Ruroni Kenshin (Hell)

Walking in a dark and deserted place, Enel looked around while displaying a boring look.

"So this is Hell! I can see why humans are afraid of it! Aside from not seeing any demons, living in such a place for eternity could drive anyone insane."

Seeing no one, Enel was simply surrounded by the darkness of the place, while the ground under his feet was made only of rock and was devoid of the slightest trace of plants. There was no great difference between being here or on the moon.

Picking his ear, Enel then began to yawn.

"Good thing an elite being like me doesn't have to worry about that! Soon, true immortality will be mine."

"How can a mortal be here?"

Glancing briefly to the side, Enel caught sight of a trio, standing atop a rock. Now all three residents of the underworld, the trio staring at Enel were once known to be anti-government enemies in the world they lived in.

Pointing a rifle at Enel, Sadojima Hoji roared.

"Tell us who you are! Did Enma send you here?"

Not being interested in the man at all, Enel ignored him completely. Instead, staring at the couple behind the sniper, Enel was much more interested in the man whose body was completely covered in scars.

"You really do have a horrible face to look at." Enel stated, with a mocking smile. "I assume you're Shishio Makoto! It's hard to mistake you for anyone else."

Looking at the newcomer without saying anything, Shishio only stared at him. For her part, having her head resting on his shoulder, Komagata Yumi didn't know whether she should make fun of Enel or be offended to hear him disrespect her beloved so much.

"Do you not feel honored by my presence in these places?" Enel asked, with a mocking smile. "After all, if beings like you ended up in a place like this..."

Suddenly disappearing, he surprised the trio by appearing behind them.

"This proves that you are but mortals." He said, twirling his golden staff, before pointing it at the trio.

However, drawing his sword Shishio pushed Yumi back before hitting Enel's weapon and managed to block it.

"Huh?" the pseudo-god wondered.

"When I hear you, I feel like you're proclaiming yourself as a deity! It doesn't matter if you're a god, a demon, or a mere human being, all that matters is that you're strong enough to defeat me."

Managing to push Enel's weapon away, Shishio affirmed.

"Because if you're not strong enough to kill me, know that I would have no qualms about cutting off your head."

Wanting to prove his point, Shishio aimed his sword at Enel and the next moment he moved his blade so quickly that no one could see him. Widening his eyes, Enel felt himself cut in two, while Shishio put his sword back into its scabbard.

"When a warrior decides to let his arrogance dictate his actions, he has already lost the fight before he even begins it." Shishio assured.

Yet, Yumi and Hoji could only be surprised, as they saw Enel's lower half floating in the air. Even though his abdomen had been cut in two, the god didn't seem to feel any pain, while his smile was still visible on his face.

"You describe me as arrogant! Know that this is completely false! I am simply realistic."

Frowning, Shishio then saw electricity coming out of both parts of his abdomen. Lighting up, Enel let the electricity connect the two parts of his body, which managed to stick back together, without leaving any visible scars.

"Do you think that a being who is not a god could be capable of such a feat?"

"How?" Hoji wondered. "Shishio-sama's blade still managed to injure him."

"Is this a subterfuge?" Yumi asked.

Simply twirling her golden staff, Enel aimed it at Shishio again. Drawing her weapon, the former samurai managed to injure him. However, striking with speed and force, Enel continued to smile, while seeing Shishio block all of her attacks.

"I wonder if you are worthy enough to entertain and amuse me."

Beginning to find him annoying, Shishio ducked to dodge Enel's weapon. Then, finding himself facing his legs, the samurai targeted them. Unfortunately, predicting this, Enel made a simple jump to avoid his sword. Then, having his staff raised above him, he aimed it at his opponent, intending to crush his skull.

Seeing this, Shishio quickly jumped back, while Enel's weapon hit the ground, before cracking it. Then, the samurai moved at full speed around him.

"Huh? I have to admit, you're fast." Enel stated, remaining perfectly still.

Continuing to move around him, Shishio tried to find an area where he could hit him. The problem was that he didn't understand how Enel had managed to survive his attack.

Had he used a hypnosis spell? Or did he have a special ability? Thinking at top speed, Shishio finally slowed down as he stared at Enel's face. Showing nothing but deep boredom, Enel was once again picking his ear, while this fight didn't seem to interest him at all.

Annoyed by this, Shishio rushed towards him, as his sword became covered in flames.

" YOU LITTLE ... "

Seeing him rush at him, Enel smiled arrogantly again, as electricity appeared around his hand.

"I will make you know the difference between you and a god."

Continuing to run towards him, Shishio's eyes widened, seeing lightning forming in front of Enel, before taking on the appearance of a massive lightning dragon.

" What is ... ? "

"It's time for you to meet your second death." Enel stated, targeting him. "BARI!"

Seeing the attack coming towards him, Shishio could only dash to the side to avoid it. But as the lightning dragon brushed past him, Shishio's eyes widened, seeing Enel's hand appear right in front of his face.

" Sayonara. "

Unable to hide his fear, Shishio could not move, while Enel prepared to attack him. However, finding himself forced to stop, the pseudo-god saw Widos appear between Shishio and him.

"I advise you to stop there."

Staring at the old sage in annoyance, Enel eventually complied before walking away from Shishio.

"The way you talk to me really infuriates me! Besides, how could this insignificant being help you?" Enel growled.

Preferring to ignore him, Widos turned to Shishio.

" Nice to meet you. "

"You have two seconds to convince me not to kill you." Shishio said.

"Okay... do you want to leave this hell?"

Whitebeard's boat

" I'M GOING TO KILL YOU ! "

An explosion occurred aboard the Moby Dick. But while many people could see smoke beginning to rise into the sky, few pirates were concerned about the situation.

"I think someone wants to kill pops again."

"Even though she's failed a thousand times, she doesn't give up! She's even more stubborn than Ace."

Firing her blaster again and again, Samus had directed all of her attacks towards a single target.

"This time it's your death day, you old fossil."

Yet, having simply closed his fist, Whitebeard struck one of the projectiles, before making it explode.

"You're just a pretentious kid," he said, with a smile.

Managing to crack the air, Whitebeard pulverized Samus' attacks, before letting a shockwave hit her. Even through her armor, the blonde felt the power of the impact, as her body flew backwards.

being simply drinking a bottle of alcohol, while sitting on the ground, Marco began to smile, while seeing Samus' body crash near him.

"ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!" She growled, as she felt unable to get up.

"Some sake?" Marco asked.

"Shut... Shut up!" The blonde ordered him.

Not having lost her determination to exterminate the pirates, Samus had not stopped fighting Whitebeard in an attempt to kill him. And yet, despite her numerous assaults, the blonde had never managed to put him in danger. On the contrary, it was Samus who had brushed death on numerous occasions, while Whitebeard's power was infinitely more powerful than hers.

"That bastard." She roared, clenching her fist. "I swear I'll kill him."

Hearing this, Marco started laughing.

"I really need to introduce you to Ace! You're truly the female version of him."

Then, handing her his bottle, he proposed to her.

"Forget your fights! Drink with me."

"You can always dream." Samus growled. "I would never accept food from a pirate! As long as I'm on this ship, I'll survive on rainwater and fish I catch myself! I hate charity, especially when it comes from criminals."

"Hahahaha! You're really funny, yoi."

At that moment, a man at the top of the lookout made himself heard.

"I see a pirate ship coming towards us."

"Huh?" Marco wondered.

"Who is it?" Jozu asked.

Remaining silent, the man at the top of the lookout finally shouted.

"You won't believe me! This is Shanks' ship! Akagami Shanks is here."

"WHAT?" Several pirates shouted.

" Shanks ? " Said Samus.

And to her surprise, she saw the pirates around her start to get agitated. For several weeks, she had been constantly trying to kill Whitebeard, without it disturbing the good mood of his crew. And yet, it was enough for them to hear a simple name for them to start acting with fear and seriousness.

"What's going on here?"

"It's obvious! He wants to talk to Pops."

"But for what reason? Does he hope to make an alliance with him?"

"Why would Shanks want to make an alliance with Pops? He knows he would refuse! Pops doesn't ally with anyone because he's not afraid of anyone."

"In any case, we must prepare to defend Pops against any attack."

"Be ready." Marco ordered. "Remember, a direct fight against Akagami could mean the end of our crew."

" Shanks ? " S'étonna Samus.

Letting his ship approach Whitebeard's, Shanks couldn't help but feel nostalgic.

"That old crouton still has the same boat! He should give it a lick of paint! He's getting as old as his owner."

"Don't tell him that if you don't want to get yourself killed," Beckman advised him.

"Are you really sure you want to go see him alone?" Utsuro asked, quietly reading a book.

Simply lifting a huge container filled with alcohol, Shanks assured.

"Don't worry! I'll just have some sake with him! It's not like I'm going to declare war on him."

"The problem is, he's very touchy," Beckman remarked.

"I have no reason to fear anything bad from him." Shanks retorted, preparing to leave.

"Shanks! No matter what you plan to do or discuss with Whitebeard, I would like to warn you."

Stopping, Shanks turned to see Nana smiling at him.

"If you come back here and you stink of alcohol, you're a dead man."

Immediately, a shiver ran down Shanks' spine, as Nana had the same power a mother has over her son.

"I would try to drink moderately and responsibly."

"Good decision," Nana assured, as she left.

Seeing her leave, Yasopp approached Shanks, before patting him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry Captain! I know it's hard! But because of your liver pain, it's a good thing Nana is making sure you don't drink too much alcohol this month! She's doing it for your own good."

"I've never been so unhappy in my life," Shanks said.

"I know! But don't worry! While you're away, we'll make sure to think of you, while completely emptying your rum reserves."

" ASSHOLE ! "

Now in a bad mood, the red-haired captain left his ship. Then, setting one foot on the Moby Dick, he showed his power by letting his haki manifest around him.

Feeling her arms start to shake, Samus felt like she was breathing with difficulty.

" What is ... ? "

Around her, several people had the same sensation as her, while others lost consciousness and collapsed on the ground.

"What's going on?" she wondered.

"He's coming." Marco stated. "One of Whitebeard's strongest rivals and also having the title of Yonko! Akagami Shanks."

Appearing before advancing towards Whitebeard, Shanks continued to knock more people down, while only half of the men on the ship remained standing. Among them, Samus leaned on a railing, while her legs trembled.

" What is happening ? "

"Haki..." Marco said simply. "Don't worry! They just fainted."

" Haki ? "

"That guy isn't a yonko for nothing." Jozu asserted. "He's capable of bringing down anyone with weak willpower."

Continuing to stare at Shanks, Samus felt like she was seeing an ordinary man. After all, unlike Whitebeard, Shanks was of a completely normal size and did not have the appearance of a giant. However, the aura he gave off was the same as the old man's. Attacking him thinking he would be a weak opponent would be a mistake.

Finally, the man stopped in front of Whitebeard before sitting down.

"Sorry about what just happened," he said, with a confident smile. "But it's always best not to show weakness when someone is on an enemy ship."

"Tssss! Always so arrogant." Whitebeard growled. "Even when you were accompanied by that clown and the magician, you still acted like this."

"HAHAHAHA! It's true that Buggy and Magi were always by my side, when we fought against your crew, under Roger's orders! It brings back good memories."

Then, grabbing a large bottle of sake, he threw it towards Whitebeard, who caught it without any problem.

"If I came, it's to talk to you."

"Ask Ace to come back and stop chasing Teach?"

Looking down at Shanks, Whitebeard questioned him.

"Kid, who do you think you are, ordering me around?"

"No one is stupid enough to kill one of Whitebeard's commanders just to steal a devil fruit." Shanks assured. "Believe me, during your years, when he pretended not to be interested in power, Teach thought of a plan to surpass you! Now, if he's acting like he's doing, it means his plan has begun! And his goal is..."

Pointing a finger at Whitebeard, he assured.

"...to take your place."

"And it's to tell me this kind of nonsense that you came all the way here?"

"No one knows who Teach plans to ally himself with," Shanks said. "And I'm afraid he's meeting the wrong person! I'm sure you're aware that a lot of immigrants have suddenly appeared all over the world! If the cycle repeats itself, that means someone we know will show up again."

Looking back at a small white animal, who was otherwise part of Roger's crew, before betraying him, Shanks growled.

"If Teach allies with him, who knows what he might do? Besides, other immigrants might decide to ally with them as well."

"And you think I should call Ace back and make an alliance with you to kill Teach?"

"Not just me," Shanks retorted. "We also need to talk to... Zarax."

Hearing that name, a few men began to gulp, while Whitebeard hardened his gaze.

"You dare to say that asshole's name in front of me?"

"No matter what your past is, you must ensure that the future of this world is preserved! And only Zarax can..."

Suddenly, he pulled out his saber and cut in two the huge sake bottle that Whitebeard threw towards him.

"You're just a cheeky brat." The old man roared, standing up. "What do you think? That I need to ally with someone to face an enemy? Even if Teach allies himself with the Navy, the gods, and the pirates of the world, he'll never be able to defeat me."

He then grabbed his naginata, before lowering it towards Shanks.

"And here is the proof."

"You are and always will be a stubborn old man." Shanks roared, drawing his saber.

The next second, there was the sound of a powerful impact. Then, a shockwave swept through the ship, before hitting Samus. This time, the blonde fell to her knees, while her teeth began to crack.

Feeling an incredible power, Samus felt unable to get back up. In front of her, the two yonkos had only clashed their weapons, and this had been enough to make several men fall to the ground.

"Su... Sugoi." Someone shouted.

"How can a man like Shanks be a match for someone like Pops?"

In response, Marco looked up at the sky, and saw a huge black cloud being split in two.

"Here is the strength of men capable of destroying the world."

Water-7

Reading the newspaper, Sanji declared.

"To my great surprise, nothing mentions the presence of the Franky Family and the Galley-La carpenters during the attack on Enies Lobby! On the other hand, concerning us, the government didn't hesitate to point the finger at us, concerning the destruction of the island! According to them, we are the ones who bombed the island."

"With the Merry in bad shape?" Gin asked. "It would have taken us at least a whole week."

"But why didn't you mention our allies?" Lucy asked. "From what I know, all it takes is for someone to say bad things about the World Government to get arrested! Why did they decide to make us the only ones to blame?"

"Maybe it's thanks to Luffy's grandfather." Bruno remarked.

"No!" Robin retorted. "I bet it's Aokiji."

"Whatever." Zoro assured. "Either way, the most important thing is that the Navy or the World Government stop underestimating us."

With a predatory smile, he assured.

"Now they will definitely think twice before deciding to come here to kidnap one of us."

"No one will attack Robin again." Chopper agreed.

"And most importantly, we are now world famous." Raynare assured. "Since the government did its best to make Smoker be seen as the hero of Alabasta, many people doubted that Luffy had defeated a Shichibukai! From now on, no one will doubt our power."

"To put it simply, we're going to get our own wanted posters." Yosaku said, with a boastful smile. "We're now famous pirates."

"Finally, I was looking forward to this." Sanji assured. "I'm sure all the women in this world will now see me as the new pirate prince! I can't wait to see my wanted poster."

"BAKAYARO!" Nami roared. "I don't see why we should be happy about that."

"I'm sure the Navy must fear you greatly by now." Azelma assured.

"Honestly, I hope I don't have my face plastered all over the world, next to those of fearsome pirates." Lucy admitted.

But as the pirates talked to themselves, they soon noticed that the place was rather silent. Being in front of a window, looking outside, Luffy seemed strangely calm.

With his face covered in bandages, the captain seemed to remember his fight against Edmond. And, again, his self-confidence dropped.

The first time he had felt this was against Widos, where the pirate had felt a strange aura emanating from the sorcerer. Then, Luffy had somewhat doubted his abilities after his defeat against Lucci. However, after mastering GEAR SECOND and GEAR 3, Luffy had felt invincible.

And yet, that didn't stop him from being humiliated against Edmond.

" You don't have the power to protect your friends, much less become pirate king. "

Remembering Edmond's words, Luffy gritted his teeth in frustration. Seeing him like this, Menma asked.

"What should we do?"

"Nothing." Zoro assured. "Sometimes, it's necessary to just wait and let Luffy figure out the solution to his problem on his own."

"In any case, staying here for too long is going to be dangerous." Nami said, walking towards a safe. "If more people come here to fight us, I doubt we can defeat them forever! As soon as Franky finishes building our ship, we'll have to leave! So, let's hurry up and do our shopping."

Opening her trunk, Nami saw her precious money inside.

"100 million berries! I'm so happy to see such a treasure! And with all our savings entrusted to Virgo, we will finally stop living like paupers."

"Huh?" Gin wondered. "Is your trunk still full?"

"Why does that surprise you?"

"Huh...because we paid for the food at the party."

" WHAT ? " Shouted Nami. " Who said that?"

Immediately, everyone turned to Luffy. Seeming to regain his senses, the pirate turned to Nami, before stating.

"Huh... yeah! After all, there were so many people that I had to go get a lot of food."

With a smile, he assured.

"Thanks to this, we had a lot of fun."

Staring at him, Nami remained strangely calm. Then, also displaying a smile, which seemed frightening, she asked.

"Where did you get the money to pay for this food?"

Letting out a sigh, Raynare confessed.

"I'm the one who gave him the money! In total, he spent almost 100 million berries."

"100 MILLION?" Nami roared, grabbing the fallen angel's cool. "Why did you give her that money?"

Shrugging, Raynare stated.

"We have a new ship and we have 700 million berries left! A party every now and then never hurt anyone."

"GRRRRRR!"

Yet, eventually letting out a sigh, Nami affirmed.

"It's true that we still have a lot of money left! And after our fight against CP9, it's not like we don't deserve it."

Then she surprised everyone by grabbing some of their money and putting it on the table.

"10 million berries... do whatever you want with that."

" WHAT ? "

Staring at Nami, then at the money, the pirates tried to figure out if they were dreaming.

" Nami ... "

"... shares her money."

"Alert! The sky is going to fall on our heads."

"SHUT UP!" Nami roared, closing her trunk. "I know how to share too! And as for the remaining 90 million berries, they're for me."

"You call that shared?" Zoro roared.

However, pirates suddenly crashed on the table and fought to seize the money.

" It's for me. "

"Give me that money."

"Get out."