As soon as Finn took action, a massive commotion erupted on the island. The pursuing fleet ahead and the Red Force of the Straw Hat Pirates naturally noticed the disturbance.
Aboard the Red Force, Ben Beckman's expression changed drastically. "Heaven's Judgment... it really is Admiral Rodriguez Finn!"
"Beckman, what should we do now?" Yasopp asked seriously.
Although he'd been the first person to follow Shanks aboard, Beckman was effectively the vice-captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, the strategic mind behind their operations.
Shanks had somehow discovered this man in the North Sea. Before Beckman went to sea, no one had realized such a capable master was hidden there. He was not only powerful but extraordinarily intelligent.
But thinking it through carefully, it made sense. Before joining Shanks, Beckman had probably been an independent master like Fujitora Issho, neither of them particularly well-known.
Fujitora would eventually be recruited directly as a Marine Admiral, while Beckman had chosen to join the pirate camp. That was all.
After hearing Yasopp's question, Beckman thought for a moment. "We have no choice. We can only confront the Marines head-on."
If you took risky actions, you had to bear the consequences.
If Beckman's plan had succeeded, not only would Shanks be safe, they might even have tricked the Marines entirely.
But now that it had failed, he naturally had to bear the disadvantage of his captain being trapped behind Marine lines. They couldn't just abandon Shanks there and escape alone, could they?
Actually, if they did that, it wasn't certain whether Shanks would live or die, but the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates would have a high chance of escaping.
It was just that this option wasn't within Beckman's consideration at all.
Soon, the Red Force turned its bow, its cannons roaring as it engaged in a firefight with the Marine armed merchant fleet.
To be honest, if the fleet coming here had been composed of standard Marine Headquarters warships, the Red Force simply wouldn't have had the firepower to engage in long-range bombardment. A single salvo would probably sink them.
But now, to hide their presence, the Marines were using armed merchant ships. In terms of firepower configuration, they really weren't as good as the Red Force. In fact, their performance in every aspect was inferior. They could only rely on numerical advantage.
For a time, the battle was so intense it was impossible to tell who had the upper hand.
At the same time, Finn picked up his Den Den Mushi and called Sakazuki.
Soon, Sakazuki answered. "Finn?"
"Sakazuki, take your fleet and pin down the Red Force. Divide the battlefield and make sure they don't reunite with whoever's on the island," Finn ordered seriously.
Obviously, both were Admirals, but this time command rested in Finn's hands. In terms of seniority, Finn had been an Admiral much longer.
Sakazuki didn't argue. He responded quickly, "Understood."
Soon, under Sakazuki's command, the fleet's formation shifted rapidly, from pursuit to a defensive posture, blocking the Red Force and preventing its return.
Beckman felt extremely frustrated at this development. Looking at the Marine fleet ahead, he murmured softly, "I've heard much about Admiral Finn's reputation for being both intelligent and courageous. I didn't expect him to strike at our vital point in the very first exchange..."
Before going to sea, Beckman had heard of Finn's exploits. After joining Shanks, he'd often heard the captain mention Finn as well, learning even more about him.
To be honest, Beckman was somewhat conceited, especially regarding his own intelligence and tactical acumen. He considered himself quite capable.
Yet in this confrontation, Rodriguez Finn had seen through his plan. Rather than immediately stopping the Red Force from leaving the uninhabited island, Finn had waited until both sides had created sufficient distance before attacking the island and forcing Shanks out.
As a result, it would be extremely difficult for Beckman to return for rescue. He'd have to break through the Marine defensive line. His original initiative had suddenly become passive, the battlefield divided. It was deeply uncomfortable.
When Beckman thought about how his seemingly clever plan had been so easily penetrated and even turned against him, he felt a profound sense of dread.
How could he know that Finn hadn't thought that far ahead at all? It had been a blind cat catching a dead mouse. He'd just tried something casually and happened to succeed.
At this point, the battlefield had been split. Sakazuki led the main fleet force, blocking the Straw Hat Pirates led by Beckman from returning.
Finn's armed merchant ship slowly anchored in the natural deep-water harbor of the uninhabited island.
Finn had already changed into his Marine Admiral uniform. He wore the Justice cloak with Admiral's epaulettes, which billowed in the wind. Beneath it, he wore a crisp white short-sleeved shirt and black trousers, the legs tucked into high military boots. He cut an imposing figure.
The demon blade Shindokutō, which Hina had been holding earlier, now hung at his waist.
The moment his boots touched the ground, Finn spotted a figure emerging from the distant jungle.
The man wore a familiar straw hat. Beneath the brim was burgundy hair, slightly unkempt. He wore a captain's coat but paired it with large patterned shorts and flip-flops, giving him a casual, almost sloppy appearance.
The only impressive element was the sword at his waist: a Western-style blade, Gryphon, one of the great swords.
There was no doubt. This was the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, Straw Hat Shanks.
Compared to when they'd met in the East Blue a few years ago, Shanks looked considerably more mature, less boyish. He'd even grown some stubble on his face.
"Red Hair..." Finn said softly.
As soon as he spoke, Shanks' expression soured. "At this point, you're still calling me Red Hair?"
Shanks knew perfectly well that he'd originally sailed under the name "Red Hair," but had been forced to become "Straw Hat" by the Marines. Who was responsible for that? This very Finn standing before him.
But after seeing him face to face, this bastard still hypocritically called him "Red Hair." What was the point of that? Wasn't it just to be irritating?
Finn laughed when he heard that. "Hahahaha! You're right. Now I should call you Straw Hat Boy. Do you remember what I told you before?"
Shanks felt even more displeased hearing the name "Straw Hat Boy." He was also confused by Finn's words. What did you tell me before?
Seeing Shanks' puzzled expression, Finn smiled again. "Of course you don't remember. Back in the East Blue, I warned you that if you dared to become a pirate again, I'd burn your straw hat the next time we met. Now it seems you've forgotten my advice..."
"Hey, don't think I'm afraid of you just because you're a Marine Admiral!" Shanks said suddenly, his tone defensive.
"Tsk..." Finn clicked his tongue, then placed his hand on Shindokutō's hilt. "Do you want to surrender, or do you want to fight?"
Without waiting for Shanks to respond, Finn continued, "If you surrender, I can at least give you some dignity. If you resist, I won't show mercy."
"What a coincidence! I won't show mercy either!" Shanks said with a defiant grin.
After those words, Finn fell silent. Shanks stopped talking as well. The two simply stared at each other for roughly ten seconds. When a gust of sea breeze blew past, the Justice cloak behind Finn swayed dramatically.
Finn moved. He took a single step forward, manipulating his weight with his Devil Fruit power. His figure suddenly vanished from Shanks' sight.
Shanks couldn't track Finn's movement, but he was a veteran of countless battles, having followed Roger since childhood. Instinctively, he drew Gryphon and slashed forward.
The next moment, an obscure, dark, curse-like aura surged toward him. Then pressure hit his arms. The flip-flops on his feet sank deep into the ground as he blocked.
The muscles on his arms flexed as Finn's blade, Shindokutō, collided with his Gryphon.
"Tiger's Roar..." Finn said lightly.
Before Shanks could react, an extremely powerful gravitational pressure erupted from Shindokutō, transforming into what felt like a tiger's roar. The force wrapped around Shanks and sent him flying backward instantly.
Shanks' body was agile. He rolled several times in midair, raised his hand and released a flying slash toward Finn. This allowed him to adjust his posture and land safely, though he felt a slight heaviness in his chest.
Finn, meanwhile, casually raised his hand. Shindokutō's blade pressed against the incoming slash, slid outward, and deflected it harmlessly away.
After just this one exchange, Shanks' expression became intensely serious. From this test, both sides had gained understanding.
Finn could clearly sense that Shanks' strength was considerably inferior to his own.
Shanks, however, couldn't gauge Finn's strength as precisely. After all, he was the weaker party. But comparing mentally to Charlotte Linlin, he felt that Finn might actually be stronger than her.
Not daring to dwell on these thoughts any longer, Shanks released his Armament Haki. Gryphon instantly transformed into a black blade. He stomped his flip-flops hard against the ground, his entire body coiling with power, and roared, "Divine Departure!"
The moment he finished speaking, he'd already slashed outward with his sword.
When Finn saw this technique, genuine surprise flashed through his eyes. This move was truly outstanding, and the name sounded oddly familiar.
Then he remembered. This was Roger's signature move!
It seemed this kid Shanks had inherited quite a lot from Roger.
However, if Roger had used this technique, Finn would have needed to evade it. After all, it was a divine-level attack.
But when Shanks used it, although it felt very powerful, it wasn't to the point where Finn couldn't handle it.
Finn suddenly tightened his grip on Shindokutō's hilt. Dark Armament Haki instantly wrapped around the demon blade. At the same time, he slashed out to meet the incoming Divine Departure.
"Gravity Blade: Tiger Kill," Finn said calmly.
Shanks' Divine Departure was directly cut apart by Finn's sword. Two sharp slashes flew past on either side of Finn's body.
Dispersing the residual force, Finn grinned. "Kid, you're still far from it!"
"You have no right to call me a brat!" Shanks shouted angrily, stomping his feet as he launched forward.
His eyes burned with fury. Gryphon in his hand reflected dazzling sunlight, the glare hitting Finn's eyelids and causing him to instinctively close his eyes for a fraction of a second.
And in that moment, an extremely powerful Haki flowed from Shanks' hands. It wasn't Armament Haki.
It was Conqueror's Haki!
This domineering aura wrapped directly around his Gryphon. When Finn opened his eyes again, Shanks' figure had already descended, slashing downward with his sword.
At this moment, he seemed to have become one with Gryphon itself, the blade stabbing toward Finn like a beast's fang.
Finn felt the genuine threat from this sword strike. Conqueror's Haki infusion was indeed something that couldn't be underestimated, regardless of who wielded it.
It was at this moment that Finn's spirit sharpened, his mind becoming crystalline clear. The dark Armament Haki coating his blade transformed into an invisible force like flowing clouds. If one looked carefully, they could see this force possessed a quality that stirred the soul itself.
Conqueror's Haki infusion!
Without conscious thought, purely on instinct, he raised his hand and struck outward to meet Shanks' descending blade.
The two extremely powerful Haki collided. The sky and earth seemed to change color. Invisible wind pressure and shockwaves instantly radiated outward from the two combatants. The space around them crackled with black and purple lightning.
"Break!" Finn suddenly shouted.
The two forces remained deadlocked for only a brief moment. As Finn roared, Shanks was sent flying backward, his attack completely overwhelmed.
"I told you, you're still far from it, Shanks!" Finn laughed triumphantly.
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