Chapter 390: The Magic Pattern Ability
"Now we are in trouble. The Tyrant King can overpower the boss and defeat him. It is unbelievable."
Everyone aboard the Red Hair Pirates' ship felt a strange sensation as they watched Andre overpower their captain.
In the past, their boss had always dominated the Tyrant King.
Now, Andre was fighting with such intensity.
Andre's strength was far greater than they had imagined!
After all, that form he was using...
On the shore, the clash between the two fighters created massive shockwaves that rippled outward like ocean waves.
As their battle raged on...
High above, far from the island, in the vast sky...
Clouds drifted lazily, carried by a chilling wind that swept through the heavens.
Hidden among the white clouds...
A dark figure leaped from one cloud to another, sensing the vibrations in the air.
He turned his gaze toward the island, a mere speck in the distance, his eyes gleaming with profound intent.
The figure, previously facing sideways, adjusted his stance and soared toward the distant, dot-like island.
Shanks faced Andre's ferocious assault, pushed back until he could retreat no further.
Behind him loomed a dense forest.
If the onslaught continued, he would be driven straight into the trees.
Facing the equally youthful Andre, Shanks felt a spark of competitiveness ignite within him.
He unleashed his Armament Haki, channeling it outward with masterful swordsmanship.
A terrifying slash erupted from his blade.
Confronted with the sudden, massive slash...
Andre's face twisted into a savage grin. He reached out with his beast-like hands.
He seized the terrifying slash as if gripping a writhing serpent.
The sheer force of the impact shoved him back nearly twenty meters before he finally tore the slash apart.
The shattered remnants of the attack glimmered faintly in the air, their fluorescence reflecting off Andre's towering human-beast form.
The sight was utterly intimidating.
A seasoned fighter aboard Higuma's ship couldn't help but swallow hard at the spectacle.
This man was insane, but his power was even more terrifying.
He vaguely recalled saying something negative about Andre in the past.
Perhaps it would be wiser to watch his words in the future.
Otherwise, he feared this madman might crush him in a fit of rage.
Shanks watched Andre shatter his slash and gave a wry twitch of his lips.
What a brutal opponent!
Gripping his sword tightly, he took a deep breath.
There was no other choice. He had to unleash his ultimate technique, or defeating Andre would be nearly impossible.
But he suspected Andre was also preparing something...
He shook his head, dismissing the thought.
His expression grew serious.
Step... step... step...
The sound of footsteps echoed as Shanks advanced toward Andre, who stood waiting across from him.
One step. Two steps. Three steps.
At first, he walked steadily, but soon his pace quickened into a run.
He stomped the ground, and it shattered with a deafening crack.
The earth beneath his feet gave way under the immense force, sending chunks of stone, shaped like broken tofu, flying upward.
At that moment, a blood-red aura surged from Shanks' body.
It was the aura of slaughter. His blood boiled, his eyes glowed crimson, and a faint red light shimmered along the edge of his sword.
The spectators on the pirate ship felt as if their hearts were being squeezed.
They could almost see a pair of enormous, blood-red eyes materializing behind Shanks.
The sight was terrifying.
How horrifying! What was happening to this man?!
The thought gripped everyone watching.
Only the crew of the Red Hair Pirates observed Shanks' terrifying outburst with a mix of familiarity and unease.
To the Red Hair Pirates...
That mysterious power had caused them trouble at first, but over time, it had greatly enhanced their strength.
Take, for example, the power Shanks was now wielding, known as slaughter.
It granted the ability to amplify the speed and strength of blood-fueled bursts.
The red light emanating from his weapon was especially effective at tearing through flesh and blood.
When life was extinguished nearby, it could absorb a certain energy, temporarily boosting the user's power.
This ability, called slaughter, essentially bestowed Shanks with an extraordinary gift.
A tremendous power, achieved without consuming a Devil Fruit.
This was the strength of the magic pattern form, a power the Red Hair Pirates referred to as the magic pattern ability.
A thunderous clash reverberated through the sky.
The air itself seemed to explode.
Andre met Shanks' glowing red blade with his claws but was forced to stagger back several steps.
The tide of the battle was shifting.
Andre's attack power now paled in comparison to Shanks', and his techniques for redirecting force were less refined.
As a result, he was pushed back.
But that was not the most critical issue.
Andre glanced at the faint bloodstains on his hand.
The razor-sharp, red-glowing blade had sliced through his dual defenses of scales and armor, leaving a trail of blood.
( End of this Chapter )