"I think Red hair, do you really think that just because someone calls you a Yonko, you're truly the supreme king of the sea?!"
Adrian's dark eyes blazed with a manic fighting spirit. Though he was running on fumes, a head-on fight against a fresh Shanks was a necessity. If he didn't put this meddling guy in his place today, the insult would haunt him forever. What's more, Shanks was the mentor of the Straw Hat Luffy. An irreconcilable conflict existed between them. There was no possibility of peaceful coexistence. Since a battle was inevitable, there was no better time to have a good fight than in the middle of the Summit War. It wasn't his territory anyway; he didn't care how much damage was done.
But most importantly, Adrian just didn't want to give him face.
Zheng—!!
A sacred and majestic imperial coercion swept out from Adrian's body like a vast ocean. His rare golden Conqueror's Haki automatically condensed into an indestructible shield in the air before him.
!!
The next second, the two strands of Conqueror's Haki collided, creating an eardrum-shattering explosion.
thump
thump—
Thousands of Marine soldiers nearby rolled their eyes and fell to the ground in a coma.
"Redhead, you dare to plot against me?!" Akainu roared.
"The two people who can condense Conqueror's Haki to the point of doing substantial damage, is truly terrifyingly powerful ability!" Shiryu said, puffing on his cigar, his eyes full of dread.
Conqueror Haki symbolized a person's ambition and destiny. It was impossible to improve through training. It could only be strengthened as the user's courage increased. The scene before them had obviously exceeded the normal range. If Conqueror's Haki was a type of king's qualification, then Adrian and Shanks were the top kings.
"Hey, Shiryu of the Rain, don't just stand there and watch the fun. When the fighting starts, if you don't take the fight seriously, I'll break your neck for the captain!" Bullet said with a grin. As an old acquaintance on the LV6 floor, he clearly didn't trust the ex-marine.
"You'd better take care of yourself, Bullet. My sword has long been eager to drink blood!" Shiryu replied.
"That kid's Conqueror's Haki can evenly match with red hair?!" The commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates exclaimed in disbelief. During his duel with Whitebeard, Adrian's Conqueror's Haki hadn't failed. Now, facing Shanks—a man who had conquered the New World with his Haki—he was still holding his own. How great was this guy's ambition?
"Hey, you bastards of the Whitebeard Pirates, are you blind? Can this be called 'even match'?" Lucky Roux, fat as a ball, looked displeased. He turned his head and scolded, "That kid is just gritting his teeth and resisting. The Conqueror's Haki of Captain Shanks is unmatched!"
Although the Red Hair Pirates were surprised, how could an outsider compare a kid with their boss? Shanks was the mighty Yonko of the New World, and that kid was just a Shichibukai. Was this even comparable? It was an insult!
"That kid's Conqueror's Haki is very strong, but he still has a long way to go to reach Shanks's level!" Benn Beckman said lightly, a cigarette in his mouth. As the first officer of the Red Hair Pirates, and the world's strongest vice-captain, his words were authoritative.
The members of the Red Hair Pirates looked proud. But his next sentence silenced them.
"But don't forget, that brat's age!"
"Shanks, your perfect Conqueror's Haki is truly mouth-watering!" A look of apprehension flashed in Adrian's eyes. As the collision continued, a bead of sweat formed on his forehead. Even with his advanced Conqueror's Haki, he was still at a disadvantage. This man—one of the New World's Four Emperors, who relied on only his kendo and Haki—was not easy to deal with.
boom—!!
After another dull explosion, both Adrian and Shanks withdrew their Haki.
"Hmph, with this level of commitment, you dare to be arrogant in front of me?!" Shanks sneered. But in his eyes, he was full of fear and vigilance. A less-than-twenty-year-old who could awaken this level of Conqueror's Haki was a monster, more terrifying than Captain Roger. He glanced at Luffy, who was protected by Jinbei in the distance, and sighed. Silly boy, you have provoked a very troublesome guy this time!
"Enough killing here today. If you're willing to cut your own arm, I can let you out of Marineford alive!" Shanks' cold and arrogant words echoed throughout Marineford. But on this battlefield, lined with strong men, no one doubted it. This one-armed man had the right to be arrogant.
Adrian just smiled, and his smile was bright. The situation had turned into this, and Shanks was still thinking of a truce! How badly did he want this war to end?
Sorry, I'm not going to let you get what you want.
"Red hair, how narcissistic must you be? Do you think the whole world will listen to your nonsense?" Adrian smirked teasingly. "As a pirate, your behavior really confuses me. Could you be an undercover agent placed by the World Government in the New World?"
Although Shanks had always seemed like a good guy in the original work, a closer look at his actions showed a shocking pattern. First, he met with Whitebeard with great fanfare, but the purpose was to stop Ace from capturing Blackbeard. Please, what does a conflict within a pirate group have to do with you? Do you really think you're the world's greatest cop?
Then, just now, at the most critical moment in the second half of the Summit War, he stopped the Marines from taking down the terrified Whitebeard Pirates. But it didn't end there. During the later World Summit, he appeared in Pangaea Castle and had a secret meeting with the Five Elders. This wave of mysterious operations made Adrian call him a professional spy. In almost every major event that affected the world, Shanks had a hand in it. To say that this guy had nothing to do with the World Government was something he absolutely didn't believe.
"Everyone, obey orders!" At that moment, Akainu's voice suddenly came from the side. "The battle is not over yet. Anyone who is not injured will continue to hunt down the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates. These pirates must not be released back into the sea!"
"Protecting justice is our Marine's bounden duty, even if we lose our lives for it, it is only right... If someone dares to block your footsteps, it is declaring war on the entire Marine! Even if it is a Four Emperor, we must fight back without mercy!!"
Akainu's sonorous and powerful declaration instantly resounded throughout Marineford. The Marine soldiers who were confused just now, with his encouragement, immediately regained their momentum.
"For justice!!"
Tens of thousands of Marine soldiers on the square spoke at the same time, their voices like thunder. The pirates, including the Red Hair Pirates, were immediately overwhelmed by this momentum, their faces becoming uglier and uglier.
"Red hair, that kid is right, you are not qualified to end this war!!" Akainu grinned ferociously and walked towards the Whitebeard Pirates. An enemy of an enemy is a friend! He wasn't Sengoku, and he wouldn't consider all those issues. Why should he give Shanks face?
Akainu only knew that if Straw Hat Luffy and the remnants of Whitebeard Pirates are not wiped out, the Marines would lose face. And if he agreed to Shanks's request, what would civilians around the world think of the Marines? They would believe that in such an important battle, the Naval Headquarters had easily compromised with the pirates. Therefore, no matter what, he couldn't let the war end so simply.
Seeing the battle ignite again, Shanks suddenly fell silent. Things didn't go as he expected. This time, his invincible 'face value' didn't work at all. Am I making things too simple? In the current situation, is it really going to start a war with the Marines? For a while, Shanks was caught in a dilemma.
"Shanks, the situation is not what we expected." Ben Beckman leaned over and reminded him softly, "If we don't want to get into a melee, we'd better take the Straw Hat boy and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates out of here immediately!"
Ben Beckman, who had been watching coldly, had an insight far beyond ordinary people. He had already guessed some of Adrian's real intentions. The opponent's ruthless methods made him quite alert.
Shanks didn't speak. It was just that his dark eyes were already locked on Adrian's body. Killing intent rose in his heart. This bastard who had disgraced him would not be allowed to leave today.
rinse—
The Supreme Grade Sword Gryphon slashed down brazenly, and a huge Slash Wave shot out across it.
"Jie ha ha ha ha, can we finally start fighting?" Bullet directly blocked the attack with his body before it reached Adrian. His Armament Haki's black iron fist slammed into the oncoming Slash Wave. "Captain, can I do it?"