In an instant.
He was already in front of Shanks.
At some point, his right hand had gripped the famous sword Ace again. With a seemingly casual sweep through the air, he slashed down from above.
"Am I your target?"
Shanks murmured.
His keen eyes had naturally spotted Kaido buried beneath the mound of earth.
In other words, in that brief span of time, their alliance had already lost a fighter.
In a flash.
Shanks swept his sword upward to block as Xia Le brought his blade down.
"Crackle!"
A bolt of lightning streaked through the air.
"Boom!"
The ground suddenly shook. Shanks's legs sank into the earth up to his knees, and the immense, overwhelming force made his expression change drastically.
"What incredible strength!!!"
He roared, driving his blade upward with all the strength in his single arm.
Even so, his entire body visibly trembled.
It was impossible to imagine that Xia Le's seemingly casual slash could carry such tremendous power.
"Boom!"
Only a breath later, Shanks had sunk into the ground up to his thighs.
In other words, the force of a single slash had buried half his body in the earth.
"Shanks!!"
A shout came from the side, followed by a slash that whistled toward them.
Xia Le reacted with incredible speed, immediately drawing back to evade it.
Shanks seized that brief opening and pushed off with both feet, ready to charge upward. But after twisting in midair, his opponent raised his right leg and brought it crashing down.
"Tempest Kick!"
It was a simple, straightforward Tempest Kick. Had anyone else used it, Shanks would have paid it no mind. But this time, Xia Le was the one unleashing it.
The fierce slash was no weaker than Mihawk's. Before it even descended, Shanks's scalp was already prickling.