To be honest, when Shanks suddenly declared that he was going to find One Piece, Buggy felt like he was being pranked. However, upon hearing Shanks' apology, his heart softened, and he could only snort coldly, choosing to remain silent.
Understanding Buggy's feelings, Shanks changed the subject and asked, "Buggy, do you still remember Teach?"
Buggy furrowed his brows. "Teach? You mean that guy from the Whitebeard Pirates?"
"That's right. After the fall of the Whitebeard Pirates, he formed his own Blackbeard Pirates. He's quite a prominent figure now."
"He actually managed to escape from your brother's hands? That guy really is a freak. I remember he once went three whole days and nights without sleeping."
"Well, you're pretty freaky too, watching him for that long…"
Buggy curled his lips. "That guy is devious. I was keeping an eye on him to prevent a sneak attack!"
"Hahaha! That's just like you, Buggy!"
Buggy basked in the compliment, crossing his arms with a smug expression.
At that moment, atop the mast, the lookout, Rockstar, suddenly shouted, "A pirate ship spotted ahead!"
Katakuri and the others, caught up in the excitement of the moment, didn't think much of it. Lucky Roux waved a hand dismissively and said,
"Rockstar, this sea isn't our territory anymore. Running into a pirate ship is nothing unusual."
Yasopp chimed in, "Yeah, yeah. No need to worry. I can't think of any pirate crew brave enough to pick a fight with us these days!"
His words, though arrogant, were undeniably true. In today's world, three of the Four Emperors had already fallen, leaving only the Red-Haired Pirates as the last remaining Emperor crew. Apart from a few reckless fools, no pirate group would dare to challenge them.
Rockstar waved to the crew below and shouted, "But I recognize that Jolly Roger—it belongs to the Blackbeard Pirates!"
At the mention of the Blackbeard Pirates, everyone on board froze. Benn Beckman lit a cigarette and cast a glance at Shanks.
Shanks' lips curled into a smile. "What a coincidence. We were just talking about him… I was planning to deal with him after visiting Fish-Man Island, but it looks like he came knocking on his own."
...
Meanwhile, aboard Blackbeard's ship,
Van Augur also spotted Shanks' vessel and hurriedly reported the news to Teach.
Teach's reaction was far less composed than Shanks'. This was the worst possible time for him to run into the Red-Haired Pirates.
However, a sliver of hope lingered in his heart—maybe Shanks wouldn't bother with him. After all, Shanks had never been the type to pick unnecessary fights.
But the next second—
A crimson slash, powerful enough to tear the sea asunder, surged toward them. Even Burgess, known for his brute strength, was frozen in place.
Thankfully, Teach's reflexes were sharp. He teleported to the ship's prow and countered with a Quake Punch. The impact of the collision sent towering waves crashing around them.
However, Teach's hurried response was insufficient. The shockwaves from the clash rocked their ship violently, nearly capsizing it.
Teach's face darkened. The rest of his crew gathered behind him, standing as if facing an impending disaster. This was the pressure of an Emperor.
On the other ship's prow, Shanks gripped his sword, crimson Conqueror's Haki crackling along its blade.
Behind him, Buggy gawked in shock at Shanks' back. That strike had stunned him.
Shanks turned and smiled at Buggy. "So, Buggy, was that flashy enough for you?"
Buggy instinctively nodded but quickly forced himself to stop. Crossing his arms, he scoffed,
"Meh! The enemy ship is still afloat, isn't it?"
Shanks placed a hand on his hip. "Alright, then take a look at this."
As he spoke, his body expanded rapidly, shifting into his Dragon-Human form. Buggy's eyes widened in horror, and he collapsed onto the deck, pointing a trembling finger at Shanks.
"Y-You… You ate a Devil Fruit?! But you always said you wouldn't!"
Shanks laughed heartily. "Sorry, Buggy. Looks like I broke my word again. But this fruit was a gift."
In his hybrid form, Shanks' voice boomed like thunder. Above him, the sky churned, dark clouds forming rapidly as bolts of lightning slithered through them.
Teach gritted his teeth, his fists radiating seismic waves. He barked at Burgess, "Hey, Burgess! Quit standing there and get us out of here!"
Snapping out of his daze, Burgess bolted for the helm. Meanwhile, the rest of the Blackbeard Pirates exchanged uneasy glances before turning their eyes to Teach.
Clenching his fists, Teach growled, "Alright… Get ready to fight the Red-Haired Pirates!"
Bang!
Van Augur wasted no time. The moment Teach gave the order, he fired a shot straight at Shanks.
Shanks didn't move an inch. Yasopp smirked, vanishing in a blur before crouching beside Shanks and returning fire.
The two bullets collided mid-air, Van Augur's bullet shattering into dust. Yasopp's bullet, infused with Haki, veered slightly before piercing Van Augur's shoulder, punching clean through his shoulder blade.
Had the collision not altered the trajectory, Van Augur's head would have been blown off.
The sniping duel was over in an instant, with the Blackbeard Pirates suffering a crushing defeat.
Teach barely had time to register Van Augur's injury. His full attention was locked onto Shanks, who had already marked him with his Observation Haki. He knew—if he so much as twitched, Shanks' next attack would be merciless.
Teach still couldn't understand why Shanks had attacked him so decisively. Why so ruthless? Was it because of their encounter years ago? Was that really worth this level of hostility?
And that look in Shanks' eyes… like a predator eyeing its prey. What did Shanks want from him? His bounty? That was ridiculous.
But there was no time to think.
Shanks soared into the sky, riding the storm, before unleashing a blazing dragon's breath upon them.
Teach had no choice but to counter with another round of Quake Punches. The shockwaves barely managed to neutralize the flames.
But Teach dared not relax. Because now, from above, Shanks was diving straight toward him—ready to strike!
-----------
+230 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg