One Piece: The Avengers

"Boom!"

The intense collision obliterated everything around—mountains, trees, flowers, grass, and land—all vanished without a trace, leaving behind a massive crater several meters in diameter.

Shanter was also affected, with countless flying rocks, bricks, and plant debris pelting him, but fortunately, he sustained no serious injuries.

Seeing the devastation, Shanter didn't seem overly concerned because his Observation Haki [Kenbunshoku Haki] allowed him to clearly sense the vitality of the two combatants still strong and active.

After a moment.

Shanks crawled out of the crater first. Brushing the dirt off his clothes, he casually said, "A draw again!"

At that moment, Mifog also jumped out, though his leap, while impressive, looked much worse than Shanks'. His once splendid attire now resembled that of a beggar.

Of course, this "misery" was only on the surface. The contrast between Mifog's previous aristocratic appearance and Shanks' casual attire made it more noticeable.

Upon seeing this outcome, Shanter suddenly understood why Mifog often challenged Shanks to duels: in reality, they were evenly matched, but Mifog always looked far worse in the aftermath. During the fight, Shanks' speed advantage often pressed him, making him look bad.

Of course, whether that was truly the case, Shanter didn't know for sure.

Having witnessed this spectacular battle, Shanter had gained a lot of insight. However, it was time for him and Robin to focus on their own matters, so they decided to leave.

After politely declining Shanks' suggestion to drink and celebrate, Shanter and Robin quietly left a treasure worth enough to pay off Shanks' ship debts and departed from the hospitable pirate.

"Little girl, let's buy a ship here on this island!" Shanter said as he carried Robin on his back, affectionately.

"Okay, I'll listen to you, big brother!" Robin, resting on Shanter's back with her eyes closed, was enjoying this rare moment of warmth.

"So, what kind of ship should we buy?" Shanter asked Robin for her suggestion.

"Let's buy a ship like Shanks'! Just a single-mast sailing ship will do," Robin replied after considering.

"Good thing you got so much treasure," Shanter teased, playfully tapping Robin's nose, "otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do."

"Don't say that," Robin said, a slight frown crossing her face as she bit Shanter's neck and warned fiercely, "If you ever do anything so dangerous again, I'll bite you to death!"

Shalanter grimaced from the bite, but Robin's angry expression was so cute that he couldn't help but laugh heartily.

Now Robin was really annoyed. "Big brother, don't go too far!"

"Alright! I promise," Shanter responded seriously. He knew Robin's gentle nature, so even when she got angry, she would only say, "You're going too far," and would calm down soon after. He gave her a reassuring answer.

Sigh... Robin sighed softly, "Big brother, I know you're going to go to Marineford, right?"

Shalanter didn't respond.

"I know I can't stop you," Robin said with a hint of sadness, "but when that day comes, I hope I can be with you."

"I'll take you there." To Robin's surprise, Shanter answered without hesitation.

Shanter continued, "Don't worry. By then, I'll have power beyond anything, and I'll never let you suffer again."

"I hope so..." Robin still looked uneasy.

"Don't worry, I won't act recklessly on this matter. If I don't have a sure chance, I won't rush in," Shanter reassured her, recalling his past experiences.

"Alright, we're almost at the town. I hope we can find a ship we like," Shanter suddenly became excited, startling Robin who was resting on his back.

"Big brother, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just thinking about what identity we should set sail with," Shanter said thoughtfully.

"What else would we be? Are we going to be pirates?" Robin asked, immediately regretting the words as soon as they left her mouth. She quickly added, "Sorry."

Before she could apologize, Shanter answered, "Yes, that's right! We will be pirates!"

Robin was stunned. She knew better than anyone how much Shanter despised pirates.

"Big brother," Robin hopped off Shanter's back and reached to touch his forehead, "You're not burning up, are you? Have you gone mad?"

"Heh, no, I'm fine," Shanter mischievously kissed Robin's small hand, "I don't want to be a bad pirate. It's just that Shanks made me truly understand pirates. No matter the identity, I will always be me, and I will never change."

"Besides, as a pirate, I can still eliminate those wicked pirates," Shanter continued, "But if I were a Marine, it would be much harder to deal with those hypocritical Marines."

"Those who do evil, those who are hypocrites, I will destroy them all."

"Actually, being an adventurous 'righteous thief' wouldn't be too bad either!"

"Alright, let's go, little girl! We're getting our ship!" Shanter took Robin's hand, in a good mood as they set off.

"Have you given up?" Robin muttered with a bit of mischief.

Bang! Shanter lightly tapped Robin's head. "You silly girl, what are you talking about?"

"Huh? Nothing."

---

At the town dock.

"Boss, how much for this ship?"

"Haha, you really have an eye for good things! This ship is the best I have, just built, and hasn't even been named yet! Look at this deck, these masts..."

"Stop, stop, stop! I just asked how much it costs!" Shanter interrupted the ship owner's rambling.

"27 million Berries."

"Good, deal." Shanter swiftly opened a box and took out 27 million Berries from the treasure they had just acquired.

The boss was a little regretful. He hadn't thought to overcharge since Shanter was so quick with the purchase.

But Shanter didn't care about the thoughts of a small-time ship owner. After all, Robin was waiting to read her history book.

Though Robin had said she wasn't in a hurry, Shanter knew how deeply she was obsessed with history.

"Little girl, we're about to set sail." Shanter sat down on the edge of the ship.

"Mm."

"Then, what shall we name our ship?" Shanter asked, casually reaching to touch Robin's cheek, sneaking in a moment of affection.

"How about Dark Signal?" Robin replied, half-joking, half-serious.

"Dark Signal? So distinctive, huh? Alright, it's your choice." Shanter tilted his head thoughtfully, "Actually, I was thinking of calling it 'Victory Goddess.'"

"Then what about our pirate crew's name?" Robin said the words "pirate crew" awkwardly.

"How about 'Mask'?" Shanter said, putting on a grim skull mask to cover his face's scars.

"Also, little girl, you're going to have to draw our pirate flag!"

"Huh?"

"Hey, what's wrong with drawing a pirate flag?" Shanter pretended to complain. "I'm going to be the captain, navigator, and cook; are you really too lazy to draw a flag?"

Hearing this, Robin gave in and started painting the flag, though she muttered with a playful tone, "Actually, I could be the captain."

"What?" Shanter mischievously began to eye Robin's backside.

"Ah—big brother, I'm sorry!"

"You're bullying me again!"

They continued teasing each other before finally finishing all the necessary preparations for the Dark Signal.

"Now, let's set sail!" Shanter declared, full of spirit. "Let's start our new journey!"