One Piece: My Name is Jack, I'm Very Resistant to Beating

"Oi! You guys step back. Let me have some fun with this guy!"

Seeing Jack charging in with his spiked club, Shanks grinned excitedly and drew his saber to meet him head-on.

Clang!

Boom!

The clash of their Conqueror's Haki sent shockwaves rippling outward, forcing Beckman and the others—who hadn't gotten far yet—to instinctively take a few steps back. Meanwhile, Shanks and Jack both smirked.

"You bastard!"

"Not bad at all!"

Jack had sought out Shanks for one simple reason: he wanted to refine his Immortal Body's resilience. His usual bungee-jumping training was far too slow. The stronger his opponent, the more thrilled he was.

On the other hand, Shanks had found himself increasingly bored in recent years. With his growing strength, most battles barely required him to lift a finger. Even Mihawk had stopped dueling him after he lost his arm, using the excuse of not bullying a cripple. Even after mastering swordsmanship with his right hand, Mihawk still refused to spar.

So when Jack came knocking, it was like rain after a drought. Finally, someone he could fight seriously.

Clang! Clang!

Despite the stark difference in their builds, Shanks didn't retreat a single step after multiple exchanges. The veins on his forehead bulged slightly from exertion, but that was it. Jack was surprised.

His strength was already at its peak—even when sparring with Kaido, he didn't fall behind. According to Kaido, Jack had already reached the pinnacle of physical prowess. Both Queen and Miss Bakkin had confirmed this: no matter the race, there was a limit to raw physical strength. Once someone hit that ceiling, the differences became negligible.

Yet, despite being visibly strained, Shanks was matching his strength. If Jack had a power level of 120, was Shanks at 119?

As the battle dragged on, Jack found himself increasingly astonished by Shanks' growth.

What the hell? It's only been a few years since our last fight!

Back then, Shanks wasn't even on par with Queen. But now? His Armament Haki, stamina, and overall combat ability were going toe-to-toe with Jack. Not only that, but his swordsmanship was clearly superior, his Observation Haki was beyond Jack's, and—most importantly—his Conqueror's Haki was something else entirely!

Jack prided himself on his Conqueror's Haki infusion, which he had acquired through the system. By all logic, his version should be at the highest level possible.

Yet, Shanks had completely overwhelmed him.

What did this mean?

It meant this red-haired freak had already stepped into an entirely new realm of Conqueror's Haki—one that even Kaido and Jack, with his system buffs, hadn't reached!

How?!

Garp reaching the pinnacle of Armament Haki made sense for his age. But Shanks? What kind of nonsense was this?!

Was this bastard the chosen one? The main character of this world?!

Hmph! So what if he is?

Unless he's hacking like me, he's nothing but a walking resource for me to exploit!

With that thought, Jack activated his awakened hybrid mammoth form. His sudden transformation made Shanks frown.

Even in his base form, Jack had been a pain to deal with. Shanks' attacks barely did any damage, and even when using advanced Armament Haki, Jack shrugged off the blows and healed almost instantly.

Even Kaido had admitted that Jack's recovery abilities were insane.

And now that he had shifted to his hybrid form? Just looking at that thick, leathery hide screamed defense monster.

Shanks, having already let off some steam, calmed down.

He loved a good fight, but against an opponent like this, was it really worth it? Unless he used that move—but if he killed Jack, Kaido would definitely come after him.

Clang!

Parrying Jack's next strike, Shanks spoke seriously, "Jack! There's no deep hatred between us."

"Why don't you do me a favor and call it a day? Let's sit down and have a drink."

Jack's eyes instantly turned bloodshot. "A favor? You want me to do you a favor?!"

"I already gave you one last time! And now you want another?!"

"What's with you?!"

"Fine! Here you go!"

Boom!

Jack spewed a fireball straight at Shanks. Though Shanks ducked in time, the flames still singed his hair. A burning smell filled the air.

Jack burst into laughter, dropping his club in the process. "Hahahaha! That bald spot suits you!"

"Hahahahaha! Captain Shanks, he's right!"

"This hairstyle really is perfect for you!"

Even Lucky Roux and the others were wiping away tears from laughing at the now partially bald Shanks.

"You...!"

Shanks touched his head, feeling the smooth patch where his hair used to be. His Conqueror's Haki flared uncontrollably.

"Do you know how hard it was to style this?!"

Jack stopped laughing and met Shanks' gaze with a serious expression.

"Oh? You mad now?"

"Come at me, Shanks!"

Shanks' face darkened, his voice dripping with murderous intent.

"I didn't want to kill you... but you've gone too far!"

"You barged in here causing trouble, refused to show me any respect, and burned my hair?!"

"I have no choice but to end you!"

Jack nearly exploded. "Bullshit! You're putting on that act again?!"

"Let's see you try to kill me this time!"

"You pulled this stunt last time, too!"

"If you can't kill me today, you better kneel and sing 'Conquer' from start to finish!"

With his entire body coated in Armament Haki, Jack charged at Shanks. Meanwhile, Shanks, having built up his energy, raised his saber—Gryphon—and swung down with full force.

"Divine Departure!"

BOOM!

Breathing heavily, Shanks dropped to one knee. He still wasn't fully proficient in this move. Every time he used it, it drained him completely.

But the power? Undeniable.

Even a mountain would be split in half by that strike. There was no way Jack had survived.

"Huff... Huff..."

"Huh?"

As the dust settled, Jack emerged, covered in blood but grinning widely.

"No way... That should've..."

Jack's wounds were already closing up.

"Hahahaha! Not bad! You're already kneeling! Now sing for me!"

"Divine Departure? Pfft! What a pretentious name!"

"But you know what?"

Jack cracked his knuckles and grinned savagely.

"Divine Departure? I don't dodge—I'm stronger than the gods!"

"Now start singing!"

-----------

The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg