On the Red Force.
"Hey, Beckman, look over there! One o'clock!"
Lucky Roux was chewing on a big chicken leg, speaking vaguely, "The flag on that ship coming toward us... doesn't it look familiar?"
"Hmm?"
Beckman, who was wiping his gun, paused and looked in that direction.
"A white flag?" Beckman narrowed his eyes. "Two swords stabbed into the Navy's dove of peace… that's the Faller..."
"The Faller?" Lucky Roux thought for a moment. "Isn't that the pirate crew with a captain named Shano?"
He had a deep impression of that name!
The last time he heard it was over half a year ago, when that guy had just gotten his first bounty in the East Blue.
180 million Berries!
It shattered the record of 80 million that had been held by Empress Hancock, creating quite a stir.
"I remember he was still a rookie. He's made it all the way to the New World now?"
Lucky Roux sighed and kept munching on his chicken leg. "Time flies!"
"Rookie? Your intel is way too outdated."
The ship doctor Limejuice shook his head and said,
"That guy Shano… killed three Shichibukai on his way through Paradise. The latest report said he fought Admiral Akainu to a draw. The fight lasted the whole night without a winner."
"A draw with Akainu..." Lucky Roux was stunned. "Seriously? That strong? What's his bounty now?"
"2.13 billion Berries." Limejuice flipped through his pile of bounty posters and said casually.
He was temporarily serving as the intelligence officer on the main ship, so he followed this stuff closely.
Over two billion?
The surrounding crew gasped.
"Higher than Beckman? That bounty is second only to Shanks on our ship!"
"Red-Haired" Shanks, as the youngest of the Four Emperors, had slightly more power and territory than the others.
Naturally, his bounty was also higher—
Currently 3.75 billion Berries.
"That's terrifying..." Yasopp rubbed his chin. "Now that I think about it, that kid is only a bit older than my son, but he already has this kind of reputation and power. The more I think about it, the more terrifying it is."
"Say it in private if you must, but don't call him a kid to his face."
Beckman lit a cigarette and said coolly, "Anyone who can reach this level is an arrogant monster. They deserve respect."
"Of course I know that!"
Yasopp looked around. "Speaking of respect, where's our captain? The other side's about to dock. Shouldn't he be out to greet them?"
"Up there."
Beckman glanced upward and suddenly kicked the main mast.
"Whoaaa!"
With a scream, a red-haired figure fell from the watchtower and slammed onto the deck.
"Ouch, ouch..."
Shanks rubbed his backside and stood up, looking annoyed. "I just hadn't sobered up from last night's drinks, so I was napping a bit. Beckman, don't you think you were a bit harsh?"
"Cut it out." Beckman exhaled smoke and said coldly, "I saw you were awake a long time ago. You've been lying on the top with your butt up, spying on them through a telescope..."
"Don't make it sound so indecent!" Shanks panicked, quickly covering Beckman's mouth with a hand. He lowered his voice, "...The newbies are all on deck. Give me some face!"
Only after Beckman shrugged did he let go.
"This kind of keen perception should be used on enemies, not your captain."
Shanks muttered, then looked toward the distant End of the Sea.
"But seriously, I didn't expect to meet them here."
As he spoke, his right hand instinctively touched the sword at his waist—
The famed sword: Griffin.
"Hey, hey, Shanks, you're not thinking—" Yasopp's eyes widened.
"That's right. That guy's current title is the world's number one swordsman."
Shanks grinned. "I don't know what Mihawk thinks of it... but it would be a waste not to spar with someone holding that title!"
"Here?"
Beckman frowned. "This is Whitebeard's territory. We only stopped here to rest and resupply. If we destroy the port, the old man won't be happy..."
"Relax, just a few exchanges. I know what I'm doing!"
Shanks laughed heartily. "But you're right, it's not suitable to fight at the port. We'll have to change the battlefield."
He turned and shouted, "Hey! New guy at the helm! Don't dock! Take us out—we're going to them!"
…
At the same time, aboard the End—
"Boss, Red Hair's ship is suddenly heading straight for us, and it's speeding up." Smoker frowned. "The one at the bow... it looks like him. His expression is fierce—does he want to fight?"
"Then let's head over too!"
Jack cracked his knuckles, and steam puffed from his nostrils. So what if it's the real thing? It's not the first time they've faced an Emperor! He's not scared!
The Kaido they fought in Water City...
Wasn't that big of a deal!
"Boss?"
Jack turned and looked toward the bow, but got no response.
"Huh?"
Shano came back to his senses, blinked, and closed the system panel. A meaningful smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
So that's the skill that got copied...
"Interesting."
He wiped the rain from his face, refocused his eyes, and looked toward the approaching ship.
The red-haired man happened to look over at the same moment. Their gazes met from across the sea. Shanks nodded slightly, then gripped the hilt of his sword with his right hand—an unmistakable challenge.
"This is how you greet someone?"
Shano grinned, instantly understanding what the gesture meant. He reached behind him and grasped the sword on his back.
Huh?
Two gazes landed on him.
One came from Kuina, who froze slightly. She stared at that strong right hand without blinking.
After all these years…
Could I finally see Shano's unparalleled swordsmanship again, in person?
The other gaze came from Robin.
She was stunned.
The captain…
He can really use a sword?!
…
The distance between the two ships shortened rapidly.
For some reason, the gentle drizzle and breeze turned into a squall. The rain grew heavier. Dark clouds gathered overhead, and lightning began flashing faintly.
Shanks stepped forward on the bow, walking to the top of the figurehead. His red hair danced in the wind as he slowly unsheathed Griffin. A cold gleam shot out through the misty rain.
"Let me see it… The man who stole Mihawk's title!"
Shanks grinned, eyes blazing with battle lust, and slashed:
"Divine Evasion!!"
BOOM!!!
A red sword aura shot forward like a raging dragon, splitting the downpour and hurtling toward the End.
Under the dark sky, that blazing red sword light outshone lightning itself.
"Boss!"
Jack's face changed. He stepped up, trying to block it—
But Shano was already moving.
Buzz—!
The black blade in his hand crackled with black and red lightning. Shano locked his gaze ahead, and swung in the same stance—
"Divine Evasion!!"
BOOM!!!
Two nearly identical red slashes collided in the air!
In that instant, the sky and sea seemed to go silent!
Black and red lightning surged and tangled. For a moment, the rain halted. A huge depression, hundreds of meters wide, blasted open on the ocean's surface. Shockwaves rippled out in rings, raising towering waves.
"What?!"
On the Red Force, every cadre stared in disbelief.
"Are you kidding me..." The chicken leg fell from Lucky Roux's mouth.
Even Beckman stopped shaking his cigarette ash, his breath catching.
"That guy... can actually use Divine Evasion?!"
And the power—equally terrifying. Almost indistinguishable from Shanks' slash.
No, not almost—
They were identical, like two blades forged from the same mold!
Meanwhile, the shockwaves reached both ships.
They shook violently, making it hard to stand. But more than the physical impact, the mental pressure was the real killer.
Divine Evasion—
A technique combining Conqueror's Haki and supreme swordsmanship to the fullest.
Shanks and Shano both had top-tier Haki. Even the aftermath of their clash was hard for normal people to withstand.
Beckman, Yasopp, Lucky Roux—these veterans held firm.
But the rookies from the past two years couldn't handle it. Their faces turned pale, teeth chattered, and many collapsed to the deck.
On the End, only Nami couldn't take it. She rolled her eyes and fainted.
Kuina caught her and placed her on Gin's back.
Then she looked at the black-haired figure in front of her. Her hand trembled on her sword. Her eyes sparkled.
I knew it… I knew it!
Shano had always fought with pure physical strength, never drawing his sword—
Because he remembered her dream: to become the world's number one swordsman.
He'd set aside his own swordsmanship for her.
Shano... was saving that spot for her.
…
The aftermath of the clash finally subsided.
The ships steadied, still heading toward each other.
The sea calmed, though the rain continued to fall.
Shanks stood on the bow. His red hair was soaked and clinging to his face, but his grin only widened.
That exchange was exhilarating.
"Hahaha! What a surprise!"
He sheathed Griffin and laughed loudly:
"Hey! Shano! I remember you don't even have a Devil Fruit? If you can do that with just swordsmanship… I guess it's no wonder Mihawk's title was taken!"
Was that a compliment?
Why did it sound like sarcasm...
Shano sheathed his own sword and smiled back. "Likewise. Your swordsmanship exceeds the rumors."
"Hey, hey, you two—"
Beckman joined them, cigarette in mouth, sighing. "Why not just talk like normal people? Did you have to start with something that flashy?"
"What's the harm?"
Shanks waved it off. "This guy is just like me. We're both careful. No damage done to the port, right?"
He meant the Haki didn't spread that way.
But there were other effects.
On the Black Rock Island docks, a crowd was already panicking from the earlier sky-rending scene, fleeing in terror.
"Tsk… can't deny that."
Shanks looked away, then back at Shano with curiosity:
"But what I really want to know is… Shano, how did you learn Divine Evasion?"
This was a technique created by Roger himself.
Back when he clashed with Whitebeard and Golden Lion, Divine Evasion helped him make a name for himself.
Yet none of his younger crewmates could learn it.
Only Shanks had inherited it.
Now, after so many years—
Had someone finally joined that level?
"Hmm..."
Shano thought for a moment. "I'm pretty talented with the sword. After fighting Rayleigh, I almost got it."
That shameless boast again.
He really couldn't tell the truth.
"Uncle Rayleigh..."
Shanks frowned. "Now that you mention it, he fought you in Sabaody... and you cut off one of his arms. As someone who was taught by him, shouldn't I hold you accountable?"
"Really?"
Shano casually cracked his neck. His expression said: If the younger one loses, the elder comes to avenge them?
Bring it.
He might as well test how mysterious this Four Emperor really was.
But Shanks rubbed his chin with a headache.
"From a moral standpoint, he was the one who started it. I should thank you for your mercy in sparing him."
"This is such a pain!"
He slapped his forehead and suddenly smiled. "Why don't we just cancel it out? Grudges are boring anyway. Let's talk as friends—what do you say, Shano?"