The Great Voyage Begins with the Celestial Dragons

She knew Gion's fighting strength very well. When they encountered each other in Shimotsuki Village, they almost couldn't stop their entire group with just one strike.

They now face two enemies who are no weaker than their opponent, putting them in an extremely unfavorable position.

However, they are pirates by nature, and they would not do anything underhanded.

He would never do something like abandoning hope and his companions to save his own life.

"Everyone!!! Survive!!!"

Shanks let out an angry roar, and his Conqueror's Haki suddenly reached its maximum, sweeping around like an invisible storm.

Boom!!!

The entire sea trembled under this domineering aura.

Gion narrowed her eyes slightly, her Conqueror's Haki also surging forth.

The two overwhelming auras collided, as if the heavens and earth were torn apart, the waves surged even more violently, the dark clouds pressed even lower, and the whole world was plunged into chaos.

As they clashed, Beckman, as the Red-Haired Pirates member who knew Shanks best, was well aware of the gravity of the situation. He decisively fired a bullet into the cabin of the Red Fox.

Boom!!!

A deafening roar, like thunder exploding in one's ears, followed by a burst of flames and a wave of intense heat that swept across the entire ship. No one had anticipated that a single bullet would trigger such a violent explosion, as if an entire powder keg had been ignited.

In an instant, the entire Red Fosse was engulfed in flames, the ship was blown to pieces, flames and smoke intertwined in the air, and wood, canvas and debris from the ship were scattered everywhere.

Seeing their ship destroyed, the members of the Red-Haired Pirates acted swiftly, attempting to jump into the sea and escape using the water.

"sucker Punch..."

Luther stood on a high place not far away, coldly watching the scene of firelight and waves intertwining, his voice full of sarcasm and disdain.

The idea of ​​planting explosives on his own ship surprised him, but it failed to move him.

The Red-Haired Pirates wanted to take advantage of this opening to escape from the water as a whole...

Ha, it's not that simple!

Almost simultaneously, Gion, Barrett, and Kizaru made their move.

The Red-Haired Pirates are quick, but they are even faster.

In an instant, the Red-Haired Pirates, numbering dozens, were reduced by half. Blood stained the sea red, and screams mingled with the sound of the waves.

The three top experts were like tigers among sheep; from the very beginning, it was destined to be a massacre.

Uta stood beside Luther, watching her former comrades being slaughtered, her face bearing a cold and mocking expression. Her eyes were filled with complex emotions: resentment, pain, and a hint of unspeakable satisfaction.

"Shanks, you've run away again."

She murmured softly, her voice filled with sarcasm, as if she were blaming a cowardly child.

At this moment, the sea was filled with bloodshed and cruelty. The waves rolled, the wind howled, and life and death were separated by only a moment.

Chapter 278 I'm waiting for your good news!

Just as easily Shanks stole the Gum-Gum Fruit from CP9, it's just as easily Gion and the others are slaughtering the Red-Haired Pirates.

In just ten minutes, the entire Red-Haired Pirates were wiped out. The sea was stained red with blood, and severed limbs floated on the surface, the air thick with the metallic stench of metal.

Gion's gaze swept coldly across the battlefield, her Observation Haki constantly monitoring the movements within the sea.

A subtle smile played at the corners of her lips, and a hint of amusement crept into her voice:

"Just as Your Highness predicted, this is truly interesting..."

At that moment, Kizaru, having finished clearing out the pirates, arrived gracefully. His clothes were still spotless, his hands in his pockets, and he looked completely relaxed. He seemed unconcerned about the battle.

"Hey, Commander Momousagi, aren't we going to chase Shanks?"

The Red-Haired Pirates are easy to kill, but Shanks, who hasn't eaten any Devil Fruits, is not so easy.

Taking advantage of the chaos caused by the gunpowder, Shanks immediately took the Gum-Gum Fruit and plunged into the sea.

"No need, he has already left my Observation Haki range."

Gion's lips curled up slightly, her tone tinged with amusement.

Upon hearing Gion's tone, Kizaru immediately shut up, showing no intention of asking any further questions.

He's just a regular navy soldier who clocks in on time; knowing too much won't do him any good.

"Tch, a few important figures escaped."

Barrett looked somewhat displeased. He used wooden planks to create a pair of wings on his back, and took to the air with the help of Moonwalk, his face still bearing a look of dissatisfaction.

Gion, however, didn't care and calmly replied, "That's enough, as long as the goal is achieved."

Having said that, he flapped his vampire wings and flew towards the Don Quixote in the distance.

Beckman and Yasopp were still swimming in the sea, not having escaped her Observation Haki.

But with Shanks already escaped, finding these two people is of little use.

Even if these two develop general-level combat power in the future, it won't be of much value. It's better to report some interesting things to Luther.

Deep in the ocean, Shanks, carrying the Gum-Gum Fruit, was swallowed by a giant monster and gradually disappeared from sight with the waves.

Yasopp and Beckman, their faces bearing the same grief and hatred, swam off in opposite directions.

They didn't know how many would escape, but they knew exactly what their fallen comrades would face; unfortunately, they had no other choice.

This escape came at the cost of the Red Voss; it was the Red-Haired Pirates' last trump card for their escape.

At this point, survival is the top priority, taking precedence over everything else.

Gion and the others quickly returned. Barrett and Kizaru left to attend to their own affairs, leaving only Gion to enter the ship's cabin and stand before Luther. Her gaze swept over Uta's face, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Luther noticed her hesitation, but he simply waved his hand and said calmly, "Just tell me what you've discovered."

Uta's eyes sparkled, her pupils curving into small crescents, showing her extraordinary joy. She didn't care what Gion was going to say, but was deeply gratified by Luther's trust.

Unlike Shanks, who always treats her like a child, never telling her anything, and calling it protection.

Just like today, the fact that the Red Fosse had explosives hidden inside must have been known for a long time, but she was completely unaware of it.

When she saw the Red-Haired Pirates' synchronized movements, the pain in her heart pierced to the bone.

Everyone knew about the plan except her.

It turns out that from the very beginning, she was just an outsider!

This painful discovery intensified Uta's hatred for Shanks and the entire Red-Haired Pirates.

As she watched her former comrades die one by one, a sense of pleasure, even a sense of vengeful satisfaction, welled up within her.

She began to realize that only she truly wanted to move forward with them; everyone else was treating her like a child, or as a burden that could be kicked off the ship at any moment.

The contrast between the two sides is particularly striking.

As for Luther, he would tell her anything she wanted to know, without hiding much from her.

He even told her everything he had planned for Shanks, without hiding anything, and asked for her thoughts and opinions.

This kind of respect was something she had never experienced in the Red-Haired Pirates.

Faced with this respect and understanding, Uta showed his maturity.

Without waiting for Gion to speak, she stood up sensibly, hugged Luther, and then left the cabin on her own.

Luther gave her his trust, and that was enough.

Uta was a smart girl; she wouldn't put Luther in any difficult position. Having finally found someone to accompany her again, she didn't want to be abandoned again because of her own foolishness...

After Uta left and closed the door behind her, a hint of approval flashed in Gion's eyes, and she smiled and said:

"Your Highness has found a good candidate this time."

She was more concerned about how the other party treated Luther than about Utana's bright future.

Looking back now, she's surprisingly mature.

"I didn't expect this either. I can only say that Uta is a poor, well-behaved child."

Luther shook his head, looked up at Gion, and got straight to the point:

"Is it certain yet?"

"Yes! It was the Sea Kings who were involved. As Your Highness said, there have been giant Sea Kings operating in the nearby waters. After I severely injured Shanks with my sword, forcing him to fall unconscious into the water, I swallowed him along with the Nika Fruit and left into the distance." Gion nodded slightly.

If Luther hadn't mentioned it beforehand, she wouldn't have imagined that Shanks and the Sea Kings could collude with each other.

However, while it is said to be related to Shanks, Gion believes it is due to the Nika Fruit.

It's not surprising that the fruit, which is said to represent the ancient sun god, would attract sea kings.

"As we expected, it seems that the former Sea King and these giant sea kings must have had some kind of preordained connection. We have quite a few enemies."

Luther chuckled lightly; it was something he had expected, so it didn't surprise him much.

Even though it's a world of ocean, thanks to Devil Fruits, human activity is mostly limited to land.

While the massive sea monsters, with their bodies measuring thousands or even tens of thousands of meters in length, are terrifying, they are not enough to threaten the land.

If they really come ashore, the World Government has plenty of ways to deal with them.

"I will wipe out all of Your Highness's enemies!"

Gion's lips curled up slightly, her words carrying an air of self-righteousness.

"I have no doubt about that."

Luther chuckled softly, stretching lazily as he asked:

"Aside from a possible scene, nothing major will happen after this. Would you like to take Kuina back to Shimotsuki Village for a visit?"

“It’s too early to take her back now.” Gion shook her head and looked at Luther. “Your Highness, after I take Kuina, you will no longer have a fixed bodyguard. Although I know you are very strong, how can your nobility be reflected without a qualified bodyguard? Barret is restless by nature, so I will find you another stable bodyguard.”

"You're going to Impel Down?" A hint of understanding flashed in Luther's eyes, as if he had realized Gion's intentions.

"It's time to go. It's been six years. It's time to put an end to it."

Gion stroked the gold pendant at her waist, a deep smile playing on her lips.

Six years ago, she experienced the power of a so-called top expert for the first time.