[~1400 Words]
Shanks' smile froze, and he was secretly shocked, 'Who is watching us from the clouds? What a high level of Observation Haki!. Even my Observation Haki cannot detect the other party, and I can only try to find them.'
"Shanks! You've noticed it too?" Beckman blew out smoke rings with a serious expression. "I didn't expect there to be such an individual in the Weakest Sea East Blue."
Yassop retorted with a curse while smiling, "Hey hey! I am from the East Blue; Aren't I strong?"
"Hahaha..."
The other pirates laughed loudly, raising their glasses and drinking happily.
"It's a shame that Shanks and his Red Hair Pirates are not Devil Fruits users." Before James finished this thought, an idea flashed across his mind. "Wait! I almost forgot about Conqueror's Haki. Shanks' Conqueror's Haki is one of the best in the One Piece world. If I fight him, perhaps I can awaken it."
Thinking of this, he acted without any hesitation. He made the Kaya's Manor flew forward for a while, and when they were out of combat range, he turned into lightning and flashed forward, transporting him above Shanks and his crew.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, the previously sunny weather became gloomy and uncertain, and a depressing atmosphere began to spread.
After James appeared, he leaned back elegantly sitting on a throne made of lightning. He spoke lightly, "Red-haired Shanks, one of the Four Emperors. I never imagined that we would meet in this small East Sea."
Shanks was momentarily stunned; after confirming that he did not know the other party, he smiled heartily and responded loudly: "Hey~ My friend, you've suddenly shown up. Have you come to join our little get-together?"
Shanks had always maintained a smile, and with his unconventional country-style attire, those unfamiliar with him might mistake him for a simple street boy.
The Red Hair Pirates remained calm. As Shanks' subordinates, they were already accustomed to numerous storms. If someone really wished to make them feel a sense of urgency, Whitebeard himself would need to appear.
"Banquet?" James glanced around and noticed the abundance of delicious food and drinks on the deck. He had been so preoccupied with improving his strength that he had neglected these details before arriving.
"No need for a banquet, Shanks; come and fight me. It is inevitable for one to fight when encountering a powerful individual like yourself."
"Oh? Boy, are you provoking us?" Beckman looked at him with interest, blowing smoke rings from his mouth and gradually pointing his flintlock rifle towards James, as if he would shoot him should he say anything inappropriate.
James felt an icy chill down his spine. Under Beckman's gun, he actually experienced a sensation of being locked in place, as though he would be struck should he make any movement.
However, he knew deep within his heart that this was impossible; with his lightning-fast speed, only Kizaru's speed of light could match him.
This scene reminded him of the Battle of Marineford, when Beckman pointed at Kizaru and Kizaru raised his hands in surrender in a comical manner. One can only say that he is truly worthy of being an Oscar Level Actor.
"Provocation? Ben Beckman, perhaps you can think so!"
James glanced indifferently at Beckman; a red light flashed in his eyes, and a pair of electric lights suddenly shot forth from them.
⚡Shinbatsu Raigan — "Divine Punishment: Thunder Eye"⚡
[The manifestation of future foresight through Observation Haki is typically indicated by a flash of red light within the eyes! ]
Beckman's eyes flashed red, and he fired several shots from his flintlock rifle. A massive explosion occurred between the two individuals.
James attempted to dodge Beckman's Seastone bullets using Observation Haki; however, he discovered that all his avenues for retreat were blocked.
Nevertheless, the bullet was too slow. He flashed with lightning speed and rapidly retreated. Then, in an arc, he kicked Beckman from the side while muttering: "Have you ever been struck by lightning?"
Beckman did not even spare him a glance; he simply kicked back.
The two men's domineering kicks collided with each other, their formidable Armament Haki releasing surging purple-black lightning. The sky and earth changed colors, ultimately turning black and white.
Beckman was forced back two steps to the side due to the strong force before stopping.
A shock wave rapidly spread around them, causing countless clouds in the sky to be shaken and scattered, eventually dispersing altogether.
"Not bad! How come there's no bounty on someone like you?" Beckman grinned, beginning to look James directly in the eyes.
"You're not bad; you're already strong yet willing to serve as Shanks' Vice Captain!"
James refreshed his understanding of Beckman. He should have considered this earlier; throughout the time he watched the One Piece, Beckman never made any moves.
Generally speaking, those who attack later tend to be more powerful, and their strength is likely on par with Shanks'.
"Hahahaha, that's because you don't understand the charisma of Shanks. If you remain on our ship for a few days, it won't be long before you join us willingly!"
James remained silent; his Armament Haki reserves were still insufficient. After merely a brief skirmish with Beckman, he had already depleted his supply.
He stopped the fight and moved upwards, as he transformed into an elemental style and teleported to the distant horizon.
A fierce and uncertain force exploded in the sky, shattering the black and white world created by their fight. The shock wave affected the sea water, causing the Red Hair Pirates Ship to drift unsteadily.
⚡Sixty Million Volts Thunder Dragon⚡
James attack turned into a gigantic, electrically-powered dragon., bombarding Beckman with his attacks.
Beckman's expression remained unchanged; he fired several more Haki Powered shots to disperse the thunder dragon.
⚡God's Judgment⚡
⚡20,000,000 Volt Vari⚡
⚡Kari (Electric Illumination)⚡
⚡Thirty Million Volts ThunderBird⚡
Just like that, James launched multiple lightning based attacks as He bombarded Beckman relentlessly with these abilities, which were of little use against him.
After a few rounds, red light flashed in the eyes of both men as they withdrew from foreseeing the future.
At this point, James was still sitting on his Lightning Throne while looking at Beckman with an inscrutable expression.
Beckman was no longer as relaxed as before; he spoke in a complex tone, "What an incredible individual, Shanks. Neither of us can seem to gain the upper hand against one another. His Lightning ability is truly something; his speed is fast enough that I can only compare it to Kizaru."
"Hahahaha, I saw it, Beckman; you two are in quite an awkward state~" Shanks had already seen the future within his eyes and playfully teased the duo.
"Hey hey! Shanks, this is not the time for jokes~" Beckman turned around and returned to his seat, taking a sip of liquor before responding with feigned displeasure.
"It's your turn now, Shanks; let's fight!"
James interrupted the pair's "flirting." His primary objective was to awaken the Conqueror's Haki. This represented a rare opportunity that he did not wish to miss.
He benefited significantly from foreseeing the future battle just moments before. Engaging in combat with these formidable individuals at the pinnacle of power made him more keenly aware of the importance of Devil Fruit and Improving his Haki.
"My Lightning friend, why bother fighting? It is far too early for you to challenge me now; with the speed of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, you can only hope to achieve a tie against me."
"Why not give me some face and join me in my banquet, let us enjoy a good feast, drink some more and become friends?"
What? Is he activating his Face Fruit?
[T/N: Lol]
["Thanks for reading!, and Hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you in the next one."]
Please Check out my new Fanfic "Detective Conan: Harem begins with Kisaki Eri". It's a translation, but built from the ground up and added 18+ Smut scenes. and also pls try 6TAD