Uchiha Puppet Master, Starting from One Piece.

"Until we have enough strength."

Shanks looked into Bai Yu's eyes, his gaze as firm as an iron nail driven into a rock.

“Im is not someone that can 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, scheming, 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, his power can be the key to fighting Im, but only if Loki is alive in the future and stands on our side, while waiting 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 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 strength.”

"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."

"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.

"Ah."

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.”

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 his death."

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 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'd love 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 set off?

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.”

“Then 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 Hawkeye will 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.