https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-84-Ultimate-Mystic-Art-Ultimate-Mystic-Art/13535872/
Chapter 83: I'm Shanks, You Brat!!!
Chapter 83: I'm Shanks, You Brat!!!
Kuro raised an eyebrow, his blade pointing straight at Shanks. "I'll remember that... when you're dead!"
True enough, Kuro had cultivated for ages, always adopting a cautious—not cowardly—approach. He avoided fights whenever possible, especially against the freaks of the Grand Line.
As for life-or-death combat experience against top-tier strongmen? Nonexistent. And he wanted to keep it that way.
This kind of danger could kill him with a single misstep. His dream was to live a safe, comfortable life.
"Hahahaha, a Navy rookie? Impressive!"
Shanks barked a booming laugh, his gaze lingering meaningfully on Kuro.
He'd long figured out Kuro's secret—his peerless swordsmanship refined to near-divine levels, and his overwhelming Haki. But combat experience against adversaries like him? Zero.
Yet something had shifted.
"Your slash has flaws."
Shanks continued, "It should be more precise, not just brute-force Flying Slashes. Too crude. Not enough penetration. Control your aura, compress it at the right moment before releasing the slash!"
"Slash Wave!"
Before Shanks finished speaking, Kuro swung his blade. A crescent-shaped golden slash soared skyward. Shanks countered with a wispy slash kicked from his foot. Golden slash met golden slash—the collision shattered Kuro's slash, but his blade sliced through Shanks's, hurtling toward him.
Shanks twisted aside, baring his teeth in a savage grin. "Learned my technique, huh? Kid."
Kuro mirrored his grin. "You're gonna die anyway. Might as well use it."
Shanks's "Slash Wave" could cleave a hundred kilometers across the sea in one strike.
Kuro had never matched that before. He could only shatter objects with brute-force Haki.
But after days of fighting, he'd cracked Shanks's slash mechanics.
Shanks narrowed his eyes.
Fast learner.
"Wanna kill me? I'm Shanks! Pesky brat, let's keep going!"
"Then watch this, old man!"
Kuro swept two fingers across his blade. Golden light swelled along the edge.
"Shinmeiryu Style!"
Instantly, Shanks sensed mortal danger.
The locking technique from before?!
"Lion!"
Shanks's feet blurred into afterimages, unleashing a storm of slashes as his body rocketed around Kuro at high speed.
Sure enough, a colossal tortoise coiled with serpentine aura materialized around Kuro, deflecting Shanks's slashes.
This time, Shanks couldn't pierce Kuro's defense.
His physical strength had dropped.
But he'd anticipated being targeted by that giant serpent aura.
Shanks's booming laugh echoed from the heights: "Kid, here's a lesson—abandon those tricky sword techniques if they fail on the first try! Wasting your strength gains you nothing!"
Kuro didn't even glance up. He swung his blade again. "Shinmeiryu Style—Mystic Art: Azure Dragon!"
The sea roared, conjuring ten water-formed Azure Jiaolong dragons surging toward Shanks.
"What's this? Giving up? Realized you can't beat my Shanksofficer?!"
Shanks slashed through the dragons. With a single handclap, seawater morphed into a lion's head, shattering Kuro's Xuanwu Mystic Art into droplets.
But it still failed. Kuro swung again, summoning new Jiaolong dragons around his Xuanwu formation. They didn't attack Shanks—only spiraled endlessly.
Shanks frowned.
What was this? Pointless strength-wasting?
Kuro reached for [Huazhou] again.
"Shinmeiryu Style—Mystic Art: White Tiger!"
Gripping his blade with both hands, Kuro cleaved downward toward the high sky where Shanks hovered.
New move? Had the kid held back?!
Shanks sensed danger—far greater than the Xuanwu Art. Instinctively, he rocketed backward.
"No escape! The Xuanwu Art is defensive, locking movement. But the Baihu Art..." Kuro's slash transformed into a colossal white tiger engulfing his form. The beast roared at Shanks, its claw swiping downward.
No dodging that range!
The beast was inside Kuro's attack zone?!
"Are you kidding me?!"
Facing the claw, Shanks gritted his teeth, his blade erupting with Haki as he stabbed into the claw.
Then his expression twisted.
Overusing Haki?!
Krakaak!!
The clash split the air, shaking the central island.
Boom!
The boulder where Lida sat exploded into rubble. The half-eaten apple in her hand tumbled to the ground.
The earth cracked, fissures spreading.
"This is too scary!!"
Klah raised his clawed hand, trembling.
"Three-second rule, three-second rule."
Lida snatched the apple off the ground, wiped it, and took a bite.
She glanced at the monstrous white tiger. "Another new move? Has this freak been pushed to the limit?"
The tremors sent floating islands near the central island crashing down.
Not from any Quake-Quake Fruit—just Shanks's limits breaking.
Shanks slammed to the ground, fresh wounds carving deep gashes across his body. He spat a mouthful of blood.
"Damn ship's rudder!"
Staggering upright, his eyes burned with fury. "Interrupting me at a time like this?!"
He glared at Kuro, who stood motionless—white tiger aura roaring above, Xuanwu defense coiled below. Seawater Jiaolong dragons now fused into one titanic dragon.
The sight made Shanks dizzy.
"Kaido?!"
Shanks laughed. "Mythical beasts galore! Your swordplay's fascinating. Reminds me of the old days on Rocks's ship—though everyone had their own ideas back then. Hahahaha!"
His expression turned feral. "But these are just auras. Even if they came themselves—I'M Shanks!!!"
With a sickening squelch, he ripped the ship's rudder from his head, blood geysering.
The world darkened.
Klah nearby collapsed to one knee, dizzy. "W-What's happening?"
Lida's eyes widened. This time, the apple fell forgotten as terror gripped her face.
"Can't be..."
Thunder growled. A suffocating aura choked the heavens.
Kuro swallowed hard, staring at Shanks's blood-drenched, roaring figure. Sweat finally dripped from his brow.
"Hey... You're joking, right?!"
Shanks had ripped out his rudder!
(End of Chapter)
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