Red Haired Supremacy

Chapter 185 185: Ch-185 The Dominance Of Shanks' Haki.

Shanks tilted his head slightly toward the Mizukage and spoke loud enough for both ships to hear.

"It seems Kirigakure has forgotten its humiliation. Don't tell me you've also forgotten how you had no choice but to turn tail and run last time."

He narrowed his eyes.

"What is it? Joining hands with Kumogakure suddenly gave you enough confidence to take on the Uzumaki?"

The Mizukage's expression didn't change, his voice flat and cold.

"Yes, last time you forced us to retreat. I'll admit that much. But this time will not be the same. Uzushiogakure will fall."

Before Shanks could respond, the Third Raikage stepped forward on his own deck, lightning chakra crackling faintly around him.

"Boy," he growled, "it looks like a bit of borrowed strength from your siblings has given you wings—and a dangerous amount of arrogance. You dared interfere with Kumogakure's plans and even killed our shinobi."

He jabbed a finger toward the Uzumaki shore.

"Do you really think Kumogakure would let that go? Today, you'll pay the price—with the destruction of your precious village."

Shanks raised an eyebrow. He understood perfectly why the Raikage called him "boy." It wasn't just an insult—it was a message.

The Raikage wanted to remind everyone watching that Shanks Uzumaki was young, far younger than him, and supposedly inexperienced in the wider world. By speaking down to him, he was trying to belittle Shanks' strength, boost the confidence of his own troops, and at the same time chip away at the morale of the Uzumaki forces.

Shanks shifted his gaze over his shoulder toward the formation behind him—nearly a hundred fresh graduates from the Uzushiogakure Ninja Academy. Their faces told the story clearly. Even with all their pride and training, nervousness clung to them. A hint of fear flickered in their eyes as they stared out at the overwhelming forces of Kumogakure and Kirigakure stretching across the sea.

Shanks turned fully toward the Academy graduates, letting the roar of the sea fade behind him.

"I understand your fear," he said plainly. "Seeing this many enemies would shake anyone. You're not wrong to feel it."

He let the words settle for a moment before continuing.

"But remember this—sometimes, a person's strength reaches a point where numbers don't matter anymore. And that applies to me, and to my brothers and sisters of the Uzumaki. Those ten standing behind me are the same. For them, tens, hundreds, thousands—none of it means anything."

Shanks pointed toward the enemy fleets gathering across the water.

"Today, you'll witness it for yourselves. Benimaru—your commander—will show you exactly how numbers fall apart in front of overwhelming strength."

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he turned back toward the sea.

"But before all of that, I'll demonstrate it first."

After finishing his words, Shanks turned back toward the sea—

and the moment he did, the very atmosphere shifted.

The air thickened.

A low rumble echoed overhead as dark storm clouds began to coil together above the water, gathering like they had been summoned by his presence alone. The battlefield dimmed under their shadow.

Then Shanks unleashed it.

A tremendous surge of Conqueror's Haki exploded outward from him—focused, controlled, and enormous in scale.

The surface of the sea churned violently, waves rolling and twisting as if the ocean itself had been startled awake. Dozens of enemy shinobi stumbled where they stood, chakra flickering under their feet as they struggled just to maintain their footing.

But the effort was useless.

The wave of Haki hit them head-on, crushing down with overwhelming pressure. The weaker ones—Chunin, Special Jonin, and anyone without ironclad will—collapsed instantly. Bodies dropped like stones into the water or fell unconscious on the surface, eyes rolling back as they fainted one after another. Rank didn't matter. Skill didn't matter. Only pure willpower could stand against it—and even that was buckling.

The wave spread outward in every direction, Shanks at its center.

It rippled across the sea and even rolled back toward Uzushiogakure itself.

Even though Shanks was deliberately suppressing its effect to avoid harming civilians, everyone in the village still felt it—an instinctive jolt of dread, like something ancient and impossible had awakened.

Fear, awe, and a strange pride washed through the Uzumaki people at once. None of them needed to be told who it came from.

They knew.

Their leader was the one releasing that overwhelming force.

The Conqueror's Haki didn't stop.

It kept expanding outward in every direction, blanketing the sea around the island for kilometres. Every vessel that had surrounded the Land of Uzumaki was swallowed in its range.

And the results were absolute.

Anyone below Jonin—whether they were Special Jonin or Chunin—simply couldn't endure it. One after another, they dropped where they stood.

Only a handful of Jonin managed to remain upright, and among the entire invading force, only the Mizukage and the Raikage were completely unaffected, still standing on the decks of their ships.

The Mizukage watched this overwhelming display, a bead of cold sweat rolling down his temple.

"He's gotten even stronger than before… far stronger," he muttered, clenching his fist tight.

For the Raikage, this was his first time experiencing Shanks' Conqueror's Haki directly.

They had expected a blast—everyone had been warned Shanks held a power that attacked the spirit and knocked out anyone lacking willpower.

But not like this.

Not to the point that almost every shinobi from both Kirigakure and Kumogakure was knocked unconscious in a heartbeat.

The sea was full of floating bodies—some fallen face up on the water, others slipping beneath. Those still on deck slumped where they stood, dead weight and completely useless.

On land, the Uzushiogakure Academy graduates stared in disbelief, jaws dropped. This was their first true combat experience—and their leader had just wiped out nearly two full armies by himself.

Shanks turned slightly, just enough for them to see the side of his face.

"This," he said, eyes sharp, "is the strength I meant."

At that exact instant, the Raikage roared, fury exploding out of him.

"Damn you, Red-Haired Emperor! Shanks!"

Lightning erupted around his body as he shot forward like a thunderbolt.

Shanks surged toward him in the same heartbeat lightning covering him.

They met in the centre of the shallows, fist and blade colliding with explosive force.

The impact ripped the water apart, sending it sprawling outward in every direction, a massive shockwave tearing across the bay as their clash shook the battlefield awake.

(A/N: Discord Link updated.)

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