There was no probing with Gear Second or Gear Third. Luffy went straight into Gear Fourth. He knew perfectly well that fighting Shanks left no time to mess around.
"Oh? Going all out right from the start?" Shanks raised an eyebrow, a hint of approval in his eyes. "Looks like you know what you're up against and mean to get serious."
"Shut up and take this!" Luffy roared, stamping down so hard that a shallow crater burst open beneath his feet. Like a streak of red, he used the speed of Soru to charge at Shanks faster than sound! With Gear Fourth's speed and power, he struck the air with an explosive bang, leaving a white trail behind him.
Shanks still hadn't moved. He stood where he was, his right hand resting on his sword hilt. Only the dark red Conqueror's Haki around him grew denser, like a solid wall, staining the surrounding air dark purple.
"Conqueror's Haki Shockwave."
Shanks lifted his right hand slightly. That single movement sent a tightly concentrated surge of Conqueror's Haki crashing toward Luffy like a great wave! This wasn't merely intimidation. It was an advanced method of compressing Conqueror's Haki into an "air bullet," powerful enough to knock out a Marine Vice Admiral in one blow. Ordinary pirates weren't even qualified to approach it.
Luffy's gaze sharpened. He didn't dodge. The Armament Haki around him thickened another layer, and he pushed Gear Fourth's elasticity to its limit, forcing his way through the Conqueror's Haki shockwave like an arrow. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Shanks. His right fist drew back to his waist, wrapped in crackling gold-red lightning of Conqueror's Haki-this was the basic use of Conqueror's Haki infusion, attaching it to an attack to double its power.
"**Gum-Gum-King