Facing the red-haired pirate with a bounty of only 60 million Berries, Harris couldn't help but feel deeply astonished. Even most rear admirals weren't his match, so how could this unknown kid with a straw hat withstand his attacks repeatedly?
"Fire Blade!"
"Flame" Harris swung his right hand, and a streak of red flames shot out from his hand like an enormous fiery sword, sweeping away everything in its path.
Clang!
A sharp blade intercepted Harris's Fire Blade in front of Shanks. Though Shanks's current weapon was not yet the future Gryphon, it was still a renowned sword. Combined with his mastery of Armament Haki, he successfully blocked Harris's fierce attack. However, Shanks was pushed back rapidly, sword and all.
He grinned, "What strength! No wonder you're the highest bounty super rookie this year!"
Harris, a pirate who never wasted words, acknowledged Shanks's power in his heart but didn't say anything.
"Great Flame!"
Harris pushed his palms forward, unleashing a torrent of flames in a massive wave toward Shanks's position.
"!!"
Shanks's expression changed; he didn't expect Harris's flames to increase in intensity. This time, even he had to retreat to avoid the overwhelming inferno—facing it head-on would be an inevitable defeat.
In this world, humans were incredibly resilient, with top fighters able to battle evenly for ten days and nights. The battle between Shanks and Harris had already lasted over an hour. Although Harris had an absolute advantage, Shanks's mastery of Armament and Observation Haki and his agile martial arts made it hard for Harris to gain the upper hand.
"This is the advantage of Devil Fruits, huh? Even if they seem evenly matched, Shanks can't withstand Harris's flames," Kuro observed from afar, his respect for Devil Fruit users growing.
Harris's flames were intensifying, but a sandstorm approaching from the horizon halted the expanding blaze.
"Who's this flame-spewing kid causing trouble by the coast? Aren't you worried about hurting the plants?" a deep voice asked.
Harris and Shanks turned to see a tall man emerging from the swirling sands.
"Crocodile of the Seven Warlords of the Sea..." Harris sneered at the sight of Crocodile. "So, the once notorious pirate now serves the World Government? How disgraceful!"
With a cigar in his mouth, Crocodile's forehead veins bulged, "I planned to watch you young pirates for a while longer, but now, I think you deserve to die."
"Great Flame!"
"Desert Spada!"
Despite his contempt for Crocodile, Harris didn't underestimate him, using his most vigorous flame attack from the start. However, compared to Crocodile, he was still inexperienced. Harris's flames were easily split by Crocodile's sand blade, dissipating like tofu cut by a knife.
"You're already dead," Crocodile said, ignoring Shanks and attacking Harris directly.
"That bastard..." Kuro gritted his teeth from afar, "It's not his turn to act yet."
Hailan planned to let Harris and Shanks weaken each other before striking. But Crocodile, the newly hired sailor, had jumped into the fray at the peak of their fight, disrupting the plan. Hailan knew the Seven Warlords were unreliable but hadn't expected such a blatant disregard for agreements. Did they not care about their reputations?
"A thief is a thief. None of the Seven Warlords can be trusted, not a single word from them!"
...
"Hey... this is my fight..." Shanks was annoyed by Crocodile's interference.
Bang!
A gunshot pierced the air, and Shanks saw a gleaming sword strike toward Beckman and Yasopp. Yasopp fired his gun but missed entirely.
"This is a trap!" Beckman realized this when he saw the beautiful swordswoman and the navy officer (Wagner) beside her. Though he didn't know the navy's exact role, they had a plan to capture them.
"Run!" Beckman shouted, estimating the female swordswoman's strength from that single sword light. If she engaged him, he might not escape.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"You can't escape!"
As Shanks was still processing the situation, Hailan appeared before him.
"You?!"
A marine's appearance before a pirate was never for a friendly chat. Shanks turned to flee.
Tempest Kick: Fierce Dragon!
A blue vacuum wave kicked from Hailan's leg and transformed into a dragon, following a curved path and aiming at Shanks. Shanks narrowly dodged the attack, but Hailan had already closed in.
Forced to counter Hailan's aggressive attacks, Shanks found himself in a fierce battle, turning the coastline into a battlefield.
"Can't you let me go?" Shanks pleaded while fending off Hailan's blows.
"No!" Hailan replied firmly. "As long as you're a pirate and I'm a marine, I won't let you go!"
Bang!
Hailan's iron fist clashed with Shanks's Armament Haki-coated punch, creating a loud explosion. Both winced from the pain.
Remembering how Garp had relentlessly chased his captain, Roger, Shanks shuddered at the thought of following in his footsteps.
Shanks suddenly grinned, drawing his sword and pointing it at Hailan, "In that case, let's settle this like men, fair and square!"
He intended to fight Hailan here and now to dissuade him from pursuing further.
Hailan laughed, "Don't make it sound so noble! I think you're just buying time because your first mate is preoccupied, and you have no other choice!"