Chapter 1144: One-Armed Man? No-Armed Man!
Chapter 1144: One-Armed Man? No-Armed Man!
Beckman's calculations were spot-on, and he was furious too, but as the ship's Vice-Captain, strategist, and advisor, he had to remain calm—especially since their captain had already lost his composure.
Red-Haired Shanks had gone completely reckless, destroying even the raft itself in pursuit of a final, decisive strike. Now, Beckman’s job was to ensure that Shanks’ sword strike would land unfailingly.
There was no room for prediction—the Observation Haki was useless against Kuro at this moment. Instead, Beckman relied on instinct and experience to block every possible escape route Kuro might take.
The gunshot was mercilessly precise, nearly grazing Kuro’s body. If he stood still, the bullet wouldn’t hit. But the moment he moved, its velocity would strike his shifting form instantly, leaving no room for evasion.
This opening was the result of Shanks’ reckless assault, paid for by the lives of six fallen officers. Beckman’s shot wasn’t even aimed to kill Kuro—because he knew it wouldn’t work. Though Kuro had lost a few ribbons, Beckman didn’t believe this attack would do much damage. He wasn’t counting on Shanks’ sword cleaving Kuro in two, but a severe injury was still possible.
Once Kuro was gravely wounded, Shanks would plunge into the Sea. To prevent Kuro from activating his ability, Beckman would stay behind on the remaining half of the raft, forcing Kuro to abandon his powers. After all, unlike Devil Fruit users, Shanks could leap back out of the water.
That vortex might be troublesome, but if it didn’t last long, it wouldn’t drain Shanks’ strength completely. And with Beckman’s help, escaping together was feasible.
Once they were free, the Red Hair Pirates would inevitably clash with the Marines to avenge their fallen comrades!
All they needed was for Shanks’ sure-hit sword strike to land.
A ribbon blocked the surging white lightning. Both the ribbon and the bullet vanished in an instant, eradicated completely.
At the same time, the descending sword strike was suddenly intercepted by another ribbon emerging from nowhere. The full force of the "Divine Evasion" surged outward, but the ribbon vanished immediately under its impact. With the ribbon gone, the sword strike continued downward, though its power and speed were drastically reduced.
Then, a familiar voice echoed from behind Red-Haired Shanks: "Tch, are you in such a hurry to die too?"
Kuro’s body, resembling rippling water, dissolved into afterimages before disappearing entirely. Shanks spun around, only to see his hated enemy standing behind him, surrounded once again by fluttering ribbons. Two thigh-root ribbons were gone, but four still coiled around his shoulders and waist.
"Come to think of it, you’ve never seen this form of mine before. Did that lead to a mistake in judgment?"
Kuro chuckled softly: "Who said I only have six ribbons?"
Only six? If he had only six, he’d already revealed two!
Given his personality, how could he possibly have only six?
This was the benefit of hiding his true form all along. In their rage, the one-armed fool and Beckman had seen only what was on the surface.
He’d won!
Red-Haired Shanks barely had time to glance back before a ribbon lashed across his back. The absolute killing technique "Wu Sheng Kong Sha" hadn’t fully connected when Shanks sensed the danger. His airborne momentum across the sea surface hadn’t dissipated yet, and he instinctively twisted his body, raising his sword to block. As he turned, the ribbon lost its mark on his back and instead struck his elbow.
Slash!
The Conqueror’s Haki covering his arm shattered like glass. His entire right arm was severed at the shoulder, blood spraying outward. His detached right hand, still gripping the Griffin sword, plunged into the Grand Line. Kuro acted swiftly, lifting his hand to summon the legendary blade "Griffin" away from the severed palm, sending it soaring upward.
Red-Haired Shanks let out a pained grunt. His airborne ability vanished completely as his body plunged into the sea, leaving only his upper torso above the surface. Blood from his severed arm spread across the water.
"If you hadn’t resisted, maybe it wouldn’t hurt as much. Your blood wouldn’t have burst out so quickly", Kuro sneered maliciously. With a single hand motion, the sea surface beneath Shanks erupted into a massive vortex, overturning the surrounding seawater and dragging him deeper into the Grand Line.
His final arm had been severed!
Not an instant kill, but a decisive victory!
He was a swordsman, after all!
Without his arms, his combat power had plummeted!
The vortex surged, but Shanks quickly leapt from the water, snarling as he launched a vengeful kick toward Kuro.
"Even your aura has weakened. Honestly, even if you still had your sword, I wouldn’t be afraid. Your attack power isn’t as strong as before", Kuro said, completely unfazed by the Conqueror’s Haki-infused kick.
Shanks’ unarmed combat techniques were formidable, but even if he still held his sword, his strikes wouldn’t match their earlier intensity.
True full-power attacks weren’t merely about physical strength—they required a surge of aura and total concentration.
Kuro understood this well. Even for himself, after unleashing his Vermilion Bird Cry at full power, his subsequent techniques would weaken until his spiritual essence was fully restored. That was what made a great technique a "great technique" in the first place.
Even Luffy, whom Kuro despised, fought this way—building up power through endurance, wearing down opponents until the moment was right to unleash his ultimate move.
But now, Shanks’ kick, weakened by the loss of his arm, couldn’t even touch Kuro.
Because Shanks’ body was already flying backward!
Kuro’s body arched backward, hurtling straight toward Beckman.
"Hahahaha!" Kuro tilted his head back, staring at Beckman as he laughed. "You’ve lost completely!"
With his arm gone and submerged in the Sea, Red-Haired Shanks was now nothing more than his plaything—utterly insignificant!
This was already a massive victory!
But there was still more to gain!
Indeed, as Shanks surfaced briefly, his airborne ability vanished, and his body began sinking back into the vortex.
Without hesitation, Shanks slashed downward with his foot, creating a massive arc that split the vortex in two. But almost immediately, the sea surged back, reforming the vortex as powerful currents entangled his body, strong enough to tear through steel.
Above, relentless rain poured down, eroding the Haki coating his body.
The Float-Float Devil Fruit’s influence had never ceased—it was now unleashed at full power.
Kuro had longed to do this, but earlier, with Shanks still having leverage points to stabilize himself, his combat power had completely suppressed the ocean’s swirling forces. Now, after losing so much strength from the ribbon strike, Kuro could finally unleash his ability without restraint!
Just wearing him down like this would be enough to tear the armless fool apart in the Sea!
(End of Chapter)
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