Chapter 392: Undertide Seal
On the Coast.
Andre and Shanks faced each other, standing across the sandy shore.
At this moment, Andre, his body covered in dark, jagged stripes, gazed at Shanks, who stood ready and waiting. A smirk curled the edges of Andre's lips.
His once-dark eyes now glimmered faintly with an eerie, ghostly light.
The power of darkness flowing through him allowed him to sense the presence of others, even without relying on his sight.
In Andre's vision, the world appeared as shadowy silhouettes, with only vague outlines visible.
But with his Observation Haki honed to such a sharp degree, fighting posed no issue at all.
He stretched out his hands, and a stream of darkness swirled in his palms, moving like liquid water.
The inky blackness dripped to the ground, pooling like a spill and spreading outward in all directions.
"Red Hair," Andre said, his voice brimming with confidence, "to thank you for your help earlier, I'll let you witness this new power of mine! Feast your eyes on my ability."
"Undercurrent."
Shanks watched as the darkness oozed from Andre's feet, spreading across the ground like a flood of black water.
His muscles tensed, and he leaped backward, every sense on high alert.
With a swift motion, he swung his sword, unleashing a sharp slash directly into the creeping darkness.
Boom!
The ground trembled with a massive quake as the darkness and water-like currents were sliced apart.
A deep gash, several meters long, carved into the earth, only to be swallowed up again by the rushing black tide.
Shanks took in the scene, his mind racing with a strategy.
It seemed Andre was trying to bait him into a trap.
Even so, Shanks felt no fear of defeat. After all, it was undeniable that Andre had already taken a heavy blow from him earlier.
In this weakened state, Andre still believed he could win.
If his confidence stemmed from this dark power, then Shanks would simply cut it down.
Whoosh!
Ignoring the darkness that now lapped at his feet, Shanks gathered his strength.
With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a barrage of blood-red slashes from his blade, each one aimed straight at Andre.
The crimson slashes tore through the air toward their target.
Andre, unfazed, raised one hand. The darkness around him surged, spiraling like a black tornado, and collided head-on with the incoming attacks.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The slashes weren't erased but were deflected slightly by the swirling black vortex.
They veered off course, crashing into nearby trees and the ground. The powerful strikes instantly felled several trees and left deep scars in the earth.
"Hahaha, Red Hair, do you see it? This is my power now!" Andre's laughter echoed across the battlefield.
As he laughed, the undercurrent of darkness on the ground surged past the soles of Shanks' boots, beginning to writhe and shift.
From the black tide on the ground, dark, whip-like tentacles lashed out.
They snaked toward Shanks, aiming to ensnare him.
But Shanks was ready. A bloody aura radiated around him, sharp and dangerous.
Whoosh!
With fluid precision, he sliced through every tentacle that dared approach, cutting them into pieces.
"Hahaha, not bad, Red Hair! But it's not enough, not nearly enough!" Andre crowed.
The madness that had once twisted his face was gone, replaced by a smug arrogance.
That look irritated Shanks, sparking an urge to wipe that smirk off with the sole of his boot.
And so, he acted.
Taking a deep breath, Shanks coated his feet with Armament Haki to guard against any surprises. Then, he pushed off the ground with explosive force.
Boom!
The earth and rocks beneath his feet cracked, and the dark undercurrent rippled as if disturbed by a stone tossed into water.
In that moment, Shanks transformed into a streak of blood-red light, charging toward Andre with an aura of raw courage, ruthless intent, and chilling dread.
As he surged forward, Andre didn't stand idle. The black tide on the ground erupted, sending out a dense web of tentacles to block Shanks' path.
Whoosh!
But it was futile. A radiant, almost blinding light enveloped Shanks, forming a spherical barrier around him.
It was a defensive web woven from his relentless sword slashes, cutting through every obstacle in his way.
With each step, one, two, three, he carved away the darkness that dared touch him.
Closer, ever closer!
In Shanks' crimson eyes, the world took on a faint blood-red hue. Everything seemed to slow, moving along its predictable paths.
The world felt sharper, clearer than ever before.
But Shanks paid it no mind.
His gaze locked onto Andre, and in his enhanced vision, he could see the uneven distribution of blood in Andre's body.
Those denser spots were his targets, his points of attack.
What's this?
As he closed the distance, Shanks caught the faint upward twitch of Andre's lips.
There was no time to dwell on it. He poured everything into his assault.
The blood in his veins boiled, pushing his speed and strength to their absolute limits.
Brandishing his scarlet blade, he unleashed a terrifying aura, one that promised death in a single strike.
"Hahaha, Come on!" Andre roared with wild laughter. He threw a punch at the oncoming Shanks, his arm hardened with Armament Haki and entwined with dark energy.
Boom!
His defenses shattered. A massive gash tore across his hand, blood spraying freely.
Yet, even with such a wound, Andre's laughter didn't falter.
Shanks' expression shifted, his instincts screaming.
He had stepped into a trap. Beneath his feet, hidden by the black tide, was a dark circle, one meter wide.
The moment his foot touched it, a terrifying suction erupted from the spot.
This force didn't pull at Shanks directly, it drew in the flowing darkness.
There was no time to react.
In an instant, the black tide surged upward, enveloping Shanks in layers of darkness. His face twisted in shock as the darkness formed a spherical prison around him.
The black tide surged back.
"Undertide Seal!"
Boom!
The dark tide, which had spread across tens of meters, suddenly leaped into the sky, blotting out the sun.
Like birds flocking to their nest, the darkness converged on the black sphere.
For a moment, Shanks' position became a vortex, a black hole swallowing all the darkness around it.
The sheer force of it left everyone on the coast dumbfounded.
The Red Hair Pirates watched with worry etched on their faces, their bodies tense, ready to rush to their captain's aid.
Not far away, Hughes, a member of Andre's crew, stared at his captain in astonishment.
Andre was now a step closer to his ambition, though only a small step, Hughes thought.
On the other side, Higuma's eyes burned with excitement.
To the unaware, Andre's power might seem like it came from a mythical beast species, not an ancient one, a giant crocodile capable of commanding darkness.
Higuma had watched the duel closely. The new abilities both fighters displayed were nothing short of terrifying.
If he could gain such power, he could become a dual-ability user, far stronger than he was now.
The temptation was overwhelming, but Higuma held back. He would wait until the duel's end.
As everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on the climactic showdown, they failed to notice a lone figure approaching in the sky above the island, coming from a distance.
( End of this chapter )