Shanks clashed head-on with Dagmar, but his youth put him at a slight disadvantage. He was pushed back a few meters by the sheer force of the blow.
"Buggy, protect Catherine. Shanks and I will handle him," Shirakawa said.
"Aye aye!" Buggy was relieved he didn't have to fight. Perhaps he sensed that the "fat pig" was stronger than he initially thought.
Buggy grabbed Catherine and tried to run.
"Don't even think about escaping!" Dagmar shouted.
"If you want to get to her, you'll have to go through me," Shirakawa said, stepping in front of Dagmar.
"Then I'll kill you first!"
A wave of bloodlust washed over them as Dagmar's skin turned slightly red. Shirakawa and Shanks felt a chill. For some, the threat of murderous intent could be more terrifying than Conqueror's Haki.
"Enjoy the pain, boys," Dagmar said with a cruel smile, his eyes turning bloodshot.
"How many people have you killed to achieve this?" Shanks asked, swallowing nervously.
'No one in the New World is simple,' Shirakawa thought, realizing that this transformation wasn't due to a Devil Fruit but sheer bloodlust born from taking countless lives.
"Shanks!" Shirakawa shouted.
"Right!"
They attacked Dagmar from both sides, but the seasoned general easily deflected their blows with his machete, sending them flying backward.
Undeterred, they attacked again. This time, they managed to land a few hits, and the fight became more balanced.
'These boys are talented,' Dagmar thought, acknowledging their skill despite their youth.
"Why don't you two surrender? I can offer you endless riches and glory," Dagmar said, not out of appreciation for their talent, but because he realized none of his men could match them.
'What a fool,' Shirakawa and Shanks thought simultaneously. They would never surrender to someone like him.
"You're not worthy of our surrender," Shirakawa said coldly.
"Only the Captain can make me surrender," Shanks added.
"Since you're so stubborn, then you'll have to die!" Dagmar's speed doubled as he lunged at Shanks.
"I'll take the little one first!"
"No!" Shirakawa tried to intercept, but he was too late. Dagmar's machete pierced his back.
"Shirakawa!" Catherine screamed, struggling against Buggy's grip.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine," Buggy assured her.
"How can he be fine with a wound like that? Are you even his friends?"
"Because I'm his friend, I know him better than you. Trust me." Buggy's voice softened as he apologized for his earlier outburst.
Shirakawa collapsed from the impact. Dagmar smirked, satisfied that even though he hadn't hit his intended target, he had still achieved his goal.
'One down. Now it's just you, boy. What can you do against me alone?' he thought, confident in his victory.
"Do you think he's dead?" Shanks asked, glancing at Shirakawa with worry, though he tried to hide it. He had faith in Shirakawa's abilities.
"Of course he's dead! No one survives my attacks. Even if he's somehow alive, he's in no condition to fight," Dagmar boasted.
But as he spoke, white smoke rose from Shirakawa's gruesome wound. It began to heal rapidly, his clothes mending themselves as well.
Shirakawa stood up, as if nothing had happened, and touched his back.
"That actually hurt," he admitted.
"He's okay?" Catherine's eyes widened in disbelief.
"I told you. As his crewmate, I know him. He'll be fine," Buggy said proudly.
"I knew you could do it," Shanks said, patting Shirakawa's shoulder.
Dagmar's confidence crumbled. Not only was Shirakawa alive, but his earlier boast had been proven false.
'Is it a Devil Fruit ability?' he wondered, his knowledge as a general allowing him to recognize such powers.
"Probably," Shirakawa said, neither confirming nor denying it.
"Shanks, step back. I'm going all out," Shirakawa said.
"Alright!" Shanks grinned excitedly. "I haven't seen your giant sword in a while."
"Then you're in for a show."
As Shanks retreated, Dagmar sneered. "You think you can beat me alone?"
"We'll see about that."
White light enveloped Shirakawa, and the massive Sword of Damocles appeared in the sky.
"What is that?" Dagmar felt a sense of awe and dread.
"That's his power. The sword only appears when he's using over 80% of his strength," Shanks explained to Catherine.
"So he wasn't even serious before?"
"Nope." Shanks felt a pang of jealousy. Shirakawa had been weaker than him when he first joined, but now...
"Looks like the fight's started," Rayleigh said, noticing the Sword of Damocles from the city. Roger, standing beside him, also saw it.
"Indeed," Roger replied. Although the sword appeared small from their distance, they could still recognize its distinctive shape.