115 Chapter 115: One After Another

The collision between Luo Ning's Reiatsu and Shanks' Conqueror's Haki was even more terrifying than the clash of two Conqueror's Haki imbuements. Although Beckman and the others provided support, they felt immense pressure and a suppression of their combat power under this impact.

Since Luo Ning created this space, the impact of their attacks left minimal traces. In the outside world, however, the sky would have cracked, and the ground would have been shattered into a horrific pothole.

"That's some terrifying power!" Shanks' hand gripping the sword was bleeding. Despite using his full strength and Armament Haki in the earlier clash, he couldn't completely block the force, injuring his hand.

"Nice power, but you should consider getting a new sword!" Luo Ning shook his head and withdrew his fist. He hadn't used his full strength, as he could have crippled Shanks with a single punch. This time, however, Shanks wasn't strong enough to escape unscathed.

The moment Luo Ning's words fell, the blade imbued with Conqueror's Haki shattered. The red-haired blade broke under the force of Luo Ning's punch.

"Broken? Not very surprising," Shanks muttered, a grimace on his face. He was distressed. This blade had been with him for a long time, and now, after 39 years, it was broken. He wasn't surprised, though; Luo Ning's strength was far superior to his own.

Finding such renowned blades is no easy feat. In fact, in Luo Ning's opinion, these weapons were merely average. Even Hawkeye's black sword wouldn't have remained intact without the terrifying Armament Haki of its wielder.

Hawkeye himself told Zoro that the blades themselves are weak; their strength comes entirely from their wielders. Any sword can become a Black Blade in his hand, proving it depends entirely on the wielder's strength.

"Alright, we concede defeat. We're no match for you."

Originally, Shanks also planned to experience Luo Ning's strength firsthand. While Luo Ning's strength had been showcased in the live broadcast, it wasn't a personal experience. So, Shanks wanted to test his own might.

After the entire Red Hair Pirates crew conceded, Luo Ning earned a significant amount of free points. While not as much as before, it was still a Four Emperor's crew, so the gains were substantial.

With his opponent's surrender, Luo Ning dispelled the clone, and the space returned to normal. Aside from Shanks' bleeding severed hand, there seemed to be no sign of the intense battle that just transpired.

"Since the victor has been decided, we'll take our leave."

Shanks collected his broken blade, offered a farewell greeting, and departed. He didn't dare linger any longer. Even amongst strong figures like them, who usually wouldn't resort to lies, there was always an air of uncertainty.

It was best to leave first. After all, there was an Emperor like Kaido who completely disregarded the dignity of the strong, resorting to any tactic, no matter how despicable.

"As expected of Master Luo Ning! He so easily defeated Red-Haired Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, and even shattered his blade!"

King Riku remarked with a hint of emotion. While they couldn't personally sense the immense power of the attacks, the aftermath was clear for all to see.

Both Luo Ning and Shanks were incredibly powerful beings, far exceeding existences like Doflamingo. Traditionally, battles between strong figures in the Pirate World were lengthy, often lasting days or even nights. In Luo Ning's domain, however, lasting even a short while was a feat. The fighting time was compressed to an incredibly short duration.

In Luo Ning's view, battles between individuals of comparable strength can indeed drag on for days or even nights. This is because both parties need to thoroughly understand each other's capabilities. Otherwise, the threat of a hidden trump card creates tension, making neither combatant comfortable enough to fully commit.

In these equal-powerhouse duels, victory or defeat often hinges on a single critical attack. Take Aokiji and Akainu for example. Their lengthy battle can be seen as both sides waiting for the other to reveal a weakness, an opening for a decisive strike. Otherwise, the fight wouldn't have lasted so long.

"Shanks is underwhelming for a Four Emperor."

Luo Ning shook his head. In his opinion, Kaido is the strongest among the current Emperors. As for Whitebeard, while once the "Strongest Man in the World," his current state is a liability. In a desperate fight against an equally strong opponent, his declining health would lead to a gradual decline in performance.

Having reached his peak, Whitebeard is now facing Kaido, who is just hitting his prime. As the saying goes, "youth triumphs over experience," and in a prolonged battle, Whitebeard would be worn down and eventually defeated by Kaido.

With Shanks gone, the issue of Dressrosa wasn't settled yet. Another visitor arrived shortly after Shanks' departure: Katakuri.

To reach Luo Ning before he left, Katakuri had pushed his crew to travel at breakneck speed. With Big Mom's ultimatum hanging over him, he had no choice but to confront Luo Ning directly. His biggest concern now was the potential threat Luo Ning posed to his siblings.

Katakuri arrived in Dressrosa as soon as Shanks left. The entire ordeal took less than a day.

"It's one Four Emperor crew after another! First the Red Hair Pirates, and now Big Mom's lot!" Nami said with a hint of frustration.

"Compared to them, the Big Mom Pirates are even worse." Robin chimed in, and the others nodded in agreement. They were all well aware of the atrocities committed by Big Mom's underlings.

In their quest for cake ingredients, Big Mom's children wouldn't hesitate to devastate entire countries. Their actions could hardly be described as anything but insane.

Within the Charlotte family, only a handful of individuals could potentially impress Luo Ning, and Katakuri was one of them. Unlike some of Doflamingo's crew, who were simply brutal, Katakuri wasn't a violent person. Luo Ning had even considered recruiting some of Doflamingo's crew with decent personalities, but their unwavering loyalty to Doflamingo proved to be an obstacle. Only Baby 5 had been successfully recruited.

Big Mom, Katakuri, and some others could also be potential recruits. Cracker's brand of madness, however, was unacceptable. Unlike them, Katakuri wouldn't claim to be benevolent without Big Mom in power, but he would never take pleasure in killing.

However, the same couldn't be said for the others on Big Mom's side. Most of them exhibited some degree of insanity. However, Luo Ning was particularly interested in two Devil Fruit abilities: the Memorie-Memorie Fruit and the Mirror-Mirror Fruit.