One Piece: Blood Clan

"Pirate King? You look so weak. How do you plan on becoming the Pirate King?"

"What?! I'm really strong! My punches are as fast as bullets, and my body is as hard as iron! One day, I'll become the greatest pirate!"

Bang!

"Ouch! That hurt! What was that for?!"

"Your body isn't iron-hard. You're bluffing."

"Damn it!" Luffy clutched his head, wincing in pain.

"Say whatever you want."

Bangg!

"Oww, that really hurt." Luffy looked down at his hand, feeling as if he had just punched a block of cold, solid iron.

"Who are you? Why is your body so tough? How did you do that?"

Not wanting to continue this childish exchange, Burs simply replied, "I'm Ikano B. Burs. If you train hard enough, your body will toughen up. It's obvious you haven't undergone any serious training. Anyway, go ahead and eat. I have no interest in talking to kids."

"Tch! As if you're not a kid yourself!" Luffy pouted.

From the sidelines, a man with striking red hair observed their conversation with amusement. At some point, he had casually joined in.

[Random Mission Triggered: Shanks' Test – Engage in combat with any member of the Red-Haired Pirates.

Reward: Random Skill.]

"You're an interesting brat. You seem pretty strong," Shanks suddenly commented from behind.

"You look strong too," Burs replied, eyeing the western sword at Shanks' waist. "Are you a swordsman?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Then, would you spar with me?"

Since the mission required him to fight someone from the Red-Haired Pirates, Burs figured he might as well go up against the strongest one. He was bound to lose anyway, so why not face a true powerhouse? The rewards might be even better.

"Ahahaha! That kid just challenged the captain!" Yasopp burst into laughter.

The entire tavern erupted in laughter, filling the room with a boisterous atmosphere that made Burs want to curse.

However, Shanks didn't laugh. Instead, he studied Burs with a serious expression. He could tell the boy was dead serious.

"Let's take this outside. I'll be careful not to hurt you."

"Alright."

Burs didn't refuse. Even if he did get injured, he could always recover by drinking some blood.

Still, avoiding injury was preferable.

The tavern fell into a sudden hush.

"The captain… actually agreed to a duel with that kid?"

"Unbelievable, but it's exactly something the captain would do."

"Look! Burs-sama is going to fight that pirate!"

"Burs-sama, you got this!"

"Burs! Burs!"

The cheers rang in Burs ears, and for a brief moment, he felt second-hand embarrassment. He was definitely stronger than ordinary people, but compared to Shanks? Not even close.

Taking a deep breath, Burs steadied himself. His power level was only around 300, while Shanks' had to be at least 100,000 or more.

This was like a Spartan army of 300 versus an Athenian force of 100,000. He had to muster every ounce of courage to make this count.

Soon, they reached the open square.

"This place is spacious enough. What do you think?" Shanks asked politely.

"Works for me."

"Hey, hey, is the captain actually serious about this?" Lucky Roux muttered in disbelief.

Without any further words, both Burs and Shanks lunged at each other simultaneously, as if they had silently agreed to start the match.

The moment Shanks drew his sword, Burs instinctively reacted. As the blade neared, he twisted his body slightly, narrowly dodging it.

At the same time, he thrust his own sword toward Shanks' chest. Unfortunately, the gap in their strength was far too great. Shanks reacted instantly, intending to parry the attack.

But before Shanks' sword could move into position, Burs suddenly changed his angle, redirecting his strike toward Shanks' thigh.

He almost landed the hit, but Shanks' speed was simply inhuman. In an instant, he adjusted his stance and blocked the attack.

The moment their swords clashed, an overwhelming force surged through Burs arm, causing his weapon to slip from his grasp and clatter to the ground.

Looking down at his fallen sword, Burs realized his hands were trembling. He had lost even the courage to hold his blade. Experiencing it firsthand, he finally understood just how vast the gap between them truly was.

"Did that kid just dodge the captain's attack and counter immediately? Could it be…?" Lucky Roux muttered in shock.

Ben Beckman narrowed his eyes. "No doubt about it."

Shanks grinned. "Observation Haki… at such a young age, you've already awakened Observation Haki! Hey, kid, you're a genius!"

Burs looked up at Shanks, his eyes filled with determination. After a few moments of deep breathing, he calmed himself. Getting defeated instantly didn't bother him.

In fact, he felt excited. Because just now, the system had rewarded him with something interesting.

[Congratulations!

You have completed the mission: Sparred with Red-Haired Shanks and earned his admiration.

Reward: Passive Skill – Reaching the Pinnacle.]

Peak Perfection? He couldn't wait to see what this skill entailed.

Picking up his sword and sheathing it, Burs declared, "This time, I lost. But next time, I'll defeat you."

Shanks chuckled. "Haha! Kid, I'm not that easy to beat!"

"I'll make it happen."

[Mission Triggered: Defeat Red-Haired Shanks.

No time limit.

Reward: Based on time taken to complete.]

Meanwhile, Borth's crew stood frozen, their jaws practically on the ground. Their invincible leader had just been defeated so easily.

"It's okay! Young Master Burs! Next time, you'll win for sure!"

Hearing their words of encouragement, Bors wished he could bury himself underground. He really needed to get used to moments like this.

Shanks walked over, clapping him on the back. "The banquet isn't over yet, kid! Get back inside and let's party!"

"Alright."

Back at Makino's Tavern—

"Kid, your name's Burs, right? I'm Shanks. Let's drink!"

"My full name is Ikano B. Burs, but Burs works too."

"Ahaha! Kid, lighten up! Banquets are meant to be fun! Oi! Strike up a song!"

"Yo-ho-ho!"

Before Burs could react, a familiar, upbeat melody filled the tavern.

Instantly, he recognized it—Bink's Sake.

"Yo-ho-ho-ho~ Yo-ho-ho-ho~"

"Yo-ho-ho-ho~ Yo-ho-ho-ho~"

"Bringing Bink's Sake, we sail across the sea~"

As the lively pirate tune played, the entire tavern was swept up in a joyous celebration. Halfway through the party, Borth and Shanks engaged in a drinking contest—except Borth had to settle for juice.