Uchiha Puppet Master, Starting from One Piece.

That's an interest.

Shanks glanced at Artoria, his gaze lingering on her for a second.

In that instant, his gaze changed, from calm to scrutiny, and from scrutiny to a strange, respectful approval.

"Are you also a King? That's really rare."

Shanks said this was not a question, but a statement.

Artoria did not deny it.

No wonder.

He didn't ask Artoria about her identity, where she came from, or what was happening to her kingdom.

He simply said "No wonder" and then looked away from her.

This is Shanks' way.

He doesn't ask questions he shouldn't ask, doesn't delve into secrets he shouldn't delve into, and doesn't touch on the past he shouldn't touch. Everyone has their own secrets, even he is no exception.

"Sometimes, the giant race also gives birth to ancient giants. These giants are much taller and stronger than the giants of today. The lifespan of giants is generally more than three hundred years, so their strength does not increase very quickly. But there are always some exceptions. When these giants are forty or fifty years old, which is equivalent to fifteen or sixteen years old in humans, they can possess quite exaggerated strength."

Everyone remained silent, waiting for Shanks to finish telling the story.

"And this happened a few years ago, with the death of Harald, the king of the giants."

"How did you die?"

Hawkeye was a little curious, as Shanks had never told him these things before.

"Killed by his son, Loki."

When Shanks said this, his voice was eerily calm.

"Loki, the prince of the giants, son of Harald."

silence.

Dead silence.

The sea breeze stopped, the waves stopped, even the clouds in the sky seemed to have stopped moving. The whole world stood still, with only Shanks' voice echoing in the air.

Everyone remained silent for a long time.

As Rangiku's hand slipped from her grasp, the sake bowl fell onto the deck with a dull thud, spilling sake everywhere, but she didn't pick it up.

It took so long that Robin closed the book in his hands, his fingers gripping the spine tightly.

Violet's eyes widened slightly, her pupils reflecting a complex and indescribable emotion.

Retsu Unohana paused for a moment on Kanna's back, then continued patting gently, with the same rhythm and intensity, as if she hadn't heard anything.

"why?"

Hawkeye frowned. Unlike Bai Yu, he wasn't calm. Instead, he shared the same thought as everyone else: unbelievable.

Shanks looked at him, something gleaming in his eyes.

"Because of the World Government."

Bai Yu's brows furrowed even deeper.

"World Government?"

"Ah."

Shanks straightened up from the ship's railing, walked over to Shiraha, and sat down cross-legged. His movements were casual, as if he were about to tell a bedtime story.

"Harald was one of the greatest kings in the history of the giants. During his reign, Elbaf reached unprecedented prosperity and strength. He unified all the giant tribes, ended the century-long civil war, and established the first unified kingdom in the history of Elbaf. He reformed the laws, military, education, and economy of the giants, turning Elbaf from a barbaric and backward village of warriors into an empire that the whole world dared not underestimate."

"But Harald did something particularly stupid."

Shanks' voice suddenly turned sharp, as if he disapproved of the action.

"He trusted the world government too much, and that corrupt system too much."

"Elbaf is one of the member states of the World Government. Like the other member states, King Harald of Elbaf provides military force to the World Government, accepts its protection, and abides by its laws. At the same time, the King of Titans accepted a gift that he should never have accepted and refused the World Government's request to use Elbaf's military force on a large scale."

"The highest levels of the World Government would certainly not tolerate such a thing happening, but Elbaf is too powerful. So powerful that the World Government dares not easily resort to force. If the World Government sends its navy to attack Elbaf, even if it wins, it will pay a heavy price, so heavy that other schemers will take advantage of the situation and uproot the World Government."

"So the world government has changed its approach."

Shanks' gaze turned cold.

"They didn't send warships, they didn't send the navy, they didn't send CP0. Instead, it was the true king hidden behind that Void Throne who made the move. The true ruler of the world called Im controlled Harald through the gift."

The moment Shanks uttered that name, Bai Yu felt a strange change—not a change in the environment, but an invisible, inexplicable sense of oppression.

It was as if something had risen from the deep sea, something huge, silent, and indescribable. It made no sound and left no trace, but its very existence was like a mountain pressing down on everyone's chest.

"Im?"

"The Void King?"

"The true ruler of this world?"

"The mastermind behind the World Government?"

Hawkeye frowned; he had learned far too many secrets today.

"The Five Elders, those five old guys who stand at the pinnacle of world power, are nothing more than five puppets in front of him."

Shanks repeated the name, his voice carrying an indescribable heaviness.

"For eight hundred years, he has been manipulating this world. The rise and fall of every country, the victory or defeat of every major war, and the life and death of every outstanding king are all behind him. He is like a god of this world."

"Do not."

Shanks shook his head: "Not a god, but a demon, a demon sitting on the Void Throne, manipulating the fate of the entire world."

“Almost no one knows what he did in Elbaf. No one knows what he did in Harald, no one knows what happened during that time.”

"But everyone knows the outcome."

"Harald is dead."

"They died under Loki's hammer, but they didn't know that Jabba, the left-hand man of the Pirate King, and I were both witnesses. We both know that Loki's actions were not wrong. He simply prevented the destruction of a country and preserved that man's last dignity."

Shanks paused, looked up, and gazed into Shiraha's eyes.

"And Loki's next task is to take revenge on the World Government."

Bai Yu's expression remained unchanged, but Hawkeye's expression did.

"Taking revenge against the World Government?"

"Yes, Loki wants to destroy the World Government. Not defeat it, but destroy it, uproot it completely, leave no one alive. He wants to avenge the Giants, or rather, to avenge his most beloved father."

"But with his current strength, he can't do it."

Shanks' voice became urgent: "Loki is powerful, but he is no match for Im. No one in this world is Im's match, at least not now. If Loki goes to Im now, he will only face death. He will be killed or even used by Im."

"And it's not just Loki who will die."

Shanks' voice lowered even further: "The entire race of giants will die. Im will not let Elbaf go. He will wipe Elbaf off the map, just as he wiped the name of that kingdom eight hundred years ago. All the giants, men, women, children, and old people, will die. No one will survive."

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, and the Navy will be mobilized. The Admirals will join the battle, along with the Five Elders and the World Government's hidden forces. The world will descend 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?"