One Piece: The Strongest Creature

Chapter 230: Red Hair Pirates



"The strongest Haki user in the world... and this is all?" Kahn sneered, his voice laced with disdain as he stared at Shanks, who had just unleashed every ounce of his Conqueror's Haki.

With a flash of blue light in his eyes, Kahn's power flared. In an instant, a force—a layer of intense, blue aura—materialized around Shanks, seizing control of his body.

**Boom—crack!**

Although Shanks managed to break free from Kahn's telekinetic hold, that fleeting moment was more than enough.

His eyes widened as Kahn's powerful whip kick came hurtling towards him. Desperately, Shanks lifted his blade, Griffin, wrapping it in his strongest Haki to block the blow. But even with the world's top-tier Haki reinforcing the blade, he couldn't withstand Kahn's ferocious attack.

The force of Kahn's kick blasted Shanks backwards.

Kahn's Haki, infused with destructive energy akin to Armament Haki's internal destruction, surged through Griffin and penetrated Shanks' right arm.

A faint crack echoed as Shanks' wrist gave way under the pressure, pain flickering across his face.

When Haki levels are close, it's often physical strength, Devil Fruit abilities, and combat experience that determine victory.

And in these aspects, Kahn held the upper hand. Shanks, with no Devil Fruit powers to rely on, was an ordinary man facing an extraordinary opponent.

His vast combat experience was rendered ineffective against Kahn's innate Observation Haki, which allowed him to read Shanks' moves with ease.

In this one-sided battle, Shanks found himself outmatched in every way.

If not for that initial blow from Kahn, Shanks might have held his ground. But that strike had already cost him dearly, damaging his internal organs and leaving him with crippling injuries.

The relentless pain weakened his Haki, leaving the "world's strongest Haki user" vulnerable.

Like Whitebeard before him, who had been ravaged by wounds and Akainu's relentless assault, Shanks appeared uncharacteristically fragile. And now, on this brutal battlefield, a strange sight unfolded:

**Before his crew could fall, their leader was already broken.**

Kahn's Observation Haki sensed Shanks' weakness. Without hesitation, he exerted his telekinetic power, yanking Griffin from Shanks' hand and pulling the Supreme Grade sword—one of the twelve legendary blades—toward himself.

Griffin hurtled through the air, only to spin and barrel back at Shanks with the force of a sniper bullet.

Alarm flashed across Shanks' face as he raised his remaining arm, channelling Haki to intercept the oncoming blade.

**Clang—boom!**

The blade collided with his arm, ringing out with a harsh metallic sound. In that instant, another layer of blue energy encased Shanks, immobilizing him once more. He struggled, summoning his Haki to break the restraint, but before he could act, an immense force slammed into him from behind.

A powerful impact pierced his body, blasting out in a transparent, white column of force, leaving Shanks reeling.

Shanks roared forward, defiant, but the impact of Kahn's final blow was too much. Submerged in the shock wave, his already damaged organs finally ruptured beyond repair.

In that instant, the aura of the second-youngest Pirate Emperor faded, now barely as strong as a flickering candle.

"Shanks!!" 

"Boss!!!"

The sudden change in Shanks' life force was instantly sensed by the Red Hair Pirates. Like the Whitebeard Pirates, who had lost hope after their own captain's mortal blow, the morale of Shanks' crew crumbled. Against the might of the Cross Guild, it was now a one-sided tragedy.

**"Ice Slash!"**

Seizing on the crew's distraction, Yamato—now in her hybrid human-beast form—swung her mace, **Takeru**, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki and a biting chill. This time, the strike landed squarely on Benn Beckman, knocking him back with overwhelming force.

**Boom!**

The impact resonated, sending them flying, wracked with serious internal injuries surpassing even what Armament Haki could withstand. The bone-chilling cold seeped into their bodies, and within seconds, the two froze into solid blocks of ice.

The ice statues didn't last long. The pair shattered into countless fragments upon hitting the ground, leaving nothing but broken remains where they once had been formidable fighters.

With their defeat, Benn Beckman joined Lucky Roux in death, marking another devastating loss for the Red Hair Pirates. Soon, elite crew members and high-ranking officers fell one by one, and Sonia and Monet cut them down.

With Lucky Roux, the crew's swiftest fighter, already slain by Kahn, the Red Hair Pirates found themselves helpless. Kahn and Hancock held off their strongest combatants, while Sonia and Monet—a terrifying duo of strength close to the Four Emperors themselves—picked off the remaining officers with deadly efficiency. Perona supported from the sidelines, her haunting abilities weakening the pirates further.

Perhaps they could have held their ground if morale had stayed high. But with spirits shattered and resolve wavering, even the elite could no longer resist. Like Benn Beckman, many Red Hair Pirates found themselves blindsided and defeated.

Amidst the devastation, Benn Beckman—the last of Shanks' senior officers standing—was locked in combat with Hancock. After defeating Yasopp and draining his remaining life force, Sonia joined her sister in assaulting Beckman.

Realizing the inevitable, Benn Beckman ceased resisting, his gaze drifting to Shanks' fallen form in the distance. He lowered his head, lighting a cigarette with a sad smile. "What a wild adventure... wouldn't you agree, Captain?"

**Boom!**

A column of violet flames answered Benn Beckman, swallowing him whole.

The Red Hair Pirates, once one of the most powerful forces in the New World, had been eradicated.

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