Chapter 62: I Still Have Something to Take
Kidomaru led the others away. They had to leave. Shanks' power was terrifying.
Under that overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, even their chakra flow was affected. Just being able to stand under its pressure was already an achievement.
The four of them weren't weak. But in front of Shanks, their strength meant nothing. They might as well have been ordinary people.
They had to survive. They had to make it back alive.
No matter what, Kidomaru had to bring them back. It was Orochimaru-sama's order. They had to return in one piece.
"Captain!! Goodbye."
The rain mixed with their emotions, washing everything into the sea.
On the other side, Dark stood tall once more and charged straight toward Shanks.
"Shanks! I'm not done yet!"
The last three chances… or maybe just one last chance.
Even Dark himself wasn't sure.
After shedding his skin and being reborn multiple times, his body had become stronger in every way. Despite his massive size, his speed was unbelievably fast.
His huge body tore through the rain at incredible speed.
Boom!
With a flash of lightning in the sky, Dark's fist was already coming down toward Shanks' head. The wind pressure around it compressed and shattered, forming a thin layer over his fist. This punch was no ordinary strike.
Shanks reacted quickly, but to him, it was still as effortless as taking a casual step.
He raised his katana.
Clang!
Bang!
The blade and fist collided, sending sparks flying from Dark's knuckles. The wooden deck beneath Shanks cracked inch by inch as the immense force traveled through the sword.
Shanks' right leg bent slightly, channeling the force outward. At the same moment, Dark's massive body lost balance and crashed toward the deck.
"Damn it."
In that instant, Dark understood the vast, impossible gap between them.
Shanks wasn't holding back at all. His right hand, gripping the sword hilt, was now wrapped in red and black Conqueror's Haki.
Boom!
A solid punch smashed into Dark's face. White shockwaves burst out, mixing with streaks of red and black lightning.
With a loud crash, Dark was sent flying backward even faster than he had charged in. He was flung nearly a hundred meters away, smashing through several ship masts before finally coming to a stop.
Then, his limp body collapsed.
Half of his face was completely distorted—muscles twisted, consciousness fading. Once again, Dark was at the edge of life and death.
But even if his body was broken, even if his mind was slipping away, all he needed to stand back up was a wrecked body and an unyielding will.
Barely conscious, Dark pushed himself up again, gripping a ship's mast with both hands.
"Arghh!!"
His thick arms bulged with veins, muscles twisting and swelling. The next moment, the mast snapped in half with a loud crack.
On the other side, Shanks had already sensed Dark's condition, but it didn't matter to him.
He had already cut through several ships.
Some people he struck down never got back up. Others, even though their bodies could no longer hold out, kept forcing themselves to stand again and again through sheer will.
Even though they were weak, their weakness was exactly what made them admirable.
Because strength or weakness was never just about power.
These people weren't strong, but none of them were truly weak.
"It's about time to end this."
Shanks spoke calmly.
These people weren't meant to die here. They had already pushed themselves to their limits. If they wanted to be great figures of the sea, they had to go beyond these waters.
"Live, and make it to the New World. I hope the next time I see you, it's in the New World—go there and find your treasure."
Shanks couldn't help but sigh to himself. These people's potential was truly terrifying.
But then again, this was the early version of the official game. It made sense that so many powerful individuals were here.
Not everyone was like Luffy. The people here were the real main players of this vast ocean.
For all kinds of reasons, pirates kept throwing themselves into the sea.
Shanks slid his sword back into its sheath, and his Conqueror's Haki burst out even stronger this time.
The deck beneath his feet started to crack under the pressure, as red and black shockwaves spread outward layer by layer.
The wounded, who had barely been holding on, finally couldn't take it anymore and collapsed one by one.
Meanwhile, the four who had managed to escape looked up at the increasingly violent sky and sea. The spreading shockwaves pressed down on them even harder.
"Shanks is going all out again."
"My chakra is starting to get messed up."
Sakon and Ukon spoke up. The pressure from Shanks' Haki forced Ukon to separate from Sakon's body. In an instant, a single body now had two heads and four arms.
"I… left something on the ship."
Lightning struck the fleet, setting ships ablaze in the distance. Jirobo, however, suddenly stopped.
"Jirobo."
Kidomaru knew exactly what Jirobo was thinking.
Jirobo was the best at Taijutsu among them and had taken the least damage. But… it wouldn't matter. Even if he went back, it wouldn't change anything.
"You guys go on ahead."
This time, Jirobo seemed to have made up his mind.
"Tayuya, Sakon, Ukon, leave now."
Kidomaru spoke as well.
"Ten minutes. I can only wait for you ten minutes at most. Jirobo, don't forget, your life belongs to Orochimaru-sama."
Kidomaru's voice was harsh.
Jirobo nodded seriously.
"I'll grab what I left behind and leave right after."
Then, he disappeared into the rain.
His steps grew faster, his breathing heavier.
At the same time, Dark was also moving quicker and quicker, until finally, he grabbed onto the mast and leaped into the air.
No words were needed.
In his unwavering determination, only one thought remained—
Get up. Keep fighting.
Whoosh!
A fierce gust of wind roared.
Shanks' figure was momentarily hidden behind the shadow of the mast. His target was clear.
But—
"It's time for you to sleep too."
With a quick step, Shanks vanished from where he stood.
In the next instant, he appeared right above Dark.
A punch with no special technique, just infused with an overwhelming amount of Conqueror's Haki. That punch sent Dark crashing down once again.
Boom!
A deep crater formed on the ship below. A shadowy figure appeared beside Dark and kicked away the falling mast.
"Captain!! I'm back."
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