One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 574: A Battle to the Death!

"It seems you are quite ill."

Shamrock spoke coldly.

"You've been bewitched by those lowly beings of the lower realms, to the point that you don't even recognize your own father. You're beyond redemption. Further words are useless!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Shamrock moved first.

His sharp longsword left a blinding silver trail in the wind and snow. The next moment, dark red Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body, reaching all the way to Shanks!

Shanks did not retreat an inch.

Griffin was immediately drawn. Then, a deeper and more powerful black and red Conqueror's Haki surged into the sky, directly confronting Shamrock's Conqueror's Haki!

Shanks gripped Griffin's left hand.

"I promised my mother I would take you to see her."

"But seeing you like this, I realize that you are just like the other Celestial Dragons, utterly devoid of humanity."

Griffin slowly raised his blade, pointing it directly at Shamrock.

"So, I'll beat you half to death first, then drag you to see her!"

Shamlock let out a harsh, cold laugh, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.

"A shameless traitor!"

He raised the cross sword without flinching.

"Looks like I should wake you up. Let you understand what the suppression of divine bloodline really means!"

The next second, two top-tier Conqueror's Haki clashed violently in mid-air.

boom!

Time seemed to freeze for a moment under the weight of the attack, followed by a devastating explosion that shook the entire battlefield. Crimson lightning exploded wildly between the two, like a giant, out-of-control net tearing the space itself apart. The air was compressed to its limit, then exploded again in the next instant, the continuous sonic booms piercing the eardrums.

The thick clouds were forcibly cleaved apart, leaving a deep, abyss-like rift that cut across the sky, even severing the raging blizzard.

The surrounding ruins were the first to be annihilated, instantly reduced to dust by that overwhelming force. A bottomless ravine rapidly tore open beneath their feet, stretching into the distance.

Those nightmare monsters that got too close didn't even have time to scream before their massive bodies vanished in the aftershocks of the overwhelming force, and the giant warriors were also thrown away by the violent shockwave. A large vacuum zone was forcibly cleared in the center of the battlefield.

Before the aftershocks of the powerful clash had even subsided, Shamrock had already struck first.

He instantly transformed into a silver afterimage, his longsword aimed straight for Shanks' throat. The blade was wreathed in Armament Haki, and even before it got close, the air in front of him was already being torn apart with a sharp shriek.

Shanks' figure vanished from the spot at the same time.

Griffin leaped into the air, his blade striking precisely the spine of Shamrock's sword.

"clang!"

The clang of metal on metal resounded through the sky.

The two figures crisscrossed wildly in the center of the battlefield, moving at a speed that was impossible for the naked eye to follow.

All that others could see was a red and a silver streak of light constantly colliding, separating, and then crashing together again, like two ferocious beasts fighting in the wind and snow.

Shamrock's swordsmanship was ruthless and cunning, clearly demonstrating that he had mastered the killing techniques of the Knights of God to the bone. His longsword transformed into a shower of silver stars, specifically targeting Shanks's throat, ribs, and joints—all without a single wasted movement.

Shanks's swordsmanship, however, is completely different.

His swordplay was wide and sweeping, domineering to the point of being savage. The fierceness he had honed while traversing the seas with only one arm had seeped into every inch of his strength, and now that he had both arms, this power was only more ferocious.

With each swing of Griffin's sword, there was an aura that seemed intent on utterly severing everything. Under this immense pressure, Shamrock's impenetrable sword shadows were shattered; a horizontal slash swept across, and the terrifying sword pressure directly leveled slabs of rock on the ground.

"Is that all you've got, brother!"

Shamlock roared, dodging Shanks's heavy slash while simultaneously striking at Shanks' right rib.

Shanks flicked his wrist, and Griffin suddenly stood upright, the blade firmly wedged against the cross-shaped sword. He pressed forward sharply, their two identical faces almost touching, the killing intent in each other's eyes clear and unmistakable.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Shanks let out a cold shout, his arm muscles tensing instantly as he unleashed a powerful force. That overwhelming power surged forth from the blade, forcefully pushing Shamrock back ten steps.

Shamlock's feet dug two long, deep furrows in the ground, sending pebbles and ice shards flying. He had barely regained his footing when Shanks' blade was already upon him again. The relentless onslaught was like a storm, almost suffocating, and the entire battlefield trembled beneath their feet.

Meanwhile, Rocks and Whitebeard stood side by side not far away, not intervening at all, but watching the fratricidal battle with great interest.

"Gurarararara!"

The white-bearded man burst into laughter.

"It's been so long since I've seen such a pure swordsmanship duel!"

The white-bearded man stared at the black and red lightning that kept exploding in the distance, his eyes flashing with undisguised admiration.

"That red-haired brat's domineering aura is getting stronger and stronger, quite impressive. And that kid from the Knights of God who looks just like him isn't bad either."

He grinned.

"And it's brothers fighting each other. Wow, that's exciting!"

Rocks crossed his arms, his expression revealing a hint of disdain, his cold gaze fixed on the center of the battlefield.

"Hmph, just two brats."

His voice was deep and hoarse, and his arrogance was undisguised.

"His swordsmanship is passable, and his speed and power are barely acceptable. But compared to me, he's still very green."

He certainly has the right to say that.

The man who once stood atop the highest point of the ocean had witnessed far too many truly monstrous battles. While this level of confrontation was certainly intense, it was not enough to truly move him.

"Don't be so strict."

The white-bearded man replied with a smile.

"That red-haired brat is already showing some of Roger's traits. As for that kid from the Knights of God... it's quite a surprise that such a swordsman could be cultivated from among the Celestial Dragons, who are considered trash."

Lockes snorted coldly, not replying, but simply scanning the entire battlefield as if picking out prey that was more worthwhile to hunt.

At that very moment, a sudden change occurred.

Without warning, a strange fluctuation rippled through the space behind the two.

The next instant, a member of the Knights of God emerged from the ripples.

This member of the Knights of God possessed an ability so bizarre it seemed he could tear through space itself; he appeared almost out of nothingness, silently landing behind the two. The distance between him and Rocks's back was less than two meters.

The newcomer had eyes as sinister as a snake. He gripped a short blade that gleamed with an eerie green light, its blade coated with a deadly poison that could kill instantly.

Without the slightest hesitation, he suddenly raised the poisoned blade and stabbed it viciously into Lockes' back.