Chapter 348: An Invitation and a Refusal
Chapter 348: An Invitation and a Refusal
The sun cast its rays upon the ocean, painting the undulating surface with a delicate golden hue. On this gently rolling sea drifted two ships that had furled their sails, the smaller of the two tethered to the larger one by numerous ropes, closely hugging its side.
On the deck of the larger vessel, nearly twenty people had gathered.
"Ohara underwent such a tragedy..."
"I'm sorry," Red-Haired Shanks said, holding a bowl of wine and offering an apologetic smile to Robin, who sat beside Feng Ye.
Robin shook her head gently. "It's alright."
Shanks drained the bowl and turned his attention to Feng Ye, seated next to Robin. "Then, what are your plans going forward, Senior? After taking in Robin and sending a Marine vice admiral flying, the World Government will undoubtedly label you a criminal and issue a wanted order for your arrest."
Although Feng Ye appeared young, the strength he had displayed earlier was unquestionably astounding. Even if he didn't match the level of his former captain, the Pirate King Roger, he was undoubtedly a powerhouse standing at the pinnacle of the vast sea.
Facing such a formidable opponent, Shanks maintained a respectful demeanor.
Feng Ye took a sip of wine and chuckled softly. "It doesn't matter. Even if they didn't issue a wanted order for me, Robin would still be a fugitive. Confrontation with the Navy is inevitable either way."
"Then..." Shanks, donning a yellow straw hat, looked at Feng Ye, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "How about becoming a pirate? If you don't mind, you can travel with us. We're also headed toward the end of the world."
This was an invitation extended to Feng Ye.
With his formidable strength, youth, and status as a lone, unaligned powerhouse, he would be an invaluable addition to Shanks' pirate crew. Any disparity in strength was not a concern for Shanks.
As a possessor of the Conqueror's Haki and a former member of the Pirate King Roger's crew, Shanks had an extraordinary background, and he never doubted that he would one day stand at the apex of the great sea.
"Traveling with you for a while wouldn't be a problem, but I have some personal destinations in mind, which may cause disagreements along the way, so I'll decline." Feng Ye smiled casually.
While it wouldn't be an issue to travel with Shanks for a while, the latter's journey would not be able to keep up with Feng Ye's path, which included the Marine headquarters and the holy land of Mary Joa. Even if Shanks could keep up, his crewmates Beckman and Jesus Burgess, who had not yet come into their own, would not be able to.
"I see..." A hint of disappointment flashed across Shanks' face, but he didn't press the issue further. He smiled gracefully and said, "If you have your own journey in mind, Senior, that's also great. With your strength, it will be difficult for ordinary Marines to hinder you. The only ones you need to watch out for are the Marine admirals and the hero, Garp."
As an apprentice crew member under the Pirate King Roger, Shanks had witnessed countless powerhouses standing at the pinnacle of the great sea, including Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom, and Garp, as well as Sengoku and others.
Although his strength currently paled in comparison to Feng Ye's, he had a clear understanding of what constituted a top-tier powerhouse in the vast sea. He knew that a vice admiral would likely be no match for Feng Ye, and the only ones who could pose a threat to him were the two admirals and the hero, Garp.
"The Marine admirals and Hero Garp, huh..." Feng Ye's eyes sparkled with depth as he held his wine cup. "Noted.
Feng Ye clinked his cup with Shanks and then set it down. "Speaking of which, there is something I'd like to ask of you."
Shanks was slightly surprised. "Please go ahead, Senior."
Feng Ye looked at Shanks, his eyes flickering slightly. "You should know about 'Haki,' right? I want to learn the training methods for Observation and Armament Haki."
In the first half of the Grand Line, those who could use Haki were rare, but Shanks was an exception. He had followed the Pirate King, Roger, and technically, he wasn't a pirate from the first half of the Grand Line but one who had already conquered the New World.
Even at the age of twenty, with Shanks' talent and qualifications, he should have already mastered Haki.
"Haki... is it?"
Shanks was slightly taken aback.
He had assumed that a being like Feng Ye would be able to use Haki, but it seemed that Feng Ye didn't know how to use it and only had a basic understanding of it.
However, he quickly understood. It was normal for a powerful being like Feng Ye, who had hidden himself among the people and had no reputation, to have not come across Haki, despite pushing the limits of his Devil Fruit.
"It's a small matter. Leave it to me."
Shanks smiled at Feng Ye.
Feng Ye returned the smile and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you."
He was still a little curious about the power of Haki in this world. Even though he could stand at the pinnacle of this world with the power of the Divine Tree Fruit and the illusory clock, Haki and swordsmanship were two abilities that could undoubtedly enhance his strength further.
Strictly speaking, both of these abilities could be considered 'passive skills.'
While active skills like Earth-shattering Heaven-shaking Star were already more than sufficient, there was no harm in having more passive skills, as they would ultimately combine to form the Ordinary Punch and the Serious Punch.
In fact, Feng Ye was also slightly interested in swordsmanship. However, Shanks' swordsmanship, at best, was only at the level of a swordsmaster, far from the pinnacle of the sword path.
He didn't plan to ask Shanks about swordsmanship; although Hawk-Eye was not yet the world's number one swordsmaster, the Death God, Rayleigh, had already retired to the Shank Islands. He could seek him out later.
There was no doubt that Rayleigh was one of the greatest swordsmasters.
A being who stood at the pinnacle of the sword path.
Originally, Feng Ye had intended to ask Rayleigh about Haki as well, but now that he had met Shanks, he might as well gain some preliminary understanding of Haki first.
"Don't mention it," Shanks laughed. "Allow me to propose another toast to you, Senior!"
Some time later, Beckman, Jesus Burgess, and the others on the deck were lying all over the place, except for Shanks, who was swaying unsteadily, holding his cup and sticking out his tongue.
"Se... Senior, your drinking capacity... is truly..."
Clunk!
In the end, Shanks also fell to the deck, spilling the wine from his cup.
"If you want to get me drunk, you're still a little too green."
Feng Ye smiled at the group, who were sprawled out in all directions, and finished the remaining half cup of wine in one gulp. He stood up and said to Robin, "Let's go and get some rest."
"Okay..."
Robin, who had been kneeling beside him, feeling weary and sleepy, got to her feet.
(End of Chapter)
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