Shamrock's thrust was infused with both the Armant Haki and Conqueror's Haki, reaching the peak of piercing capability.
Even the Fourth Gear of the Gum-Gum Fruit, renowned for its defensive power and elasticity, could not withstand this strike.
As Shamrock withdrew Cerberus, Luffy deflated like a punctured balloon, reverting to his original form and collapsing to the ground.
Although he had developed various combat forms through his Devil Fruit Power, each imagined transformation was wildly imaginative and exceptionally reckless life-draining moves.
Yet, under the suppression of absolute power, they still fell short.
The last breath Luffy had been clinging to finally slipped away.
Then his entire body went limp and collapsed onto the ground.
"Luffy!" Shanks roared in fury, the Conqueror's Haki wrapped around Gryphon growing even more intense.
So intense that even Shamrock furrowed his brow.
As everyone knew, the total amount of Conqueror's Haki was sothing that could not be cultivated after birth.
Throughout the world, aside from the monster Michael, whose Conqueror's Haki increased over ti, all others who possessed Conqueror's Haki were born with a fixed amount.
At most, they could only find ways to master its usage through different thods.
The weaker ones, like Chinjao, might have Conqueror's Haki, but it was only useful for clearing out small fry.
In high-level battles, his Conqueror's Haki was practically non-existent.
However, the truly powerful, such as Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido, were all fierce individuals who could wield Conqueror's Haki as casually as a normal attack.
In truth, Red-haired Shanks likely belonged to the latter category as well, but his fighting style had never been like that.
But now...
Luffy's collapse had completely ignited Red-haired Shanks' ferocity.
Every slash he made was like a restrained, unspoken Divine Departure.
Truth be told, he wasn't particularly close to Luffy.
Aside from that ti when, under Michael's employnt, he robbed the World Governnt's shipnt of the Gum-Gum Fruit and delivered it to Luffy, they hadn't had much interaction.
Yet, for so reason, Red-haired Shanks had always felt a faint, innate tacit understanding and bond with this boy nad Luffy.
Like the first ti he saw him, saw the sa straw hat he wore, he instinctively trusted and cooperated with him completely.
And when Luffy was targeted and ambushed by Shamrock because of his evasion, an inexplicable rage surged within him.
"Shanks, my brother... you're actually angry?"
Shamrock continuously parried Red-haired Shanks' wave-like slashes, a flicker of envy flashing between his brows.
This was talent.
Talent that surpassed everything.
Although Shamrock possessed greater overall strength, in the most crucial aspect of Conqueror's Haki, he was utterly suppressed by Red-haired Shanks before him.
This was unavoidable.
Even Lily could not enhance a person's Conqueror's Haki.
This was the fundantal logic governing the entire world.
And this was the sole reason for his envy of Red-haired Shanks.
As twin brothers, why did he possess Conqueror's Haki far stronger than his own?
For Shamrock, who had always considered himself a prodigy, this was sothing almost impossible to accept.
"Angry? No, I am now more calm than ever."
"Shamrock, I will kill you. Damn brothers, damn bloodline..." Shanks raised his head, his eyes faintly tinged with crimson.
"Since you killed this boy, then you and your kind shall be buried with him!"
"How arrogant you are!" Shamrock abruptly retreated, gripping Cerberus with both hands as the three heads of the hellhound manifested beside him once more.
"Hellhound: Gate of Hell!"
A rapier with three dog heads, the ultimate killing move ford by Conqueror's Haki, instantly unleashed!
Shanks took a deep breath and leveled Gryphon.
This raising of the sword was strikingly similar to Michael.
The successive Conqueror's Haki infusions had brought his montum to its peak!
With one sword stroke, from below to above, he swung.
Behind Shanks, countless black lightning streaks flashed past.
In an instant, it was as if two pairs of angelic wings outlined by black lightning.
"Divine Departure: Michael!"
Ultimate moves collided, shaking heaven and earth.
Across the entire battlefield, Conqueror's Haki clashes continuously tore the sky apart.
Among them, the spectacle created by these two individuals was the most magnificent and overwhelming.
...
Amidst this earth-shattering collision, Luffy, who was bleeding profusely, entered an indescribable state at that very mont.
As his consciousness grew hazy, his soul seed to have lost its way within his body.
For a long ti, he could not regain awareness.
But after what felt like an eternity—or perhaps just a second—
Luffy suddenly opened his eyes.
"Huff! Huff!"
"I... actually didn't die?" Luffy scratched his head, looking a bit dumbfounded. "Wow, that was really close! I thought I was done for just now!"
"You were indeed on the verge of death."
A voice ca from behind him.
Luffy instinctively turned around and felt a sudden lightness on his head—his straw hat had been taken.
"Hey! Don't just touch other people's things!"
"This straw hat... really brings back mories," the voice's owner said, looking at the hat in his hand.
"How should I put it? Is this fate or destiny?"
"Who are you? At least tell your na!"
"Oh, sorry. It's been too long since I've talked to anyone, so I'm a bit rusty... After all, you're the only Devil Fruit user in so many years who has managed to co before ..." The man smiled at Luffy and placed the straw hat on his own head.
"My na is Joy Boy... an existence that I'm not sure is a ghost or sothing else."
"Joy... Boy?" Luffy tilted his head, sizing up this amiable-looking man. "Ah! You're that guy from over 800 years ago, the world's first Pirate!"
"The world's first... Pirate?" Joy Boy was taken aback, then revealed a bitter smile. "Lily, so this is how you recorded ... As a friend, you really are ruthless... Ahem, well, I suppose I am the person you're talking about."
"So, what exactly happened to ? Where is this place? And why did you say I was really about to die?" Luffy touched his chest. "I rember... I was indeed pierced through the chest by Shamrock."
"That's right. Right now, you're lying on the ground, bleeding..." Joy Boy smiled. "So, do you want to live?"
"Isn't that a stupid question?" Luffy picked his nose, looking at Joy Boy as if he were an idiot.
"Although I'm not afraid of death... of course, living is the best thing."
"I see."
Joy Boy nodded.
"Your temper really is quite like mine."
"Then..."
"Are you ready?"
"To truly beco 'Nika'."
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