Issho let out a low shout as the purple spherical gravitational field surrounding him rapidly expanded, crushing the incoming bullet coated in Haoshoku Haki into fine powder.
He lowered his head slightly and glanced at Beckman and the rest of the Red Hair Pirates below, their gazes sharp and unyielding. His voice dropped.
"This situation has become troublesome."
With Shanks locked in battle against Dragon, Issho's Observation Haki blockade weakened. He could now clearly sense everything unfolding below.
From within the raging storm, Shanks' voice rang out,
"Beckman, capture Issho, do not kill him."
Beckman's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Understood, Captain."
The moment he finished speaking, the smile vanished. His knees bent slightly, and in the next instant, his entire body launched into the air like a cannonball, heading straight for Issho.
Issho frowned and swung his staff sword. Another wave of gravitational force surged forward.
Beckman's eyes sharpened as Haoshoku Haki erupted from his body like a tidal wave. Black lightning crackled violently around him as the two forces collided.
For a brief moment, they clashed in a deadlock. Then, the gravity wave shattered into scattered purple particles that faded into the air.
Beckman kicked off the air repeatedly, producing sharp sonic bursts as he closed the distance in an instant, appearing right in front of Issho.
He flipped the flintlock rifle in his hand, coating the stock with Haki, and swung it in a wide arc toward Issho's head.
A gunman incapable of close combat never survives in the New World.
As the First Mate of the Red Hair Pirates, Beckman stood at the peak among Emperor crews. Though he held the title of First Mate, his strength rivaled that of an Emperor.
Issho raised his staff sword in time to block, but the sheer force still sent him flying backward.
Fragments of broken ships floated across the sky. Issho crashed onto one of the larger pieces. Before he could steady himself, Beckman was already upon him again.
As he advanced, Beckman held the rifle in one hand, aiming directly at Issho. His other hand moved with blinding speed, loading bullets while simultaneously pulling the trigger. His movements were so fast they left behind afterimages.
In a single breath, seven shots rang out.
Each bullet was wrapped in Haoshoku Haki, forming a single black beam streaked with lightning as they shot toward Issho.
"Seven Killing Stars."
This brutal close range shooting style left no room for escape.
Issho's Observation Haki screamed in warning. Without hesitation, he activated his Devil Fruit ability, manipulating gravity to form a defensive force field around his body.
The bullets struck the barrier in the next instant.
Unlike before, even a single bullet caused the spherical field to tremble violently, its purple glow dimming under the impact.
Issho's expression changed drastically. He immediately increased the output of his ability while reinforcing his body with Armament Haki.
But the bullets followed one after another along a single trajectory, concentrating all their force onto one point.
Such piercing power could not be stopped by Devil Fruit defense alone. In the entire world, perhaps only the Barrier-Barrier Fruit could withstand such an attack purely through defense.
The gravitational barrier was quickly shattered.
Issho clenched his teeth and condensed all his Armament Haki onto his chest. The bullets struck, producing explosive impacts one after another.
The force blasted him backward through the air.
Below, the Red Hair Pirates watched without intervening. They had complete confidence in Beckman's strength. If they joined in, Issho would stand no chance at all.
Even so, when they saw that Issho had not been pierced through, they could not hide their surprise.
"That man is impressive. He actually withstood Beckman's attack."
"His Armament Haki is formidable. He is not relying solely on his Devil Fruit."
"Why have we never heard of him before?"
"The seas are vast. With the Revolutionary Army rising, it is not strange for unknown powerhouses to appear."
High above, Issho clutched his chest tightly, his face pale.
He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Though he had blocked the attack on the surface, the internal damage was severe.
Meanwhile, Beckman had already landed back on the deck of the Red Force. He rested the rifle on his shoulder and casually took out a cigarette.
Rockstar immediately stepped forward and lit it for him.
Beckman gave him an approving glance, took a deep drag, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.
Before the smoke fully dispersed, his figure had already vanished from the deck once again.
Within the storm, two figures continued to collide violently, one cloaked in red, the other in green. Each impact released bursts of Haoshoku Haki lightning that tore through the sky.
However, the green figure was clearly being suppressed.
A furious roar echoed.
"Dragon's Breath!"
A powerful Haki shockwave surged outward, carrying countless wind blades. The clash halted momentarily as the two figures separated.
It was Shanks and Dragon.
Shanks stood firm, his expression composed. The sword Gryphon in his hand crackled with black red lightning.
The raging winds could not approach him. As a Mythical Zoan user with dragon-like abilities, he wielded control over wind and storm alike.
His upper body was bare, his clothing torn during the transformation, revealing a powerful physique.
Dragon, on the other hand, appeared far more battered.
His dark cloak was gone. What remained of his clothing hung loosely around his waist in tatters. His exposed body was covered in bruises, and a deep cross-shaped wound stretched across his chest.
As a Logia user, he should have been able to restore his form. The fact that he had not done so could only mean one thing.
The pressure from Shanks was overwhelming, leaving him no room to focus on anything else.
His hands trembled uncontrollably. He had already abandoned the Dragon Claw stance. The earlier clash had nearly shattered the bones in his fingers.
Shanks' strength in his current form was far beyond what Dragon had anticipated.
If this close combat continued, his hands would be completely ruined.