Plans to Grow Stronger

The Lord of the Coast's appearance had interrupted Ryan and Shanks's fight.

"One last move!" Ryan fixed Shanks with a determined stare. If Shanks could withstand this, Ryan would be out of options.

"All right." Shanks looked at Ryan, who was battered but no less eager to fight, and nodded slowly.

"Two-Sleeved Green Snake!" Ryan roared.

Two forty-meter arcs of sword energy surged toward Shanks. In midair, they twisted around each other like green snakes and merged.

They formed a new shape: a giant green serpent made of sword energy. The sky darkened, the winds shifted, and the attack tore through the surrounding air.

With less air resistance to slow it down, the sword energy accelerated. In the blink of an eye, it reached Shanks.

Shanks took a deep breath and gripped his sword with both hands, staring ahead with a grave expression.

"Slash!"

Shanks swung with all his strength, infusing his strike with Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki Infusion. At last, his attack collided with Ryan's sword energy.

Boom!

A thunderous blast sent dust billowing into the sky, and Shanks vanished from Ryan's sight.

After a long while, the dust cleared and Shanks came back into view.

"That was close!" Shanks said, still shaken.

Ryan's attack had been incredibly fast. If Shanks's Observation Haki hadn't let him glimpse the future, it might have hit him.

A direct hit from something that powerful would have left him badly injured!

"The Smoke-and-No-Injury Law?" Ryan wondered when even his strongest move failed to work.

"Let's go." Ryan saw no point in dragging out the fight.

"Wait. My legs are a little numb!" Shanks said with an awkward grin.

Ryan looked closer. Shanks had taken the attack head-on, and both his legs were buried deep in the earth. The force of the impact