At The Peak of One Piece

The battle between Victor and Shanks raged on, neither able to gain the upper hand. 

Benn Beckman and Lucky Roux watched with calm expressions, though their eyes betrayed surprise. 

Rebecca and Wendy, however, were visibly worried. From the murmurs of the crowd, they understood—this was Red-Haired Shanks, a powerhouse from the New World. 

Victor had never faced a peer who could match him blow for blow—until now. 

Shanks' Armament Haki was stronger, but Victor's Observation Haki and blinding speed kept the fight even. 

Yet, Shanks hadn't even used his Conqueror's Haki. 

'How strong is it at this point?' Victor wondered. 'He's only 21—it shouldn't be fully matured yet.' 

This wasn't a friendly spar. Both fought seriously. 

Victor's black blades had struck Shanks' chest—only to be blocked by hardened Haki. A weaker opponent would've been bisected. 

Shanks, in turn, had landed several hits, exploiting the slight gap in Victor's Armament. One slash had even drawn blood before Victor adjusted, avoiding direct clashes. 

Panting, Victor locked swords with Shanks, their faces inches apart. 

"Our swordplay's too even. Let's settle this with fists." 

Shanks grinned. "Fine by me!" 

They disengaged. Victor sheathed his swords and tossed them to Rebecca. Shanks kept 'Gryphon' at his hip—a sword wouldn't hinder him. 

Victor cracked his knuckles. 'This is where I'll grow.' 

Pure brawling would force his Haki to compress and strengthen. 

Shanks, a former Roger Pirate apprentice, wasn't intimidated. He'd brawled with legends. 

The fight resumed. 

- Victor's speed let him land more hits. 

- Shanks' Haki tanked the blows, retaliating with fewer but devastating counterattacks. 

Every time Shanks' fist connected, Victor's defenses crumbled. The red-haired pirate's Haki particles moved faster, almost fluid—a precursor to Ryuo. 

Victor spat blood. 'The gap's in Armament quality.' 

He redoubled his assault, ignoring damage. Shanks' Haki reserves were draining fast under the barrage. 

Shanks' eyes sharpened. 'Enough.' 

A tsunami of Conqueror's Haki crashed into Victor—focused solely on him. 

The world froze. 

Victor's limbs turned leaden as an arctic void seeped into his soul. His speed plummeted. 

"So this is Conqueror's…" he gasped. 

Seizing the opening, Shanks pummeled him mercilessly. 

Rebecca's nails dug into her palms, drawing blood. 'Victor's… losing?' 

Then—Victor stopped defending. 

Shanks' fists turned his face into a swollen, bloody mess. Finally, Victor collapsed. 

Shanks drew 'Gryphon'. 

"Should've paid the toll, kid." 

He raised his blade— 

"NO!!" 

Rebecca's scream tore through the air as she blitzed between them, parrying Shanks' strike with a resonating 'clang!' 

Shanks feigned annoyance. "Walk away, girl. You can't win." 

"I'd die before I let you touch him!" 

Their swords clashed. 

At first, Rebecca struggled. But as her resolve crystallized, something shifted. 

She noticed them—wispy strands of energy fraying from each swing. 

'"Victor called this… 'Sword Aura'?"' 

Focusing, she began reeling the dispersing energy back into her blade. 

The more she gathered, the stronger her strikes became. 

Shanks matched her growth, pressuring her to adapt faster. 

Then—it clicked. 

All the scattered Qi condensed into her sword. 

Steel-Cutting Realm—Achieved. 

Seeing her breakthrough, Shanks disengaged with a chuckle. 

"You owe me good booze next time, brat!" 

With that, the Red-Hair Pirates vanished into the crowd. 

Rebecca stood stunned. 'Why… did he leave?' 

She rushed to Victor's side. 

"Victor! Are you—" 

"I broke through!" she blurted, torn between concern and elation. "I can cut steel now!" 

Victor's ruined face twitched—the closest he could manage to a smile.