Whitebeard seemingly has no reason to refuse Shanks.
Given the current situation, it seems like Red-haired Shanks is proactively taking on the task of rescuing Ace for the Whitebeard Pirates.
If the Whitebeard Pirates accept Red-haired Shanks' proposal now, they wouldn't need to bear the cost of war and could simply wait in their own sea region for Shanks to bring Ace back safely.
No matter how you look at it...
This matter seems advantageous for the Whitebeard Pirates.
If Shanks indeed manages to rescue Ace safely, the Whitebeard Pirates will owe a significant favor to Red-haired Shanks.
Such a favor...
Is terribly hard to repay in the sea!
Portgas D. Ace will also owe Shanks his life!
However, there's still a problem. To prevent escalation of the situation, the Whitebeard Pirates have been waiting for news from Shanks, which makes them seem somewhat useless... Moreover, if Shanks fails, it would mean they're wasting time!
Whitebeard doesn't believe Red-haired Shanks can rescue Ace.
This is an impending world war, the first battle where the World Government and the Navy intend to annihilate the pirates, and no one can stop the outbreak of this war!
Not even Red-haired Shanks!
"Ace is my son..."
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed slightly, coldly rejecting Shanks' goodwill: "I'll rescue him myself, I don't need anyone to intervene!"
"Such a direct refusal isn't very nice!"
Red-haired Shanks' smile gradually faded, his eyes became cold as he gently grasped his Western sword: "I have no other intentions, just want to prevent a world war that could result in many deaths..."
"Red-haired brat, who do you think you are..."
Whitebeard suddenly reached out his hand to pull out the infusion tube from his arm, abruptly grabbed the Murakumogiri beside him, and swung it towards the red-haired head!
Along with Whitebeard's movement, an overwhelming Supreme King Haki swept out. Whitebeard swung Murakumogiri intending to split Red-haired Shanks in half!
Screeching clang!
Red-haired Shanks suddenly drew his Western sword, blocking the hilt of Murakumogiri, stopping Whitebeard's attack in the nick of time!
The clouds in the sky began to churn upward under the Haki of the two Emperors...
Whitebeard's and Shanks' Supreme King Haki seemed almost tangible, sparking in the air, their formidable oppressive power constantly spreading around...
Making people dare not face it!
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates involuntarily stepped back a few paces under the collision of the two Emperors, looking up at the sky as the clouds split and churned upward...
"The sky has shattered again..."
This matter...
Often happens in Whitebeard's sea region.
In the past, the entire Whitebeard Pirates boasted Whitebeard Edward Newgate, Uchiha Sasuke, and Portgas D. Ace, all possessing Supreme King Haki.
When Uchiha Sasuke helped train Ace's Supreme King Haki, occasionally Whitebeard would demonstrate and show the two youngsters that his might still linger...
Whenever Whitebeard's and Uchiha Sasuke's Haki clashed, the sky would slowly split under their collision...
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates have truly seen it many times.
"Ace is my son!"
Whitebeard tightened his grip on the Murakumogiri Greatsword, pressing down fiercely, forcing Red-haired Shanks' face to change drastically, this vast power showed no mercy!
Watching Red-haired Shanks' expression, Whitebeard gradually withdrew the force in his hand, swung Murakumogiri to drive Shanks back and coldly said: "I'm Whitebeard, there's no way I'll rely on others to rescue my son!"
After saying this, Whitebeard casually turned around, holding his greatsword, he walked step by step back to his seat: "Leave, there's no need for you to worry about the matters on this ship! Sasuke, Marco, help me see our guest off!"
"But..."
Red-haired Shanks opened his mouth to say something.
However, Uchiha Sasuke's figure stood in front of him, the scarlet Sharingan and peculiar Rinnegan coldly staring at Red-haired Shanks: "Leave, don't provoke the old man, or even I won't be able to stop him..."
"..."
Red-haired Shanks was silent for a while, then shook his head and sighed: "Alright, but I brought fine wine from my hometown in the West Sea..."
"Hmm?"
Whitebeard's footsteps paused slightly.
Just as Whitebeard glanced back at Shanks, Uchiha Sasuke coldly interrupted Shanks' words: "The old man has quit drinking in recent years..."
After that, Uchiha Sasuke's fingertips flashed with a lightning bolt, directly using a Thousand Birds Sharp Spear to shatter the wine jar Shanks had brought.
The aroma of fine wine wafted across the deck...
Shanks looked at this scene wordlessly, helplessly shook his head, but as he turned to leave, he suddenly spoke up: "However, I won't give up... let's see who acts faster!"
"Then I advise you not to waste your effort."
Uchiha Sasuke closed his eyes slowly, lowering his head, his voice gradually becoming smaller: "The World Government is no longer what it was... If you intend to intervene, prepare to be swept into the whirlpool!"
When Uchiha Sasuke reached this point, he suddenly opened his eyes, staring intently at Shanks' back, his gaze seemed to reveal substantial sharpness.
At this moment, Uchiha Sasuke's voice abruptly turned chilling: "Forget it, anyway, no one can escape this great whirlpool... I'll only remind you not to let Yakushi Kabuto exploit any weakness!
Otherwise, perhaps the war has yet to begin, and all of the Red Hair Pirates will appear together on the list of public executions, at that time, no one will come to rescue you!"
"Heh heh..."
Red-haired Shanks stopped in his tracks, turned back, and chuckled lightly, "Then let's return the words you just said right back to you..."
Red-haired Shanks' gaze suddenly turned icy cold, his attitude was incredibly firm, "The Red Hair Pirates don't need you to meddle in what we want to do!"
After speaking, Red-haired Shanks left the Moby Dick.
Red-haired Shanks didn't achieve his purpose in coming to the Whitebeard Pirates, but he wouldn't just let it go, and Shanks happened to have a reason to step in.
The ship doctor of the Roger Pirates, Crocus...
Red Force.
When Red-haired Shanks returned to his ship, Benn Beckman was biting the straw of a juice box, leisurely speaking, "They didn't agree, did they..."
"That's right..."
Shanks shook his head, sighed softly, and said, "You guessed it right, Beckman... But we don't need to care about them, let's go do what we want to do next!"
"Hmm."
Benn Beckman nodded and suddenly asked, "So where do we go now? Should we go find the World Government at this time?
Although we haven't formed an alliance with the Whitebeard Pirates yet, if we put on an appearance of assisting them in front of others, we might be able to force them to release Portgas D. Ace..."
This was originally the Red Hair Pirates' plan.
If Whitebeard had agreed to Red Hair's request this time, Red-haired Shanks could have used the banner of a defensive and offensive alliance to pressure the World Government to release Ace.
However, after Shanks saw the condition of Uchiha Sasuke's body, he realized the severity of the situation. Everything in the newspapers was actually true...
Uchiha Sasuke...
Really was repelled by the World Government's people!
"It's hard to say now."
Shanks shook his head seriously, and continued in a deep voice, "The World Government's CP Department has somehow gained a formidable member, and Yakushi Kabuto is indeed someone not to be underestimated; perhaps he really is confident in this war...
There can be no more people getting involved!
For now, we should head to the Hundred Beasts Sea Region to gauge Kaido and Naruto's attitude. At the very least, we can't let them make trouble at this point!"
"Is that so..."
Benn Beckman furrowed his brows and sighed, "That Hundred Beast Kaido guy never seems to listen to persuasion!"
And currently, the Hundred Beast Pirates detest the Red Hair Pirates the most.
Hundred Beast Kaido is incredibly stubborn; no matter who says what, he seems not to listen. Of course, Red-haired Shanks is actually the same; no matter what people say, Shanks will still continue to do what he wants to do.
The Red Force slowly turned, leaving Whitebeard's Sea Region, speeding towards the Hundred Beasts Sea Region.
Red-haired Shanks was unaware.
Even if he could rush to the Hundred Beasts Sea Region now, he definitely wouldn't be able to see Hundred Beast Kaido and Uzumaki Naruto, because these two are participating in a terrifying expedition ceremony in Wano Country!
Wano Country, Kuri.
Kuri is different from the base camp of the Flower Capital.
Because Kuri is vast and close to the Inner Sea Port, a group of Akatsuki members gathered in Kuri, including various subsidiary armed forces under Akatsuki.
The number of ninjas from the Ninja World entering Wano Country has doubled over the years. Now Wano Country's ninja forces exceed sixty thousand, and Wano Country also has a Samurai Squad with over twenty thousand members of varying strengths.
The core crew and its subsidiary pirate crews under the Hundred Beast Pirates amount to over twenty thousand pirates just in numbers alone, not to mention the numerous Zoan-type Fruit Ability combat members the Hundred Beast Pirates have.
Even just Akatsuki's peripheral forces...
Is definitely a huge army capable of changing the direction of any pirate war!
Now, this super armed force is gathered in Kuri. Whether in strength or numbers, it could easily level any country in the world!
Even BIG·MOM's Totto Land would be no match!
Standing at the forefront of these troops...
Are all the captains or leaders of these forces.
The high echelon from the Hundred Beast Pirates: Hundred Beast Kaido, Uzumaki Naruto, Jack the Drought, Plague Queen, Flame Disaster King, Yamato, and others.
The top brass from the Ninja Alliance: Nara Shikamaru, Huang Tu, Temari, Fifth Mizukage Terumi Mei, Jiraiya, Fourth Raikage, Killer Bee, and others are prominently present.
The high echelon from the Wano Country Samurai: temporarily led by Mifune, the general of the Land of Iron from the Ninja World.
Behind them is a joint force of over one hundred thousand composed of ninjas, samurai, and pirates, so densely packed that one cannot see the end of it!
At the end of this alliance, many giants and demons over several tens of meters high stand obediently at the back of the formation.
"It's just an expedition, do we need so many people?"
Hundred Beast Kaido gulped down a big swig of booze, let out a loud burp, and drunkenly said, "I could just bring my own ship and take down that old guy Whitebeard!"
"Brother Kaido..."
Plague Queen shook his head, grinned, and spoke with a light smile, "This time we're going on an expedition to completely conquer the world..."
"Huh?"
Kaido rubbed his head and took another gulp of booze, "Where's Linlin? Aren't we taking her along? I owe her a favor from back in the day!"
"Brother Kaido, you'll see her soon."
Flame Disaster King, standing beside, shook his head and said in a low voice, "The first place these hundred thousand people will attack is BIG·MOM's Tottland Island... I hope that old lady knows when to back down!"