Shanks swung his sword in a swift horizontal arc—so fast that it left a trailing crescent of red sword energy tearing through the air. The sheer velocity and range of the slash were overwhelming. The energy arc howled as it surged forward, its pressure alone warping the ground beneath it. Dodging was out of the question.
Kazumi reacted first, crossing his twin blades in front of him in a defensive X-guard. The other two—Jūzō and Fuguki—followed suit instinctively. Fortunately for them, all three were broad-blade users, and their massive weapons served as makeshift shields, taking the brunt of the impact.
The clash created a booming shockwave, forcing their feet to dig into the earth to remain rooted. Dust and debris burst into the air, momentarily obscuring vision.
But even before the sound had faded, Kazumi's instincts screamed. A red blur streaked toward his left side—unnaturally fast, predatory. He's already here!
It was Shanks.
Kazumi, barely regaining balance, instinctively twisted his twin blades and channeled a burst of chakra. A dense, formless shield of solidified chakra manifested around the sword's path. It flared brightly, but only for a moment—Shanks's blade tore through it like paper. Kazumi barely managed to shift his torso back in time. The blade still grazed him, carving a deep line from his left shoulder down to his chest.
He winced but didn't fall—his breathing became heavier, his eyes focused.
From behind Shanks, Fuguki lunged in a counterattack, the handle of Samehada elongating unnaturally. The living sword opened its grotesque maw, snapping toward Shanks's back like a serpent.
But just before it could sink its jagged teeth into him, Shanks's red lightning flared violently. Samehada's body twitched as it instinctively absorbed the lightning chakra, but even then, it hadn't touched him—because it never reached his true body.
With a flicker, the Shanks that had been standing there dissolved into static and mist.
An afterimage!
The real Shanks appeared in the next instant on Fuguki's right flank, his sword already raised, his expression unreadable under the shroud of red lightning dancing across his form.
Fuguki, sensing death racing toward him, understood he had no time to raise Samehada in defense. Shanks was already upon him, and in this stance, he couldn't parry. Instinct took over.
With a blur of hand signs, Fuguki vanished in a burst of smoke—Substitution Technique!—leaving a thick wooden log in his place.
Shanks's lightning-charged sword cleaved cleanly through the log, slicing it diagonally in a flash. The lightning surging through his blade surged into the wood, and in the next instant, the log exploded into smoldering fragments, crackling as they scattered across the battlefield.
Before Shanks could turn to locate Fuguki, a roar echoed.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Jūzō's voice cut through the chaos as a massive wall of cascading water erupted from his position, surging toward Shanks like a crashing tide. The sheer volume of the jutsu was overwhelming—it tore through the terrain, uprooting few trees in is path and smashing rock.
Shanks, capable as he was, could cut through the water, but that would leave him open. He shifted his stance, ready to dodge—but before he could move, Kazumi appeared at his side, slashing horizontally with his twin blades to intercept him.
A loud clang rang out across the clearing.
Shanks brought up his sword just in time. Lightning flared from the point of contact as both blades clashed—sparks flew in all directions. Kazumi's strength was monstrous, but Shanks's blade cut through the pressure, and Kazumi was forced back, his heels carving long trenches in the soaked earth as he slid away, barely maintaining his footing.
Shanks took a step forward, ready to capitalize on Kazumi's retreat—but before he could move, a towering wall of water surged upward in front of him with a deafening crash. Thick and rushing, it wasn't just a wall—it was a rising tide of chakra-infused water.
His eyes narrowed.
"A barrier?"
Before he could react, more water erupted around him—massive torrents encircling him from every direction like the jaws of a beast closing in. The walls moved swiftly, spinning and rising, forming a vast cylindrical dome. The technique was coordinated, deliberate—and deadly.
Within seconds, the water surged inward, crashing down on him from every side. Shanks raised his sword and enveloped himself in a cocoon of red lightning, but it wasn't enough to escape. The water enveloped him completely, dragging him into its center, and he was submerged, surrounded by a spiraling vortex of churning liquid.
In that murky silence, Shanks floated, motionless, eyes sharp with realization.
"So that's what they were planning…"
It all made sense now.
Jūzō's Great Waterfall Technique had been more than just a destructive jutsu—it was the setup. Kazumi's sword strike was the bait, locking Shanks in place just long enough. And then, from behind, the real trap had been sprung.
Fuguki.
Having vanished moments earlier using the Substitution Technique, he had silently repositioned himself behind Shanks—and now, he had executed the Water Release: Water Prison Technique, turning the vast surge into a massive sphere of unbreakable water.
Shanks was trapped in the heart of a perfectly executed three-man combo—immobilized, drowning in silence.
Outside the prison, Fuguki placed one hand on the roiling surface of the sphere, grinning. "Let's see if even someone like you can breathe underwater."
Shanks's sky-blue eyes remained focused, not a ripple of panic in their depths.
"These three… They know how to fight together. They've trained for this. But even so—"
His thoughts paused as he felt the unmistakable presence of Samehada, the living sword, slithering through the water like a shark sensing blood. The moment its scaled, barbed body touched the outer layer of lightning cloaking Shanks, it began feeding greedily on the chakra.
It didn't recoil—not even slightly.
"So, this thing can absorb chakra… even chakra fused with my Haki?"
A ripple of understanding passed through Shanks's mind. If it could devour Tailed Beast Chakra, then his fusion of Conqueror's Haki and Lightning Release was hardly a challenge. Still, he wasn't disturbed.
In fact… he smiled.
Outside, Fuguki smirked as well. "He's calm, but he's done for," he said, keeping his hand firm on the surface of the dome. "Once his chakra's drained, we'll finish it."
Kazumi added, "We've just got to wait it out."
But then… the lightning began to change.
What had once been erratic discharges around Shanks's body now grew more focused, more controlled. The chaotic flickers stilled—becoming a silent, humming aura of power surrounding his form.
Suddenly, bubbles surged violently from inside the dome as an invisible pressure began pushing outward. Fuguki's brow furrowed.
Inside the water prison, Shanks's right arm was now fully encased in dark Armament Haki. Lightning gathered on his blade, compressed tightly, not in a flashy display—but in deadly concentration.
The space immediately surrounding Shanks was beginning to push the water away. A thin, unstable barrier of red lightning formed around him, crackling violently, splitting the water with raw force. It was like a repelling aura, creating a vacuum bubble of space.
Then came the shift.
Shanks bent slightly—his sword pointing down, his grip tight.
----
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