.
"Um?"
"What are you thinking about?"
Bai Yu was silent for a second, then smiled.
"I'm thinking that the world is much bigger than I imagined."
"It's also much more dangerous."
Robin added.
Bai Yu nodded.
"Yes. It's much more dangerous too."
He turned and looked at everyone on the deck.
Rangiku has fully regained consciousness and is inspecting her Zanpakuto, its blade gleaming coldly in the setting sun.
Violet stood beside the mast, posing, her eyes gazing into the distance, her pupils reflecting something only she could see.
Artoria sat in a corner of the deck, wiping her holy sword with a cloth.
Retsu Unohana stood up, holding Kanna in her arms. Kanna was still asleep and had no idea what had just happened.