"This little brat..."
Gaban frowned as his two giant axes clashed with the black silk threads, sending sparks scattering in every direction.
In the instant he was distracted, Daren and Roger had already crashed into the jungle, locked in fierce combat, toppling countless trees and kicking up great clouds of dust.
Just as Gaban was about to pursue them, a flash of red glinted deep in his pupils, and his head suddenly tilted to the side without warning.
Shhh!
A bundle of sharp threads, wrapped in Haki, sliced through several strands of his hair and carved a long, narrow gash over a hundred meters into the ground.
"Didn't I tell you? I'm your opponent."
A hoarse, defiant voice sounded from behind him.
"You're asking for death, young man."
Gaban's anger flared.
He slowly turned, narrowing his eyes to glare at the blond kid in the pink feather coat standing not far away.
The giant axes in his hands, once again coated in Armament Haki, crackled with black lightning.
"You should know very well you're no match for me."
Doflamingo panted lightly, a sickly blush creeping across his face.
"Fufufufu, of course I know that."
He stared at Roger's third-in-command, his smile twisted and deranged.
"But compared to that, I'm sure of one thing: if I don't stop you here... he'll definitely kill me, right?"
Gaban froze at his words, his gaze flickering.
A hint of pity surfaced in his eyes as he looked at Doflamingo.
Could it be... that his fear of that man, or perhaps his desperate yearning for his recognition, outweighed even his fear of death?
What a pitiful little brat.
But...
"You have your convictions, and I have mine."
Gaban lowered his stance slightly.
As he stomped down hard, the earth behind him exploded into a cloud of dirt as he launched forward like a fierce tiger.
"Then don't blame me for being merciless!"
"Fufufufu!"
Doflamingo laughed wildly.
His figure soared upward like a flamingo, retreating while pulling back his hand—then swung forcefully!
"Overheat!"
In the skies above the deserted island, a massive orange-red whip burst out with explosive force.
The moment he unleashed his attack, Doflamingo was momentarily stunned to realize—his spirit seemed to have shifted subtly, as if strengthening...
...
On the sea.
On the deck of the Oro Jackson, everyone stood ready, struggling to deal with the relentless flashes of sword light cutting through the air.
"Ahhhh! We're all gonna die here!"
Buggy clutched his head and wailed, trembling all over as blades whistled past him.
"Damn it!"
Rayleigh cut down the whistling Oto with a single slash, breathing heavily.
As the battle between the four fighters on the island escalated, the four swords—once merely a "warning"—had now launched a full-on assault!
His expression grew heavier as he looked up, a bead of cold sweat sliding down his forehead.
Four intertwining sword lights, moving at speeds too fast for the naked eye to track, continuously targeted the Oro Jackson and its crew.
The angles of the attacks were sharp and unpredictable, and every strike came with rolling shockwaves, slicing the air into rippling circles.
Their speed had clearly surpassed the speed of sound!
From a distance, it looked like the entire ship was engulfed in a storm of swords.
The ship trembled and rocked violently, as if it could capsize at any moment under the relentless assault.
Even someone as powerful as Rayleigh found himself stretched thin, forced to move at high speed again and again to protect the others.
The ceaseless, storm-like attacks made it impossible to relax for even a second.
After all, the Meito swords were overwhelmingly focused on the pirate ship—and on the weaker crew members.
Most of all, their attacks seemed aimed at Shanks!
What the hell was going on?
Come to think of it, during their first encounter with Daren, that brat had tried to kill Shanks and Buggy.
Could there really be some grudge between Shanks and that Marine?
But... it didn't make sense...
Rayleigh took a deep breath, cutting down two more streaks of sword light, when suddenly his face changed.
A strange black light accelerated out from the chaotic sea of swords—heading straight for Shanks!
Damn it... I'm too late!
Shanks seemed to sense death closing in.
His face turned deathly pale, his body stiffening once again.
His pupils trembled violently as he screamed internally:
My body... move!
The black light raced closer and closer!
"Ahhhhh!"
Shanks suddenly roared.
Boom!
It was as if something had shattered, and a powerful aura suddenly burst forth from his body.
Rayleigh's eyes widened.
The others also looked shocked.
Conqueror's Haki... awakened!
With his Conqueror's Haki awakened, Shanks finally suppressed the fear in his heart and regained control of his body.
However, at this moment, the black light was already closing in!
It was too late...
A look of confusion appeared on his face.
He gritted his teeth, suddenly reached out, grabbed a figure beside him, and threw him forward!
"Ahhhhhh! Shanks, you bastard!!"
Buggy screamed and struggled madly.
The black light flashed by, and his head was instantly separated from his body.
His flying head, furious, floated in front of the gasping Shanks and roared through gritted teeth:
"Are you trying to kill me!?"
"I'm not done with you yet!"
Shanks smiled wanly.
But before they could react, the black light suddenly turned and struck again!
"No!"
"Save Shanks!"
"Damn it!"
"..."
The other crew members, including Rayleigh, cried out in shock, their expressions changing drastically.
But this time, no one could make it in time.
The speed of the black light had increased tenfold!
Shanks could only watch helplessly as the fierce black beam shot toward him at a speed that tore through the air.
A deep despair surfaced in his eyes.
He still couldn't understand—why did that Marine want to kill him?
But just then...
A rough hand suddenly reached out from behind him.
Armament Haki, flowing like water, instantly enveloped the black beam as the hand opened wide and seized it with force!
Boom!!
The figure was slammed backward by the terrifying impact, sliding ten meters across the deck, the wooden clogs on his feet grinding into fragments.
What is this...
Everyone stared, wide-eyed.
"Oden-san!?"
Shanks cried out in surprise.
Drip...
Drip...
Drops of vivid red blood fell from Kozuki Oden's one-armed hand onto the deck.
Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, his hair was disheveled, his samurai uniform stained with dirt, and the strong stench of alcohol clung to him.
He looked every bit a worn-down, wandering samurai.
At this moment, Kozuki Oden, his eyes dull and lifeless, gripped the trembling blade in his hand tightly.
On his numb, shadowed face, a hint of deep sorrow and complexity appeared as he hoarsely whispered:
"Enma..."