The Battle of Edd War

Edd War Waters.

The sky looked as though a vast gash had been torn through it.

Dark clouds churned. The sea was no longer a sea, but an entire range of raging black mountains—

Wave after wave rose and crashed down with a deafening roar.

The Oro Jackson still stood firm amid the furious swells.

The ship listed sharply, then the next wave lifted it again.

The masts groaned, and the ropes pulled taut.

On deck, Buggy had completely fallen apart.

He clutched his head with both hands, tears mingling with seawater as the wind contorted his face.

"Captain Roger~~~~!"

"We can live to fight another day!"

"Let's back off and give ourselves some room to breathe—!!!"

"C-can't we just listen to the Golden Lion this once?!!"

Another enormous wave swept toward them.

"Boom—!!!"

The whole ship nearly capsized.

Buggy was hurled into a mast with a bang, bounced off, and clung desperately to a rope.

"I don't want to die yet—!!!"

Nearby,

Shanks stood steady by the rail, a straw hat on his head and a long sword at his waist.

His red hair whipped in the gale. He raised a hand to hold down his hat, a relaxed smile on his lips.

"Can't you survive no matter how many pieces you're cut into?"

"What are you scared of?"

Buggy whipped around and roared at Shanks, his face flushed scarlet.

"What would an idiot like you know—!!!"

"Having a strong power and surviving are two different things!!!"

"Blunt weapons hurt! I sink in seawater! Getting knocked away makes me dizzy! Cannonballs make me cough up blood!!!"

"And—!!!"

"I still haven't learned to fly!!!"

As he spoke, veins bulged on his forehead, and an angry mushroom cloud seemed to rise from his head.

The next second, his expression changed. He