Capítulo 138: Chapter 137: The Pinnacle of Swordsmanship
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Above the port of Kuri in Wano Country!
Flying is an ability Ian naturally possesses, and techniques like Moonwalk that allow for aerial maneuvering also exist!
At some point, Shanks' hand had already rested on the sword at his waist, gripping the hilt. The atmosphere in the area suddenly tensed!
A chilling sword intent soared into the sky, splitting a passing white cloud in two. A heavy aura spread out as dark clouds began to gather, forming a thick layer in the sky!
Sensing Shanks' sword intent, Ian's eyes flickered slightly. He gently drew the Zanpakuto at his waist, which began to hum continuously!
A sharp momentum surged upward, causing a terrible tsunami on the sea below. Centered around the two of them, it spread in all directions!
Seeing the sword in Ian's hand, Shanks' eyes brightened. Although he had heard about it from Mihawk, this was his first time seeing it. To the naked eye, it appeared Normal.
But upon careful observation using Observation Haki, he sensed that the sword contained a terrible energy, like an abyss!
Once unleashed, the world would inevitably crumble!
"Good Sword. Unlike Mihawk's sharpness or the Captain dominance, this sword is like an abyss!"
Among the Red Hair Pirates, there were other swordsmen. Observing Ian and Shanks, they sensed the extraordinary nature of Ian's Zanpakuto and showed traces of amazement.
A swordsman from the Red Hair Pirates, eyes flashing, slowly spoke in a deep voice, "Although his swordsmanship is slightly lower than the Captain, his strength is incredibly formidable!"
Hearing this, those present breathed a slight sigh of relief. Knowing that Ian's swordsmanship was a level below Shanks', they felt that Shanks had a better chance of winning. After all, even if a child holds a gun, he can't defeat an unarmed adult if he doesn't know how to use it!
At this moment, not only were the officers of the Red Hair Pirates attentive, but even the Whitebeard Pirates who had retreated far away were alarmed!
"Gurararara... Will Shanks continue to hold his position among the Four Emperors, or will our Black-Winged Devil friend extend his Undefeated Legend by defeating a third Emperor?!" Whitebeard laughed heartily.
"What terrible young men. If only I could fly and weren't so heavily injured!"
"I really wish I could watch closely!"
At this moment, high above the sea!
Clearing his mind instantly, Shanks took a deep breath. A dominating aura rose from him. Gripping his sword Gryphon tightly, he swung it toward Ian from a distance!
With one slash, the sword energy surged, carving a deep ravine into the sea in an instant. The sword energy, swept horizontally toward Ian!
Mihawk's swordsmanship was straightforward and pure, without unnecessary flourishes, great skill appearing simple. If Mihawk's sword was pure slashing, then Shanks' sword was all about momentum!
An emperor's sword overwhelms with force!
"What a Dominating Aura... As expected of you; even the Busoshoku Haki infused in his sword energy is astonishing!" Ian couldn't help but praise inwardly.
Seeing the Crimson Sword Energy Gryphon roaring toward him, Ian showed no fear.
He slowly raised his Zanpakuto. The Sword Energy Gryphon collided directly with the blade, producing a clear metallic clang.
Boom!!
Finally, the sword energy exploded in front of Ian, tearing the sea behind him into crisscrossing ravines. Yet, Ian maintained his stance, holding his sword horizontally, his expression unchanged!
This scene caused everyone to be slightly surprised, but not overly shocked. After all, the Black-Winged Devil before them had slain two Emperors of the sea. If Shanks could make him retreat with a casual sword energy, that would be unreasonable!
"Blocking my slash without moving..." Shanks gazed at Ian standing there, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
Red-Haired Shanks seemed to transform into a sword capable of piercing and cutting everything, standing firmly in the air. Gone was his usual carefree demeanor, replaced by an aura of an emperor ruling the world, imposing and awe-inspiring!
This was the true Red-Haired Shanks!
Ruling the New World, one of the Four Emperors of the sea!
"Well then..."
Shanks gripped his sword with one hand, taking a deep breath. A flow of energy emanated from him, coursing along his arm and enveloping his sword. Suddenly, the entire blade turned pitch black, Busoshoku Haki!
As one of the Four Emperors, Shanks might not have attack power as overwhelming as Whitebeard or defense as impenetrable as Kaido, nor the bizarre abilities of Big Mom, but his Haki was the strongest!
"Slash!!"
Swish!!
He swung his sword horizontally, turning into a streak of light. The pitch-black blade seemed to cut through the night and tear apart the dawn. This attack was infused with his unparalleled Haki!
A glint of cold light, like fleeting brilliance, reached Ian in an instant, as if ignoring space and time!
"!!!"
Seeing this, Ian couldn't help but show admiration. He swung his Zanpakuto horizontally, colliding with the incoming blade in mid-air!
Swish! Swish!!
The sound resembled gears grinding against steel. Even though the sword energy was condensed to a point and infused with Haki, it still couldn't make Ian step back. Holding firm against the dazzling white sword light, his blade didn't tremble in the slightest!
"Even that can't make him retreat?!"
The officers of the Red Hair Pirates and the division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates looked at the vast ravines and the deep chasm carved into the distant sea. They exchanged glances, astonished.
"This is ridiculously strong, isn't it?"
Such a terrible slash, the aftermath nearly split the sea, yet it couldn't make Ian step back or even tremble slightly!
"Could this guy's body be even more monstrous than Kaido's?"
"No, his body doesn't look that strong. He probably just used his sword as a shield to block the Captain's attack!"
A swordsman calmly analyzed. Although Ian had blocked two of Shanks' slashes without moving, they still had great confidence in Shanks.
"It seems those slashes won't work against you!" Shanks observed Ian, who had effortlessly taken his full-strength slashes, without a trace of fear on his face. Instead, he became more serious, his aura condensing. Since long-range slashes were ineffective, he'd engage in close combat!
Whoosh!!!
Shanks' figure suddenly flickered, turning into a blur as he rushed toward Ian. He slashed diagonally downward!
However, while Shanks was fast, Ian was faster. Almost as Shanks reached Ian and his sword began to descend, Ian swung his own sword, sweeping horizontally and perfectly intercepting Shanks' blade!
Clang!!!
The two swords collided. This time, there was no leaking sword energy; all the force was condensed into the clash. Two soaring sword intents shot into the sky!
Under the shocked gazes of countless onlookers, the thick clouds that had gathered in the sky suddenly split open with a deep chasm!!
"A swordsmanship that tied with Mihawk... impressive!" After receiving Shanks' strike, Ian's expression remained unchanged as he spoke calmly.
"At least, it makes you take me seriously!"
Shanks chuckled. It was evident that Ian hadn't been serious until now, responding to his attacks with a scrutinizing attitude.
"That depends on how strong your swordsmanship is!" Holding his Zanpakuto with one hand against Shanks' blade, Ian's figure suddenly retreated. He swung his sword again, sweeping horizontally!
Shanks didn't hesitate, meeting the attack head-on. The two blades clashed once more. Shanks' sword intent finally showcased the might of a great swordsman, faintly suppressing Ian. His sword edge also pressed against Ian's blade!
However, even though he suppressed Ian in swordsmanship, Shanks was secretly shocked by Ian's strength and speed. Despite inferior swordsmanship, Ian was keeping pace using immense strength and extreme speed!
Forcibly matching him. That was one of the unique abilities of the Arrancar, *Sonído*!
In Shanks' view, the gap in swordsmanship Skills couldn't be easily offset by strength and speed!
A sharp light flashed in Shanks' eyes as he swung his sword again. Sword lights flickered continuously, and the aftermath of their clashes spread out, tearing apart the sea and sky!
The entire sea area became devastated under their attacks, though the surging waters quickly filled the voids. The clouds bore the marks of their slashes. "He's actually... suppressing him!"
"Maybe his abilities are just restrained by Red Hair's Haki, and coupled with the gap in swordsmanship, he's being suppressed... Seems it's not so easy to sweep through the Four Emperors!"
At this point, many pirates began to realize that perhaps they had been too dazzled by Ian's previous feats, easily overwhelming the Big Mom Pirates and killing Kaido, that they forgot the terror of the Four Emperors!
No matter how strong he was, he was facing emperors who stood at the pinnacle, ruling the seas!
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
On the island, the sea continuously underwent the process of being split and then refilled. In the confrontations between Ian and Red-Haired Shanks, occasional bursts of sword energy created terrible ravines in the sea!
Trying to watch their battle up close was impossible. Even from a distance, only the officers and commanders of the Red Hair and Whitebeard Pirates dared to do so!
Red-Haired Shanks displayed his swordsmanship to the fullest. Countless streams of light, like densely packed stars, enveloped Ian completely. The battle seemed to be gradually leaning in Shanks' favor. The officers of the Red Hair Pirates were extremely excited!
Ian had defeated Kaido and the Big Mom Pirates. If Shanks could defeat Ian, it would prove that Red-Haired Shanks was stronger than the others. Their Red Hair Pirates might have a direct shot at the Pirate King's throne!
Most were ecstatic, as if they could already see Shanks' ultimate victory. However, few noticed that Benn Beckman, the deputy captain of the Red Hair Pirates, wore a somber expression!
Only Benn Beckman knew that Ian hadn't exerted his full strength. Only Shanks could sense the vast, ocean-like power within Ian. If he truly unleashed it, the terror would be unimaginable. Even though Shanks was suppressing him with superior swordsmanship, that power... left him faintly shaken. This was the man who had killed Kaido!
Shanks took a deep breath. He knew that if Ian unleashed that power, he could only rely on the agility of his swordsmanship for guerrilla tactics, unable to continue such direct confrontations!
Moreover, during their exchanges, some of his attacks had landed on Ian, but only managed to tear his clothes, which were quickly repaired by his abilities!
This proved that Ian was incredibly balanced in attack, speed, defense, and strength. Such individuals were the most terrible, without any weaknesses!
Even without the chance to use elemental abilities, relying solely on physical prowess, Ian stood above this world. The strength of his soul was equally unmatched!
He was already like a god in this world. Perhaps only time could defeat him, or perhaps loneliness and nothingness that transcended time!
Coincidentally, Ulquiorra was born from emptiness and loneliness, and his final destination was the same!
In Ian's heart, his death in his previous life was similar... Perhaps that's why Ulquiorra chose him as his successor!
Even so, Shanks still felt he had a chance of winning. Since Ian's swordsmanship hadn't reached his level, there was still an opportunity!
However, at that moment, as Ian parried his attack, he suddenly spoke calmly:
"That should be enough!"
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