Chapter 187: Divine Departure? Like I Can't Do That Too!
Aboard the Red Force.
"Hey, hey, Benn, look over there! One o'clock!" Lucky Roux mumbled through a mouthful of meat. "That ship heading this way... doesn't its flag look familiar?"
"Hm?"
Benn Beckman, who was meticulously cleaning his rifle, paused and followed his gaze.
"A white flag?" Benn's eyes narrowed. "Two swords piercing the Marine's dove of peace... That emblem. It's the Curtain Call Adventurers..."
"The Curtain Call...?" Lucky Roux thought for a moment. "You mean that crew with the captain named Shane?"
He definitely remembered that name. The last time he'd heard it was over half a year ago when the guy got his first bounty in the East Blue.
180,000,000 Belly!
It shattered the previous record for a first bounty, the 80 million held by the Pirate Empress, Hancock, causing a massive sensation.
"I remember him being just a rookie, and he's already in the New World?" Lucky Roux mused before taking another huge bite of his chicken leg. "Time really flies, doesn't it!"
"Rookie? Your information is seriously outdated," said the ship's doctor, Hongo, shaking his head with a sigh. "That guy, Shane... he took down three of the Seven Warlords on his way through Paradise. And the latest news? He fought Admiral Akainu to a standstill. They went at it all night and couldn't settle the score."
"A draw with Akainu...?" Lucky Roux froze. "For real? He's that strong already? What's his bounty now?"
"2,130,000,000 Belly," Hongo said flatly, pulling out a thick stack of wanted posters and glancing at one. As the de facto intelligence officer on the flagship, he kept a close eye on these things.
Over two billion Belly?!
The other crew members gasped in unison.
"That's even higher than Benn! On our ship, only the Captain has a higher bounty!"
"Red-Haired" Shanks, as the youngest of the Four Emperors, was still somewhat behind the other three in terms of territory and influence. Naturally, his bounty reflected that. At present, it stood at 3,750,000,000 Belly.
"That's terrifying..." Yasopp said, stroking his chin. "When you think about it, that kid is only a little bit older than my own son, and he's already got that kind of fame and power. The more I think about it, the scarier it gets."
"It's fine to say that among ourselves, but don't you dare call him a 'kid' to his face," Benn warned, lighting a cigarette. "Anyone who makes it this far is a prideful monster. They've earned our respect."
"Of course I know that!" Yasopp turned and scanned the deck. "Speaking of respect, where's our Captain? Their ship is about to enter the harbor. He should be the one to greet them properly, right?"
"Up there," Benn said, glancing up before delivering a sharp kick to the mainmast.
"WAAAH!"
A cry of pain came from the top of the mast, and a red-haired figure tumbled out of the crow's nest, landing on the deck with a heavy thud.
"Ow, ow, ow..." Shanks rubbed his backside as he got to his feet, a look of indignation on his face. "I was just sleeping off last night's party, Benn! Did you have to be so rough?"
"Cut the act," Benn said coolly, exhaling a puff of smoke. "I saw you. You've been awake for a while, sticking your butt in the air and spying on their ship with a spyglass..."
"Don't make me sound like some kind of pervert!" Shanks yelped, slapping a hand over Benn's mouth. He lowered his voice. "...The rookies are on deck! Give your captain some face!"
Only when Benn shrugged did he let go.
"You should use that sharp observation of yours on our enemies, not your captain," Shanks grumbled, his gaze shifting to The Curtain Call on the horizon. "Still, I never expected to run into them here."
As he spoke, his right hand unconsciously drifted to the hilt of his sword. The famous blade, Gryphon.
"Hey, hey, Shanks, you're not thinking of..." Yasopp's eyes widened.
"Yep. That guy's title is now the 'World's Greatest Swordsman'." Shanks grinned. "I don't know what Mihawk thinks about it... but when a man with a title like that sails right up to your doorstep, it'd be a real shame not to test his swordsmanship, don't you think?"
"Here?" Benn frowned. "This is Whitebeard's territory. We're just here to rest and resupply. If we destroy this port, we'll have a hard time explaining it to the old man..."
"Relax, I'll just trade a few blows. I know my limits!" Shanks laughed heartily. "But you're right, fighting in the harbor is a bad look. We need to change the venue."
He turned and shouted, "Hey, rookie at the helm! Take us out of the harbor! We're going to meet them head-on!"
Meanwhile, aboard The Curtain Call.
"Boss, the Red-Hairs' ship is coming right for us, and it's picking up speed," Smoker said, his brows furrowed. "That guy standing at the prow... I think it's him. He looks like he's ready for a fight. Are they planning to attack?"
"Then let's meet them!" Jack slammed his fists together, steam puffing from his nostrils. He didn't care if it was Shanks himself. It wasn't the first time they'd faced a Yonko, and he wasn't scared. That Kaido guy back at Water 7... he was nothing special!
"Boss?" Jack asked, turning to the prow when he got no response.
"Hm?" Shane snapped back to reality, blinking. He closed his system panel, a knowing, meaningful smile slowly spreading across his face.
So that's the skill I stole...
"Interesting."
He casually wiped the rain from his face, his gaze refocusing on the approaching ship.
Shanks was looking right back at him. From across the waves, he gave a slight nod, as if signaling something, before his right hand tightened on the hilt of his sword.
"So that's how we're saying hello, huh?" Shane grinned, instantly understanding. His own right hand went to the hilt of the katana slung across his back.
Huh?
Two pairs of eyes immediately locked onto him.
One was Kuina. Her breathing hitched, her eyes wide as she stared at that strong, slender right hand. It's been so many years... am I finally going to witness Lord Shane's overwhelmingly powerful swordsmanship again?
The other was Robin. She looked confused, perplexed.
The Captain... so he actually knows how to use a sword?
The two ships grew closer.
For some reason, the calm, drizzling sea suddenly became violent. The wind howled, and the rain began to fall in sheets. Dark clouds gathered overhead, shot through with flashes of lightning.
Shanks stood at the prow of his ship. He walked forward to the very tip of the figurehead, his red hair whipping wildly in the wind. He slowly drew his famous sword, Gryphon, its blade cutting a cold, sharp line through the rain and mist.
"Let's see what you've got... the man who stole Mihawk's title as the World's Greatest Swordsman!" he grinned, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. He swung his sword with explosive force.
"Divine Departure!!"
BOOM!!!
A blazing slash of crimson energy erupted, tearing through the downpour like a furious dragon and rocketing toward The Curtain Call!
Under the dark, stormy sky, the blinding red light illuminated the entire sea, making the attack seem as fast as lightning and utterly unstoppable.
"Boss!" Jack's face changed. He instinctively moved to stand in front of Shane.
But Shane was faster. He had already drawn his blade.
VWOOM!
The pitch-black blade of Masamune was wreathed in the black-and-red lightning of Conqueror's Haki. Shane's eyes narrowed. He met Shanks's attack with an identical horizontal slash of his own—
"Divine Departure!!"
BOOOOM—!!!
Two nearly identical crimson slashes collided in mid-air with a deafening roar!
In that instant, the world lost its color.
Black-and-red lightning crackled and spread wildly. The rain seemed to freeze for a split second. A massive crater hundreds of meters in diameter was blasted into the surface of the sea, and the resulting shockwave spread out in a ring, kicking up a colossal tidal wave.
"WHAT?!"
On the deck of the Red Force, the officers stared in utter disbelief.
"You've got to be kidding me..." The meat fell from Lucky Roux's hand.
Benn Beckman, the first mate, froze mid-flick of his cigarette ash, his breath catching in his throat. His eyes were wide with shock.
"That guy... he can use Divine Departure too?!"
And its power was terrifying, a perfect match for Shanks's own attack.
No. "A perfect match" wasn't quite right.
They were identical. As if cast from the same mold!
Just then, the shockwave from the collision reached them.
Both ships began to rock violently, making it difficult to stand. But the physical impact was nothing compared to the mental assault. Divine Departure was a technique that combined supreme swordsmanship with the infusion of Conqueror's Haki. Both Shanks and Shane possessed some of the most potent Conqueror's Haki in the world. Even the aftershock of their clash was more than an ordinary person could bear.
Benn, Yasopp, and Lucky Roux were unfazed. But the newer recruits who had joined in the last couple of years were not so lucky. The moment the shockwave hit, their faces went pale, their teeth chattering. Despite gritting their teeth and trying to hold on for the honor of being a Red-Hair Pirate, most of them eventually collapsed in a heap.
In contrast, on The Curtain Call, nearly everyone withstood the blast. Only Nami's eyes rolled back into her head as she fainted, falling backward. Kuina caught her and gently placed her on Gin's back.
Kuina stared at the black-haired figure at the prow, her hand trembling on the hilt of Wado Ichimonji, her eyes shining with irrepressible excitement. I knew it... I knew it! The reason Lord Shane always fought with just his fists, the reason he never drew his sword, was because I told him my dream was to become the World's Greatest Swordsman. He was holding back his own supreme swordsmanship... He was... trying to leave that title for me!
The aftershocks of the clash of Divine Departures slowly faded.
The two ships steadied themselves on the churning waves and continued to approach each other. The sea grew calm again, leaving only the gentle, persistent rain.
Shanks stood at the prow, his red hair completely soaked and plastered to his forehead, but the smile on his face was brighter than ever. That exchange had been exhilarating.
"Hahaha! What a surprise!" he laughed, sheathing Gryphon. "Hey! Shane! You're not a Devil Fruit user, are you? To be able to do that with pure swordsmanship... I guess it's not so unbelievable that Mihawk lost his title to you!"
Was that a compliment? It sounded more like he was praising himself...
Shane also sheathed his sword and smiled. "Likewise, Shanks. A pleasure to meet you. Your swordsmanship is even more impressive than the rumors say."
"Hey, you two—" Benn walked to the prow, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and sighed. "Couldn't you have just said hello? Did you really have to greet each other like that? You made a huge scene."
"What's the big deal?" Shanks waved his hand dismissively. "He's just like me, he had perfect control. Nobody in the port was hurt, right?"
He was referring to the blast of Haki, which hadn't reached the island. The other effects, however, were another story. The docks of Blackstone City were in an uproar. Terrified citizens were fleeing in panic from the apocalyptic scene they had just witnessed.
"Tch... I guess you can't say that nobody was affected," Shanks said after a quick glance, before turning his full attention back to Shane. His eyes burned with curiosity. "But as long as no one was hurt, it doesn't matter. What I want to know is... Lord Shane, how did you learn 'Divine Departure'?"
That was a technique created by Captain Roger himself. Back in the day, when he was competing with the likes of Whitebeard and Shiki, a single Divine Departure was unstoppable. It had shaken the seas time and time again. But despite its fame and significance, not a single one of the younger generation of the Roger Pirates had been able to learn it. Only he, Shanks, had the talent to inherit it.
And now, after all these years... had he finally met another?
"Well..." Shane thought for a moment. "I suppose you could say I have a bit of a knack for swordsmanship. I learned it after fighting with Rayleigh."
He couldn't be blamed for shamelessly boasting. The truth was just too unbelievable to explain.
"Uncle Rayleigh..." Shanks frowned. "That reminds me, you two fought on Sabaody... and you took his arm. As someone who was under his care, I should probably be seeking some justice for that."
"Is that so?" Shane casually rolled his neck, his posture suggesting he was ready for a fight and didn't care either way. Usually, it was "beat up the kid, and the parent comes looking for you." The other way around... didn't make much difference. He'd just fight. He was curious to see just how strong this most mysterious of the Four Emperors really was.
But then, Shanks rubbed his chin with a troubled expression. "But, from a moral standpoint, the old man was in the wrong. He attacked first. So really, I should be thanking you for being merciful and not taking his life."
"This is such a headache!" Shanks slapped his forehead, then suddenly laughed as if he'd figured it all out. "Why don't we just call it even? Grudges shouldn't be inherited anyway. Let's just deal with each other as we are. It's more fun that way, don't you think, Shane!"
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