One Piece: My Name is Jack, I'm Very Resistant to Beating

Clang!

"I'm going to smash your kidneys to pieces!"

Shanks snarled, blocking Jack's heavy strike with his longsword, cursing him furiously.

Meanwhile, Benn Beckman and the rest of the crew showed no intention of helping. They leapt onto their ship, steering it a safe distance away, laughing as they watched the spectacle. Rim, noticing this, ordered the Mammoth to move as well, ensuring their ship wouldn't be caught in the crossfire.

Although Shanks and Jack had only exchanged a few blows, Rim quickly realized that this red-haired swordsman was a tough opponent. He couldn't help but worry—could Jack actually win against him?

Jack, looking somewhat exasperated, spoke up:

"Hey! Calm down! Your kidneys are fine. And it wasn't on purpose! Anyone else would've dodged that! Why didn't you?"

"And for the record, I haven't even complained about you jabbing me in the ass!"

"You...!" Shanks' fury burned away any trace of his drunkenness. He rubbed his aching lower back, his sword now brimming with Haki, and swung it down at Jack with force.

Shanks wielded a rapier, an elegant sword often favored by nobles for dueling and self-defense. Its slender blade and circular handguard made it distinct. Most pirates wouldn't use such a weapon—its primary strength lay in thrusting attacks, with its sharp tip delivering fatal strikes.

But Shanks' rapier was no ordinary blade. It was broader and sturdier than the typical variety, clearly custom-made or a famed sword.

Despite Shanks' average build—small by the world's standards, where men over two meters tall were commonplace—he stood his ground against Jack's massive frame. Jack, towering over him by at least two Shanks' worth of height, unleashed relentless, forceful attacks. Yet, Shanks didn't budge an inch.

Even when Jack transformed into his human-beast form, using his elephant trunk and tusks to launch assaults, Shanks skillfully dodged them with ease.

It was clear to Jack that this red-haired man was as formidable as the stories said. While Jack's raw power was immense, his Observation Haki was only at an intermediate level—a far cry from Shanks'.

The clash continued for a while longer before Shanks suddenly leapt back, his expression serious.

"So, the Beast Pirates have recruited quite the monster. A rookie with a 400-million-belly bounty in just over a year... You're no pushover."

Four hundred million?! My bounty went up again?! Jack thought, a bit stunned.

Shanks' face darkened as he raised his sword, Gryphon.

"But today, no matter what, I'm going to teach you a lesson! Let's see what you're really made of!"

This strike, though it seemed light, was infused with powerful Armament Haki. The resulting slash locked onto Jack, leaving him with no way to retreat.

Jack grinned, baring his teeth.

"A sword slash, huh? Who says that's exclusive to swords?"

"Check out my club slash!"

Boom!

With a mighty roar, Jack gripped his tusk-shaped weapon and swung it downward. A crimson shockwave burst forth, colliding mid-air with Shanks' slash.

Boom!

The white and red shockwaves clashed, creating a deafening explosion before dissipating into nothingness.

Ever since Jack had unknowingly upgraded his swordsmanship to a "Sword Master" level , he had gained a profound understanding of weapon techniques. Most importantly, he could now unleash slashes infused with Haki.

But such attacks, while powerful and flashy, drained stamina rapidly. Jack had spent countless hours practicing these moves over the sea, yet he knew better than to rely on them too often. A few missteps, and he could collapse from exhaustion before his opponent did.

"Not bad!" Shanks exclaimed, giving Jack a thumbs-up. He adjusted his straw hat with a grin, his excitement rising.

"Guess I'll have to get serious!"

Whoosh!

Before Jack could respond, Shanks vanished like a ghost. His sword flashed, and though Jack caught a glimpse of his movement, he couldn't fully evade. Shanks' rapier pierced his side.

"What...?" Jack grunted.

The blade slipped effortlessly through his tough skin, only to be stopped by his dense muscles. A sudden, searing pain erupted from the wound. Jack let out a muffled groan and reached for Shanks' sword.

"This is mine!" Jack growled.

"Oh no, you don't!" Shanks retorted with a smirk, swiftly withdrawing his blade.

He rubbed his still-aching back, a satisfied glint in his eyes.

"That's payback for kicking my kidneys! You think a man's kidneys are something you can just kick around?"

"...Emission Haki?" Jack muttered.

After his near-death experience against Ashura Doji, Kaido had explained Emission to him. It was an advanced form of Armament Haki that could flow through the body, allowing for precise attacks and impenetrable defense.

More than that, it could bypass external defenses and penetrate an opponent's body, causing devastating internal damage.

But Shanks' mastery of it was on another level. He could unleash it subtly and skillfully, causing significant internal damage without any overt preparation.

The memory of his previous near-death experience fueled Jack's rage. His eyes burned crimson as he locked onto Shanks.

"Fine! Emission, huh? Let's see how strong it really is!"

"Today, either you kill me, or you kneel and sing Conquer! Got it?"

"...What?"

Shanks blinked, utterly baffled.

"Are you out of your mind? If I kill you, Kaido's going to lose it! And kneel? What even is Conquer? A new song? Is it any good?"

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+140 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg