Staring at the other shore, Shanks' eyes were filled with anticipation.
This excitement, akin to finding a goal to strive for, was a feeling he'd only experienced when he first witnessed the power of Captain Roger.
Unfamiliar, yet profoundly familiar, it filled him with fighting spirit.
"My level?" The other shore nodded without hesitation, "Of course, just as Kong Tai just said, I am a god, a god who transcends your world, a true deity."
"You mean, I can also break through the shackles and reach your level?"
Shanks asked again.
"It's only possible. You're not Kong Tai, what makes you think you can definitely break through the world's rules?"
The other shore rolled his eyes at Shanks, then smiled, "But as I said, your will is indeed strong. Even in my era, you would be among the best."
"But in my era, with so many powerful individuals, only one broke through the rules and reached my level. And he did it not with will, but with his body. So I don't know if you can truly break through the rules."
At this point, the other shore paused slightly, then continued, "But you don't need to despair. As long as you fawn over the person next to me, let alone gods, reaching my level is even possible."
"Bi An!"
Just then, seeing that Bi An was about to continue, Kong Tai had to interrupt him. kanδん
Fawning over someone, while it might feel good to imagine, was still too much. Shanks was, after all, his friend, and if their relationship changed, it wouldn't be fun. He never thought Shanks would depend on him, nor could Shanks depend on him.
After all, Shanks wasn't Kuina.
The method Bi An suggested was to open Kong Tai's spiritual world to Shanks. But how could that be possible? Bi An was an anomaly; he couldn't let anyone else enter his spiritual world.
Even if it were opened, one would need to truly enter the realm of gods. If one entered his spiritual world before that, the only outcome would be to be devoured by his spiritual world.
Kuina's future path was to break her own limitations, shatter the world's rules, enter the realm of gods, and then, like Bi An, through his boundless spiritual world, ascend to a higher level.
Shanks glanced at Kong Tai and said excitedly, "Is this the truth you mentioned?"
"Yes!"
Kong Tai nodded. "All things, visible or invisible, actually have their laws. Gods do exist, and not just one, not just Bi An. In this vast expanse of stars, every shining star might represent a deity. When you one day enter the sea of stars, you will discover how insignificant everything on the ground is."
"And Im is a god who came from another planet."
"Im?"
Another new character, someone he didn't know. Hearing Kong Tai speak, Shanks couldn't help but ask in confusion.
"You don't tell me you don't know Im?"
Kong Tai looked at Shanks strangely.
"I don't."
Shanks shook his head.
He truly had no idea who this Im was.
Seeing that Shanks genuinely didn't know, Kong Tai could only slowly explain everything he knew, including his conjectures about Im and his understanding of the world.
Since he had already revealed the existence of gods and let Shanks meet Bi An, there was no need to hide this information. Therefore, Kong Tai told Shanks everything about the Demon King, the God Wars, and Im, under the vast starlit sky.
"So that's how it is."
After listening to Kong Tai's account, Shanks remained lost in thought for a long time.
The sights and sounds of that night had completely shattered his worldview, plunging him into deep contemplation.
However, while it was shocking, it also opened a new door for him, giving him a greater pursuit.
With a goal in sight, he felt his strength would surpass his captain's, reaching a realm his captain could never have imagined.
"The starry sky?"
Looking up, Shanks gazed at the boundless expanse of stars, a surge of heroism rising within him.
"One day, I too will look down upon the human world and gaze upon the stars with pride, relying on my own strength."
"Alright, let's head out!"
Kong Tai looked up at the visibly excited Shanks, his gaze crossing the distance of space and time, returning to reality.
In reality, Kuina had just turned her head, her eyes questioning Kong Tai.
Shifting his gaze from Shanks, Kong Tai turned to Kuina and smiled gently, then shook his head, raised his wine gourd, and clinked it against her cup filled with juice.
"Kuina."
"Mm!"
Kuina cupped the juice glass in her hands, took a small sip, and looked up at Kong Tai, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"I'll be 18 soon!"
Kong Tai leaned back, his back resting against the broken wall behind him, gazing at the sunset amidst the fiery clouds, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.
"Do you remember the first time I came to the dojo?"
Unknowingly, he had been in this world for over 15 years.
Fifteen years was half of his previous life, yet here, he was just coming of age, and his life ahead was just beginning.
And his adventure, in truth, had just begun.
When he first arrived in this world, his initial thought was to travel the world and then find a place to live a simple life with Kuina.
Later, after going out to sea and witnessing a more real and crueler world, the idea of abolishing slavery and eliminating the Celestial Dragons emerged.
Afterward, as he gained more control over his abilities, his ambitions gradually grew. His unprecedented and immense spatial control even made him waver, and for a moment, he even considered using his power to return to his past life.
It was at that time that he began to feel a sense of superiority when facing ordinary people.
He disliked this feeling, but it was beyond his control, a natural consequence of burgeoning power.
Power can boost one's confidence, but excessive confidence can consume one's soul. Although with his knowledge of two worlds, he wouldn't be completely consumed by his rapidly growing power, it would still significantly affect his personality.
If he were to blindly push forward without knowing what lay ahead, he, like most humans, would gradually get lost. Under the geometric progression of power, similar to the spatial domain he controlled, he might eventually become the cold, emotionless god he despised from the beginning.
This was not what he wanted, yet it was unconsciously happening under the surface.
If nothing were to interrupt this process, even if he didn't completely become an emotionless god, he would no longer be the somewhat chuunibyou "middle-aged" youth he once was.