"Ross, is bullying a kid like this really that fun?"
Shanks gritted his teeth and stared fixedly at Ross. The arms that belonged to Rayleigh were rigid now, veins faintly bulging beneath the skin.
"And is counting on a kid to fight me really that fun for you?"
Ross chuckled, his tone full of careless mockery.
As far as he was concerned, anyone brave enough to oppose him ought to be prepared to become a toy in his hands.
The rules of this world had always been simple. If the weak wanted to challenge the strong, they needed to be ready to bear every consequence.
"What, you're allowed to oppose me, but I'm not allowed to toy with you?"
"Of course you are. You're strong. That's your freedom," Shanks said through clenched teeth, his chest heaving. "But no matter what you do, you can never break us."
"Why would I need to break you?"
Ross raised an eyebrow, as though he had heard something amusing.
"You and Luffy oppose me. All I need to do is kill the people around you, one by one, isn't it?"
As he spoke, Ross cast a casual glance at Lucky Roux and the others beside Shanks, his gaze appraising them like so many insignificant objects.
"Your companions are nothing but expendable fighters to you anyway. They don't matter. You shouldn't mind if I kill them, right?"
Those words brought strange expressions to Lucky Roux's face and the others'. The emotion lingered for only an instant before they swiftly buried it.
Their expressions froze briefly, then returned to their usual blankness as they silently looked toward Shanks.
Honestly, who wanted to die if they could live?
They weren't afraid of death. That was part of being a member of the Red Hair Pirates.
But they