The departure from Dressrosa was not a mere sailing; it was a cosmic migration.
Under the direction of Sith Auguro, the Holy Spirit Empire began its official ascent toward the Red Line. The "Senkaimon"—the massive World Gate—had been anchored to the very foundations of the island. Instead of the island simply sitting in the sea, the spiritual power of Ichibei Hyosube and Tenjirō Kirinji had elevated the entire landmass, surrounded by a shimmering barrier of Reishi. To the rest of the world, it appeared as if a continent were flying through the clouds, leaving a trail of white spirit particles in its wake.
On the "deck" of this flying fortress—the central palace balcony—Auguro stood with his hands behind his back. Beside him, the newly appointed 4th Division Captain, Trafalgar Law, was looking at a series of medical scrolls provided by Hanatarō. Law's eyes were wide, his usual stoicism replaced by a scholar's hunger.
"This 'Kaidō'... it's not just healing," Law muttered, his voice raspy with awe. "It's the restructuring of spiritual components. You're telling me I can perform surgery on a soul without touching the physical body?"
"In the Divine Realm, the body is merely a vessel," Auguro replied without turning. "The soul is the blueprint. Master this, Law, and you will find that the Ope Ope no Mi was merely a toy in the hands of a child."
Before Law could respond, the atmosphere shifted. The warm, humid air of the New World was suddenly cut by a sharp, chilling breeze. It wasn't the cold of winter, but the cold of a sharpened blade.
"Ho ho," Ichibei chuckled, appearing suddenly beside Auguro. The Monk was stroking his beard, his white eyes fixed on a point in the distance where the clouds were being split in two. "It seems the 'noisy' ones are here. And this one... his name has quite a bit of weight to it."
Emerging from the mist ahead was a single ship. It wasn't a fleet, nor was it a Marine battleship. It was a galleon with a carved red dragon figurehead—the Red Force.
Standing on the prow was a man with vibrant red hair, wearing a simple white shirt and a black cloak that fluttered in the wind. His left sleeve was empty, pinned to his chest. Even from miles away, the pressure of his Conqueror's Haki was so immense that the sea beneath the Red Force remained perfectly still, as if the water itself were afraid to ripple.
"Shanks," Auguro whispered, a small smile playing on his lips. "The gatekeeper of the Old Era."
As the flying island of Dressrosa drew closer, Shanks didn't draw his sword, Gryphon. Instead, he looked up at the floating mass of land with a look of profound melancholy.
"I've seen many things in these seas," Shanks' voice boomed, carrying across the sky through sheer force of will. "I've seen islands in the sky and cities under the sea. But a man who carries the world of the dead on his shoulders? That's a first."
Auguro gestured with his hand. The spiritual barrier surrounding the palace parted. "Red-Haired Shanks. You've come a long way from the shores of the New World. Are you here to offer your head, or do you wish to negotiate for the World Government?"
Shanks laughed, though there was no humor in it. With a single leap, he vanished from his ship and reappeared on the palace balcony, landing softly ten feet from Auguro. Immediately, the Zero Division members reacted.
Tenjirō Kirinji moved with a speed that blurred reality, his Kinpika paddle hovering inches from Shanks' neck. Ichibei didn't move, but the ink from his brush began to drip onto the floor, forming a pool of void-black darkness.
"Easy now, boys," Shanks said, his eyes remaining fixed on Auguro. He didn't even look at the weapons pointed at him. "I didn't come here to fight. I came to ask a question. Auguro... do you know what happens when the balance is tipped too far?"
"The balance you protect is a cage," Auguro stepped forward, his own Reiatsu flaring out—a golden, kingly pressure that clashed with Shanks' red Haki. The air between them groaned, and lightning—both purple and red—began to arc across the balcony. "You want to keep the world in a state of 'peaceful stagnation' so that the 'D' can eventually fulfill a prophecy. But I am not interested in prophecies. I am the Soul King. My order is absolute."
Shanks narrowed his eyes. "The Gorosei are terrified. They are preparing to wake the ancient weapons. If you march on Mary Geoise now, you won't just destroy the World Government—you'll burn the world to the ground."
"Then let it burn," Auguro replied. "From the ashes, I will weave a Soul Society that does not require the permission of the Celestial Dragons to exist."
The tension reached a breaking point. Shanks' hand finally moved to the hilt of Gryphon. "I can't let you pass, Auguro. Not until I know if you're a savior or just a new kind of tyrant."
Clang!
The sound of the clash was so loud it shattered the windows of the palace for miles. But it wasn't Auguro who had blocked Shanks.
Kirinji's paddle had intercepted the blade. The "Hot Spring Demon" was grinning, his pompadour vibrating from the force of the impact. "Hey, Red-Hair! You're fast, I'll give you that. But you're trying to touch the King without even saying hello to the guards? That's bad manners."
"Move, Kirinji," Auguro commanded quietly.
Kirinji hesitated, then shrugged and stepped back. "Suit yourself, Boss. But don't blame me if he gets blood on the carpet."
Auguro drew the Origin. The blade was unremarkable in its sealed state, looking like a simple katana. But as he held it, the spirit of every Zanpakutō he had ever summoned pulsed through the steel.
"One strike, Shanks," Auguro said. "If you can stand after one strike, I will listen to your 'balance.' If not... you will step aside and watch as I tear down the Red Line."
Shanks took a wide stance, his Haki reaching its absolute peak. The sky above them split—literally. The clouds moved in opposite directions as the two powers collided.
"Divine Departure!" Shanks roared, swinging his blade in a massive horizontal arc of crimson energy.
Auguro didn't dodge. He didn't use a complicated technique. He simply whispered a name.
"All Things in the Universe, Turn to Ashes... Ryūjin Jakka."
A pillar of fire erupted from the Origin that made the sun look like a candle. The heat was so intense that the stone of the palace instantly turned to lava. The crimson Haki of the Yonko met the primordial flames of the strongest fire-type Zanpakutō.
The explosion blew the Red Force back several miles into the sea. When the smoke cleared, the balcony was gone. Only a floating platform of spirit particles remained.
Shanks was standing, but his cloak was scorched, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. His sword was glowing red-hot. He looked at Auguro, who hadn't moved a single inch from his original position.
"That fire..." Shanks coughed, a look of grim realization on his face. "It's not just heat. It's... the end of everything."
"It is the flame of purgatory," Auguro said, the fire receding back into his blade. "Now, Red-Hair. Will you continue to stand in the way of the inevitable?"
Shanks sheathed his sword. He looked at the horizon, toward the Red Line that was now visible in the distance. "The era is no longer mine to protect. Go. But remember... the man who sits on the Empty Throne is not the only enemy you have. There is a 'void' in this world that even your ink might not be able to cover."
With those cryptic words, Shanks turned and leaped back toward the sea, his figure disappearing into the mist as the Red Force turned away.
[System Notification!]
[Achievement Unlocked: The Man Who Challenged the Balance!]
[Reward: 3,000,000 Achievement Points.]
[Bonus: Relationship with 'Red-Haired Pirates' updated to: Respectful Neutrality.]
[System Alert!]
[The World Government has activated 'Uranus'.]
[The Holy Land of Mary Geoise is preparing for 'The Great Cleansing'.]
Auguro looked at the notifications. A three-million-point gain was substantial, but the mention of 'Uranus'—the Ancient Weapon of the sky—confirmed his suspicions. The Gorosei were no longer playing games.
"Ichibei," Auguro called out.
"Yes, Lord Spirit King?" The Monk appeared, his expression unusually serious.
"The World Government is going to try and erase us from the sky using the Ancient Weapon. Can you hide an entire island?"
Ichibei grinned, his white teeth gleaming. "Hide it? No. But I can change its name. If the sky doesn't know we are here, how can it hit us?"
"Do it. And tell Soi Fon and the Onmitsukidō to begin the infiltration of Mary Geoise. I want the gates of the Pangea Castle open before we arrive."
"As you command."
As the Holy Spirit Empire vanished into a veil of "Namelessness," Auguro opened the system menu. He had 10,000,000 points again. It was time for another summon. But this time, he didn't want a warrior. He needed the man who could build the foundation of the new world's laws.
"System... Summon the Creator of the 12th Division. Kisuke Urahara."