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"Gūlp!"
As Shanks boldly declared his intentions, the air crackled with the tremor of Haoshoku (Conqueror's Haki), causing the pirates watching from a distance to swallow hard.
Then, a wave of astonishment erupted!
"Quick! Get out of here, they're about to make a move!"
"Loosen the rear sails, hard to port!"
"Fall back, everyone retreat immediately!!"
In an instant, no one dared to remain hidden any longer. Everyone, disregarding their concealment, poured all their strength into fleeing the area as fast as they could.
Pirates who had survived in the New World understood the terrifying strength of the world's top powers— beings capable of destroying the islands with their bare hands! With insufficient power, merely watching from a distance could lead to death.
Rowen, unaffected by Shanks' overwhelming Haoshoku, calmly locked eyes with him and suddenly chuckled.
"Oh, and what of it? Are you really going to make a move?"
"Prepare for all cannons to fire!"
Onigumo shouted the order from behind him. The top hatches of the five War Behemoth battleships opened with a grinding sound, and silver-white cannon barrels gleamed as they extended outward.
Each battleship was equipped with ten rounds of ammunition, totaling fifty shots! If even one of these shells hit, the "Red Force" would be reduced to rubble.
Facing the threat of five small "Super Electromagnetic Cannons," Yasopp, standing on the deck, frowned and quietly said, "I can destroy two at most, Captain." As the sniper on the "Akagami (Red Hair)" ship, Yasopp's skills were unquestionable.
But against the terrifying speed of the Marine's "Super Electromagnetic Cannons," his abilities had limited effect. The firing speed was simply too fast! Even if he considered himself a hundred times more skilled than the Marine gunners, the sheer number of cannons was overwhelming for one person to handle.
Once even one cannonball was fired, the "Red Force" would be torn apart in an instant, reduced to debris.
"Leave it to me, Yasopp." At that moment, Shanks jumped onto the railing, facing the Marine ships from a distance. "I will not allow anyone to harm my comrades!"
Looking at Shanks' determined expression, Beckman took the cigar out of his mouth, drew his guns, and said, "Well, after all, the opponent is that Marine 'Cang Dragon.' If we want to speak with him fairly, it's best to fight first and show our strength."
"Then let's go!" Shanks gripped his famed blade "Griffin" tightly, leaping forward into the center of the sea.
"Arrogant!" Seeing that Shanks was truly making a move, Zero shouted and flew forward.
Boom! The air exploded with a sonic boom as Zero's powerful kick sent the massive "Qilin" ship lurching forward, demonstrating sheer force.
"Slash!" As Zero launched his attack, Shanks' eyes sparkled with intensity, and he spun to deliver a strike.
Clang!!!
The sound of metal clashing echoed through the skies, bright yellow sparks flying through the air. Zero frowned slightly. Shanks' slash was not something to be taken lightly—he couldn't block it head-on.
He pulled his arm back slightly, letting the sword blade slide down his Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki)-coated skin with a vibrating sound. Then, he stepped back and kicked upward.
Rankyaku: Moon Sickle!
"As expected of Zero, the one known for his 'perfect body technique'..." The blade did not land, and Shanks' body tilted forward. The following Rankyaku air blade, now empowered with massive Busoshoku Haki, carried immense power.
However...
"My target was never you!"
Shuā!
Suddenly, the sea was torn open by the terrifying air blade, creating a bottomless chasm. The gentle sea water turned into hard concrete, unable to heal for a long time after being shredded.
But Shanks took advantage of the moment and dove downward, bypassing Zero's falling moon-shaped blade and advancing straight ahead.
"Damn it, his target is the battleship!" There was no reason for him to expose his back like that. Just as Zero was stunned and angry about Shanks' feint, a terrifying lightning bolt shot out, striking Shanks with lightning speed.
Zī Zī…
Bang!!
A lightning flower exploded in the air, and the thunder, carrying an aura of destruction, spread outward, enveloping Shanks in its electric embrace.
But then, a flash of blade light shot into the sky, cutting through everything in front of him. Whether it was the sea below, the dark clouds above, or the thunder ahead, everything was split in two with a single stroke!
Despite the current of electricity coursing through him, Shanks remained unfazed. His long cloak fluttered, making a rustling sound as he moved. Bathed in the sunlight that pierced through the clouds, he exuded the majesty of a "New World Overlord."
Just as everyone was stunned by Shanks breaking through the attacks of the two opponents, a sudden flash of lightning appeared, and a light spot vanished in an instant from their sight.
It was the "Super Electromagnetic Cannon"!
Boom!!
A column of blood splattered in the air, and Shanks was sent flying straight away!
"Captain!!!" The crew of "The Red Force" shouted in alarm with horrified expressions on their faces.
"My 'Qilin' doesn't need as much preparation time as an ordinary battleship." Upon seeing this, Rowen smiled slightly. With him on board, the charging time for the "Super Electromagnetic Cannon" was only a few seconds.
Rushing in blindly, they clearly didn't know how to write the word "death."
Bang!!!
The sound of an explosion finally reached them, and the sea surged outward in a frenzy, triggering a massive wave.
"However..." Rowen turned quietly, looking at the other four battleships that had almost simultaneously exploded, furrowing his brow. "Beckman... I didn't expect your sniping skills to be this good."
"Well, as the vice-captain, I have to know a little bit of everything, right?"
Shuā!
Beckman leapt from the mast and landed on the side of the "Qilin" ship's deck. He held a short curved pirate blade in his left hand and a modified flintlock gun in his right, showing Rowen a calm smile.
"After all, my captain is an idiot!" With that, Beckman spun in midair, his body accelerating like a spinning top, and the cold blade flashed through the air, trailing sparks as it slashed toward Rowen.
"Heh! Interesting!" It was a very wise move. If he had even a slight opening, Rowen would have drowned the "Red Force" in the lightning that obliterated those pirates earlier.
The "Goro Goro no Mi" (Thunder Thunder Fruit) was not only fast, but its attack range was utterly unreasonable. So Beckman decisively closed in for close combat, forcing Rowen to stay occupied with him and not have time to deal with the others.
Whoosh!
Facing the incoming attack, Rowen swung his massive three-meter-long halberd with one hand. The air wailed as the heavy weapon came crashing down.
Clang!!
The "Thunder Dragon Crescent halberd landed precisely three centimeters from the tip of the curved blade, forcing it down onto the deck and causing a cracking sound. Beckman's carefully planned ambush was nothing in front of Rowen. If he hadn't leaned back at the last moment, that halberd would have taken his life!
"That was close... that was really close..." A line of blood appeared on his forehead, but Beckman still smiled lightly and raised his right hand.
"Clap!"
Rowen silently furrowed his brows and lifted one hand, conjuring a jet-black lightning ball that appeared in his palm.
'Raigo – Thunder Greeting: Bewitching Mind!'
Exchanging one wound for another, but the key was who the target was!
A "Seastone" bullet lodged in his chest would only take Rowen some time to extract, but if Beckman took the "Raigo – Thunder Greeting," it would be a miracle if he survived at all.
While the level of "Busoshoku Haki" (Armament Haki) didn't directly equate to strength, Beckman, as an all-round vice-captain, happened to be the weakest in this area. Seeing that he was about to die right there, Beckman showed no signs of stopping or dodging. He still aimed his gun at Rowen and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Bang!
The sounds of gunshots rang out, and two blood flowers blossomed on Rowen's body. One came from his chest, where a "Seastone" bullet drilled through his suit and into his flesh, creating a large hole that went straight through his body. The other came from his hand, where a piece of iron sand embedded itself in his bone, causing his arm to swing right, missing Beckman.
Whoosh... Boom!!
The flying "Raigo – Thunder Greeting" black ball hit the central mast of the battleship led by Onigumo, and it exploded, turning into a lightning storm that consumed everything in its path.
The massive main mast was ripped from its center during the explosion, and amid the deafening sound and cries, it fell over, causing the battleship to tilt sideways.
Rowen calmly looked down at his chest, then shifted his gaze. "I knew it. The way 'Kenbunshoku Haki' (Observation Haki) is used is completely designed to target me!"
When Rowen was still a "Rear Admiral," he had once asked his colleagues. At that time, "Momousagi" told him that by focusing on the area around his body, the "Kenbunshoku Haki" field that enveloped him could prevent others' "Kenbunshoku Haki" from detecting him.
In normal circumstances, this approach didn't hold much value in actual combat, because it completely shielded the area around him, like a radar screen being smeared over— ironically drawing more attention.
However, because Rowen focused his attention on the narrow range around him, it rendered the "Kenbunshoku Haki"'s greatest ability to detect and counter the enemy ineffective, making it more of a hindrance than a help.
Not many people would learn and master this method. But when facing a sniper who could precisely target without needing "Kenbunshoku Haki" and an opponent with an enormous "Kenbunshoku Haki" detection range, this method had a lot of potential.
(End Of Chapter)