Who cared if there were a lot of them? Who cared if it was dangerous? Takero pushed all of those thoughts to the back of his mind. He had only one thing on his mind now: fight! He wanted a good, satisfying battle that would leave him completely exhilarated.
"A Mink youth who was born to fight?!"
Shanks felt the pure, unfiltered fighting spirit pouring out of Takero. It was endless and felt almost real, and it stirred something deep inside him. It had been a long time since he'd met someone with such a pure desire for battle—someone who fought just for the love of fighting itself. It felt like meeting an old friend. This kid was a natural-born warrior, a monster made for combat.
"It looks like a fight is unavoidable today…" Shanks sighed, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. Getting tangled up with someone like this was always a headache. He had once met a man with hawk-like eyes who was just as persistent about dueling him.
He turned to his crew. "Everyone, step back," he said in a deep voice. "This is between him and me."
The officers of the Red Hair Pirates looked at each other, shrugged, and slowly put away their weapons. Following their captain's orders, they backed away, leaving a wide-open space for the battle.
Shanks slowly raised his right hand and gripped the hilt of his famous sword, Gryphon. His gaze became incredibly sharp, like the edge of a blade, and he stared directly at Takero. "Alright, kid," Shanks's voice was serious now. "I'll play with you."
Takero's eyes lit up with a brilliant light. "That's what I wanted to hear!"
The sparks of battle ignited in an instant. Takero struck first, giving Shanks no time to breathe. He flickered forward, becoming a blurry afterimage as his fist shot out like a heavy hammer.
"So fast!" Shanks's eyes widened in surprise. He had been expecting it, but the kid's speed was still shocking.
Before he could even think, the fist was already upon him, carrying a fierce wind that screeched as it tore through the air. Shanks's eyes narrowed. Black Haki flowed over his sword like a living shadow, making the blade feel incredibly sharp and solid. He casually lifted his wrist, and the sword became an unbreakable shield in front of him.
Bang!
A massive thud echoed through the clearing as Takero's punch, strong enough to shatter rock, landed squarely on the black blade. But Gryphon didn't move an inch. The enormous force seemed to vanish into the steel, causing only a tiny ripple of air before disappearing completely.
"Tsk!" Takero's eyes were sharp. Seeing his first attack fail, he didn't stop. He twisted his hips, and power surged into his legs. He threw a vicious side kick, as fast as a steel whip, aimed right at Shanks's ribs.
Boom!
The kick landed, but Takero's face furrowed in frustration. Hitting Shanks felt like kicking solid iron, and the force of the impact made his own leg go numb. Shanks hadn't even moved. It was clear the attack had done nothing.
"That move again!" Takero thought, remembering how Shanks had blocked his punch earlier. The special 'Haki' that his opponent wrapped around his body and weapon was like invisible armor.
He refused to give up. His fighting spirit burned like a fire in his chest. His fists and legs became a storm of attacks, each blow thrown with his full strength, filling the air with whistling sounds.
However, Shanks was no longer underestimating him. His Armament Haki flowed effortlessly, covering his sword or his arms to block every single one of Takero's attacks. After a few exchanges, Shanks was perfectly calm, but Takero's knuckles were starting to ache, and his attack slowed down slightly.
"Tsk! This turtle shell is tough to crack," Takero cursed in his mind, trying to think of a way to break through.
Buzz!
Just as his focus wavered for a split second, a cold sense of danger stabbed at his mind. The instinctual warning from his Observation Haki made him twist his body to the side without a second thought.
Swish—!
A flash of bright steel sliced through the air where he had just been, passing so close he could see his own tense face reflected in the blade of Gryphon. He pushed off the ground, leaping back several meters. Once he was a safe distance away, he grinned, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Hey, Red Hair! Your sword is pretty fast! You almost got me!"
Shanks didn't chase him. Instead, he sheathed his sword, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "That dodge just now… was that Observation Haki?"
"Observation Haki?" Takero heard the keywords and immediately stopped his attack, his eyes full of curiosity. "You know how to use 'Haki'? Is that what you call it?" The physical training was one thing, but the secrets of Haki had been a mystery to him. He still had no idea how to improve his Observation or Conqueror's Haki. This powerful red-haired man seemed to understand it, so he had to ask.
"'Haki'? You just call all of it 'Haki'?" Shanks was a bit surprised, but then he chuckled. It wasn't entirely wrong. "No, that's not the important part." He realized what was truly amazing. This kid clearly knew nothing about the Haki system, yet he had managed to awaken Observation Haki all on his own. What incredible talent!
Meeting Takero's eager gaze, Shanks explained seriously, "Haki is divided into three types. The ability you just used to predict my attack is Observation Haki. It lets you sense danger and read your opponent's movements."
He tapped his arm, which was still coated in black, steel-hard Haki. "This is Armament Haki. It can make your attacks and defenses much stronger. More importantly, it allows you to hit the real body of a Logia Devil Fruit user." He paused, figuring a kid on an isolated island wouldn't know about Devil Fruits. "Devil Fruits are mysterious fruits that give you amazing powers if you eat one. The catch is, you become unable to swim and lose your strength if you touch seawater."
Takero listened closely, trying to process the new information. Eating a fruit gives you superpowers? But you get weak in the water? Is that a thing in Dragon Ball? A strange feeling crept into his mind. Something felt off, but right now, he was more interested in getting stronger, so he pushed the thought aside. "What about the third type?" he pressed. "You said there were three."
Shanks smiled, a hint of pride in his voice. "The third type is called Conqueror's Haki. It can release a powerful wave of spiritual pressure to intimidate or even knock out your enemies. But for now, you just need to know that it exists."