Chapter 529: Phantasm Shanks Part I

Ben flew towards the altar in his hybrid form. He saw the shiny orb. There were some markings on the floor. The floor around the altar was concrete.

He landed on the floor. The orb started to glow. There was a bright light. From the bright light a figure started to form. They saw a tall, muscular man with a tan complexion. He had red hair. On his face he had a triple set of parallel, linear scars that passed vertically, at an angle over his left eye. His other eye was untouched. He had a smile on his face. His left arm was missing. He had plain black eyes, topped by thin brows. He wore a long, sleeveless, high-collared cape of black color and beneath a simple, white shirt half-buttoned up. He also wore pants which were cut below the knee. He had a red sash around his waist to keep his shirt tucked inside. He wore brown sandals. "Phantasm Shanks," Phantasm Shanks said.

A faint hum filled the air as Ben watched a translucent barrier rise from the ground, stretching skyward. His eyes narrowed. He thought this was a trap to prevent escape. He knew that if he steps out it will be gone. 

Ben then heard the sharp sound of footsteps. He turned just in time to see a figure sprinting toward him. It was Alvida.

She leaped effortlessly over the rising barrier, her body twisting midair before landing gracefully beside him. The moment her feet touched the ground, the barrier sealed shut behind her. 

"Alvida," Ben muttered, surprise flickering across his face.

"Yes, my love?" she replied, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

Ben took a step toward her. "What are you doing here?" he asked. 

"Helping you, of course," Alvida answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Ben's expression hardened. "I told you not to be here," he stated. 

Alvida chuckled softly, stepping closer. Her finger trailed up his chest, pressing lightly against him. "I know," she admitted, tilting her head. "You can punish me later if you'd like," she added. Her smile widened, but her tone grew serious. "But I was never going to let you do this alone," she said. 

Ben exhaled. He smiled. Even though he was not happy, she was here, he was happy she was. He thought back to their first meeting. On the Miss Love Duck where she fell in love. She was his right hand woman, his first time here was with her. They had been through alot together. 

Alvida glanced up at the shimmering barrier. "Besides," she added, her voice steady, "it looks like neither of us are leaving now," she said. 

Ben followed her gaze, his hands curling into fists. He sighed, then smirked. "Guess we're in this together."

Alvida smirked back. "Always my love," she responded. 

"Conqueror's Haki Shockwave," Phantasm Shanks said. His voice was like a rumbling storm. A crimson wave of raw haki exploded outward, distorting the air as it surged toward Ben and Alvida.

The moment it hit, Alvida staggered back, her breath hitched. A heavy pressure settled over her body, weighing her down like invisible chains. Her muscles tensed involuntarily, and a shiver ran through her spine. She thought this was haki. She clenched her fists and forced herself to stand firm, inhaling deeply to steady herself.

Ben, meanwhile, planted his feet as the shockwave slammed into him. It was overwhelming, dense, suffocating, almost crushing. Even though he knew Phantasm Shanks was just an imitation, the sheer force of his will felt terrifyingly real. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. The red aura crackled around them, but they stood their ground.

"That was powerful," Ben remarked. 

"But we are stronger," Alvida declared. "Shave," Alvida said as in a blur, she vanished, reappearing in striking range, in front of Phantasm Shanks.

"Kanabo Reaper," she added as she swung her kanabo in a devastating wide arc. 

Phantasm Shanks' eyes flashed red. "Observation Haki," he muttered as he saw Alvida's attack before it even fully formed.

"Counter," he added with a fluid precision as he intercepted the swing with an upward slash of Gryphon, the sheer force launching Alvida skyward.

Ben's eyes widened as he saw her flying. "Demon Blast," Ben said as he thrusted both hands forward, channeling his energy into a concentrated beam of dark energy and firing it at Phantasm Shanks.

Phantasm Shanks' eyes flashed red. "Strike for the New World," he said as he unsheathed Gryphon in a single motion, red lightning crackling around the blade as he unleashed a devastating slash.

The airborne Alvida took the brunt of the attack. The force sent her hurtling back down, slamming into the ground with a thunderous impact. Dust exploded outward from the crater she left behind.

The residual shockwave roared toward Ben. His attempt to dodge was a second too slow. The force struck him square in the chest, driving the air from his lungs. He coughed up blood as he was blasted backward, rolling across the ground.

Lying on his back, Ben gasped for breath. Blood dripped from his mouth as he wiped his lips with the back of his hand. His muscles screamed in protest, but he forced himself up, as he looked at Phantasm Shanks, who was already closing in.

"Rapid Sword Dash," Phantasm Shanks said as he was in front of him. Phantasm Shanks raised Gryphon high.

Ben's instincts flared. "Demon Fist," he said as dark energy surged into his clenched fist, burning with power. Shanks' blade came down. Ben crossed his arms in a desperate block. Steel met flesh with an earsplitting clang! Pain shot through Ben's body. The sheer force ripped through his guard. His hands bled profusely as he was hurled backward, slamming into the translucent barrier behind him.

Before he could react, Phantasm Shanks was already airborne, blade raised. There was red lightning around his body. "Divine Departure," he said as he swung, a massive flying slash which tore through the air. It went towards Ben and struck head-on. The impact erupted in an explosion of red energy.

Ben's body twisted violently as he was sent crashing into the ground, his back arching from the sheer force of the blow. A deep, jagged slash marked his torso, blood pouring from the wound.

Alvida slowly got up. She felt her body shaking. She spat blood. She thought she had never been hit this hard. She looked to see Phantasm Shanks coming down. She saw her love on the ground. She got angry. 

"Slip on Slide," Alvida muttered as she leaned forward, letting her feet glide smoothly across the ground. Her movement was effortless, like skating on air, as she closed the distance between herself and Phantasm Shanks in a blink. "Kanabo Breaker," she added as she gripped Seraphina tightly. With a force that cracked the air, she swung her mace in a crushing arc.

Phantasm Shanks eyes flashed red. "Haki-Infused Sword Slash," he announced, his blade Gryphon glowing with an ominous black sheen as it pulsed with Conqueror's Haki. He swung, clashing with Alvida's kanabo.

A deafening boom echoed as the two weapons met, sending shockwaves rippling outward. Sparks danced between them. Phantasm Shanks' sheer strength proved overwhelming. The force of the impact traveled down Alvida's arms, rattling her bones. She staggered back, her hands trembling for a split second before she tightened her grip, steadying herself. She looked up just in time to see him preparing his next move.

"Aerial Launch Slash," he added as he cut upward. Phantasm Shanks sent a powerful crescent of energy slicing through the air. It struck Alvida cleanly, launching her skyward.

Flipping midair, Alvida gritted her teeth. She quickly adjusted her stance. "Slip Punch," she said as she punched downward. A burst of compressed air, carrying the force of her momentum, rocketed toward Phantasm Shanks.

The shockwave struck him in the shoulder, forcing it backward slightly. Phantasm Shanks' eyes gleamed red. "Red Hair," he said. With a powerful thrust of his saber, he emitted a concentrated shockwave from Gryphon's tip. The energy blast tore through the battlefield, heading straight for Alvida.

"Kanabo Swing," Alvida said as she gripped her weapon and swung it with all her might, trying to disperse the attack. Her kanabo met the shockwave in midair, causing a massive pressure burst. The force sent her further into the air. However she barely managed to stabilize, landing on her feet, panting from the exertion.

Before she could fully recover, Phantasm Shanks was already upon her. With a swift leap, he closed the distance and swung Gryphon in a lightning-fast horizontal slash.

Alvida reacted instantly, bringing Seraphina up to block. Steel met steel with a resounding clash! There were sparks flying. Phantasm Shanks and Alvida exchanged blow after blow, their weapons colliding with enough force to shake the ground beneath them.

Alvida ducked under a high slash, retaliating with a crushing downward strike, only for Shanks to deflect it.

Shanks pivoted, aiming a diagonal cut at her side. Alvida twisted her body, barely avoiding the lethal strike, and countered with a brutal backswing of her kanabo, forcing him to leap backward.

Alvida was panting. 

"Musou Attack," Phantasm Shanks said as he unleashed a relentless storm of Haki-infused slashes. Each swing carried the weight of an unstoppable force, cutting through the air like streaks of red lightning.

Alvida gritted her teeth, gripping Seraphina tightly. She swung left, then right, desperately trying to block or deflect the attacks. Sparks erupted as metal met metal, her kanabo barely keeping up with the overwhelming onslaught. But Shanks was too fast. Too strong.

A slash tore through her guard, slicing across her chest. Another carved into her arm. A third grazed her leg, sending a sharp sting through her body.

She staggered back, panting heavily, her body trembling from the sheer force of the attacks. Blood dripped from fresh wounds, staining her clothes. But she refused to fall.

Alvida's eyes burned with determination. She thought her devil fruit had protected her for a long time. She thought she would not lose. 

"Kanabo Maelstrom," she remarked. Her grip on Seraphina tightened, muscles coiling like a spring. With a powerful twist of her body, she swung her kanabo in a devastating arc. The force of the strike spiraled outward, twisting the air into a violent vortex. The sheer pressure howled like a storm, generating a shockwave so powerful that the ground beneath her cracked.

Shanks' coat billowed as the shockwave approached. But his expression remained unreadable. "Divine Departure," he said. He took a single step forward and swung Gryphon. A massive, red slash tore through the air, an explosion of Haki-infused energy surged from the blade. It devoured Alvida's shockwave as if it were nothing, cutting straight through the attack she had created.

She had no time to react. The attack struck her head-on. A violent explosion of red energy erupted upon impact, the force tearing through the altar. The sheer impact sent Alvida hurtling backward like a comet, her body twisting in midair before she crashed into the ground with a thunderous impact. The earth cracked beneath her, debris flying in all directions.

She lay there, gasping for breath, her body screaming in pain. The attack had left a deep, burning mark across her torso.

Ben groaned as he pushed himself up, every muscle in his body ached. His vision blurred for a second, but as it cleared, his eyes locked onto a scene that made his blood boil. Alvida lay motionless on the ground, her body battered and blood pooling beneath her.

Phantasm Shanks strode toward her, his blade glinted.

Ben clenched his fists. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. "No… No, I won't let this happen," he shouted. "Leave her alone!" Ben roared. 

A surge of emotion flooded through him, anger, desperation, the primal need to protect. It was unlike anything he had felt before. It wasn't just fury, it was something deeper, something powerful stirring within him.

Suddenly, a shockwave of Haki erupted from his body. The air trembled. The ground beneath him cracked.

Phantasm Shanks halted mid-step, he looked towards Ben. 

Dust and debris hung in the air, swirling around Ben as if responding to the sheer force of his unleashed will.

Ben's breathing grew heavier. His arms trembled, not from exhaustion, but from the raw power coursing through his veins.