Chereads / One Piece: Starting by Refusing Shanks / Chapter 229 - Chapter 229: Kuraigana Island: The One Who Only Picks Tough Fights

Chapter 229 - Chapter 229: Kuraigana Island: The One Who Only Picks Tough Fights

"Hahahaha, I can't wait! It's been a while since I last saw Mihawk. I wonder if his drinking skills have gone rusty in that time," Shanks laughed heartily as he was the first to step off the ship.

Benn Beckman and the others followed him, their faces showing resigned smiles.

"Captain, don't forget why we're here. What if Mihawk refuses your swordsmanship challenge? We're all looking forward to seeing you get embarrassed," Lucky Roux said, munching on his meat, laughing as he spoke.

Shanks waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that. Hahaha, I know Mihawk too well. He never turns down a challenge, and besides, he answered my call the other day, even if he didn't say anything. Silence means agreement, hahahaha!"

"That's just your interpretation," Yasopp teased with a grin. "Wanna bet? I'm betting Mihawk found out we were coming and left before we got here."

"Hey, hey, Yasopp, don't jinx it!" Shanks complained.

Just as Shanks finished his sentence, a bolt of lightning suddenly flashed toward him. In an instant, Shanks casually took a step back, his arm covered in Haki, and with a swift motion, he chopped the lightning bolt down, sending Enel crashing into the ground.

"Hmm? A Logia-type Devil Fruit user?" Shanks rubbed his chin, eyeing Enel, who was lying face-down on the ground. He smirked. "Seems like Mihawk has some rather interesting guests. Oh wait, this guy has two companions... Why does one of them feel so familiar?"

Enel, with a face full of dirt, groaned in frustration.

Luckily, he was used to getting hit by Takumi during training, and Shanks hadn't used his full strength. The Haki from that strike wasn't enough to cause him serious harm.

"Damn it! I let my guard down," Enel muttered as he pushed himself up and quickly jumped to his feet, spinning his golden staff, ready to attack Shanks again.

This time, Enel decided to rely on the physical training he had undergone for the past two and a half months, attacking Shanks without using his Devil Fruit powers.

He thought that even if he couldn't defeat Shanks, he could at least land a hit.

However, reality was harsh. No matter how hard Enel tried, he couldn't even touch the hem of Shanks' clothes.

"Hey, your hand-to-hand combat is pretty good," Shanks said with a grin as he effortlessly dodged Enel's attacks. "For a Devil Fruit user, it's rare not to rely on powers in battle. Is it because I'm not a Devil Fruit user? If so, you're quite an honorable fighter."

"Stop talking nonsense! This is a fight—take it seriously!" Enel snapped, frustrated.

Shanks laughed heartily. "Hahaha, no need to get so worked up. I'm not here to fight you. I just came to see my old friend Mihawk, but it seems he's not home… Do you know where he is?"

Meanwhile, the rest of Shanks' crew watched the scene unfold, making no move to help. Instead, they heckled their captain from the sidelines.

"Hey, Captain, don't underestimate him. Watch out or he might take you down."

"Hahaha, Captain, are you scared? If you can't handle it, just say so!"

"Captain, you're struggling, huh? If you need help, we can take care of this tall guy for you."

"Jeez," Shanks said with a laugh, glancing back at his crew while casually dodging Enel's strikes. "You guys really don't hold back, huh? I am still your captain, you know. Hahaha!"

"But seriously," Yasopp muttered, rubbing his chin as he observed Enel's relentless attacks. "This guy looks familiar..."

At Yasopp's comment, Shanks also took a closer look at Enel. "Now that you mention it... I think I've seen him somewhere before..."

"It's Takumi's crew member," Benn Beckman said after a moment's thought. "I remember seeing him on a bounty poster. His name is Enel, I believe."

"Huh? Takumi's crew?" Shanks' interest was piqued. "So, Takumi is on this island too? Hahaha, what luck! We couldn't find Mihawk, but we ran into Takumi instead. Hahahaha!"

Enel's face darkened, and he stopped attacking. His body began to crackle with intense electricity as his tone became more hostile. "So, you know me and Takumi. You must be after our bounties, huh? Well then, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

As he spoke, Enel spun his golden staff and struck the drums on his back, summoning a massive thunder dragon that roared toward Shanks.

Seeing that Enel had misunderstood, Shanks sighed. "You've got it all wrong. Takumi's actually a friend of ours."

Despite this, Shanks dodged the thunder dragon as it approached.

But the thunder dragon didn't dissipate after missing its target. Under Enel's control, it relentlessly pursued Shanks.

"Will you listen to me for a second?" Shanks grumbled, dodging the attacks. Seeing no other option, he finally drew his sword, Griffin, and with a single slash, dispersed the thunder dragon.

Enel stared in disbelief. "What the hell? That was a 60-million-volt thunder dragon! How could a single sword slash destroy it?"

Meanwhile, Kaku, hearing the commotion, hurried toward the coastline. When he arrived and saw Shanks and his crew, he froze in shock.

"Oh? Another one," Yasopp said, smirking as he noticed Kaku.

Kaku instinctively took a step back, sweat forming on his forehead.

Though Enel had already sensed Kaku's presence, his focus remained on Shanks. "Damn it! Don't get cocky. If 60 million volts didn't work, then try 200 million volts! Let's see if you can withstand my 'Raijin'! I doubt you can, unlike Takumi!"

Just as Enel was about to unleash his ultimate move, Kaku's nervous voice interrupted him. "You idiot! Do you even know who you're up against? If he wanted, you'd already be severely injured or worse!"

Enel stopped mid-motion, turning to Kaku in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Kaku, looking uneasy, explained, "Your opponent is none other than the captain of the Red-Haired Pirates and one of the Four Emperors, Red-Haired Shanks!"

"Uh…?" Enel's eyes widened in disbelief as he glanced back at Shanks, who was grinning at him. "You… you're one of the Four Emperors?"

Shanks laughed, running a hand through his hair. "Seems like it, doesn't it? Hahahaha!"

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