"Boss!!"
"Captain Shanks!!"
Seeing Shanks swallowed by the endless tsunami, the Red-Haired Pirates cried out in alarm.
But their own situation wasn't much better.
The waves, hundreds of meters high, surged so violently they nearly reached the floating Flower Capital above.
Some even crashed upward, flooding parts of the city.
Luckily, Xia Te reacted in time, raising the island another thousand meters—
barely preventing his newly acquired "ship" from being submerged.
—
"You're underestimating Shanks."
Beckman spoke calmly.
Among the Four Emperors' crews, only the Red-Haired Pirates had an official vice-captain.
Just like Rayleigh in the Roger Pirates—
it showed how highly Shanks valued Beckman.
And that position wasn't just about strength—
but understanding his captain.
Sure enough—
the moment Beckman finished speaking—
a massive sword beam split the tsunami apart.
Shanks burst out from within, drenched but laughing:
"Too bad—I'm not a Devil Fruit user! And while your mastery of the Float-Float Fruit may surpass the old Golden Lion… its power still doesn't match his!"
Seeing Shanks unharmed, the Red Force erupted in cheers.
"WOOO! That's our captain!"
"As if that brat could beat the boss!"
"Take him down!"
—
While the Red-Haired crew celebrated—
Shiryu, standing before Lucky Roux, let out a cold laugh.
"Heh… you're the ones underestimating our captain."
Beckman's expression changed instantly.
"Hey! Shanks! That guy's gone!"
"…What?"
Only then did everyone realize—
Xia Te, who had been floating in the sky—
had vanished.
The massive tsunami had blocked everyone's vision, and all attention had been on Shanks.
No one noticed when Xia Te disappeared.
—
Just as Shanks was about to search with Observation Haki—
BOOM!
The sea beneath him exploded.
A blur shot upward—
appearing right in front of him.
Who else could it be but Xia Te?!
"How is that possible?!"
Even Beckman, famed as the smartest man at sea, was stunned.
From the ocean?!
Impossible!
He's a Devil Fruit user!
Even monsters like Whitebeard and Big Mom avoided the sea—
because no matter how strong they were, they were still bound by that weakness.
But Xia Te…
This completely shattered their understanding of Devil Fruit users.
—
Shanks himself hadn't expected an attack from beneath the sea.
His reaction—
was just a fraction too slow.
"I never thought that attack would take you down."
Xia Te said coldly.
Even with the system, he wasn't arrogant enough to think he could defeat Shanks one-on-one.
That's why he dragged Kaido into this.
That overwhelming tsunami?
Just a feint.
Its purpose wasn't to kill—
but to create an opening.
Now—this was the real move.
—
At near-zero distance—
their sword auras erupted.
The destructive force blasted across the sea.
Slash!
Flesh tore open—
deep enough to reveal internal organs.
Pain flashed across Shanks' face—
but his counterattack came instantly.
Twisting his sword—
his Conqueror's Haki-infused strike descended like a primordial beast's claw, slamming into Xia Te's elbow.
"Tch—still able to counter like that?"
Even Xia Te was surprised.
Looking at the bone faintly visible beneath the torn flesh of his arm—
the next moment—
both fell into the sea.
—
Though not as extreme as Whitebeard at Marineford—
Shanks' waist had been pierced so deeply his intestines nearly spilled out.
And yet—
he still retaliated.
No Emperor was weak.
—
[Ding! Sign-in location: Shanks — Success!]
[Reward: Perfect Conqueror's Haki!]
But—
the objective had been achieved.
—
"Hmph!"
"Hah!"
Falling into the sea—
both unleashed their Conqueror's Haki simultaneously.
Their overwhelming willpower clashed—
and in an instant—
the raging ocean stilled completely.
Stepping lightly on the water—
they each returned to their respective ships.
—
"That just now… that was the captain's Conqueror's Haki?!"
Rockstar, the Red-Haired apprentice, stared in shock.
"T-Then how can that guy use it too?!"
Beckman waved over the ship doctor immediately to treat Shanks' wounds.
"That hurt more than I expected… A Devil Fruit user attacking from underwater…"
Shanks wiped the seawater from his face, allowing treatment.
His expression turned serious—
with a trace of wariness.
"…Did he just awaken that mid-battle? That rate of growth is terrifying…"
A Float-Float user who wasn't afraid of seawater—
and now possessed Perfect Conqueror's Haki, just like him.
Shanks felt like he was witnessing the rise of a monster—
one even more frightening than his own captain.
—
"Captain!"
On the other side—
Weevil, Shiryu, and the others rushed to Xia Te.
His right arm was nearly severed at the elbow.
"Hey! Dark circles! What are you waiting for?! Get down here!"
Weevil shouted up at Law.
Without hesitation, Law jumped down.
Just before hitting the deck—
he activated his ability.
"ROOM! Shambles!"
In an instant, he appeared beside Xia Te—
and began stitching the wound with the Op-Op Fruit's power.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
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