Time became viscous.
Far on the other side of the island, Wang Zhi, who had been scheming to profit from others' conflict, felt his cunning composure instantly freeze solid.
He only sensed an overwhelming, tsunami-like impact force that was utterly impossible to resist crashing toward him.
The solid bedrock beneath his feet quietly vanished like paper under the onslaught of the black light torrent.
Not shattered, not exploded.
But erased!!
...
At the final moment facing the slash head-on, Wang Zhi barely managed to avoid the direct impact thanks to his years of accumulated combat experience.
But the silently expanding shockwave sent his massive body flying, crashing heavily into the castle ruins.
Boom——
Scattered rubble instantly buried him.
...
Inside the stone chamber.
Gentian, imprisoned for many days, saw sunlight for the first time in what felt like ages.
She struggled to open her eyes, trying hard to make out the scene before her...
...
She thought she must still be in a fantasy dream.
A massive chasm dozens of meters wide, extending as far as the eye could see, ran through Hachinosu Island like a giant axe fallen from heaven.
Seawater was violently pouring into it, the splashing waves hitting her face.
The cold seawater reminded her this wasn't a dream.
——
——
The Red Hair Pirates' location was the only remaining foothold within this enormous chasm.
The ground beneath Shanks' feet cracked and sank layer by layer, Gryphon emitting an overwhelmed hum as black and red Haki arcs flickered around his body.
He breathed heavily, his chest heaving violently.
...
This strike...
The power of this strike absolutely reached that level!!
The level belonging to a Pirate Emperor!!
Even Charlotte Linlin's attacks didn't have such terrifying pressure!
How could he be this strong!!
But... I still withstood it!!
Before Shanks could catch his breath, he suddenly realized something.
No...
It can't be...
Please no!!!
...
...
Huu—
Griffin let out a long breath of turbid air, which seemed to contain some fine particulate matter.
That was impurity.
Each time he used a Mangekyo Eye Technique, his physical strength would increase slightly - this was the result of tempering.
...
Compared to Amaterasu, hailed as the strongest physical attack, and Kotoamatsukami, the strongest genjutsu, Griffin's Heavenly Jar Star ability was quite ordinary.
If a normal Uchiha from the ninja world possessed these eyes, they could probably only enhance Ninjutsu or Body Technique power.
This was an eye technique useless to the weak but making the strong even stronger.
...
The awakening of Mangekyou Sharingan abilities is influenced by the user's mental state at the moment of awakening, hence why it's called the "Eye that Reflects the Heart."
Kotoamatsukami that seeks to change human hearts, Kamui that escapes reality, the flames of Amaterasu that destroy everything...
Eye techniques carry strong characteristics of their wielder's will.
——
Griffin awakened his Mangekyo after his battle with Shiki, when his physical strength had already been exhausted. He couldn't even perform basic water walking, let alone activate the Mangekyo.
He only realized he had awakened the Mangekyo during sparring sessions with Whitebeard's crew members.
There was no heart-wrenching sorrow, no unwilling roars - it simply existed as if things had developed naturally.
Recalling that time, what was I thinking about?
I don't have any particularly special thoughts, probably just...
I'm not strong enough. If I were a bit stronger, I should be able to kill him.
A little stronger, and I could do what I want to do.
"I should become stronger"
Such a simple and unadorned thought.
...
Griffin never placed his hopes on obtaining powerful items or developing BUG-level space-time eye techniques.
This might be the difference.
For Uchiha who normally awaken the Mangekyo, their eye technique captures the peak of their emotions, with the brain secreting special Chakra to solidify these emotions, weaving the Mangekyo Eye Technique.
This might be why those who awaken the Mangekyo undergo such drastic personality changes.
...
Griffin thought of one person.
Uchiha Madara.
That man's Mangekyo Eye Technique might be similar to mine.
I don't need all kinds of strange abilities to help me achieve my dreams - relying on myself alone, I can accomplish my dreams!
Only with such domineering ambition could such a pure eye technique appear!
...
Griffin raised his eyes to meet Shanks' desperate gaze.
A faint smile touched his lips as he spoke calmly.
"Worthy of the Iron Wall reputation. My full-power strike only claimed three lives."
"Quite impressive!!"
Griffin praised sincerely.
——
Crack—
The fortress of pure black Armament Haki that Lucky Roux had erected before the Red Hair Pirates, armored down to his bones.
Collapsed completely, scattering into pieces.
...
Gab, the tallest and most ferocious-looking like a demon, had a large hole in his throat, blood gushing out.
...
The navigator - Building Snake, his twin swords fallen to the ground, his body spraying countless lines of blood.
——
Lucky Roux...
This morning, you were still asking me how I wanted my steak cooked for dinner.
Gab... I know, although you look fierce, you're actually soft-hearted, most afraid of ghosts and bugs...
You promised to reach the final island, to become the second navigator to make it there after Jaba... Snake...
...
Shanks' pupils kept contracting and dilating, unwilling to believe what was before his eyes.
His sword-holding hand trembled.
I'm not ready yet...
Why... why wasn't there even a chance to say goodbye...
...
Beckman's voice was hoarse as he spoke.
"Gab used a roar beyond what he could handle... Snake was just unlucky..."
"Lucky could have... I saw it, he took most of the attack at the end, you understand him, right..."
"Shanks! He wanted you to face this great crisis at your best!"
"What are you hesitating for! Don't betray our sacrificed comrades, grip your sword tight, damn it!!"
Beckman roared, tears mixing with the grime on his face, falling drop by drop, striking the ground with force.
——
——
Griffin turned his attention back to himself.
For the first time, he had poured everything he had into a single strike without holding back.
Every cell's energy had been emptied, then replenished.
His body had undergone a "self-forging."
This feeling of shaping a "new self"...
Was so exhilarating,
It made him unable to resist laughing out loud!!
...
"Haha... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!"
Wild, unrestrained laughter spread with the wind, the rushing seawater providing accompaniment!
Griffin wasn't intoxicated by the power of the Mangekyo Eye Technique, but rather was immersed in his own strength.
Clang—
A red glow cut through the wind.
Clang—!!
Griffin raised his palm, two fingers wrapped in Armament Haki blocking the incoming blade, the fierce wind whipping his black hair wildly.
"What exactly... are you laughing about!!"
"Does killing others bring you that much pleasure!!!"
Shanks roared, black and red arcs of electricity running wild along his blade.
...
"I really hate self-righteous people like you who can't understand what others are saying."
Griffin continuously retreated under the sword pressure while speaking calmly: "I said killing doesn't bring me pleasure. Instead, I want to ask you..."
"Every one of you has killed before, yet you weren't prepared to be killed yourselves?"
"Or is it that you can accept your own death, but can't accept the death of your comrades?"
...
"Then you shouldn't hate me, you should hate yourself for not having the power to protect your comrades."
Bang—
Griffin punched Shanks in the chest, leaning close to his ear to whisper: "I was the same."
"That day, I didn't hate you. I was just angry at myself for being too weak, for failing to protect those I should have protected."
Shanks' pupils contracted sharply, his offensive faltering.
...
Griffin didn't seize this opening to attack. Instead, he leaned back to avoid the bullet Beckman fired, then rapidly retreated.
"I'm prepared to be killed, and you should be too!! Marine!!"
Beckman roared as he charged forward, his usual calm completely drowned in rage.
Under the Red Hair Pirates' fierce assault, Griffin fought while retreating.
...
It wasn't that he had suddenly grown soft-hearted, but his current condition prevented him from confronting them head-on.
All ocular techniques came with costs and limitations.
Each use of Forging placed tremendous strain on his eyes and body, accompanied by intense pain and damage to his Eye Power.
The physical pain was insignificant, but...
As everyone knew, the Mangekyou would gradually lead to blindness with continued use.
Griffin had endured for over two years without using the Mangekyou, and with just this first use, he could already feel his vision deteriorating.
Currently, this deterioration was minimal. By his estimate, it would take at least over a dozen more uses before it affected his combat ability. As long as he didn't use it like Sasuke did, he would be fine for several years.
...
Ocular techniques also had a 'cooldown period' - Forging required materials.
To use an analogy, the Mangekyou Sharingan was the furnace, his body provided the fire, and energies like Chakra were the materials.
After forging one 'divine weapon,' he needed to wait for some time before he could use it again.
To put it more simply...
His mana bar was empty now, auto-attacking while waiting for mana to recover.
Of course, if pushed to the brink, he could slightly overdraw his Eye Power...
But it hadn't reached that point yet.
Moreover, Griffin still had two Three Tomoe as his trump card, so he wasn't worried at all.
...
Amid the intense battle, Griffin was forced toward the coastal waters. On the White Wolf, Doll stared intently at the battlefield, her fists clenched tight.
Not yet...
Griffin hasn't called for help, I can't go over!
Suddenly, Doll's Observation Haki sensed something, and she turned to look.
Along the nearby coastline, two giant sea snakes were pulling a ship with a bright red hull.
That was...
The Kuja Pirates!!
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