Chapter 78: Motivating Shanks!

The red-haired one was far too weak for Edie's ambitions. Though Shanks had decent strength, it was nowhere near the level of a Yonko right now. Edie mused that the clone he would create from Shanks' blood, even with two years of development, would only reach the level of combat power comparable to his Oden clone. While Shanks might be slightly stronger than Oden at the moment, he was still a far cry from the strength needed to truly challenge the Yonko.

Edie, driven by the desire to produce a more formidable clone, made an immediate decision: to accelerate Shanks' growth. "You're too weak," Edie said coldly, his voice cutting through the air. "You can't even protect your own daughter."

Without warning, Edie unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, targeting Uta. The force was overwhelming for a child of only six years. Her small body trembled as her eyelashes fluttered, and she collapsed, unconscious.

Shanks, still kneeling, looked up in horror as Edie casually scooped Uta into his arms, lifting her into the sky. "Uta!" Shanks' voice was filled with panic, his face contorting in desperation.

"If you want your daughter," Edie called down calmly, "come to the hive in the future." His tone was emotionless, as if he were discussing something trivial. "Hate yourself for being weak. Regret your powerlessness in this moment. Grow stronger. And when you've become the fourth Emperor of the Sea, come find me."

"Boss!"

"Shanks!"

"Uta!"

The Red Hair Pirates had finally arrived, their voices filled with shock and anger as they witnessed the scene. Seeing Uta being taken, the fury in their eyes burned hotter than ever.

"Put my daughter down!" Shanks roared, forcing himself to stand despite the immense pressure of Edie's Conqueror's Haki weighing down on him. His legs trembled, but he pushed through, summoning his own Haki to counter Edie's oppressive force. Red electric sparks crackled around him, his Conqueror's Haki growing stronger in response to the pressure.

Edie smirked, watching with satisfaction. "Sure enough, a little pressure can go a long way," he mused, but his smile faded quickly. "But it's not enough."

Boom!

In an instant, Edie's Haki surged again, red lightning as thick as a child's arm shot forward, tearing through Shanks' defense like paper. Shanks groaned, his body buckling as a wave of dizziness clouded his vision once more. Yet this time, something clicked in his mind.

Shanks realized why, despite their similar strength, Edie's Conqueror's Haki was so vastly superior. His own Haki was broad, like a massive shield—a vast area of defense that lacked focus. Edie's, on the other hand, was like a finely honed blade, concentrated and lethal, cutting through his defenses with ease. It was a matter of precision and mastery, a level of control Shanks had never seen before.

Despite the pain and dizziness, Shanks began to understand. Through the force of Edie's Haki, he had grasped the technique that separated them. His body, though battered, absorbed the lesson. His Conqueror's Haki had been crude, unfocused—but now, with Edie's oppressive force bearing down on him, he could feel himself beginning to refine it.

Edie noticed the change and chuckled. "It seems even a monkey can learn some tricks by watching," he said, his expression unbothered. This level of control over Conqueror's was something Edie had perfected long ago—though for him, it was a mere [Hard] difficulty. It couldn't compare to his more advanced techniques like Black Flash or Red Flash, but it was enough to give Shanks a glimpse of what true mastery looked like.

In fact, Edie had drawn inspiration for this technique from the future version of Shanks. He recalled how, in the Wano Arc, Shanks had used his Conqueror's Haki to frighten off a Marine Admiral from hundreds of kilometers away. That level of control over one's Haki was, without a doubt, peak Conqueror's mastery shown in the story so far.

Of course, Edie's control was still far more advanced. He could manipulate Haki in ways even future Shanks couldn't. But for now, his goal was to prod the red-haired pirate, to ignite a fire that would drive him to grow stronger, faster. In time, Shanks would reach the level Edie desired, and when he did, his clone would be ready.

With that, Edie took to the sky, Uta in his arms, leaving behind a humbled and frustrated Shanks. The red-haired pirate knew what he had to do. He had to become stronger—strong enough to reclaim his daughter, strong enough to face Edie again. Strong enough to stand as a true Emperor of the Sea.

Shanks covered his forehead, fighting through the dizziness, and locked his gaze on Edie, trying to formulate his words. Before he could speak, however, a sudden dark slash cut through the sky from the sea.

The slash wasn't aimed at Shanks but rather at Edie, high above.

"Um?" Edie raised an eyebrow, sensing the powerful aura behind the attack. From thousands of meters away, a massive black crescent-shaped slash raced toward him. Without hesitation, Edie cradled Uta in his left arm while casually extending his right hand toward the incoming attack.

Boom!

The slash halted mere centimeters from Edie's palm, suspended in the air. It struggled to move even a fraction further, as though an invisible barrier held it in place. Despite the gap of only a centimeter, the divide seemed insurmountable.

"Is that... Hawkeye?" someone from the Red Hair Pirates muttered in disbelief.

"It's Hawkeye's slash!"

"He blocked it with his bare hand?!"

The pirates of both the Red Hair and Whitebeard crews stared in shock, their disbelief shared by none more than Dracule Mihawk, the source of the attack.

From his coffin boat on the distant sea, Mihawk's eyes widened. He couldn't hide his astonishment. A full-powered strike—stopped cold by a human hand?

As he tried to process what he was witnessing, something even more incredible happened. Edie, with a slight contraction of his fingers, crushed the black slash into fragments.

"The world's greatest swordsman's slash?" Edie remarked with a smug smile. "A frog at the bottom of a well can only see a small patch of sky."

The shattered energy from the slash scattered, and where it touched the earth, the ground tore open. One fragment even sliced clean through a distant mountain peak. The Red Hair Pirates stood frozen, barely able to comprehend what they had just seen.

"Who... What is this guy?" one of them whispered, fear gripping their voice.

Mihawk, still standing on his boat, clenched his teeth. His fingers itched at his sword's hilt. This was no ordinary foe. "He's the true overlord of the New World," Mihawk muttered, his grin thin. "The title of 'world's greatest swordsman' is just a compliment given by some news media."

Mihawk prepared himself for a confrontation, but Edie ignored him. He glanced briefly at Shanks and Mihawk, uninterested in fighting them further. Both were far from the peak of their potential, still needing growth. Edie smirked. "Goodbye, both of you. When you're ready to claim your titles as Yonko and the world's greatest swordsman, come to Beehive Island and find me."

He turned and ascended further into the sky, Uta still in his arms. "I'm taking your daughter," he called back down. "If you want her back, train harder. And don't forget to sponsor me."

Just as he began to disappear from sight, Edie seemed to remember something. He retrieved three small injection needles from his pocket and tossed them toward Marco, who caught them with a puzzled look.

"This is an anti-aging agent I developed," Edie said. "It can delay aging and preserve youth. Consider it a parting gift, Whitebeard." He smirked. "No side effects as far as I can tell. But if it doesn't work as intended, I'll make you a better one."

Without further explanation, Edie flew away, leaving behind stunned pirates.

Marco stared at the needles in his hands. "Anti-aging...?" he muttered. Whitebeard, now 59, had been struggling with the effects of his old injuries and illnesses. This so-called 'gift' could not have come at a more crucial time.

Jozu shook his head skeptically. "How can you just inject Dad with something like that? What if it backfires?"

Whitebeard let out a booming laugh. "Gurarara! Afraid I'll die too soon and won't be able to pay off the remaining 150 billion in debt?" He took a long drink from his wine jug, seemingly unbothered.

The Red Hair Pirates, meanwhile, were struck by a tense silence. They all looked toward their captain, knowing that words wouldn't change the painful truth—Uta had been taken.

"Shanks..." Benn Beckman began, trying to offer some kind of comfort, but he faltered, unsure of what to say.

Lucky Roo, ever loyal to his captain, was panicked. "Boss, what are we going to do? Uta's been kidnapped!"

Shanks kept his eyes on the horizon where Edie had disappeared. He took a deep breath before turning to Whitebeard. "With my current strength, do I stand a chance of getting my daughter back if I go to the hive now?"

Whitebeard's expression shifted, growing serious. He narrowed his eyes. "Forget it," he said bluntly. "You'd better follow his instructions. Become Yonko-level first."

Shanks' heart sank. He had ventured to the Hive before, back when he sailed with Roger, but the island had changed hands since then. He knew nothing about Edie's dominion there.

Whitebeard gave him a grave look. "You know Roger's strength. One of Edie's subordinates, Zishu, is a clone of Roger. He has Roger's full combat power."

Shanks froze. Roger's clone? A clone possessing the full strength of his former captain? This was just one of the twelve "Earthly Branches" under Edie's command. What kind of monsters were the others?

He recalled another terrifying fact. Chenlong is Kaido's clone.

A wave of despair washed over Shanks. The enormity of the challenge before him was overwhelming. His crew shared his sentiment, silence falling over them.

"What will happen to Uta?" Shanks asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Whitebeard grinned. "Don't worry. I've known Edie for five years. Your daughter will be fine. She'll be well taken care of. Probably better off than living with you."

Marco nodded with a faint smile. "She should have company too. When I went to deliver the sponsorship fee yesterday, I saw Kaido's daughter, Yamato, at Edie's research institute. You might want to ask Kaido about it."

Shanks' face fell further. "Marco... you're not helping."