Shanks... was openly planning to help Saiji summon the Dark Lord, a demon lord! What was he thinking? Didn't he realize he was about to commit the ultimate evil?
After Saiji left, Shanks faced Mihawk's questioning with a bitter smile. "Seventeen years from now, a demon lord will descend. This is an inevitable disaster. If we can't destroy this demon lord, humanity will be annihilated. In such a situation, using evil to fight evil doesn't seem so evil to me."
Mihawk frowned, not fully understanding Shanks' logic. Moreover, he had no idea why a demon lord would descend in seventeen years.
Although the disaster in Wano Country was known, the final battle's specifics remained a mystery. People knew that the final battle involved Pirate King Roger, Black Order Marshal Makima, and Wano's great swordsman Himura Kenshin, who ultimately defeated the evil demon Kozuki Oden.
However, they didn't know what exactly happened in that final fight. They were unaware of Makima's prophecy and the inevitable return of the demon inhabiting Oden, which would happen in seventeen years.
If people knew that a demon lord would definitely descend in the future, it would cause massive panic. Aatrox's past destruction was still fresh in everyone's mind. The blood-stained waters of the Edd War remained red, symbolizing the terror of the demon lord.
That sea had even become a sort of tourist attraction, reminding humanity of their deepest fears. Shanks began explaining the events in Wano, including Makima's prophecy.
"When Makima said this, my captain didn't understand at first, but now I do," Shanks continued.
"What do you understand?" Mihawk asked.
"Since we know this will happen, why not control it ourselves?" Shanks looked up at the blazing sun, its light attempting to melt the ice encasing his crew. "Makima knew that Tuna Buddha would secretly plan the demon lord's return. So she took the initiative, ensuring the location and time of the demon lord's return were under her control. My conversation with Saiji follows the same principle."
"Previously, only the Demon Dragon posed a threat, but not as significant as Tuna Buddha. Thus, despite his attempts to summon the Dark Lord over the years, he wasn't considered a major threat. But now, with Saiji back, their combined strength equals Tuna Buddha's threat."
"If they plan in secret, we won't know when the Dark Lord will descend. Why not make the Dark Lord's return known? Additionally, we can use them to fight Tuna Buddha. Though risky, it's the best we can do."
Makima's words had greatly influenced Shanks. He believed her logic was sound: bringing hidden enemies into the open, despite potentially hastening their plans, posed less of a threat than letting them operate in the shadows.
Mihawk crossed his arms, still unconvinced by Shanks' reasoning. However, he didn't argue further. This was Shanks' choice, and though it might burden humanity, it was better than doing nothing.
"Remember, your choice could result in countless deaths," Mihawk said. "I'll pass on the drink today. Once we finish our duel, we'll share a drink."
The incident with Saiji had dampened Mihawk's spirits. He left Shanks' ship without another word.
Shanks' expression grew more bitter, but he said nothing. He knew his plan wouldn't be widely accepted. However, he wasn't only seeking Saiji's help to combat Kozuki Oden.
Humanity's understanding of demons was too limited, a deadly disadvantage. Some, like Makima and the Rear of the Water, possessed this knowledge but never shared it, leaving others vulnerable.
Information was crucial. Shanks believed that collaborating with Saiji would yield valuable insights into demons.
As for the clues to summon the Dark Lord, Shanks wasn't lying. He indeed had clues, left to him by his captain, Roger.
With his crew frozen and Mihawk and Saiji gone, Shanks sighed, sitting next to his frozen crewmates. He took out a box.
This was the box the Roger Pirates had found in ancient ruins, containing information about demons. Despite Roger and the Nameless One's efforts, they never fully uncovered its secrets. It was only when Shanks took the box after the crew disbanded that he discovered its hidden mysteries.
As Shanks poured his energy into the box, it transformed as if mechanically reassembling. One face of the octahedron, representing "fire," emitted a brilliant light.
The light projected onto the deck, revealing a massive sculpture of a coiled dragon.
The dragon sculpture had twelve missing pieces, and Shanks knew the light indicated locations of the Soul Gems needed to complete it.
The location he mentioned to Mirror was one of these spots. There were twelve such Soul Gems, each containing a piece of the Dark Lord's soul. By finding these pieces and merging them with the sculpture, the resulting pull from this world would draw the Dark Lord from hell.
The Dark Lord, representing fire, would then descend into the human world.
This was Shanks' bargaining chip with Saiji. As long as they wanted to summon the Dark Lord, they couldn't refuse him!