Naruto: The Legend of Red Haired Shanks

"Yeah, there are so many people here!" 

Shisui, standing nearby, glanced at the crowd at the port with an indifferent expression. 

As a ninja, he normally would have taken this situation seriously—that was just basic discipline. A ninja never let their guard down. 

But Shisui wasn't a ninja anymore, so he acted carefree. After all, there was no one among these pirates who could actually threaten him. 

 Besides, the captain was here. If there really was a hidden threat, they'd go after Shanks first. 

So Shisui felt completely at ease and took the opportunity to enjoy showing off a little. 

"That… that man… is Uchiha Shisui?!" 

"The one they call the Red-Eyed Phantom!!" 

The moment Shisui appeared, the pirates started trembling. Unlike Shanks, Shisui had a lazy demeanor, but those with sharp instincts could still sense the killing intent he kept hidden. 

There was no doubt about it—he was just as terrifying as the rumors said. 

"Red-Eyed Phantom?" 

Shisui blinked, surprised at the nickname. 

"The strongest of the Uzumaki clan in this era… and the strongest of the Uchiha clan!" 

"They say the Red-Eyed Phantom once took the eye of a former leader of Konohagakure in the Land of Waves and implanted it in his own socket." 

"A fearsome pirate who stole Konohagakure's secrets. The Red-Haired Emperor's watchful eye." 

One of the more well-informed pirates spoke. They had survived the chaos of the ninja world, so gathering intelligence was second nature to them. 

Otherwise, they wouldn't even know when death was coming. That was something small-time players had to learn to survive. 

"Gulp!" 

Hearing Shisui's name, the pirates swallowed hard, unable to believe what they were hearing. 

Even the most clueless among them knew what kind of monster Konohagakure was. And yet this guy had dared to target one of its key figures? 

"Red-Eyed Phantom? What a ridiculous title. In the end, he's just a ninja without even a Devil Fruit power." 

A thin pirate stepped out from the back of the crowd, leading a group of men. 

*Clang!* 

He drew his katana from its sheath, and the cold gleam of the blade made the other pirates take notice. 

"Support-type ninjutsu… Sharpness?" 

Shisui instantly recognized the ability. Devil Fruit powers were essentially transformed forms of ninjutsu, and this kind of support-based technique was a valid path. But… 

The pirate pointed his sword directly at Shisui. 

"Red-Haired Shanks—strongest in the world. But even the strongest man has four scars over his left eye. 

That's the true meaning behind the Four Emperors. Only those strong enough to scar Shanks deserve a place among them." 

"The Red-Haired? With those four scars across it? You're just a ninja—do you think you're worthy?" 

Hearing that, Shanks grinned. 

"Looks like someone's here to cause you trouble, Shisui." 

The guy was clearly arrogant, and Shanks could tell he wasn't weak. 

At the very least, in the ninja world, someone with his strength could hold his own. The fact that he had reached this level with just a support-type Devil Fruit already made him quite strong. 

"Wait… is he actually challenging Shisui?" 

"I thought he was here to challenge Shanks." 

"There aren't many people in the current ninja world who are even qualified to challenge Shanks. Even Orochimaru, the so-called strongest creature, is only barely qualified." 

"..." 

The pirates weren't surprised at all. 

Any pirate who knew what they were doing understood what the name "Shanks" meant. 

This man standing before them wasn't someone just anyone could step up and challenge. 

It wasn't about honor or anything like that—it was because this man represented the pride of all pirates. Challenging him was challenging their own pride. 

"You want to challenge me? You're not weak, but you're not my match." 

"Enough talk, let's—" 

Before the pirate could even finish speaking, he was already on the ground. 

Shisui hadn't given him a chance to say another word. 

The tension that had just started to build up was cut short in an instant. 

Against true powerhouses, these up-and-coming fighters had no chance to prove themselves. Hold back? Do you even know how Shisui got his name? 

"That… that was fast!" 

"It must've been Genjutsu, right? That guy, Ren Togina, isn't weak, even if his Devil Fruit is just a normal one." 

From a distance, a few hidden pirate captains watched in shock. 

They hadn't even seen how Shisui made his move. 

When they first heard that Shanks had arrived on this island in the Land of Silence, they were already on edge, wondering what would happen. Some of them had even been ready to run. 

Because wherever Shanks appeared, nothing good ever happened. 

Don't ask why—it's just common sense for those who've survived. 

If you've ever lived through a disaster like that, you'd understand that against monsters like him, there's simply nothing you can do. 

These guys knew that better than anyone. 

The first time, they had followed Dark in an attempt to take down Shanks. 

But they didn't even get to see him. They were knocked out cold by his Conqueror's Haki before they even got close. 

The next time, they fled to Konohagakure as fast as they could. Luckily, they arrived late—by the time they got there, the village's collapse plan had already ended. They only got beaten half to death by the ninjas before being thrown out. 

And then, there was the recent chaos in the Land of Wind. 

They had only gone there to scavenge for scraps, but then Orochimaru showed up. 

Just the pressure from his presence alone was almost too much for them to handle. 

If a normal person got too close, they'd probably pass out on the spot or get struck by lightning. 

Luckily for them, after surviving Shanks' Conqueror's Haki once, they had built up some resistance to Orochimaru's. 

But then the whole battlefield exploded. 

By sheer luck, they didn't get blown to pieces. 

Some others weren't so lucky—they were sent flying into the sky, and to this day, they still haven't come back down. 

Bottom line—if you're anywhere near monsters like these, you better keep your guard up at all times. 

"The Pick family is here." 

A pirate gave the warning. 

At the port, a young man wearing a hat and a black trench coat stepped out from the crowd. As soon as he appeared, the surrounding pirates lowered their weapons. 

Dom Pick was completely stunned. Were they serious? Pointing guns at Shanks? They might as well just kill him instead. 

The two people standing in front of him were so powerful that even his own brother would avoid them. If he got on their bad side, he was done for. 

"I'm so sorry, Lord Shanks! Our Pick family members were being reckless. How could they dare act this way toward you?" 

Dom Pick wiped the sweat off his forehead, but it kept dripping down. 

His older brother, Kargalo Pick, was the true leader of the Pick family. He had once traveled outside of Konohagakure with Dark. 

He had also witnessed the battle between Shanks and Orochimaru in the Land of Wind. 

Not long ago, his brother returned to the family with a great pirate named Ross Jess and took away the last of the family's resources. 

Yet, not a single person in the family dared to complain or speak against him. 

The reason was simple—Captain Ross Jess was close to Uchiha Shisui, who was by Shanks' side. And more importantly, another key figure was with Ross Jess—Uzumaki Karin. 

To them, the Uzumaki name might not mean much. Even red hair wasn't something they paid much attention to. 

But the hat Karin wore—that hat alone was enough for the entire Pick family to treat her as an honored guest. 

Yes, just one hat was all it took. 

"The Pick family? Never heard of them." 

Shanks shook his head. He really had no idea who they were. Even in the world of the Hidden Leaf, their name had never come up. 

But judging from their influence, they didn't seem weak. 

"We're just a small merchant family, that's all. If you need anything, Lord Shanks, just say the word." 

Dom kept his polite smile. 

It was completely normal for Lord Shanks to have never heard of their family. But now that he had, that was thanks to Dom himself. 

If even Ross Jess had to be treated as an honored guest, then when dealing with Shanks, they couldn't afford to be careless. 

"We're just here to buy some supplies and check out materials for upgrading the ship." 

Since someone stepped up, Shanks didn't hold back. 

Having a big name definitely had its advantages. As for money? That wasn't an issue. If Gato dared to sell materials from his ship, Shanks wouldn't mind spending enough to drain Gato's entire fortune. 

As for Amado and Zabuza's crew behind Shanks, none of them found anything unusual about this. 

"Of course, of course! Whatever Lord Shanks wants, just say the word!" 

Seeing that Shanks was straightforward, Dom's grin nearly split his face. He had hit the jackpot today. 

Meanwhile, a few wealthy merchants in the distance saw Shanks being led away by Dom, and they looked completely dejected. 

It was as if they had just missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

And to them, that was exactly what this was—a golden opportunity. 

Of course, not everyone would understand this. Zabuza and the others didn't. Even Amado didn't. 

Because they had never truly lived at the bottom of this world. 

Even if Amado hadn't been involved with Orochimaru, he was still a respected scientist treated as a VIP in small nations. 

Not to mention, he later managed to work with a powerhouse like Orochimaru. 

And as for Zabuza and the others, their status was even higher. 

Besides Zabuza, the people around him also knew about his connection with Shanks. They were all part of the group that had once looted Kirigakure. 

Back then, they were no longer at the bottom of society. 

But Dom wasn't like them. Many others here weren't either. 

For people like Dom, great pirates like Dark were figures they could only look up to. They were just the lowest of the low in this world. 

When even Shanks' hat could make someone a VIP guest of the Pick family, Dom realized that the world he had never truly paid attention to had already changed. 

It had become wilder, stranger, and more chaotic than he ever imagined. 

This was an age spinning out of control—madness and disorder everywhere. 

At that moment, Dom made up his mind completely. He would change and adapt to this era. 

Luckily, he had an older brother who had already taken the lead. 

Unlike the merchants who failed to keep up with the times—most of whom were now resting at the bottom of the sea near the Land of Water—he still had a chance. 

That's why Dom was extra welcoming to Shanks and his crew. 

Shanks and the others quickly bought everything they needed. 

"This Silent Nation really does have everything for sale. Can they even sell things from Kumogakure like this?" 

Shanks was surprised by their haul—it was all equipment straight from Kumogakure's labs. 

"Ninjas don't have an easy way to deal with these things. Turning them into money is the best option." 

"And even if they're sold, normal people wouldn't dare use them, because…" 

Dom didn't finish his sentence. 

Selling them was one thing, but if he caught someone actually using them, he wouldn't just let it slide. 

"Even if it's just discarded materials, they're still top-quality. Perfect for reinforcing the ship's hull." 

Amado nodded. He understood how the ninja villages operated. 

That's why Orochimaru always kept his experiments hidden. After dealing with him for so long, Amado was well aware of these unspoken rules. 

"How long will it take?" 

Shanks asked. Amado was already handling a lot, and now he was taking on shipbuilding too. 

"Three days. All that's left is installing the chakra engine." 

Amado answered without hesitation. 

He had access to the chakra armor technology from the Land of Snow, which allowed chakra to be stored and used. 

On top of that, Amado had even improved the technology—he could now artificially synthesize chakra. 

As for the chakra engine, it was mainly designed to handle the New World. 

And once they passed through the Dragon Vein, they could even use its energy to power the engine further. 

It was a perfect upgrade. 

"Three days, huh…" 

Shanks looked out toward the harbor. 

"In three days, I bet this place will be packed with people." 

Zabuza rested his sword on his shoulder, glancing outside. 

Shanks was a legendary pirate, and his name alone carried weight. 

Once the first challenger appeared, the second and third wouldn't be far behind. 

And they weren't just here for Shanks—they were here for all of them. 

"If it's too much trouble, we could just freeze the sea." 

Shanks pointed at Haku beside him. 

Zabuza, hearing Shanks' words, was completely confused. 

"Freeze the sea? Do you think everyone is like you? How could Haku possibly do that?" 

"...Um, Captain Zabuza, actually, I can." 

Haku spoke softly. 

With the power of the Devil Fruit, it was possible. If he could do it in the desert, then doing it on water was even easier. 

Not long after, as they looked at the frozen sea, all the pirates on the island turned their eyes to the seemingly harmless Haku. 

Even someone who looked so gentle and innocent was this strong? 

Was this the power of someone connected to a legendary figure like Shanks? 

Standing behind Shanks' group, Dom felt the cold seeping from the frozen sea. 

Even though he was shivering, a fire had been lit in his heart. 

"So this… is the power of pirates!!" 

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