Chapter 584

Red-Haired Shanks, the most imposing man in the One Piece World.

Though he may not be the strongest, since we're speaking of "the greatest," he certainly isn't inferior to Bai Huzi.

Shanks's demeanor before them also earned him some goodwill from Macao and the others.

After all, polite and easygoing people are never disliked anywhere.

"Everyone, ready?"

"It's about time we set off."

Hitsugaya Toshiro descended from the sky, his expression growing solemn.

From his facial expression alone, even he, at the peak of combat power, showed signs of tension.

Hitsugaya Toshiro took a deep breath, and frost gradually formed in his hands, striking the ground.

A vast and peculiar array spread outward from his palms.

Only after enveloping everyone did it begin to slowly fade.

Macao and the others immediately felt a tightness in their chests and a slight dizziness in their heads.

When they regained their senses, the scene before them had changed drastically.

The ground was entirely desert, and not far off stood some decaying structures.

The sky was dark, yet not without light—merely an eerie sky.

The air around them was considerably colder, but more than that, it was a bone-deep, soul-chilling cold.

"This place is so cold—Natsu, can you give me some fire?"

Happy flapped his wings and landed on Natsu's shoulder, too cold to even move.

He curled up right beside Natsu's shoulder.

"It's really cold, but my flames don't seem to help at all?"

Natsu also shivered for a while, his face showing visible discomfort.

He ignited flames in his hands, yet they provided no warmth whatsoever.

"Here, your flames have no warming effect."

"This is Las Noches. In your terms, it's near the Underworld."

"What's making you feel cold is your soul, not your body."

Hitsugaya Toshiro stepped forward a few paces; the sand beneath his feet crunched, but clearly, it made no difference now.

Everyone's perception of Las Noches shifted slightly.

The group began advancing swiftly forward after entering this region.

After about half an hour's march, they finally saw a massive silver-white palace over a kilometer away.

"Is that Las Noches?"

"So huge..."

Natsu, gazing at the magnificent structure ahead, also showed a look of astonishment.

Just as he was about to move forward, the front-line members of the Gotei 13 halted.

Dozens of monstrous creatures, each seventy to eighty meters tall and wearing white terror masks, suddenly erupted from the sand.

A quick glance revealed at least hundreds of them.

These were the Arrancar—Gillian, the very threat the Ishgarians feared most; even a single ordinary one possessed the strength of a high-level mage.

"Are these the Demon Clan? Let me handle them!"

"Thunderfire Dragon Mode!"

"Thunderfire Dragon's Roar!"

Watching the Arrancar continuously emerge from the sand, Natsu's face broke into an excited grin.

He instantly activated Thunderfire Dragon Mode, flames erupting across his body now interwoven with streaks of Lei Guang.

A breath of fused fire and Lei Guang surged forward toward the front-line Arrancar.

"Ahhh!!!"

All the Arrancar tilted their heads back and roared, their mouths beneath the masks gaping like vast black holes.

They suddenly opened wide, and a red Cero coalesced, descending straight toward Natsu Dragneel.

"Boom!"

The red Cero collided with the Thunderfire Dragon's Roar, triggering a massive explosion.

His confident strike had been effortlessly blocked—Natsu's expression froze slightly.

He hadn't expected it to be stopped so easily; his face immediately twisted with frustration.

"These aren't the Demon Clan. They're Arrancar—low-intelligence guardians of Las Noches."

"Fighting them isn't hard—just don't engage head-on."

Hitsugaya Toshiro pulled Natsu back as he prepared to charge forward.

He spoke sternly to the others around him.

"Lord Hitsugaya, please proceed with the others—we'll handle this."

"Save your strength—you'll need it for that bastard Aizen."

Macao stepped forward, just as previously agreed.

The minor demons of the Demon Clan would be dealt with by them, so Hitsugaya Toshiro's group wouldn't waste energy.

After all, they couldn't possibly hope to defeat Aizen Sōsuke.

It's better to simply stay here and fight these low-intelligence monsters.