Chapter 81: Fierce Battle
Chapter 81: Fierce Battle
“Slash Wave!”
Outside the Palace, battle still raged across the island.
As Kuro slashed out several water-formed Azure Dragons (Jiaolong), Shanks’ expression darkened. He kicked out multiple slashes, cleaving through the serpentine bodies of the water beasts.
“These aren’t just physical forms—they carry dangerous auras. Getting hit might be a real problem.”
Shanks didn’t need to test them directly. Just observing their movements revealed the abnormalities—contact was definitely off-limits.
“Lion Might!”
With a clenched fist, the severed water fragments reformed into several water lion heads, swirling around him like meteors before plunging toward Kuro.
Kuro’s face tightened. As he raised his blade to slash, the ground behind him erupted. Earth and stone surged upward, morphing into a lion-shaped mountain that lunged to swallow him whole.
“Hah!”
Kuro spun and cleaved the earthen lion in half. Suddenly, his pupils contracted. His arm blurred into a wisp-like afterimage, shifting mid-strike as he twisted his body to slash sideways.
Clang!
Steel met steel. Shanks appeared at his flank, grinning savagely.
Bang!
A water lion head exploded against Kuro’s chest, the hydraulic force and sheer velocity throwing his stance off-balance. He staggered sideways—just for an instant.
An opening. Just one.
“Hahahaha!”
Shanks pivoted his foot to knock Kuro’s blade aside, then drove his boot into Kuro’s torso.
Crack!
The Haki-coated sword sliced through Kuro’s clothing, stopping only at his skin—also armored with Armament Haki.
In that instant, Kuro steadied himself and thrust his blade straight at Shanks’ heart.
Bang!
The strike sent Shanks reeling backward, his chest smoking from the impact. At the same time, Kuro skidded sideways from Shanks’ kick.
Whoosh!
Kuro barely landed before slicing apart another incoming water lion head, scattering it into droplets. He glared at Shanks.
His chest torn, the Armored Haki faded slowly from his skin.
At that moment, the remaining water lions in the sky dove toward him.
Kuro planted his legs in a horse stance. 【Huazhou】sheathed in a flash.
“Ichiryu Style·Ichiryu Style!”
Click.
Blade sheathed.
Shish!
Eight slashes erupted from all angles around Kuro, shattering the water lions.
Kuro lifted his gaze to Shanks, who stared back.
They locked eyes, both letting out a savage grin.
Kuro spat, “Old man, don’t waste your petty tricks on me.”
“Petty? If I cut you, it’s not petty.”
Shanks roared with laughter, unfazed. “How long do you think you can block me?!”
Above the Grand Line, new water lions surged into the sky. The earth quaked as mountains reformed, charging alongside Shanks toward Kuro.
“This guy’s relentless!”
Kuro’s blade flared with intensified Haki. Footwork blurring with Moonstep, he cleaved through an earthen mountain and met Shanks head-on.
【Huazhou】slashed down, clashing with Shanks’ twin swords.
Clang!
Blades crossed. Both warriors sprang into action.
Shanks grinned, his feet a flurry of strikes—each a slashing force as precise and deadly as Kuro’s hand-guided blade.
Kuro parried Shanks’ swords, spun his body, and slashed at his head.
Ding!
Shanks’ right leg rose sharply, blocking the strike. His knee then smashed into Kuro’s chest, sending him skidding backward. Kuro pivoted, slicing apart another water lion as it surged forward.
“Azure Dragon!”
The bisected water fragments morphed into twin Azure Dragons (Jiaolong), rocketing toward the remaining water lions. As if sensing something, Kuro vanished with Moonstep just as a golden slash tore through his former position, carving a deep furrow into the ground.
Without looking, Kuro countered with an identical golden slash.
Shanks soared backward, dodging the attack, then spiraled downward toward Kuro.
“Lion!”
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Golden slashes rained down like a storm as he rotated midair, a barrage of radiant energy.
“I’ll cut them all!”
Kuro slashed furiously, his blade tracking Shanks’ movements. Golden slashes clashed against golden slashes—neither gaining the upper hand.
Both masters of Flying Slash techniques. A stalemate.
But Shanks had another trick.
Kuro suddenly sensed danger and leapt aside. The ground where he stood erupted as stone shards morphed into jagged spears.
Useless against his Armament Haki—but if they struck, they’d still create an opening.
Armored Haki wasn’t an absolute barrier. Even if unharmed, the sheer force could disrupt his balance.
The earthen spikes slowed him—just enough.
Shanks grinned midair, clenching his fist. The ocean surged, the earth trembled. Water lions formed in the air, while the ground twisted into countless new spears.
“Let’s see you land now!”
“This ability… only a great pirate could wield it like this. No choice but to push through!”
Kuro slashed apart nearby spears, ignoring incoming slashes. His two fingers brushed the blade.
“Shinmeiryu Style!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The lion mountains, water lions, and earthen spears collided with an invisible barrier around Kuro, shattering on contact.
A tortoise-shell pattern flickered around him.
Shanks’ slashes rained down, striking the shell. After a moment, it cracked with a deafening roar.
Kuro staggered, planting his blade to steady himself.
“A mysterious sword style. But you’re done now—you’ve left an opening!”
Shanks grinned, preparing to deliver a crushing slash with his foot. But suddenly, his airborne form froze.
From the shattered tortoise shell, a serpent-like aura coiled outward, locking eyes with him.
Paralyzed.
“Moonstep!”
Kuro vanished, reappearing before Shanks. Blade sheathed, hand gripping the hilt.
“Ichiryu Style—”
The Black Blade slowly unsheathed.
“You’ve got to be kidding!”
Red Haki flared in Shanks’ pupils. With Observation Haki’s Full Release, he wrenched free from the ‘Black Tortoise’ lock. He tried to flee—but Kuro’s blade had already seized him.
“I’m Shanks!”
Armament Haki roared like a cyclone around his blade. Shanks’ boot smashed into Kuro’s chest.
“Swallow Return!”
Kuro countered instantly.
Bang!
Kuro slammed into the ground at greater speed than before, cratering the earth. He rose, coughing blood, his gaze dropping to his abdomen.
Even with Armament Haki, the wound bled—a gaping hole torn through him.
Above, Shanks gasped for breath, his left arm gone.
The severed limb lay on the ground.
Shanks panted in the sky, one arm gone. But his grin never wavered.
“That was close! If I hadn’t dodged, that slash would’ve killed me. But here, in Melvieu—my dream land—I’ll never retreat. Let’s finish this!”
“Stop me… or I’ll destroy the East Blue!”
“You’ve got it!”
Kuro wiped blood from his mouth, grip tightening on his hilt. His eyes burned with killing intent.
At this point, there was no way he’d let this old man walk.
For Shanks, Kuro was a rare equal—a foe demanding his utmost seriousness.
The ship’s compromised state limited his strength—but that was in the past.
What mattered now was that Kuro had matched him blow for blow, even forcing him to pay a price.
He’d already spent too much advanced Armament Haki. His physical reserves strained—covering every Flying Slash with advanced Haki wasn’t sustainable.
That was just raw energy. But Kuro…
That kid wasn’t just using advanced Armament Haki—he’d coated his entire body, while maintaining those Azure Dragon (Jiaolong) transformations and defensive techniques. His physical stamina must’ve been immense.
But now, Shanks would force him to burn through that stamina.
(End of Chapter)
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