Throne Of Supreme

Chapter 283: Red Hair Pirates

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The Red-Haired Pirates sailed leisurely across the calm sea.

Ben Beckman, cigarette in hand, exhaled a plume of smoke.

Suddenly, someone draped an arm around his neck, and a drunken face came into view.

"Beck! What are you doing? Come drink with us!"

The rest of the crew burst into cheers, joining the rowdy call.

"You should be punished for not paying attention while drinking!"

"How many drinks should he have to take?"

"At least three!"

In the midst of the chaos, Shanks' expression shifted. His gaze became sharp, focused.

The change didn't go unnoticed. Beckman and the others followed his line of sight, their faces growing serious.

A streak of light fell from the sky, descending rapidly toward the Red Haired Pirates.

With their keen eyes, the crew quickly realized it wasn't a meteor—it was a person.

"Are they coming for us?"

Lucky Roux silently drew his gun, his expression solemn.

The rest of the crew tensed as well. Despite the lone figure, the aura emanating from them was impossible to ignore.

The blazing figure hurtled toward the ship. Just as it seemed it would crash into the deck, it halted abruptly, hovering midair.

Aoki rubbed his temples, grimacing.

Traveling through worlds was never pleasant—it always felt like being thrown into a washing machine and spun around until his brain was ready to spill out.

"How are Kurome and the others doing?"

Still groggy, Aoki's thoughts drifted as he looked down—and froze.

The first face he saw was that of a red-haired young man.

His sharp gaze darted around. Familiar yet unfamiliar faces surrounded him.

Not Mary Geoise this time, he thought, but these people are definitely interesting.

A flicker of intrigue sparked in Aoki's mind, and his eyes glowed with a faint red light.

Boom!

A tremendous pressure descended upon the Red Force, suffocating and heavy. The world seemed to darken, and tiny cracks appeared along the deck's surface.

Shanks' expression shifted, but he showed no fear. Taking a step forward, his own immense aura surged forth.

Boom!

The two pressures collided, shaking the sea itself. Black and red lightning crackled through the air, and the clouds above split apart as if the heavens were torn asunder.

The crew of the Red Force dropped unconscious, unable to withstand the clash of wills.

Shanks staggered slightly but held his ground.

Aoki withdrew his Conqueror's Haki, observing Shanks with mild amusement.

Shanks—one of the most enigmatic among the future Four Emperors. Born into Roger's crew, closely tied to the Celestial Dragons, and Luffy's guiding star. Even with one arm, he had become one of the world's strongest, a master of Conqueror's Haki.

"It seems I still hold the advantage," Aoki thought with a faint smile.

Shanks' strength hadn't peaked yet, his youth still evident. Additionally, though Aoki's mastery of Conqueror's Haki hadn't improved, the raw intensity of his power had grown exponentially.

With a flash, Aoki appeared on the deck of the Red Force.

Ben Beckman, Lucky Roux, and the others instantly braced themselves, tension palpable.

Shanks, however, raised his head with a laugh.

"Hahaha! What a powerful Conqueror's Haki. You truly live up to the name of the legendary Dragon King!"

"The Red-Haired Pirates…" Aoki murmured, his gaze lingering on Shanks.

There was something about Shanks—a connection to the Celestial Dragons, likely a member of the Figarland family. The man was linked to figures Aoki knew well, including Figarland Green, the Supreme Commander of the Holy Knights.

Aoki himself had gained notoriety for killing Celestial Dragons.

Yet, standing before Shanks, he sensed no malice, no hostility, not even the faintest trace of resentment.

Ben Beckman, ever the calm voice of reason, spoke up.

"Dragon King, you've arrived unannounced. Is there something you need from us?"

"Relax," Aoki said, his voice steady. "I just happened to be passing by. Consider this a friendly hello."

Aoki asked, "What year is it now? And where am I?"

Just passing by? Did he happen to fall from the sky and land on their ship? Did he greet them with his Conqueror's Haki?

Ben Beckman responded calmly, "This is the East Blue, and the current year is 1510 of the Haiyuan Calendar."

"1510," Aoki murmured, calculating quickly in his mind.

He had left in 1506 and had been away for about four years, consistent with his earlier estimations of time flow. Luffy was set to begin his journey in 1520—still ten years away. There was plenty of time left.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Aoki asked, "What brings you to the East Blue?"

While Shanks was not yet one of the Four Emperors, the Red-Haired Pirates were already a formidable force in the New World. It seemed odd for a crew of their stature to appear in the East Blue at this time and remain there for a whole year.

In hindsight, their presence had a massive impact on the world, setting Luffy on the path of piracy. But surely, that wasn't their original intention.

Shanks sat cross-legged, his demeanor as carefree as ever.

"The world isn't just about the Grand Line," he said with a grin. "There are plenty of interesting places beyond it."

Aoki glanced outside the ship. "Where are you heading now?"

"We've been stationed in a place called Windmill Village for a while," Shanks replied calmly. "We're about to return."

Windmill Village.

After a brief pause, Aoki asked, "Do you mind if I tag along? In exchange..."

He raised his hand, and with a resounding boom, a massive oak barrel materialized on the deck. The lid popped open, and the rich aroma of fine wine filled the air.

"This should cover my fare!"

"What a delicious smell," someone murmured nearby.

An unconscious crew member stirred, waking groggily. When he caught sight of Aoki, he jumped up in alarm, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"Take it easy," Aoki said, his tone soothing.

Shanks placed a reassuring hand on his crewmate's shoulder before turning to Aoki with his characteristic cheerfulness.

"No problem!" he said with a laugh.

---

That night, the Red Force rested peacefully on the sea.

Aoki stayed in a small cabin provided by the Red-Haired Pirates. In an instant, he shifted into another dimension.

There, a massive mother tree stood tall, surrounded by a lush jungle of vibrant flowers and plants. A small river flowed from the jungle, forming a serene lake beside a beautifully constructed building.

The space, created by the Nature Seed, had not been affected by Aoki's travel between worlds. He had long suspected this and now sought to confirm a few details.

Flashing to the building by the lake, he entered to find a cold and quiet atmosphere.

Esdeath sat on one side, idly flipping through a book, while Akame and Kurome sat across from her.

The moment they saw Aoki, all three perked up.

"What's the situation?" he asked.

The two sisters moved aside, revealing several pots of plants and cages. Half of the plants were thriving, while the rest were withered. The animals, on the other hand, were all dead.

Aoki inspected them carefully, gaining deeper insights into the rules of time travel.

The plants that had been cultivated and sustained by resources from the alternate dimension were alive and well, while those brought in from the outside world had withered. Clearly, only beings that had become "natives" of the dimension could survive the journey.

As for the animals, even those that had consumed food from the dimension had perished. Aoki surmised it was because autonomous consciousness couldn't survive time travel without specific conditions.

His gaze shifted to Akame and Kurome. If he so desired, he could completely dominate their thoughts. In a sense, they were extensions of his will.