Shanks twisted his thick neck, now partially transformed into a dragon, eliciting a loud cracking sound. Sparks of Conqueror's Haki danced across his body incessantly.
The Mythical Zoan fruit granted him enhanced defense and recovery. In just a short moment, his aura had returned to its peak.
Dragon furrowed his brows, sweat pouring from his forehead. Seeing Shanks about to attack again, he hurriedly spoke up,
"Wait! Red-Haired! There's no real enmity between us, is there? This battle is completely meaningless!"
Shanks slowly lowered his dragon claw, a faint smirk on his lips as he looked at Dragon.
"Meaningless? No! To ensure you don't pollute this world further, I must get rid of you!"
"Nani?!"
Even with years of cultivating his temperament, Dragon's patience had run dry. Any hopes of forming an alliance were now dashed.
Dragon's expression darkened. He stared daggers at Shanks and said coldly,
"Red-Haired! Seems like Newgate was right—you're nothing but an arrogant brat! You'll pay the price for your actions today!"
(Dragon is sixteen years older than Shanks.)
Shanks chuckled,
"Newgate? That old man has the nerve to call others arrogant? His decrepit ship should've sunk in the waves of this new era long ago!"
At the same time, a massive wave of black clouds rolled in, quickly enveloping the entire sea.
A torrential downpour began, and bolts of thunder snaked through the clouds.
The airflow Shanks had been controlling grew restless, seemingly converging toward Dragon.
Unfazed, Shanks raised a finger. The turbulent air instantly calmed, like a tamed kitten.
He glanced at the apocalyptic scene around them before looking at Dragon and saying calmly,
"Devil Fruit awakening?"
Dragon's pupils had disappeared, leaving only whites in his eyes. He replied in a deep voice,
"Red-Haired, I'll admit that the Azure Dragon Fruit's power is formidable. But you've been a Devil Fruit user for too short a time. Without awakening, you can't possibly—Nani?!"
Dragon's pupils returned as he stared in disbelief at Shanks.
Before his eyes, a fiery crimson cloud ribbon emerged from Shanks' body.
Dragon understood what this meant and exclaimed in shock,
"Awakening?! Impossible!"
He knew Shanks had only recently consumed the Azure Dragon Fruit. It hadn't even been half a year—Kaido, the previous user, had only just died!
As the crimson cloud appeared, an overwhelming aura burst forth from Shanks, piercing the dense clouds to reveal a clear hole where sunlight streamed down.
Seeing Dragon's constipated expression, Shanks smirked,
"You're right. I've been a Devil Fruit user for too short a time, and I can't fully control this power yet. So you better watch out. I won't be as gentle as before..."
As he finished speaking, a red glint flashed in Shanks' eyes, and he vanished.
In an instant, he reappeared before Dragon and slashed upward, sending Dragon hurtling into the sky.
Dragon used wind manipulation to stop his ascent. Clutching the bleeding wound on his abdomen, he shouted as lightning bolts shot from the clouds, all aimed at Shanks.
Shanks let out a dragon's roar, causing the lightning to halt midair before redirecting toward Dragon. The bolts struck, scattering Dragon into wisps of green aura.
The phenomenon Dragon had conjured with his awakening now seemed to serve Shanks instead. Gritting his teeth, Dragon solidified his form and coated his hand in Armament Haki.
His arm transformed into a miniature tornado, with the tip remaining pitch-black and rotating rapidly.
With that, Shanks inhaled deeply, and a scorching red dragon's breath streaked with crimson lightning erupted from his mouth.
The red flames collided with the green tornado. Before long, Dragon's arm was consumed entirely by the fiery breath. His scream echoed as blood spurted from his left stump.
Pale from blood loss, Dragon gritted his teeth. It was clear who had won. Suppressing the pain, Dragon turned into a gust of wind and fled, leaving Shanks momentarily stunned by his decisiveness.
Shanks, however, had no intention of letting him escape and chased after him. Dragon fled toward the battlefield where Issho and Beckman were fighting.
At that moment, Issho was also in dire straits. Despite his formidable Gravity Fruit, he was still no match for Beckman.
While running for his life, Dragon shouted,
"Issho! Retreat immediately!"
Though blind, Issho could sense Dragon's severe injuries. His heart sank, and he unleashed a wave of purple gravity to repel Beckman temporarily.
Appearing behind Dragon in a flash, Issho said gravely,
"Commander Dragon, go ahead. I'll hold them off!"
"No, Issho. Staying will cost you your life!"
Though he said this, Dragon showed no sign of stopping, disappearing in a gust of wind within moments.
As Commander, Dragon always prioritized the bigger picture.
And in his view, he was the bigger picture.
Issho had no complaints, even using his gravity powers to propel Dragon faster. Within seconds, Dragon vanished, reminiscent of when Garp once hurled him as a makeshift cannonball.
Having done this, Issho turned to block Shanks. With Beckman rejoining the fight, Issho was now sandwiched between the two.
Realizing he wouldn't survive, Issho steeled himself and charged forward. Even an Admiral-level combatant was troublesome when going all out.
Five minutes later...
Thud!
Shanks tossed the bloodied Issho onto the deck. Beside him, Beckman crossed his arms, the barrel of his gun still smoking.
Pulling out a Den Den Mushi, Shanks spoke with a playful tone as the other side connected,
"Want the fruit or not?"
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+255 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg