The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

Without the slightest hesitation, in that instant of thought, Gern...

Shanks exerted his strength once more, pushing off with his feet, and his figure shot out like an arrow.

At the same time, instead of charging in a straight line, it followed an unpredictable Z-shaped arc trajectory, making the most of the "See and Kill" technique.

At the same time, Griffin swung his right hand with all his might, ready to strike!

"Power Slash!"

This time, the dark red torrent of Conqueror's Haki condensed into an even more refined and violent shockwave, which slashed straight at Gern!

He wanted to force Guern to either take the hit head-on or dodge, thereby disrupting his rhythm!

"It seems you've learned a lot before!"

I saw Rayleigh's shadow in that move!

A cold glint flashed in Gern's eyes. He didn't raise his knife, but instead reached out with his left hand, fingers spread, and pressed forward!

"Whoosh—!" In an instant, the air in front of them was compressed to a high degree and trembled violently, forming a visible, distorted, and transparent barrier!

"boom!!!"

Griffin's charge crashed violently into the shaking barrier!

The collision of the two top-level energies did not result in an immediate explosion, but rather a brief stalemate.

However, the stalemate lasted only half a second.

"Crack!"

Fine cracks appeared on the vibration barrier!

Since it was an attached Overlord Slash, Gern didn't expect to be able to stop it. Instead, he focused on getting used to the effects of 'Seeing and Hearing Kill' as quickly as possible.

Because Gern never acts arrogantly in battle; taking every battle seriously is the true 'way to survive'!

And so, just as the barrier was about to crumble and the impact was about to strike...

"Huh?!" Gern's Observation Haki sent another extremely dangerous signal, but it was still blurry and unclear!

Almost simultaneously, Shanks teleported, using the cover of the "Warp" light, and appeared in the blind spot to the left of Gern!

On Griffin's blade, dark red arcs of electricity were extremely restrained, all the domineering aura wrapped around and compressed into a single line of the blade, piercing straight into Gern's ribs!

This is the real killer move!

The previous "powerful strikes" were more for attracting attention and creating opportunities to attack.

"Success!" A sharp glint flashed in Shanks' eyes.

Under the cover of "See and Kill," he was determined to succeed in this near-perfect sneak attack!

In battles at the level of Emperor or King, details are the decisive factor in success or failure!

Just as Griffin's knife tip was about to touch the hem of Gern's clothes...

A cold smile curled at the corners of Gern's lips.

"Do you think... the same interference can work on me a second time?"

And your murderous intent is really...too obvious!!

Just as Griffin's knife tip was about to pierce his ribs

Gern relied on the fighting instincts he honed during his years of battles with Whitebeard and Kaido in the New World.

It replaced the disrupted Observation Haki and made the most accurate response!

There was no attempt to dodge, nor was there any use of the Eight Desolations Defense!

Instead... it's an attack against an attack! Trading injury for life!

"Pfft!"

Griffin's blade pierced Gern's left ribs as he intended, producing a dull thud as the blade entered flesh.

The blood instantly stained the lining.

However, Shanks showed no joy at his success; instead, his pupils constricted sharply!

Because he sensed that Griffin had penetrated to a depth far less than he had expected!

And, most importantly... at the instant the blade touched his body, Gern's waist and abdomen suddenly contracted and twisted in a way that defied human comprehension.

The free hand instantly gathered Armament Haki, forcefully grabbing Griffin's blade and preventing it from advancing an inch!

"This guy's physical strength..."

"Heh, you really missed out on watching my fight with Rayleigh back then, Shanks."

"you!!!"

Shanks felt a chill, because almost at the same moment the sword was locked, Gern's right hand, which had been gripping the Eight Directions, suddenly loosened, his fingers clenching tightly.

Vibrating particles coalesced, and a pale white sphere instantly enveloped the fist.

Then it began to change, gradually forming a dragon's head, and the surrounding space began to distort, accompanied by mournful cries!

"Oh no! This guy isn't a swordsman at all! He'll abandon his sword and switch to offense!!"

Shanks's alarm bells rang, and he tried to draw his sword and retreat, only to find that Griffin was firmly locked in place by the opponent's Haki.

But I hesitated because I was drawing my sword!

This fatal stagnation!

"Too slow!!" Gern scoffed.

The fist, now formed from a massive dragon head, roared and slammed directly into Shanks' chin!

"Heavenly Tremor - Rising Dragon Fist!!!"

A dragon's roar resounded, and the air was completely shattered wherever the fist passed, creating a brief vacuum!

It's not a simple physical attack, but rather a highly concentrated application of the destructive vibrational power of the Heaven-Quake Fruit, released instantly through a fist!

"Ugh!"

Shanks felt an irresistible, terrifying force with high-frequency vibrations surge through him, giving him a taste of what it felt like when Akainu was being beaten into oblivion!

"puff!!!"

Shanks coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward like a kite with a broken string.

It crashed heavily onto the ground dozens of meters away, tumbling more than a dozen times before finally coming to a stop.

He knelt on one knee, supporting his body with one arm, breathing heavily, each breath laced with blood.

At the same time, Griffin was also thrown out by Gern, spinning in the air and drawing an arc before crashing into the ground in the distance with a "clang".

Just one strike!

Guern traded minor injuries for Shanks' serious injury!

The entire room fell silent!

Only the thunderous roar of the sky remained.

"Now, do you understand, Shanks?" Gern's voice was calm.

"Your 'Seeing and Killing' is indeed troublesome, interfering with my clear vision of the 'future'."

As he spoke, Gern walked forward step by step, his footsteps landing on the cracked earth. Then, he stretched out his right hand, and the Eight Desolations automatically returned to normal.

"However, top-level battles are never just about who can see further..."

"It all depends on who can unleash absolute power in this 'now' moment!"

Shanks struggled to lift his head, looking at the approaching Gren, and slowly stood up. He pulled out the Griffin that Gren had thrown in front of him, gripped it tightly, and his dark red Conqueror's Haki began to gather once again.

"Well, thank you so much for that punch that taught me a lesson!"

"There's nothing I can do, what can I do when I'm such a great person!"

If you like, I can continue. After all, I'm known for being incredibly good to you, completely devoted to you!

Chapter 397 What is a Strong Person?!

"Pah!" Shanks spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, a flash of defeat crossing his eyes, before drawing his sword again!

No longer relying on surprise attacks, but instead pouring all of his domineering aura into the blade!

With one step, the ground cracked, and the dark red arc of overpowering electricity no longer coiled around, but instead enveloped the entire blade of Griffin!

"Thallium Blade of the Other Shore!!"

He roared and swung the sword technique he had learned from Rayleigh!

There are no fancy techniques, only the purest and most extreme Conqueror's Haki-infused slashes!

A dark red torrent, stretching across the field of vision, carrying the will to shatter everything, surged toward Gern!

Wherever it passed, space distorted, and the earth was plowed with deep furrows by invisible pressure!

Faced with this domineering slash, a hint of appreciation finally flashed in Gern's eyes, but more than that, there was the excitement of becoming stronger when facing a stronger opponent.

"Well done!" With that, he took a step forward, advancing instead of retreating!

With a swift, powerful swing of his right hand, the dark blade instantly vibrated with a high-frequency vibration.

"Heavenly Tremor - Sky Rift!"

"Clang—Boom!!!"

The slashes collided fiercely, far surpassing the previous strikes!

The black and red arcs of electricity and the pale shockwaves intertwined wildly!

The blinding light instantly blinded everyone, and the violent shockwave expanded outward in a spherical shape, further eroding the already ravaged ground!

At the center of the clash, Gern instantly moved and kicked Shanks!

Shanks' pupils contracted. Gorn's attack, which perfectly combined physical and sword skills, forced him to multitask.

So he suddenly raised his foot, and dark red domineering energy gathered in his calf, forcefully blocking the attack!

"Bang!" The legs collided, producing a dull, loud sound.

Shanks felt the shockwave penetrate his Haki defense, and a sharp pain shot through his shinbone.

"Damn it, the combination of physical skills and the Devil Fruit's ability is simply unstoppable!"

It was this moment of hesitation that put him at a disadvantage in a direct confrontation with top-tier power!

Gern seized this slight advantage, quickened his pace, and launched a fierce attack!

His right hand slashed and hacked across the eight directions, each strike carrying a devastating force, forcing Shanks to unleash his full Haki to block.

Every clash of blades exploded into a sky full of red and white sparks, accompanied by a deafening roar.

But Gern's physical skills are also terrifyingly strong!

He discarded his sword without hesitation, using his left hand, both knees, and elbows.

In short, moves prefixed with "Black Shock" are used with ease.

In an instant, Gern once again unleashed the Eight Desolations, his right palm transforming into a fist, striking straight at Shanks' heart, forcing Shanks to dodge to the side, disrupting the rhythm he had been maintaining with one hand.

Moreover, seeing his punch miss, Gern suddenly turned around and unleashed a spinning kick imbued with vibration and Armament Haki, sweeping towards Shanks' neck. This forced Shanks to lean back hastily, creating an opening in his sword strike. Then, he summoned back his Eight Desolations and slashed down fiercely!

Even when Griffin blocked one of his Eight Directions downward strikes, he smiled, lowered his head, and delivered a fierce headbutt to Shanks' face!

"boom!"

The impact caused blood to flow down Shanks' face, blurring his vision.

"This guy... he's basically a fighting monster in human skin!" Shanks thought in horror after a brief moment of distraction.

Gern seamlessly blended top-tier physical skills, brief swordsmanship, and the power of the Heaven-Shatter Fruit.

To put it nicely, the attack method is called adaptability; to put it bluntly, it's completely unpredictable!

And his signature top-tier entanglement technique, which he relied on for fame, was completely overwhelmed by Gern's all-around, relentless, and ferocious offensive.

He was so suppressed that he could only struggle to hold on. Every time he blocked, his arms felt sore and numb, and his internal organs were subjected to a violent shock.