"Gern!"
Shanks held Griffin horizontally before him, the Haki still coiling along the blade, refusing to dissipate.
"Fighting two of us at once—even you are starting to show signs of fatigue."
"If this drags on to the very end… if we push each other to the brink—you might be able to force us back."
"But you'll pay a price you can't afford to bear."
"So stop this. Return to Marineford."
"The balance of this sea is nowhere near the point where the Marines alone can dictate everything!!!"
Shanks's voice carried the authority and confidence of an Emperor of the Sea—but beneath it, there was also a faint, almost imperceptible note of restraint.
In other words… he had no desire to stake his life here against the Fleet Admiral.
That would only allow the true enemies lurking in the shadows to reap the benefits.
"Heh… heh…"
A low chuckle drifted up from the dust-filled crater below.
At first, it was quiet—strained, almost suppressed.
Then it grew louder.
And louder.
Until it erupted into a full, unrestrained roar of laughter that sent chills crawling down the spine.
"Hahaha… hahahaha! Shanks!!!"
The laughter cut off abruptly—
Then exploded.
"Who do you think you are?!"
"Are you your captain—the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger?!"
"Are you the man hailed as the 'Strongest in the World'—Whitebeard, Edward Newgate?!"
"Or are you the 'Flying Pirate' who rivaled Roger and stormed Marine Headquarters alone—Golden Lion Shiki?!"
Each question slammed down like a warhammer against the hearts of both Shanks and Dragon.
This wasn't just a comparison of strength—
It was a merciless interrogation of identity, conviction, and presence.
And more importantly—
The three men Gern named were the only ones who had ever truly driven him to the brink of absolute despair.
In other words—
He, Shanks…
Was not worthy.
Shanks's expression hardened instantly. Dragon's breathing faltered for a fraction of a second.
The two exchanged a glance—
And saw the same heavy caution reflected in each other's eyes.
Something was wrong with Gern.
There was no trace of defeat in that laughter.
"You're not them."
"So—"
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!!
Before the words could even finish—
An unimaginable surge of power detonated from the depths of the crater!
A tangible shockwave burst outward in all directions like a spherical explosion—
Revealing nothing but an empty pit of ice below.
"What?!" Shanks and Dragon's pupils shrank simultaneously.
Gern… was gone?!
No—
Not gone.
But—
Crack! Crack-crack-crack-crack…!!!
Centered on the hollow crater, the air within a hundred-mile radius let out a horrifying, glass-shattering wail—dense, rapid, enough to make one's scalp crawl!
Visible to the naked eye—
Spiderweb-like pale fractures spread across the very fabric of space!
The sky.
The ice.
Even the air surrounding the two of them—
All of it was riddled with violently trembling cracks!
It was as if the entire world had been sealed inside a transparent box on the verge of shattering!
The air trembled. Tore itself apart.
Sound warped.
Light bent.
Even perception twisted and distorted.
This was the absolute dominion of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit unleashed without restraint—
A complete and merciless destruction of the environment itself.
All things trembled.
Within this chaotic, sensory-distorting domain, both Shanks and Dragon found their Observation Haki violently disrupted like never before.
Almost instinctively, they turned their heads at the same time—trying to confirm each other's position and safety through sight alone.
But in the infinitesimal fraction of a second—
When their gazes crossed—
A figure appeared between them.
Without warning.
At point-blank range.
Gern.
No hesitation.
His left hand shot out, clamping down on Dragon's face and temple—
His right hand followed, gripping Shanks's rear skull and neck with brutal precision!
"Got you."
Gern's voice was eerily calm.
In the next instant—
He gave them no chance to break free.
Grabbing both heads—
He slammed them together with savage force!
"BOOOOM!!!!!!!"
The dull, explosive crack of skull meeting skull reverberated through the air—
Accompanied by the faint, sickening sound of bone fracturing.
Shanks and Dragon both felt their vision go black.
Pain and vertigo surged like a tidal wave, overwhelming their senses—
Their Haki and abilities faltering for a split second.
Gern pressed his advantage without mercy!
He seized Dragon first—whose injuries were heavier, whose dizziness ran deeper—and swung him like a ragged sack before hurling him violently toward the distant ice field!
Then, in the same flowing motion—
He flung Shanks after him, even faster—
Launching him like a cannonball chasing down Dragon ahead!
At the same time—
A deep hum erupted around Gern.
Eight fist-sized spheres formed instantly at his side—each filled with violently surging pale particles.
They trembled faintly.
Locked onto the two airborne targets.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!!"
The eight spheres did not fire simultaneously.
Instead, they shot out at varying angles and speeds—
Like a tracking barrage—
Sealing off every possible escape route for Shanks and Dragon!
Shanks, after all, was an Emperor.
His resilience and combat instincts were beyond imagination.
And unlike Dragon—his injuries were lighter.
So even mid-flight, enduring the splitting agony in his skull and the overwhelming dizziness—
"Get lost!!!"
He roared.
Twisting his torso violently in midair, Griffin carved a perfect crimson arc—
A circular slash of blood-red Haki expanded outward—
Striking all eight incoming tremor spheres with flawless precision!
Explosions rang out in rapid succession across the sky—
Pale shockwaves and crimson Haki fragments scattering in every direction.
Using the recoil from the strike, Shanks regained control of his posture first—
His feet descending toward the ice below!
But just as the soles of his boots were about to touch the surface—
"Catch this."
Gern's cold voice echoed as if right beside his ear.
In the distance, Gern stood unmoving—
His right leg lashed out like a whip—
Not toward a person—
But toward the hilt of the black blade, Bahuang, which stood embedded in the ice nearby!
"BZZZZT—!!"
Bahuang let out a piercing cry.
Violent pale tremors coiled around its black blade—
And in the next instant—
It shot forward like a streak of darkness tearing through space itself—
At a speed far exceeding sound—
Straight toward Shanks's chest!
The transition—
Too fast.
Too vicious.
Shanks had just exhausted his previous force—his footing not yet secured—
And Gern's attack was already upon him!
With no other choice, he roared—
Bringing Griffin across his chest in defense!
"CLANG!!!!!!!!!!"
The collision that followed—
Was louder.
Heavier.
More violent than any before it.
The tip of Bahuang slammed into the center of Griffin's blade!
A force like a collapsing mountain surged through Shanks's arms—
Mixed with destructive high-frequency vibrations.
His arms trembled violently, going numb—
The skin of his palms split open, blood spilling freely.
His entire body was driven backward—
His feet carving deep trenches into the ice as he was forced into a rapid slide—
Shattered ice erupting wildly in his wake.