Chapter 82: Too Extravagant!
Chapter 82: Too Extravagant!
Devil Fruit—possessing power that transcends miracles.
Consuming a Devil Fruit and evolving into a Devil Fruit user is enough to invoke that miracle.
But it depends on the individual. If the user lacks sufficient talent, they cannot unleash the miracle.
Yet Kuro was certain—this "Shanks" before him was definitely one of those who could.
In any world, natural phenomena are the most terrifying catastrophes.
And Shanks happened to control a portion of that power.
Oceans swirled into massive water masses, islands quaked and split apart, merging into colossal mountains. Atop the peaks formed a lion's head brimming with madness, roaring at Kuro.
Under the blessing of mountains and seas, Shanks charged at Kuro, wielding twin swords coated in Armament Haki in a fierce duel.
Kuro parried with his blade, striking against Shanks while occasionally slashing through those mountains and water masses.
Both were equals in swordsmanship.
One used environmental forces as support, the other was entirely enveloped in Armament Haki.
His strike missed, then a hail of stone fragments rained down, blocked by Haki.
The counter-strike evaded midair, cleaving into mountains instead.
They exchanged blows relentlessly, their battle reducing the surrounding land into a shattered wasteland.
...
Meanwhile, a thunderous boom echoed. Lida and Klah emerged as the massive palace behind them collapsed in a deafening crash.
They ultimately couldn’t locate the serum—Indigo refused to speak. Finally, Lida decided: if he wouldn’t talk, they’d destroy the palace along with him.
No sooner had they stepped outside than they saw the colossal water lion soaring through the air, and the roaring mountain formations shifting in the distance.
A golden silhouette darted freely across the sky, occasionally kicking out wisps of golden slashes.
From the earth, golden slashes continuously erupted upward, slicing through mountains and water masses, only for these forces to regenerate endlessly.
The same golden auras collided violently.
Blades flashed. Ground quaked.
Klah swallowed hard. He couldn’t even track their movements.
"Kuro actually got injured."
Lida clicked her tongue, plopping down on a large rock to bite into an apple.
"Can you really afford to relax like this? They’re in a life-or-death battle! Shouldn’t we help?"
Klah adjusted his glasses, sweat beading on his forehead.
"That’s Shanks—the great pirate!"
"Don’t be silly. Can you even follow their speed? This level of combat—joining in would only burden Kuro."
Lida waved her hand dismissively. "When have you ever seen Kuro get hurt before? Especially with full-body Armored Haki? If we interfere now, we’d only give the enemy an opening. Better to stay far back."
Did she really want to stay put?
Lida knew all too well—joining this battle wouldn’t change anything. Opposing a legendary pirate, their presence would only be a liability.
The best choice was to wait here.
"Besides, I have faith in Kuro. Let’s observe for now."
Lida bit fiercely into her apple.
Though the opponent was a great pirate legend, that lazy, good-for-nothing Kuro had his moments of terrifying seriousness.
Five days passed like this.
Five cycles of sunrise and sunset.
Day One: Shanks was certain Kuro’s nonstop slashes and full-body Armament Haki usage would eventually exhaust him.
Day Two: Shanks doubted—was Kuro’s physical strength finally running dry? Was he just clinging on?
Day Three: Shanks felt fatigue creeping in. Though he meticulously rationed his strength, three days of continuous combat took their toll.
Good news: Kuro’s aura seemed to wane. The force behind his slashes weakened—still potent, but diminished. For Shanks, that was enough!
He was Shanks the Red-Haired!
Day Four: Kuro’s full-body Armored Haki dissipated, leaving only blade-bound Haki. Shanks abandoned manipulating other elements, relying solely on swordsmanship.
Day Five:
Clang!
Shanks blocked Kuro’s slash with his single leg, the immense force sending him staggering backward. Seizing the chance, Kuro counterattacked. Shanks startled, leapt skyward.
Hiss!
Dodging midair, Shanks gasped for breath—but it was too late. A fresh wound slashed across his body.
Now, his missing arm was dry of blood, his clothes tattered, countless gashes covering his body.
Below, Kuro fared no better. Without full-body Haki, he sporadically coated his limbs to defend against Shanks’ attacks—but not all blows could be blocked. Wounds marred his body.
He had to stop. Though Kuro was younger, Armament Haki was finite. Reckless consumption would deplete his strength before Shanks’.
Yet even so, this alone was enough to shock Shanks.
Haki was inherently limited. Even Garp, the old war hero, couldn’t maintain full-body Armored Haki for days. This style of combat drained energy rapidly.
And yet this kid sustained it for days. The sheer physical stamina and courage shook Shanks.
"You really do have amazing stamina!" Shanks growled, his face darkening.
Kuro caught his breath. "You’re not bad either, old man. Thought you’d be dead by now."
Shanks had resolved to outlast Kuro’s stamina, but Kuro shared the same plan.
They both knew—without finding a way to break through, the only path was mutual exhaustion.
"Well, next time I’ll skip this—drains too much stamina."
Five days of attrition had cost him, but he sensed Shanks nearing his limit.
Time for the final strike!
Kuro sheathed his blade, then drew it in a reverse grip—"Slice!"
A flying slash infused with Haki surged toward Shanks in the sky.
"Foolish! I told you this won’t work anymore! You’re just wasting your strength!"
Shanks dodged sideways, letting the slash vanish into the heavens. Veins bulging on his temple, he roared at Kuro: "At this stage, you should conserve Haki, wait for an opening, and strike decisively!"
"No! Haki isn’t meant to be used like this! Use it precisely when needed! With your talent, if you’d been more refined, you wouldn’t be this exhausted!"
"Who do you think you are, recklessly unleashing high-level Haki just to look cool?!"
Wasteful!
Too extravagant!
If he had Kuro’s inexhaustible stamina, the battle at Marine Headquarters might’ve had a different outcome!
Today’s update is a bit late, my apologies.
There’s another chapter tonight.
Starting today, I’ll keep prepared drafts to avoid delays from unexpected circumstances.
(End of Chapter)
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