Boom!!
Four torrents of Conqueror's Haki erupted and collided.
The sky twisted violently as if rent by the wrath of gods, and even the sea churned beneath the overwhelming pressure. The clash of wills did not just crack the heavens—it carved open the ocean itself.
Black lightning, laced with the raw fury of Haoshoku Haki, crackled downward like divine punishment. Each strand tore the sea's surface, creating massive waves and gouging deep, jagged fissures into the water as though a seaquake had struck.
Within the zone of impact, the ocean appeared crushed, like a massive invisible press forced it down. A terrifying basin—a collapsed depression in the ocean—formed as if the very sea were kneeling under the weight of the kings.
Even the seasoned warriors of the Red Hair Pirates were stunned.
Suddenly—
Boom!!
A shockwave blasted out as one of the Haki torrents, blood-red and blazing like a wild inferno, was visibly overwhelmed. It buckled, retreated, flickering like the rage of a lion on the brink of collapse.
And it was heading straight back toward the Red Force.
"Not good! The Captain's being pushed back!"
"Ragnar's family... Three users with the Conqueror's Haki and Mythical Zoan powers?!"
"Mythical Zoans were supposed to be rarer than Logias! What are they—growing on trees in his backyard?!"
The crew exchanged horrified looks.
They knew the truth before it was spoken:
Shanks had lost this clash.
But none of them blamed him.
It wasn't that the Red-Haired Emperor wasn't strong enough—he was among the few who could knock out Vice Admirals with a glance.
But Ragnar's faction?
It was a broken setup.
In a world where Mythical Zoan fruits were considered almost legendary—with perhaps five or six confirmed users in the entire manga timeline—Ragnar's group had not one... but three.
As the crew reeled from the outcome, a fifth wave of Haoshoku Haki surged.
Ben Beckman, the vice-captain feared even by Kizaru, stepped forward.
His presence alone sent tremors across the deck as his Haki surged to bolster Shanks'.
Together, they braced the Red Force from destruction.
But this was not about victory anymore.
"We're not trying to win,"
Beckman muttered, "We're trying to keep the ship afloat."
In the New World, especially near the Calm Belt, losing a ship meant death—even for emperors.
And unlike Rayleigh, few of the Red Hair crew could walk on the sea or survive without a vessel.
This was not just a ship—it was home, companion, and battle standard.
Without it, they were no longer the Red Hair Pirates.
As for "giving face"?
Red Hair had long abandoned that hope.
"Give you face?"
Ragnar's voice cut coldly through the roar of thunder.
"Red-Hair... can you even take it?"
With that, Ragnar raised a hand toward the storming sky.
Lightning danced above as if awaiting his command.
His voice echoed:
"Sword!"
Crack!
Another fissure split the heavens.
From it, a beam of radiant silver sliced downward like a falling star.
In the next instant, it landed in Ragnar's palm—
A three-pointed, double-edged blade, forged in brilliance, wrapped in a silver dragon, and pulsing with divine might.
Clang—
As he gripped it, the air itself vibrated.
Even hardened veterans aboard the Red Force felt their knees go weak.
Shing!
Haki burst forth. Black tendrils of Busoshoku Haki twisted up the blade, merging with the crackling lightning of Haoshoku, producing an aura that felt apocalyptic.
"Ragnar!!"
Shanks roared, his tone desperate—not for victory, but for restraint.
Seeing the imminent threat, Red-Haired Shanks didn't hesitate. In one smooth motion, he unsheathed the famed blade Gryphon from his waist.
Clang—
As he raised his sword, Armament Haki instantly surged across the blade, turning it jet-black with hardening. Simultaneously, Conqueror's Haki exploded from his body, coating Gryphon in crackling, lightning-like arcs — a clear sign of Advanced Conqueror's Haki infusion, the same ability used by Luffy and Kaido during their final battle on Onigashima (Chapter 1010–1049).
Swish—
Almost as if a silent pact had been made, Ragnar leaped forward at the exact same moment. The air split between them as they shot toward each other — one from the front, the other from the rear.
At a distance of barely ten meters, both combatants slashed down.
BOOOM!!!
Before the weapons even connected, the collision of willpower triggered a massive eruption. The three-pointed double-edged halberd—Ragnar's divine weapon—and Gryphon, both sheathed in Conqueror's Haki, unleashed a thunderous Haki clash. Like in the clash between Roger and Whitebeard, their weapons didn't make physical contact — yet the sky still screamed.
Black-and-red lightning bolts crackled between them, bursting outward like roaring dragons. The sheer impact formed a Haki shockwave so violent that the clouds above split open, revealing a pitch-black sky like a shattered glass dome.
Below them, the sea convulsed under the spiritual pressure. The surface collapsed inward, forming a massive concave basin, similar to what was seen during Shanks' entrance into Marineford where even Admirals paused at his presence.
"Blocked it...!"
Shanks' scarred eyes glinted crimson for a moment as his Observation Haki flickered. Watching the Red Force, which had nearly capsized under the waves but miraculously remained intact, he exhaled lightly. His use of Future Sight had bought just enough time.
"You can see the future? So can I."
"You can change the future... Then why can't I?"
"Isn't that right... Red-Hair?"
The voice — cold, playful, and brimming with confidence — came from right behind Shanks. His pupils contracted.
Ragnar hadn't even moved.
Or rather—he had already seen this outcome... and was waiting for it.
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