Kapitel 40: Chapter 40: Who Will Win? An Excited Ace
Boom!
It was as if two stars collided in the sky. A brilliant explosion of light expanded, red and gold clashing.
Electric energy crackled, whipping through the turbulent air.
The two combatants were thrown backward, slamming into the cliff walls behind them, leaving behind spider-web-like cracks spanning hundreds of meters.
"Come again!"
Both simultaneously slammed their palms against the cliffs, further shattering the rock, before launching themselves back into the air—one a streak of red, the other a streak of gold.
They tore through the sky, each collision of their blades resulting in dozens of powerful clashes.
"A Supreme Grade Sword is truly something else," Kuke's grin grew more wild.
This was far more exhilarating than his fight with Akainu.
It wasn't that Shanks was necessarily stronger than Akainu. In fact, Akainu might still be a notch above.
But in that fight, Kuke had been using a standard blade. He had to rely on imbuing the weapon with large amounts of Armament Haki just to prevent it from breaking. That had taken some of the fun out of it.
And even so, by the end of that battle, the blade had been destroyed. It was riddled with cracks, barely holding together.
The right weapon could make a significant difference for a swordsman. For any warrior, really.
If weapons didn't matter, then why did all of the most famous swordsmen in the world wield named swords?
It was like claiming that Devil Fruits didn't have stronger or weaker variations, that it all came down to the user.
Ridiculous.
The potential ceiling, the base strength—everything was different. The disparities were too significant to ignore.
...
The battle raged on for hours.
There was no sign of it ending.
In fact, both fighters seemed to grow stronger with each passing minute.
"This could go on for days, and still, we might not see a victor. Their strength is nearly identical," Gaban's keen eyes observed the situation.
The difference between them was minuscule.
It would be very difficult for either of them to land a decisive blow.
"Shanks seems to be enjoying himself," the members of the Red-Haired Pirates had activated their Observation Haki to track the finer details of the battle. Both Kuke and Shanks were grinning.
They were laughing boldly.
Their attacks were growing more and more intense.
Each believed that the other could handle it—there was no need to hold back.
"When you meet a worthy opponent, it's thrilling. Besides Mihawk, Shanks hasn't had someone like this in a long time," Beckman said, happy for his captain.
It was rare to find such a well-matched rival on the Grand Line.
"But... who will win?" Yasopp asked nervously.
They all believed in Shanks, without question.
But Kuke's performance was undeniably at the same level.
Lucky Roux, who had a chicken leg frozen in his hand, stared wide-eyed at the battle. "Kuke hasn't even used his Devil Fruit powers yet, and he's still so young."
No further explanation was needed.
The faces of the Red-Haired Pirates turned grim.
There was a legend about Kuke's seemingly invincible defense—something even Akainu had been powerless against, watching helplessly as the Radiant Eclipse Pirates sailed away.
"In other words, even in the worst-case scenario, this fight would end in a draw for Kuke," Beckman took a long drag on his cigarette before exhaling slowly. "It's entirely possible that Shanks might lose."
"No way!"
They struggled to accept it, but they couldn't find a way to argue.
"Does the outcome matter? No matter how this ends, both will come out of it stronger," Gaban scolded the younger crew as a senior member of the pirate world.
Onboard the Radiant Eclipse, similar conversations were happening.
"So... who's going to win?" Makino asked anxiously.
"It'll be the captain, of course."
"There's no other possible outcome."
Gion, the strongest of the crew after Kuke, was closely watching the battlefield. "Kuke won't lose. In a prolonged fight, there's no chance he'll be defeated."
Whether or not he would win, she couldn't say for certain.
But losing? That wasn't going to happen.
Especially since she was well aware of Kuke's extraordinary endurance—he was practically a monster.
Boom!
Kuke gripped Ace with both hands and unleashed a crescent-shaped shockwave of sword energy, which Shanks deflected with an upward swing, sending the attack flying into the clouds, dissipating them.
Shanks retaliated with a swing of his own.
Kuke blocked it, sending the sword energy skimming across the ground, carving a smooth fissure through the earth as it extended into the depths of the forest.
"Whoa!"
Ace and Sabo, who had been rushing to the scene, froze in their tracks.
They stood there, dumbfounded, as the attack whizzed past them.
"This is terrifying."
"What are those kids doing here? They must have a death wish."
Beckman spotted the two boys and immediately vanished, reappearing behind them and lifting them by the collars, dragging them away from the battlefield.
"Stay here and don't move. Are you crazy, coming here? Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?"
But Ace and Sabo, dazed and wide-eyed, could only stare in awe at the two fighters.
The island was shaking, the air was distorting, and the weather was changing. It was like nothing they had ever seen before.
"There! There! Look!" Ace shouted, pointing excitedly at the battle. His eyes shone with admiration and joy, barely able to contain his excitement.
His awe was clear—undeniable reverence and worship filled his gaze.
"Kid, do you really admire our captain that much?" Lucky Roux grabbed Ace by the shoulder, a proud smile on his face.
The other crew members shared the sentiment.
Their captain's reputation was immense, even in the East Blue, it seemed.
But Ace was too caught up in the battle to notice Lucky Roux. He slapped Sabo on the back, bouncing in place with excitement. "Sabo! Look! It's Kuke! It's really him! He's come to the East Blue!"
Lucky Roux: …?
He silently withdrew his hand from Ace's shoulder.
Suddenly, everything felt a little off.
How could that be? Kuke had only recently become famous, and most of his exploits were in the Grand Line. The East Blue was such a remote place... shouldn't Shanks' reputation, built over many years, far surpass that of Kuke here?
...
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein