Boom—Boom—Boom—
Fist against sword hilt, elbow against arm, knee against blocking shin.
Every collision erupted with thunderous force, exploding with bursts of black and red lightning that mercilessly ravaged the ruined harbor.
...
Griffin fought bare-handed, precisely blocking every lethal attack, absorbing and neutralizing the ferocious blade strikes.
Without a doubt, Shanks was far stronger than Shiki, the most powerful enemy Griffin had ever faced.
But...
I am no longer who I was—I stand at a higher level now!
Clang—
The initial balance was broken.
The Sharingan detected an opening in Shanks' defense. With one perfectly timed advance, Griffin's Armament Haki-coated hand blade pierced through, leaving a scorching wound on Shanks' left shoulder!
For the first time, Shanks visibly retreated, his feet carving tracks through the shattered ground.
For a moment, Shanks' defensive movements appeared clumsy.
"Captain!!"
"Boss!!!"
His crewmates tensed, Yasopp's sniper scope locked tightly but finding no opening to intervene, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.
Beckman raised a hand to stop the crew members rushing forward: "Shanks hasn't lost yet!"
"He hasn't given the order—this is his fight!"
The cigarette between his fingers crumpled as Beckman stared intently at the battlefield.
Shanks... you're not a man who ends here!!
...
Griffin could refine his strength through combat, but this wasn't his exclusive privilege.
Just as he had declared, Shanks too grew by swallowing the bitter fruit of defeat.
—
Why fight?
Was it anger over his disrespectful words about the captain?
Because he betrayed my expectations, showing disregard for life?
Was it...
...
Gradually, Shanks stopped obsessing over the meaning of the fight and focused entirely on the battle itself.
Forgetting the positions of Marines and Pirates, forgetting the debates of justice and freedom.
Forgetting the shocked cries of onlookers, forgetting the world's watching eyes.
This was a strange sensation.
Born from every collision of fist and blade.
He could hear the resonance of heartbeat and breath, the echo of blood rushing through veins.
This was no mutual admiration!
But rather, from soul to body, reaching an absolute consensus.
...
Forget everything else, use every means to eradicate the life before you!!
Only then could he survive!
—
Gradually falling into disadvantage, Shanks showed no panic in his eyes. Instead, they ignited with a long-absent flame.
When was the last time?
Ah...
Back on Captain Roger's ship, during my first real pirate battle.
That feeling of being constantly surrounded by death, where the slightest mistake meant being killed.
...
"What a... long detour this has been..."
He murmured, as if suddenly understanding something.
...
My pirate life on Roger's ship.
Returning to the Holy Land to gather intelligence for the prophecy.
Giving that fruit to the one who would push the era forward.
Sacrificing an arm to break the contract...
All of it was for the dawn of a new era, for...
No!
Everything's wrong!!
What was it like at the very beginning?
Why did I walk this path step by step? Just for Captain Roger's will?
No!!
"My dream is to reach the final island with my crew, sailing on our ship!!"
This is my dream, Shanks' dream!!
——
——
Zheng——
The famous sword Gryphon emitted a faint hum as a deeper black spread across its blade.
His sword had changed.
No longer relying on wild slashes, it now moved with...
Fluidity.
Flowing like water, surpassing visual perception in speed.
The sword's trajectory blurred, continuously slicing through the air with sharp whistles, each strike lightly tapping against Griffin's fists to skillfully deflect the terrifying impact.
His Observation Haki grew increasingly acute, almost allowing him to foresee where the next punch would land.
His Armament Haki became more refined, the intensity at the tip of his blade skyrocketing.
Conqueror's Haki merged with the will behind every slash, each seemingly simple strike carrying a soul-shaking weight.
His speed accelerated, sword gleams weaving into an impenetrable net that gradually compressed Griffin's movement space.
...
"The captain... he's suppressing that man!"
"He's gotten stronger!!!"
A recently joined crew member stared in astonishment.
Not long ago, that man had descended like a crimson sun, harvesting countless lives before even arriving.
For over a month, he'd chased them across nearly half the New World, overwhelming their captain with absolute power.
The pressure this Marine Rear Admiral exerted on new crew members was simply beyond comprehension!
...
"He hasn't gotten stronger - he's rediscovered..."
Beckman slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke, releasing his crushed cigarette butt as complex emotions flashed in his eyes.
"That smile... it's the same one he wore when he invited me to join his crew."
...
——
In the distance, atop the massive skull-shaped peak of Hachinosu.
Wang Zhi gripped his liquor flask tightly, his gaze locked on the two figures battling fiercely at the harbor.
He took a swig of the burning liquor, his murky eyes gleaming with pirate cunning and greed.
Help the Marines?
If he could capture Shanks alive and hand him over to the World Government, he'd receive astronomical sums of Berries - enough to buy all the weapons he wanted!
This was a great pirate whose power far surpassed even the Pirate Empress, his bounty alone represented a fortune!
But...
That Marine brat had killed many upon arrival, his displayed madness and strength making him an unpredictable variable.
What if, after dealing with Shanks, he disregarded my secret agreement with the World Government and turned on me?
...
Help Shanks?
Another thought surfaced in his mind.
A good choice - that kid definitely wasn't a match for the Red Hair Pirates, making this the lowest-risk option.
Capturing that boy would yield substantial profits whether handed to the Marines or sold to the Whitebeard Pirates.
Heh... I've heard how much Whitebeard's crew despises this traitor.
"Keeheehee..."
Wang Zhi let out a low chuckle, his fingers tracing the flask's intricate edges.
I'll choose neither!
Down there were two Sea Kings tearing each other apart - rushing in would likely get me shredded by both!
"The best outcome... is mutual destruction!"
Wait until the dust settles to make my move, and I might capture both!!
"Pass the order!"
Wang Zhi commanded his subordinate: "Load all cannons and prepare for battle!"
"And... the target?" the subordinate asked quietly.
A cruel smirk curled at the corner of Wang Zhi's lips: "When the battle ends, the one left standing will be our target... Gya-hahaha..."
——
——
Griffin could clearly sense it.
Shanks' "blade" was evolving at an astonishing speed, gradually transforming into a true sword of a conqueror.
Omnipresent, capable of cutting through anything.
Even the most refined Armament Haki showed fine slash marks.
The Three Tomoe Sharingan, pushed to its limit, was gradually failing to keep up with Shanks' slashes.
...
So strong, Shanks...
In that case—
Let me show you.
Boom—
Griffin allowed the slash to blast him back, sending him flying dozens of meters away before he came to a halt, suspended in mid-air.
A gentle breeze lifted his bangs, revealing a pair of crimson eyes.
For some reason, as Shanks looked into those eyes, a sudden palpitation surged in his heart.
Something...
Is about to appear!!
...
All emotion abruptly vanished from Griffin's eyes, replaced by an absolute, inhuman calm.
"The Uchiha's Sharingan evolves from one tomoe to three tomoe as strength and emotions change."
"It possesses insight far beyond ordinary people, and a copying ability that even high-level Observation Haki cannot match."
His voice was soft, yet everyone present unconsciously fell silent to listen.
...
"And above the Three Tomoe, there exists a realm that only a very few can reach."
"The proof of the Uchiha clan, unique, like an imprint of the user's soul..."
"It is called—"
"The Mangekyou Sharingan!"
——
Thump————
Heartbeats skipped, stretched.
The three tomoe in his eye sockets suddenly spun, melted, and condensed—
Black and red, layer upon layer of nested red and black rings twisted like a distorted crimson vortex, pale arcs of electricity snaking through, increasingly tearing apart reality.
The madness of fate devoured everything!
Mangekyou Sharingan—
Activate!!
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