Chapter 77: Ashen VS Shanks
[New World, Uninhabited Island near Wano],
Countless pirates lay defeated on the ground, all of them belonging to the alliance of the three most notable rookies in the New World. Amongst the defeated captains were the notorious 'Storm Bringer' Mesagi, leader of the Storm Pirates with a bounty of 1 billion berries. Beside him was 'Silver Rain' Seth Williams, captain of the Williams Pirates with a bounty of 450 million berries, and lastly, Aela Kristin, the captain of the Guardian Angel Pirates, whose bounty was valued at 324 million berries.
On that fateful day, the alliance and three powerful pirate crews were ruthlessly decimated by none other than the infamous Emperor of the Sea himself, Kaido of the Beasts.
Amidst the aftermath of the battle, a thunderous voice boomed across the scorched battlefield, catching the attention of the few remaining fighters. "Worororo! Storm Bringer Mesagi...what a stupid name" the colossal figure sneered, his towering form casting a shadow over those around him. His skin was thick and weathered, carved by a life of ceaseless warfare and toil. A wild mane of hair cascaded down his back, as unkempt as the beard that covered his jaw. His fierce eyes smoldered with an otherworldly intensity that made even the bravest warriors quake with fear. "I expected better from you, since you and that little demon brat Ashen took down Wang Zhi" Kaido growled, scowling down at the fallen foes with palpable disgust. "You're weak as hell!"
"D-Damn it…" Mesagi tried to get on his feet, but no before Kaido smashed him on the ground with his kanabo.
"Kaido-sama, it seems that Big Mom is going after Ashen in Elbaf as we're talking right now" King stated while calmly standing near Kaido.
"Linlin?...Omochiroi! Let's see how it turns out" Kaido said as he rested his kanabo on his shoulder before he turned back and walked away.
"You're not going to kill us?..." Asked Seth Williams as he was lying face down on the ground, his whole body was covered in injuries.
"Bastard you still conscious?" Queen proceeded to kick him in the face sending him rolling back "Baaaka!...We need a few working slaves. Muhahaha! Killing you here is a waste!" Queen declared with a wicked smile before he took a puff from his cigarette "We'll make sure to discipline you, you worthless punks"
…
[New World, Elbaf],
"Kamusari!"
"Demonic One Sword Style…Oni's Inferno Cascade!"
*BOOOOOOM* As the two pirate captains clashed, their intense will and mastery over Conqueror's Haki created a massive shockwave that shook the surrounding area. Even those who were not involved in the battle could feel the overwhelming power emanating from the two warriors, leaving weaker individuals struggling to maintain their composure. The mere proximity of the two fighters was enough to render the weak powerless and in awe of their strength.
Following their clash, Ashen landed a few steps in front of Shanks, a sly smile spreading across his face. As both their crews faced off against each other, the two giants, Dorry and Brogy, and the ones who had accompanied Shanks, stood off to the side, observing the unfolding scene.
"Wow, you've grown so much stronger in just a few short years," remarked Shanks, visibly impressed. "I can hardly believe you've already learned to infuse your attacks with Conqueror's Haki. To be honest, I've underestimated you. This won't be an easy battle after all." As he spoke, Shanks gazed intently at Ashen, clearly taken aback by the incredible display of power before him.
Ashen's voice was cold and steady, "Silence yourself. Who do you think you are to utter such words? I will beat you to submission until you realize the error of your arrogant ways." His grip on the sword tightened, his knuckles turning white as his eyes glinted with fury.
…
Lucky Roux cursed under his breath "Captain, this is going to be a tough one" he said, drawing his pistol as he faced Enel."
Enel calmly addressed his opponent, "I'll be your opponent, fatso," and proceeded to draw out his staff. He infused it with electric energy, ready to engage in the upcoming battle.
…
Benn Beckman leveled his rifle at Calvin Helios, the vice-captain of the Ashen Pirates. "You've grown stronger since we last met" he remarked with a cool, appraising gaze.
Calvin took a puff from his cigarette, letting the smoke escape his lips before he spoke. "Puff...Don't get ahead of yourself, Red Hair Pirates. This time, it won't be like the last." He flicked the cigarette to the ground and crushed it underfoot. His voice took on a menacing edge as he turned to Benn Beckman. "Bring it on, Beckman."
…
Moria chortled, "Kishishishi!...You will make a splendid zombie." He then aimed his sword at Building Snake, who had both hands firmly grasping two swords.
The upcoming matchups are set as follows:
-Ashen versus Shanks
-Calvin versus Benn Beckman
-Enel versus Lucky Roux
-Gecko Moria versus Building Snakes
-Urouge versus Gab
-Ian and Yamamoto versus Bonk Punch and Monster
-Diana versus Limejuice
These are the current lineups for the upcoming battles.
…
"Dorry, Brogy, sorry but, I'll have to go all out…This battle may cause some destruction to our surroundings, but I promise to fix it later" Ashen informed Dorry and Brogy who were standing a distance.
"Gabababa! Don't worry, we'll discuss this with the other giants!" exclaimed Brogy as he and Dorry strode over to inform their fellow giants of the predicament. Meanwhile, the Ashen Pirates and Red Hair Pirates engaged in a fierce battle.
"Take them down!" Ashen shouted with fierce determination, igniting a spark of energy within his comrades who responded with a deafening roar. With swords drawn and fists clenched, they charged towards their opponents, ready to engage in a brutal battle. Meanwhile, Ashen set his sights on Shanks and lunged towards him, ready to engage in a fierce one-on-one confrontation.
<Severe Shockwave>
"I'll go all out!...*CRACK*" Ashen exclaimed, before lunging at Shanks with fierce determination. As he charged, he drew back his fist and punched the air in front of him, unleashing a powerful shockwave that caused the air to crack.
Shanks was taken aback as he witnessed Ashen's power crackling through the air, reminiscent of Whitebeard's own ability. "What in the world is that?!" he exclaimed. Despite the shock, Shanks reacted quickly and utilized his remarkable speed to dodge the attack. He then swiftly closed the distance between them, appearing at Ashen's side and unleashing a fierce swing of his fiery sword.
Shanks bellowed out a fierce battle cry, "Divine Fury!" as he unleashed a devastating projectile attack that combined the might of his Conqueror's Haki and fiery sword. But Ashen, with his Observation Haki, swiftly intercepted the attack with his own sword, skillfully redirecting it. As soon as he did so, he lunged towards Shanks, utilizing the blazing speed of his Inferno Jet Step to close the gap between them in a blink of an eye.
Ashen sneered with a wicked grin, " You stupid or what? Trying to fight me with fire?..." In a flash, he materialized in front of Shanks, slashing him diagonally with lightning-fast precision. Although Shanks managed to leap backward just in time, Ashen was far from finished. With a swift movement of his left hand, he unleashed a highly-compressed beam of blazing fire, hitting Shanks squarely and sending him hurtling through the air. Despite managing to block the fiery attack, the force of the impact was enough to send the red-haired pirate crashing away.
<Cruel Sun>
After that Ashen created a massive miniature sun with his flames on the tip of his sword, before he hurled it at Shanks.
"What a power!" Shanks remarked before, he used his Divine Departure to cut it in a half, and then launched himself in the air, sending series of fast projectile attacks that carried immense power in them.
"It's useless, I spent years learning and applying different martial arts and fighting styles, it is in order to develop the ultimate fighting style…In order to not to not be in a disadvantage no matter who I'm fighting!" Ashen declared as he blocked Shanks attack before he propelled himself towards him using Inferno Jet Steps "You've been showing your ultimate attacks one after the other, now is my turn"
"Ultimate Punch!" As Ashen got close to Shanks he used his ultimate attack, using all his abilities into one destructive punch, and then punched him using it.
*BAAAAAM* As Ashen's fist and Shanks sword clashed, Ashen finally came to the realization that Shanks still can't use Future Sight, which meant that he probably thought it was just a normal punch.
"What--?!!!" The punch had so much force, that not even Shanks was able to stop it with his sword, as the shockwave and the dense fire column generated sent him crashing into a boulder with shocked expressions "You've got to be kidding me, how strong did he get in the past few years?"
"I told you, this won't be like last time. I said the same thing for that old hag Big Mom…I always payback, no matter who you fucking are" Ashen declared before he proceeded to leap in the air slashing his sword in the air, using Advanced Conqueror's Haki, Advanced Armament Haki and his flames, creating a burst of energy that exploded upon impact "Demonic One Sword Style…Heavenly Burst"
As soon as Shanks spotted the incoming attack, he instinctively unleashed his powerful technique Divine Departure, countering it with precision. As the dust began to rise and obscure his vision, Ashen seized the opportunity and made a move.
"Katon Gouka Mekkyaku!!" without leaving Shanks any time to react, Ashen quickly amassed fire inside his body, and then expelled it from his mouth into a gigantic literal sea of flame, that was going to sweep even Shanks crew while creating massive destruction in the area.
"As excepted…Huff…That was close" Shanks said while sweating nervously, he managed to protect himself using Haki around his body at the last second, so he wasn't burn alive. After that he propelled himself into Ashen at high-speed swinging his fiery sword diagonally "Kamusari!!"
Ashen proceeded to counter his attack, before he exploded in flames from every angle of his body, forcing Shanks to retreat back, but not before Ashen rained him with series of fast compressed heat beams.
"You think you can defeat me using someone else technique…Aghhh!!" Ashen's words were barely out of his mouth when he suddenly clutched his head, wincing in unbearable pain. The agony radiated throughout his entire body, causing him to scream out in torment "What the hell is happening to me?!!"
"What's going on?..." Shanks observed Ashen in confusion as he saw him twisting in pain "I'm pretty sure it wasn't me. Did someone attack him without us noticing?"
"Aghhhh!!" Ashen let out a finally scream before he released a huge burst of Conqueror's Haki accompanied with a sea of flames that covered the entire battlefield that he was flying above.
"Ashen!!" Calvin's gaze shifted towards his captain, the sudden burst of conqueror's haki alerting everyone around them. As he looked on, his features contorted into a look of shock, mirroring the surprise of those around him "What in the world is that?".
Amidst the chaos of the battlefield, Ashen soared through the air with a crazed grin plastered on his face. His entire being was now enveloped by a brilliant blaze of blueish-purple flames. The intense heat had metamorphosed him into a being of even greater power and durability. His once normal muscles now bulged with newfound strength, while his skin had hardened into a resilient armor. Flames had even consumed his hair, transforming it into a wild, flickering mass that danced around his head like a fiery crown. " I feel so good for some reason…" he exclaimed, reveling in his newfound might.
"Huff…Huff…I feel like...I'm the hottest man alive"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone