One Piece Shadow Army - Chapter 55

The William Pirates had arrived.

Gin’s unusual movements led Curls to suspect that Gin might have some connection with the William Pirates, though he couldn’t be certain what that connection was.

As the William Pirates approached, the previously relaxed atmosphere on the main ship grew tense once more.

Finally, the two ships made contact.

William, along with his crewmates, stepped onto Krieg’s main deck. His gaze first fell on Gin, and upon confirming that Gin was still alive, he felt a wave of relief.

Then, surveying the scene, his eyes locked onto the young Marine officer in the distance.

“Charlotte Curls, if I’m not mistaken!”

In response to William’s inquiry, Curls simply answered, “Yes.”

William took another look at the defeated Krieg Pirates and spoke again.

“It seems you’ve made significant progress. To defeat Krieg’s three-thousand-man fleet with just a patrol ship’s crew is impressive.”

Curls remained indifferent.

“What brings the William Pirates here?”

Hearing this, William’s face broke into a smile tinged with heroism. In the next moment, he drew his sword and charged at Curls.

Curls, prepared, clashed with William using his own blade. Sparks flew from the grinding metal as their swords collided repeatedly.

William grinned.

“I told you before, the next time we meet, I hope you’ll be able to face my swordsmanship. It seems you haven’t disappointed me!”

Curls tightened his grip on his sword, executing precise strikes that matched William’s attacks blow for blow.

“I’ve been training relentlessly every day to bridge the gap between us!”

The Navy soldiers behind them felt helpless, not expecting Curls to engage William in battle right away. With their limited strength, they could only wait and watch.

Back at Loguetown, when Curls faced William’s swift attack, he felt a deep powerlessness. The pressure from William had driven him to train tirelessly, all to be able to fight back when they met again.

Through rigorous training, Curls had significantly improved his skills. Today was the day to prove it.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

After several dozen exchanges, Curls leapt into the air, muscles taut, and brought his blade down with immense force.

“Gale Slash!”

This move had slain the 20-million-berry bounty Arlong just days ago, showcasing its power. Now, facing William, he used it again.

The gale force intensified, striking with overwhelming power.

William’s expression remained unchanged as he blocked with his sword.

Clang!

The strong wind scattered, ruffling William’s robes. But that was all. With a reverse strike, he forced Curls back.

“Advancing your swordsmanship this much in less than a year is indeed rare. But do you think this is enough to defeat me?”

After retreating several meters, Curls launched another attack.

“Who knows?”

In the center of the main ship, the two swordsmen, whose skills exceeded the East Blue average, continued their intense duel. But as time passed, it became evident that Curls was being overpowered.

Though Curls’s swordsmanship was at the pinnacle of precise swordsmanship, William’s skills were far superior, gradually suppressing Curls with ease.

This wasn’t just the cutting iron level—it was the swordmaster level!

Curls’s expression grew serious, but he had been prepared for this and was not overly shocked or unsettled.

“Die!”

William, no longer holding back, accelerated and slashed with ghostly precision.

“Larlos!”

At Curls’s command, a large knight clad in black armor and draped in a red cape appeared behind him. The shadowy longsword of Larlos intercepted William’s deadly strike.

Seizing the opportunity, Curls swung his blade horizontally.

Though a master swordsman, William quickly retreated, avoiding the attack with only a few hairs cut. His gaze fixed on Larlos.

“This is your Devil Fruit ability, isn’t it?”

When the pirate Aduron had escaped, he had revealed Curls’s Devil Fruit powers. It was no surprise that William recognized it now.

Curls didn’t respond, instead teaming up with Larlos to attack William.

With Larlos, also a master swordsman, effectively restraining William, Curls turned the tide of the battle.

The pirates of the William Pirates, who had been confident in their captain, began to worry as the situation shifted with Larlos’s appearance.

Aduron, who had previously fought Curls, was especially puzzled. He remembered Curls as a recruit whose strength was on par with his own. How had he improved so drastically in less than a year?

Though Aduron had also trained hard, raising his bounty to ten million berries, he still couldn’t compare to William. Yet Curls now fought on equal footing with their captain. Was it monstrous talent or the Devil Fruit’s power?

Aduron concluded it was both.

The clashing of swords echoed across the main ship as the three combatants crossed blades. Each collision resounded through the night.

Swish!

William deflected Larlos’s shadowy sword, landing a precise stab on Larlos’s arm. Though the shadowy form was pierced, Larlos felt no pain and continued his relentless assault.

Boom!

A massive crack split the deck of Krieg’s main ship.

William dodged, observing Larlos’s regenerating shadowy form, realizing these shadow soldiers could be nearly invincible.

Using “Soru,” Curls appeared behind William, slashing diagonally at his head. William, reacting swiftly, evaded with a unique maneuver, narrowly avoiding the attack but losing a few hairs in the process.

As the hairs drifted down, William counterattacked fiercely. Despite coming close to defeating Curls, he had to divert his attention to defend against Larlos’s approach.

The battle remained at a stalemate.

…

After ten minutes, William pushed back Curls and Larlos but did not immediately resume his attack. Instead, he spoke.

“A swordmaster-level subordinate is impressive. But summoning him to fight must come with some limitations, right?”

Curls did not answer.

Because it was true, as William said, summoning shadows consumed mental energy, limiting how long he could maintain them.

William continued, “I’ll give you a choice. Take your men and leave, and I won’t pursue you further.”

“Is Gin your comrade?” Curls’s gaze shifted to the bound middle-aged man among the prisoners.

“Yes.”

William admitted openly, continuing, “I intended to deal with the Krieg Pirates today, but you beat me to it. Release Gin, and you can go.”

Curls exhaled slowly.

He glanced at the pirate prisoners and his Marine subordinates behind him.

The scene reminded him of the time at Loguetown’s harbor when William had used the new recruits to threaten Major Kain in exchange for Jeff.

Finally, Curls’s eyes returned to William, his expression resolute.

“Your offer is good.”

“But I refuse!”

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