Chapter 202

**Chapter 202: Shanks' Battle**

A towering figure loomed before them—Charlotte Cracker, the tenth son of Big Mom. His biscuit armor gleamed under the dim light, an impenetrable fortress against all attacks.

Buggy, panting, swung his short swords again, but the blades barely scraped against the hardened biscuits. He had been hacking away for minutes, yet not a single dent had been made.

"Tch… This is impossible!" Buggy muttered.

However, despite Cracker's overwhelming defense, he wasn't able to land a decisive hit on Buggy either. The clown's Chop-Chop Fruit powers made him uniquely troublesome for sword-wielders, allowing him to split apart and evade slashes with ease.

Cracker, however, was no fool. He had already noticed that Haki-imbued strikes were useless against Buggy's ability. Without hesitation, he changed tactics.

BAM!

His massive shield slammed directly into Buggy's face, sending the clown flying with blood spraying from his nose.

"GYAAAAH! My beautiful face!" Buggy wailed.

Cracker sneered, raising his shield for another strike, but Buggy quickly activated his **"Emergency Escape,"** splitting his body into scattered pieces. The attack missed entirely.

Seizing the opening, Shanks lunged in from behind, his sword flashing toward Cracker's neck. This time, he poured even more Armament Haki into the strike, determined to break through.

*CLANG!*

A faint mark appeared on Cracker's exposed skin—but no blood. Instead, only a few yellow crumbs scattered to the ground.

Shanks' eyes narrowed. *Wait… That wasn't skin.*

Cracker smirked as he touched his neck.

"Red-haired brat, is that supposed to tickle?" he mocked.

Though only six years older than Shanks, Cracker's towering stature and rugged features made Shanks seem far younger in comparison.

Annoyed by the taunt, Shanks let loose a flurry of strikes, hacking at Cracker's form over and over. But despite his efforts, he only managed to chip off a few biscuit crumbs. Cracker remained entirely unfazed.

Shanks, however, was beginning to tire.

Floating above, Buggy called out, "Give it up, Shanks! We can't break through! Let's get Rayleigh to handle this guy! Wait… where the hell is Rayleigh?!"

Buggy spun around in confusion, but their first mate was nowhere to be seen.

Ignoring Buggy, Shanks gritted his teeth. He felt something bubbling up within him—not frustration, but determination. He adjusted his grip on his sword, and suddenly, his Armament Haki surged to a new level. His blade gleamed with an intense metallic sheen.

Cracker raised an eyebrow. "Oh? The little brat has some talent after all."

Shanks glared. "You're just a coward hiding in your shell. Don't act like you can judge me."

His words struck a nerve. Cracker's smirk vanished, replaced by an ugly scowl.

"You little punk! I'll cut you down!"

With a roar, Cracker lunged forward, **Pretzel** gleaming as he slashed at Shanks.

But Shanks remained calm.

His Observation Haki sharpened. He saw the attack before it even happened.

*Now!*

He sidestepped and drove his sword into Cracker's side with pinpoint precision.

*CRACK!*

A web of fractures spread across Cracker's biscuit armor. The next moment—

*SHATTER!*

The armor exploded into pieces, revealing Cracker's true form at last.

Gone was the towering biscuit giant. Instead, a lean, fierce-looking young man with purple hair and a scowl stood before them, his true body finally exposed.

"Nice work, Shanks!" Buggy cheered, diving down with his swords raised.

Shanks wasted no time. He switched from a stab to a wide sweeping slash, catching Cracker off guard. Cracker barely managed to reinforce his waist with Armament Haki in time to block Buggy's attack, but Shanks' blade still cut through, leaving a bleeding gash on his side.

"Gah…!" Cracker staggered, pressing a hand to his wound. His face twisted in a mix of pain and rage. When he pulled his hand away and saw blood, his expression darkened.

"Well, well, well…" Cracker murmured. His lips curled into a grin—one that sent a shiver down Buggy's spine.

"I was hoping to play with you two a little longer, but I see I'll have to show you true despair!"

Then, to Buggy's confusion, Cracker suddenly plunged his sword into the ground.

Buggy floated toward Shanks and whispered, "Hey, why's he ditching his weapon? Is he giving up?"

Shanks didn't answer. His eyes were locked on Cracker.

Buggy rolled his eyes. "Lemme guess—this is some lesson from Rayleigh again?"

Shanks shook his head, his mind flashing back to a different teacher. A young figure in a **Justice** coat, standing tall, his words filled with unshakable certainty.

"No…" Shanks muttered. His grip tightened on his sword. "This is what the **Black Dragon** taught me."

Buggy shuddered, suddenly feeling an ominous presence creeping over them.

From a distant tower, Carl lowered his hand, arcs of electricity flickering between his fingertips.

"I suppose killing him would make the brat cry," Carl muttered. For now, he chose to observe.

Back on the battlefield, Cracker slowly began clapping his hands.

Shanks and Buggy watched in confusion. Then—

*RUMBLE.*

More figures clad in biscuit armor appeared out of thin air, identical to Cracker's earlier form.

Buggy's jaw dropped. "Oi, oi, oi! Are you kidding me?!"

Cracker grinned wickedly. "Welcome to the real fight!"

With a single command, the **Biscuit Army** charged forward.

Shanks and Buggy braced themselves, forced to engage in a seemingly endless onslaught. Frustratingly, these biscuit soldiers were nearly as tough as the original armor.

Buggy, already sliced into pieces multiple times, shouted in frustration, "What kind of fruit power is this?! This is a ridiculous ability!"

Shanks gritted his teeth. He had finally managed to injure Cracker, but now…

The battle had only just begun.