"Those villagers died tragically because of us?" Shirakawa asked through gritted teeth.
"That's right. Because of you," Draken replied coldly. "So why don't you join them?"
"But they were your own people!"
"Hmph. They were just insignificant peasants. It's their duty to sacrifice for their country." Draken's expression was devoid of any empathy.
"Shanks, Buggy, take Catherine and run when you get the chance. I'll try to hold him off," Shirakawa said, turning to his companions.
"Trying to escape? Too late!" Draken blurred into motion, appearing before Shirakawa in an instant. Shirakawa raised his sword in a desperate attempt to block the attack.
BOOM!
The sword cracked under the force of Draken's punch, which continued through, striking Shirakawa's chest.
"Armament Haki!" Shirakawa recognized the hardened, black coating on Draken's arm. There was no way he could defend against that.
"Ugh!" Shirakawa's vision blurred as he was sent flying, rolling across the ground before coming to a stop.
"Shirakawa!" Shanks, Buggy, and Catherine cried out in alarm. Tears welled up in Catherine's eyes.
"You bastard! I'll fight you!" Shanks charged at Draken, fueled by rage, forgetting the difference in their strength.
But his impulsive attack was futile. Draken effortlessly knocked him aside, sending him crashing to the ground, unconscious.
"Shanks!" Buggy yelled, also forgetting his fear and rushing forward.
"Stop, Buggy! Don't be reckless!" Shirakawa called out, his voice weak but firm.
"Oh? Still alive?" Draken said, surprised to see Shirakawa stand up.
"I won't die," Shirakawa said, taking a deep breath to steady himself.
Draken attacked again, his speed overwhelming Shirakawa. Shirakawa couldn't react in time and could only brace himself for the impact.
"Damn it!" he roared, unleashing a powerful burst of Conqueror's Haki.
It was the first time he had fully unleashed his Haki since mastering it. The shockwave shattered nearby trees, and even Buggy and Catherine, who were intentionally shielded by Shirakawa, felt their bodies tremble. If Shirakawa hadn't protected them, they might have fainted or even died.
"Conqueror's Haki? Interesting," Draken said with a cruel smile. "But your Haki is impressive. It's actually making me feel a bit suppressed."
He activated his own Conqueror's Haki.
The clash of their Haki was so intense that even Buggy and Catherine, despite Shirakawa's protection, fainted.
"So you have it too," Shirakawa said, his expression grave.
"Surprised?"
"Not really. As the strongest person in your country, it's not surprising that you possess Conqueror's Haki. Especially in the New World."
"Hahaha!" Draken laughed triumphantly.
"But I don't want to waste any more time on this," he said, withdrawing his Haki. The oppressive atmosphere dissipated.
"How about this? You let me take Catherine, and we'll call it even."
"Impossible," Shirakawa refused without hesitation.
"Then let's end this quickly." Draken's tone turned icy, and Shirakawa felt a wave of killing intent wash over him.
Draken attacked first. Shirakawa's sword was broken, so he could only fight with his fists.
To his surprise, Draken aimed for his face, but the attack did no damage. Draken had used Armament Haki to defend himself.
Before Shirakawa could react, Draken's Haki-infused fist struck his abdomen, sending him flying into the air like a rocket.
Draken didn't let up. He leaped into the air, and as Shirakawa reached the peak of his trajectory, Draken slammed his clasped hands down on him with tremendous force.
BOOM!
Shirakawa crashed into the ground, creating a massive crater.
"Immortal? How can you still be alive?" Draken muttered, surprised to sense Shirakawa's life force returning.
"I told you. I'm immortal," Shirakawa said, wiping the non-existent blood from his mouth.
"I see. Some kind of recovery-related Devil Fruit, huh? Interesting." A cruel smile spread across Draken's face as he looked at Shirakawa like a fascinating experiment.
"Let's see how much you can take."
He pressed his knee onto Shirakawa's chin, shattering his teeth.
But he didn't stop there. He grabbed Shirakawa's head, forcing his mouth open, and watched as his teeth slowly regenerated.
"Interesting. Very interesting." He shattered Shirakawa's teeth again.
"Damn it!" Shirakawa clenched his fists, filled with frustration. He couldn't fight back and could only imagine the torture that awaited him. Each regeneration drained his stamina, and the healing was getting slower.
"Let me go!" he begged.
"Beg me, just like those lowly peasants begged me to spare their lives."
Shirakawa spat in Draken's face.
Enraged, Draken slammed Shirakawa's head into the ground.
"Since you want to die so badly, I'll grant your wish. You're immortal, right? Let's see if you can regenerate after I crush your head!"
He picked up a machete from a fallen bandit.
He pinned Shirakawa down with his foot, raising the machete high.
Suddenly, a figure appeared beside him and punched him with incredible force.
Shirakawa looked up to see the figure and smiled in relief before passing out.