The battlefield was set within a colossal bubble covering at least four cubic miles in area. At the edge of this bubble, expectant onlookers eagerly awaited the clash between two of the world's mightiest individuals. Most of them were Fishmen, with some members of the Red Hair Pirates standing alongside Mihawk at the forefront.
Her gaze remained fixed on the two combatants, her two rivals, about to engage in their first-ever confrontation. A part of her desperately yearned to discover what Shanks was truly capable of, whether he had truly forsaken his dreams. Perhaps, a small part of her even wished for him to emerge victorious against Veyron, if only to prove that someone in this world could defeat the demon-level genius she had for a son, as she had already realized she couldn't.
"This is as large as I can create it... it's still not sufficient, but it'll have to do," Veyron declared, assuming a stance and pointing Youbi at Shanks, who carefully studied the arena. His hand grazed the ground, which felt like compacted soil, so hard it resembled rock, bearing the immense pressure of all the world's water.
"This should be more than enough. Maintaining this battlefield won't weaken you, will it?" Shanks inquired.
"A bit... but it's still enough to take you down," Veyron replied with confidence.
"Arrogant and conceited~ But given how strong you've become at such a young age, I wouldn't expect anything less."
"There was a point in which I couldn't raise a sword, Shanks".
Veyron reflected on his early years when, despite awakening the 4th Haki, his physical body was so feeble that he couldn't even lift a sword without relying on it. Although the circumstances were entirely different, the essence was the same—a disability. Shanks couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing how Veyron drew parallels between these two situations.
"Brat, at that point in your life, you shouldn't have even held a sword," Shanks remarked.
Observing his opponent, the young man was of similar stature, but his youthful features were undeniable. Shanks couldn't afford to underestimate him, knowing that his life might be at stake if he did.
"Don't compare, Veyron. You were a little monster back then, and you've only become more monstrous since. You make it look easy. Did you know even Whitebeard has mentioned you to me?"
"That old man without a beard? He's never visited my island once. Even the old-timers Garp and Tsuru have come to visit me in their own unique ways. I couldn't care less about what that old coot has to say about me," Veyron retorted, showing little respect for the elder Yonko.
'Brat, could you show a little respect for your elders?!' The Fishmen, as well as the Red Hair Pirates, seemed anxious, and Shanks rubbed his forehead in exasperation.
"Forget it." Shanks and Veyron began to circle the arena, sizing each other up.
"Is that sword of yours a Meito?" Shanks asked.
"No, it's an O-Wazamono called Gryphon. You don't need to tell me about yours; I'd recognize that blade anywhere," Shanks responded, recalling a certain infamous purple-haired Knight of God. "What's its name?"
"Kokutou Youbi."
Unlike Mihawk's sword, Veyron's dark-edged blade wasn't entirely black; it had a purplish hue from Kokutou Twilight.
"Seems like a copy of your mom's... or should I say your wife's. I don't even know anymore... it was unexpected," Shanks commented, causing Veyron to flinch. Years ago, when he had been informed of Mihawk's marriage, he had made peace with it, prepared to let go of that long-lost love. That was until he learned the groom's name, which left him tearing his hair out in frustration.
"Wife is cool, Mr. Rejected," Veyron taunted.
That was the last straw for Shanks. Both combatants took a step forward, and Veyron was surprised to see Shanks constantly changing his stance as he moved. It appeared as if Shanks knew his every move.
'He knows everything I'm going to do?' Veyron thought in amazement, feeling even more thrilled about the encounter.
The redhead smirked, and two powerful Conqueror Hakis were unleashed.
RUMBLE!
WHOOSH!
For the spectators, except for Mihawk, it was as if two blurred figures teleported and clashed, too swift to comprehend.
"I'll teach you to respect your elders, brat!"
BOOM!
Their swords failed to collide, and the first strike was released with such force that it threatened to rupture the bubble Veyron had created. Conqueror Haki manifested as lightning, dispersing in all directions. Shanks noticed that Veyron had yet to use his Devil Fruit powers and that his 4th Haki was being used to maintain the arena. Thus, Veyron relied solely on his swordsmanship.
'I'll make you go all out!' Shanks thought.
Amidst the chaotic fight, Conqueror Haki waves overwhelmed everyone except Mihawk, who countered them with her own and protected the crowd. While Conqueror Haki could be controlled to exclude certain individuals, it was impossible to do so in the midst of battle.
Relief came in the form of another wave of Conqueror Haki from the sea as a beautiful silhouette entered the bubble, landing beside Mihawk and the astonished onlookers, whose hearts fluttered upon seeing her.
"Primrose..."
"I can't just stay in bed all day while you two have fun... I was hoping to enjoy these holidays too," Primrose said, her appearance slightly improved with makeup, her finest dress, and a determination to uplift her husband's spirits. She didn't want to be there, but she understood that her behaviour could affect him.
"Is this some kind of love triangle quarrel?"
"Not you too..."
Primrose giggled and observed the fight, reflecting on how long it had been since she had seen Veyron truly exert himself, hoping that he would have some fun and feel better. Together with Mihawk, they used their Conqueror Haki to repel Veyron and Shanks as the battle continued.
"Four users of Conqueror Haki in the same spot!? Scary!" the spectators gasped at the rarity of this occurrence.
...
CLANG!
CLANG!
"Ugh!"
Shanks soon realized that Veyron was a formidable opponent in both swordplay and physical strength.
"What an unconventional fighting style!"
"What's wrong? Is this all a Yonko can do? Or are you afraid of breaking my forcefield...? Why don't you try to see if you can?!" Veyron taunted further, he wanted to see Shanks' best. It was one of his dreams ever since he read the manga to know how strong exactly Shanks was... both he and Mihawk were very mysterious and since his mother's strength lay in the ridiculous realm, he expected Shanks to be just as strong.
Veyron's sword seemed to move independently at times, with him catching and striking, or releasing feints and using kicks or punches all imbued in advanced Armament Haki. It was a blend of roguish behaviour and style.
RUMBLE!
BOOM!
This attack was swifter and more destructive than before when he had first used it, it couldn't be blocked and formed an invisible energy wave capable of deforming anything it touched. Shanks realized Veyron was not holding back. The attack exited the bubble and wreaked havoc in the underwater currents, distorting everything in its path, the result of being hit by it could only be death!
"Damn brat!"
"Hehe~ I knew you'd dodge that".
"Bullsh*t!"
The battle continued, with Shanks finding himself on the defensive due to Veyron's relentless onslaught of city-destroying attacks.
A blue, almost purplish thunderbolt engulfed Youbi as Veyron swung his sword at Shanks.
CLANG!
The discharge came to a halt as both combatants employed their potent armament Haki.
!!!!
Veyron felt as if his sword had frozen, and Shanks seized the moment to strike.
RUMBLE!!!
With a clash of swords, Veyron was sent flying out of the bubble like a cannonball, crashing into the ocean floor far from Fishman Island, leaving everyone awestruck at the might of a Yonko.
"What raw power…" Jimbei gulped audibly, staring at the massive hole in the forcefield where water was seeping in.
"That was…" Primrose stuttered, never having experienced anything like it, not even from Veyron.
"It wasn't the 4th Haki, but something very intriguing... an even more advanced form of Conqueror's Haki than ours. I could sense it just now as if he were an absolute king," Mihawk remarked, still with her arms crossed but with a slight smile.
It seemed that in Shanks' presence, everyone else appeared powerless. This new form of Conqueror Haki influenced the opponent's body, rendering them helpless against hi attacks.
"I call it Dominion," Shanks declared as he waved his sword, dispersing the lightning. His pride was restored as he watched Mihawk smile.
While this unfolded, the Fishman spectators looked puzzled as Mihawk and Primrose clapped their hands in apparent approval. They couldn't fathom why they were applauding, given that their husband had been sent flying.
"Shouldn't we help him!? He's a Devil Fruit user who just fell into the water!" Shyarly, the shark mermaid, whispered anxiously, attempting to alleviate the confusion among the Sun Pirates and Red Hair Pirates.
"He wouldn't be called a God if he could only do this much, would he?" Primrose sighed.
"That brat only wanted Shanks to look good for a second," Mihawk added nonchalantly.
"I'm listening, you know!" Shanks remarked indignantly, feeling that they were still underestimating him even after he had defeated Veyron.
Or so he thought.
RUMBLE!
CHAAA!!
Doomsday appeared to descend upon them in an instant -to be precise- as fast as lightning. A brilliant red light emanated from where Veyron had been blasted.
To their shock and awe, red lightning began to surge within the sea like the roots of a tree, spreading tendrils from the ocean floor to the surface as far as the eye could see, illuminating the entire underwater abyss. It was a breathtaking spectacle visible to everyone on Fishman Island, even the royal family in the palace.
A red lightning tree, a slow reverse discharge underwater!
"There's lightning... under the water!?"
"W-What is going on!?"
The sea kings began to writhe in agony; those fortunate enough to be farther away didn't experience the full force of the discharge, but the rest...
Inside the Fishman Palace, a BIG but young girl, accompanied by her brothers and mother, began to hear the most agonizing screams she had ever encountered, but she was the only one to hear them.
"Shirahoshi!?".
The princess witnessed the magnificent tree, but she also saw numerous sea kings in excruciating pain beside it. For others, the display was beautiful. For her... it was a terror-inducing nightmare.
That was when she realized she had to take action, otherwise, all of them would die!
Leaving her mother's grasp she swam away towards the Fishman District, disregarding her family's warnings.
...
A young man engulfed in lightning, strode back into the bubble, holding his sword, also imbued with lightning. He appeared as a humanoid lightning figure with two hollow black spots for eyes and a grotesque mouth. After cracking his neck, a maniacal expression crept across his face.
"My turn, Shanks... I've been feeling quite irritated today, so bear with me."
His voice sounded inhuman.
"..."
Shanks gulped, unable to foresee any favourable outcomes with his Observation Haki that could see far into the future; they all promised excruciating pain, with no escape. And when he sensed Veyron's emotions... there was no humanity there.
CHAA!!!
CHAAAAA!!!!
Veyron generated a colossal bolt of red lightning, far larger than his body. However, what stunned everyone was not just its size but the overwhelming destructive power it exuded, as if a miniature sun had descended.
This lightning carried a billion volts of charge and over a hundred thousand amps, making it more than twice as destructive as ordinary lightning. Moreover, it was inordinately massive. Shanks could sense something unique within this formidable technique.
!!!!
Alarms blared simultaneously, particularly in Shanks' mind. 'That lightning isn't regular lightning... he used advanced Conqueror Haki in conjunction with his Logia Devil Fruit!?' But that didn't explain how Veyron could walk in the water and why the red lightning manifested as though it were the sky.
It was as if he was 'breaking' reality.
"The answer is simple... I just need to repel the sea energy" Veyron smirked.
With a mere gesture, he directed the lightning toward Shanks!
CHAAAA!!
Spectators shielded their eyes, and Shanks wisely chose not to confront this monstrous attack head-on. The lightning pursued him relentlessly, and their battle of speed was one Shanks couldn't win.
With no other option, he unleashed an attack.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!
"Fool, even a kid would know... only you would clash with lightning using a metallic sword. I already told you I can repel sea energy, including Haki," Veyron shrugged his shoulders.
Shanks' body exploded as the billion-volt discharge coursed through him, creating a devastating explosion that sent him flying out of the bubble and into the water.
"Shirahoshi! Wait - jamon!"
!!!!
Veyron heard something—a rush of movement from outside the bubble.
*CRASH!*
A massive girl tumbled into the bubble, her body covered in burns. Towering in size, her pink hair and the lower half of her body adorned with beautiful red and pink scales identified her as Shirahoshi, the mermaid princess of Fishman Island.
"Please, sir... please stop your power!" the girl implored at him and Veyron rushed towards her, but he was still in his red lightning form.
As he surveyed the bubble, following her pointing finger, Veyron noticed numerous gigantic creatures and Fishmen, all getting shocked by the red lighting that he passively maintained and was at least twenty million volts in power. His heart sank, and he released his transformation. Mihawk and Primrose approached him, and the mermaid princess, Shirahoshi, was quickly taken to the island for treatment by her parents.
"She endured a twenty-million volt discharge and still managed to come here to stop me. What a brave girl," Veyron remarked.
"Veyron..." Prim rubbed his shoulder, this had happened before. And it was one of the reasons why he had secluded himself in the laboratory.
At some point power could grow so much... it became uncontrollable.
"It's alright, Prim, Mom... it was just a mistake."
"Don't take it to heart." His mom insisted.
"I know..." Veyron kissed the back of Mihawk's hand and waved it off, returning to the bubble with a burned and shivering Shanks. Although Shanks was conscious, he had clearly endured excruciating pain.
"Monster..."
"Sorry, I got carried away... If word of this gets out, let's say it was a draw. I don't want your Yonko title."
"..."
And that was the end of a fight between two legends, one that Shanks didn't expect in the slightest. Veyron collapsed the dome and took all the injured Fishmen and Sea Kings to be treated on Fishman Island.
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