At that mont, Shanks calmly withdrew his Conqueror's Haki, the overwhelming force vanishing in an instant.
The suffocating ntal pressure that had gripped the masked ninjas lifted, allowing them to breathe more easily. Their bodies relaxed, the heavy fog clouding their minds clearing at last.
Sensing the shift, the masked team's leader barked out sharply,
"Now's not the ti to rest! This is the perfect chance—attack him!"
The remaining masked ninjas, relieved to be free from the crushing pressure, found a surge of renewed energy. The discomfort they had endured under the Haki's influence only fueled their anger, and with vengeance burning in their veins, they moved as one, launching a coordinated assault toward Shanks.
Shanks watched their movents closely.
This was exactly what he had been waiting for.
Just as the masked ninjas closed in, he unleashed his Conqueror's Haki once more—this ti without holding anything back.
In an instant, a massive wave of ntal pressure crashed down on them.
All the masked ninjas, except for the team leader, staggered under the sudden weight. Their montum faltered, their steps hesitating for just a second.
And that brief hesitation was all Shanks needed.
The window he had been aiming to create had opened—and he was ready to strike.
Shanks wasted no ti. Activating his Shanks Movent Technique, he vanished in a blur and reappeared behind one of the masked ninjas.
Before the ninja could even register that soone was behind him, a sword pierced clean through his back, the blade jutting out from his chest. It was Shanks' sword.
Ordinarily, the masked ninja might have sensed the danger—he was a trained fighter, after all. But under the lingering effects of the Conqueror's Haki, his awareness was dulled, and by the ti he realized the threat, it was already too late.
The team leader's eyes widened in alarm.
"Be careful—he's right behind you!" he shouted, warning another masked ninja positioned just to the right of the one Shanks had already impaled.
But it was already too late.
Shanks swung his sword in a swift, brutal arc, severing the masked ninja's head with a clean horizontal slash.
The team leader snarled in fury.
"Damn it! I'll fight you myself!" he roared.
Spinning toward the three remaining masked ninjas, he barked out an urgent command,
"You three—go capture the remaining Uzumaki clan mbers! Take them as hostages!"
Rage flared across Shanks' face.
"You dare!" he shouted, his voice thundering across the battlefield.
But the team leader didn't give him even a mont to react. Without hesitation, he charged at Shanks, attacking head-on to keep him distracted and prevent him from protecting his family.
Shanks had no choice but to et the attack head-on.
Their swords clashed with a sharp, echoing ring.
Every ti their blades collided, the team leader was forced backward, struggling to maintain his footing. The sheer strength behind Shanks' strikes was overwhelming, each blow driving him further off balance.
Not only was Shanks incredibly strong, but his swordsmanship was also razor-sharp, precise and relentless.
In the exchange, shallow cuts began to appear on the team leader's arms and sides, evidence of his growing disadvantage. Worse yet, his sword was already showing cracks and chips from the repeated clashes—a clear sign that Shanks' weapon wasn't just powerful, it was of exceptional quality.
The team leader gritted his teeth, realizing that he was being steadily overwheld.
Shanks drove the team leader back once more, forcing him to stumble under the pressure.
Without wasting a mont, Shanks coated his sword in Armant Haki, the blade darkening with a nacing gleam. Then, with a powerful horizontal slash, he unleashed a wave of red sword energy that tore through the air, hurtling straight toward the team leader.
The team leader's eyes widened in shock. He imdiately realized that if he took that attack head-on, he would be cleaved in two without question.
Reacting in the blink of an eye, he perford the Body Replacent Technique, vanishing just before the deadly energy could reach him.
But Shanks wasn't concerned with whether his attack hit or not.
The mont he released the slash, he shifted his attention away from the team leader entirely. His sharp gaze locked onto the remaining masked ninjas, who were now dangerously close—only a few ters away from the remaining Uzumaki clan mbers.
Shanks' priority was clear: protect his family at all costs.
Fortunately, Erza showed her quick thinking.
She imdiately shouted for everyone to fall back, creating distance and buying ti for Shanks to intervene.
Her plan worked perfectly.
In a blur of motion, Shanks appeared just a few ters behind the masked ninjas. Without hesitation, he swung his Armant Haki-infused sword, releasing a powerful wave of sword energy toward them.
The masked ninjas sensed his sudden presence—they felt the deadly intent, the pressure crashing down behind them.
But greed clouded their judgnt.
Determined to capture the Uzumaki clan mbers before Shanks could stop them, they pressed forward without hesitation—right into the path of Shanks' devastating attack.
The sword energy tore through the air at blinding speed, slashing cleanly through all three masked ninjas at their midsections.
They managed only a few more staggering steps before collapsing to the ground—each one split cleanly in half.
Shanks turned his gaze toward Erza and gave her a firm nod.
"You did well, Erza," he said, his voice steady.
From a distance, the team leader watched in disbelief as Shanks rushed toward the remaining Uzumaki clan mbers. He had hoped—perhaps foolishly—that his teammates might succeed in capturing them before Shanks could intervene.
Realizing too late what was happening, he darted forward at full speed, hoping to intercept Shanks.
But by the ti he reached the scene, all he could do was watch as his comrades lay motionless on the ground—cut down before they could even touch their targets.
Shanks turned sharply, his eyes locking onto the team leader.
By now, the other masked ninjas—those who had fainted under the earlier blast of Conqueror's Haki—were beginning to stir, slowly regaining consciousness.
Shanks knew he had no ti to waste. If the others recovered fully, the situation would spiral out of control.
Without a mont's hesitation, he charged at the team leader, his sword ready to strike, determined to end the fight before reinforcents could rise.
----
Want to get daily updates and read chapters on a daily basis? Then join my Patreon!
Patreon Link: s[email protected]/Hkj822
User Comments
0 comments from readers