On the reef, Yun Lie and Red-Haired Shanks confronted each other from a distance.
Both their eyes burned with raging fury, like two flames about to consume everything.
Shanks' face was grim, the killing intent in his eyes almost materializing. He stared fixedly at Yun Lie, gritting his teeth and saying, "What a deep scheme. Do you think you can defeat me by separating me from my crew?"
Yun Lie, however, looked calm, his tone as placid as if the earth-shattering battle he had just experienced was merely a casual game of house: "How could that be? Your crew gave me a bullet, and I returned the favor with a cannonball. Isn't that just reciprocating?"
Shanks snorted, his anger rekindled. Memories of Buggy the Clown surged like a tide. He questioned, "That's sophistry! Tell me, why did you kill Buggy? He just wanted to live safely in the East Blue!"
As he spoke, Buggy the Clown's familiar smile reappeared in Shanks' mind.
Yun Lie was so angered by Shanks' words that he burst out laughing, his eyes full of mockery: "Why? That question is truly absurd.
Do you know what he was doing when I killed him? Slaughtering towns!
A pirate who enjoys slaughtering towns, and you say he just wants to live safely? Can he not survive without killing people?"
Yun Lie's words were like a sharp knife, each word piercing Shanks' heart.
He couldn't believe that, given Shanks' status as a Four Emperors and his vast intelligence network, he wouldn't know Buggy the Clown's actions.
"Pirates are the greatest and freest beings on this vast sea. Buggy merely followed his inner guidance, and his sins shouldn't be judged by you!"
Red-Haired Shanks' thoughts drifted back to the past, scenes of him and Buggy the Clown laughing and playing on Roger's ship constantly flashing, a gentle smile unconsciously appearing on his lips.
At that time, they squeezed into the cramped cabin to share rum, supporting each other to steer through storms, and Buggy always complained while helping him bandage his wounds. These images kept flashing in his mind, causing a gentle smile to unconsciously appear on his lips.
However, the sharp blade of reality instantly shattered the bubble of memory.
Shanks abruptly focused his gaze on Yun Lie, his eyes instantly becoming as sharp as an eagle's, mixed with a hint of imperceptible hesitation, as if he was making a difficult choice.
His tone was full of the disdain of a superior, each word like ice: "So, boy, as long as you go to Buggy's grave with me, kowtow in repentance, and cripple your own hands, I'll consider letting you live. How about it?"
"Hahahahaha, as arrogant as expected. Is this the so-called aura you possess as an Emperor of the Sea?"
Yun Lie could no longer hold back and burst into laughter, his laughter full of mockery, as if he had heard the most absurd joke in the world.
In his opinion, Shanks' so-called "great freedom" was merely an excuse for pirates' wanton behavior, and his so-called "following one's inner guidance" was just a fig leaf to cover up their sins.
Shanks' face instantly darkened, displeasure evident, and a terrifying aura erupted.
A strong wave of air, wrapped in black lightning, pressed down on Yun Lie like a surging tide, and the entire sea trembled violently from this power: "It seems you've made your choice."
"Conqueror's Haki, mental pressure. Is this the aura possessed by the so-called Emperor of the Sea?"
Yun Lie felt a momentary trance in his mind, but quickly recovered and began to carefully sense this power.
Thanks to the powerful mental strength granted by the Space Fruit, he had great resistance to Haoshoku, which acts on the spirit.
"Boom!" When Yun Lie opened his eyes again, an aura no weaker than Red-Haired Shanks' Conqueror's Haki surged out from within him like a volcanic eruption!
"The potential of a King? I am not a King, but an Emperor who stands above all of you Kings!"
His newly awakened Conqueror's Haki, like a roaring beast, instantly dispersed Red-Haired Shanks' Conqueror's Haki!
Watching his Conqueror's Haki being dispersed, Red-Haired Shanks' face was as dark as ink.
Although he hadn't used his full power just now, the fact that his Haki was dispersed made him clearly realize that Yun Lie's potential was far more terrifying than imagined: "Today, I cannot let you live!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his griffin at his waist was unsheathed again, its cold light glinting. He was determined to eliminate Yun Lie, this unstable factor, as soon as possible.
"Are you getting angry from embarrassment already?" Yun Lie smiled calmly, instantly tearing open space, his figure flashing, easily dodging Red-Haired Shanks' fierce attack.
He stood in the air, looking down at Shanks from above, his eyes full of composure: "You who cannot fly, I am already in an unbeatable position."
At this moment, after the Conqueror's Haki burst, the surrounding reefs were almost shattered, leaving very few places for Red-Haired Shanks to land.
"Despicable fellow, Divine Avoidance!" Red-Haired Shanks cursed in a low voice, Conqueror's Haki wrapped around the blade of griffin like surging flames, and an unstoppable blade light erupted, the air screeching loudly wherever it passed.
"Unstable space, Conqueror's Haki coating?"
Yun Lie's expression instantly turned serious. He gripped Sandai Kitetsu tightly, and the power of space, like a bursting dam, continuously poured into the blade!
"Space Slash - Maximum Power!"
With a roar, a silver-white glow instantly illuminated the entire sky, and a deep silver-white slash roared out. Wherever it passed, space seemed to be torn apart, turning into nothingness!
"Whoosh!" The moment this strike was unleashed, Sandai Kitetsu in Yun Lie's hand could not withstand the immense power and completely turned into dust, dissipating with the wind.
And that space slash was unstoppable, like a giant beast devouring everything, swallowing Red-Haired Shanks' Divine Avoidance as well!
"Boom!" On the sea, these two terrifying slashes collided, and the seawater was instantly split open, as if the sea had been parted down the middle.
Looking at the abyss formed by the receding seawater, Red-Haired Shanks' calm and collected expression had long vanished: "A Space Fruit user, to think you've developed its power to such an extent!"
He had also seen the Devil Fruit encyclopedia. Although there weren't many records of the Space Fruit, he knew very well that it was a powerful Devil Fruit!
But he didn't hesitate at all, stepping on air, his figure like lightning, he swiftly attacked Yun Lie again.
Don't forget, even with one arm lost, Red-Haired Shanks is still a Great Swordsman standing at the peak of the world!
He swiftly wielded his griffin, and countless flying slashes, like dense torrential rain, roared towards Yun Lie!