Chapter – 12 A Duel with Akagami no Shanks!

Minamina shima wa atakai.

Paina-puru puru.

Attama pokapoka.

Aho baka!

Niban!

Kitano shima wa samui.

Hyakoi koi koi

Attama buruburu.

Aho baka!

"Aaaahhhhh… my ears, I can't bear it... Stop it, Luffy...!" exclaimed Uta, unable to endure it for even a second longer, and hastily fled outside the Party's Bar.

Luffy, Ryuma, Shanks, and the other Red Hair Pirates followed her outside, as Luffy queried, tilting his head in confusion, "Huh? Why?"

"Why? Obviously, because your singing is dreadful! You suck... You are off-key! Your singing will significantly lower the Red Hair Pirates' IQ!" answered Uta in a single breath, and added, "Honestly, how can anyone sing so abysmally!"

"Really?" asked Luffy doubtfully.

"Yes!" nodded Uta.

"That's not true!" argued Luffy.

With tears welling in her eyes, Uta called out, "Shanks!!!!" She yearned for nothing more than for Luffy to cease his singing.

Shanks sighed and said, "Both of you are approximately the same age, try to be friends."

"I'm eight, don't lump me together with a six-year-old kid!" said Uta with a pout, as she folded her arms over her chest.

Shanks smiled, then, as if struck by a brilliant idea, he winked at Luffy, "I know! Luffy, why don't you give Uta a tour of the Village..."

"Huh? Sure!" nodded Luffy happily, then looked at Ryuma, "Ryuma, let's go show her around the Foosha Village."

Ryuma–who had been silent up until now–shook his head, "Nah... the two of you go... I have other matters I wish to attend to."

After a moment of silence, Luffy nodded, "Okay." Then he departed with Uta.

Once they were gone, Shanks and the other Red Hair Pirates bid farewell to Makino, then made their way towards the Port of Foosha Village.

Ryuma trailed behind them.

Initially, everything seemed fine as the Red Hair Pirates assumed that Ryuma was heading in the same direction. However, as Ryuma continued to trail behind them, Shanks couldn't suppress his curiosity any longer and questioned, "Didn't you have something else you wanted to attend to?"

Ryuma nodded, "That's right... I have another matter to attend to, so I couldn't accompany Luffy and Uta."

"Then go and do it... Why are you following us?" asked Shanks, his confusion evident.

"All right then..." Ryuma nodded, unsheathing the sword strapped to his waist. He pointed it at Shanks and declared, "Fight me, Shanks!"

Huh?" Shanks was taken aback by Ryuma's sudden actions and furrowed his brow as he questioned, "What do you mean?"

Not only Shanks but the rest of the Red Hair Pirates were also surprised, their curiosity piqued as they focused their attention on Ryuma.

"I want to engage in a duel against you!" Ryuma answered resolutely.

Shanks fell into silence upon hearing Ryuma's words. After contemplating for a moment, he inquired, "And why do you wish to engage in a duel against me?"

"It's quite simple, actually... I want to assess my current strength and ascertain where I stand," replied Ryuma, his determination evident. "I aspire to reach the pinnacle, and in order to do so, I must understand my present capabilities against those already at the top. What better choice than you, the one and only 'Red Haired Shanks'?" As he declared his intention, a potent aura radiated from him, encompassing the surroundings.

Sensing the powerful aura enveloping them, the members of the Red Hair Pirates widened their eyes in astonishment, their jaws dropping to the floor. "Color of the Supreme King? Just like the Chief!" exclaimed one of the crewmates.

Benn Beckman muttered, taking a puff of smoke from his cigarette, "And that burst of Conqueror's Haki... It was not uncontrolled… this kid seems to have mastered some degree of control on his Conqueror's Haki!"

Yasopp looked at the young swordsman with great interest and remarked, "In other words, he deliberately released it to demonstrate the seriousness of his challenge."

Lucky Roo, his mouth full of a leg piece, chimed in, "And likely to grab Chief's attention, so he accepts it."

"Ho?" Shanks blinked in surprise, sensing the aura of Ryuma's Conqueror's Haki. He peered into Ryuma's eyes and remarked, "You indeed possess remarkable ambition." He could discern as much simply from feeling Ryuma's Haki.

Ryuma grinned, nodding in agreement. "Of course! Why else would I dedicate myself to such arduous training? A man must nurture ambition; otherwise, life would stagnate."

"Hahaha... That's undeniably true," Shanks chuckled in response.

"So... are we going to do this?" Ryuma inquired eagerly, his desire to test his strength against Shanks growing. It wasn't driven by arrogance or overconfidence. He knew full well that challenging someone of Shanks' caliber meant flirting with death. He fully understood that he was nowhere near Shanks' level, not even strong enough to serve as a warm-up for someone like Shanks. Yet, he couldn't help but yearn for the chance to face the man standing before him—the man whose legendary duels with the World's Greatest Swordsman echoed through the Grand Line, the man who would go on to become an Emperor of the New World solely through his swordsmanship and mastery over Haki, the man whose strength was acknowledged by the likes of the strongest man in the world, the strongest woman in the world, and the strongest creature in the world.

By this time next year, Shanks would sacrifice his dominant arm for the sake of the 'future.' Before that fateful event happens, Ryuma wanted to test his mettle against Shanks, and how could he not… Shanks' is his favorite in the One-Piece World, and it wouldn't even be wrong to say that Ryuma is Shanks' fanboy!

After a brief moment of contemplation, Shanks nodded, an amused smile gracing his face. "Very well then... since you've unsheathed your sword, I'll indulge you in this duel. However, it would be wise to relocate to a more secluded area. It wouldn't be ideal for ordinary folk to stumble upon our clash in the midst of their daily lives, now, would it?"

"I agree," Ryuma nodded, resheathing his sword. He turned around and gestured, "Follow me... I know of a secluded spot where even you can let loose for a short while."

"Lead the way," Shanks replied, his crewmembers falling in step behind him as they followed Ryuma's lead.

…

Not far from Foosha Village, the Red Hair Pirates reached a serene clearing. Within the open field, a scattering of trees added to the tranquil atmosphere. Having guided them to this spot, Ryuma turned to face Shanks and asked, "What do you think of this place?"

Gazing upon the vast expanse before him, Shanks pondered for a moment before responding, "Hmm, I suppose this is a suitable location to unleash a bit of my strength."

Ryuma inquired eagerly, "So... can we begin now?"

Shanks nodded, affirming the request. "All right..." He then turned to his deputy captain and suggested, "Benn, how about acting as the arbiter?"

Benn, displaying his willingness, replied, "Sure, I don't mind." Stepping forward, he deliberated for a moment before establishing the rules. "The duel shall continue until one of you surrenders or loses consciousness... Does that sound acceptable?"

Both Shanks and Ryuma agreed, declaring it fair. "Fair enough."

Benn then proceeded, "Very well. Both of you, prepare yourselves." Ryuma unsheathed his sword and assumed a stance, while Shanks had borrowed a regular metal blade from one of his crewmates, opting not to employ his treasured Gryphon for such a simple duel against a young opponent.

Ryuma didn't mind. He understood that individuals like Shanks held their own pride, and the fact that Shanks was willing to honor his request for a duel was more than Ryuma could have asked for. Moreover, if Shanks had utilized his revered Gryphon, it would have been excessive. Ryuma didn't consider himself worthy enough to compel Shanks to wield Gryphon in earnest for their duel.

With both parties prepared, Benn extinguished his cigarette and declared, "Once this cigarette butt touches the ground, the duel shall commence."

Shanks and Ryuma nodded in understanding. "Understood!" With that, Benn dropped the cigarette butt, signaling the start of their duel.

…

Shanks and Ryuma stood locked in a formidable standoff, tension crackling in the air. Ryuma's expression grew tense as he gripped his sword tightly, while Shanks exuded an air of carefreeness. It was not a display of arrogance but rather a genuine curiosity to witness Ryuma's true strength.

The rest of the Red Hair Pirates, including Benn, Yasopp, and Lucky Roo, observed the duel with bated breath, their eyes fixed on their Chief and the young swordsman before him. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation as the clash between these two warriors loomed closer.

As Benn signaled the commencement of the duel, Ryuma propelled himself forward with incredible speed. His base swiftness, already surpassing the speed of sound, was amplified by a factor of fifty due to the Moa Moa no Mi. In less than the blink of an eye, he closed the distance and swung his sword with immense force toward Shanks.

Even in his base form (without using Moa Moa no Mi), Ryuma has incredible speed, easily capable of evading bullets fired from a normal shotgun, a testament to his agility that surpassed the speed of sound. However, when he tapped into the power of the Moa Moa no Mi, his speed became even more astounding. Accelerated by a factor of fifty, Ryuma moved with blinding swiftness.

In less than a blink of an eye, he closed the distance between himself and Shanks. With a resounding metallic symphony filling the clearing "Ding!" their swords clashed as Ryuma unleashed several swift and powerful swords strikes the speed and strength behind which were increased by fifty times using Moa Moa no Mi.

However, Shanks wore an amused smile as he countered all the attacks with ease while being free enough to comment, "Impressive speed you have, I almost couldn't react to your attacks."

Ryuma retorted, "Says the guy who effortlessly blocked my attack at the last moment."

Shanks chuckled; "It appears I was seen through," his voice filled with genuine amusement. With another clash of their swords, he effortlessly pushed Ryuma back with a swift kick. The speed of Shanks' kick exceeded Ryuma's perception, but thanks to his increased information processing and reaction speed, he narrowly evaded the attack by leaping backward.

Shanks blinked in surprise, sensing something peculiar. He couldn't quite put it into words but acknowledged that Ryuma's physical strength, movement speed, and reaction speed were beyond his initial expectations. Despite the surprise, he shook his head and focused on the task at hand. He studied the determined young swordsman before him and posed a question, "Shall we get serious, kid?"

Ryuma nodded, his resolve unwavering, and raised his sword high, gripping it with both hands. With an impressive display of strength, he swung his sword, channeling his amplified power into the strike.

HMMM!

The air around his blade distorted, and a compressed air blade took form, hurtling toward Shanks at incredible speed. It was Ryuma's Flying Slash Attack, a forceful onslaught that could cleave through the air itself.

Being a seasoned Swordmaster, Shanks keenly observed Ryuma's attack and responded with a casual wave of his own sword. In an instant, an equally powerful compressed air blade emerged from his strike, countering Ryuma's attack.

HMMMM!

The two air blades clashed, struggling against each other momentarily before Shanks' overwhelming force pushed through, surging towards Ryuma at thunderous speed.

Taken aback, Ryuma swiftly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the incoming air blade. With a wide grin on his face, he laughed heartily and declared, "I knew it! You truly are immensely strong. The disparity between our strengths is immeasurable!"

Shanks raised an eyebrow and inquired, "Does that mean you're ready to surrender?"

Ryuma shook his head, his grin widening. "No way! I'm just getting started. This time, I'll unleash my full strength, and I aim to leave at least one scar with this sword of mine!"

A flicker of excitement sparked in Shanks' eyes as he acknowledged Ryuma's determination. "Very well. Show me what you're truly capable of!"